Permanent foundation — what FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional require
Every real-property manufactured home loan program — FHA Title II, VA, USDA, and conventional including MH Advantage and CHOICEHome — requires the home to be on a permanent foundation. The standard is HUD's Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing (PFGMH). Engineer certification at appraisal is required to confirm compliance.
What "permanent foundation" actually means
- Anchored to the ground Per state wind-zone code (Zone I, II, or III). Anchoring spec varies by wind zone — coastal and tornado-alley states are stricter.
- Running gear removed — wheels, axles, tongue all removed. The home is no longer transportable as a vehicle.
- Skirting in place — perimeter skirting (concrete block, brick, vinyl) closing off the space between the home and the ground.
- Pier and beam spec Meeting PFGMH — usually concrete piers on footings, with the home set down on them. Specific spacing and load capacity per the PFGMH.
- Utility hookups Permanently connected (water, sewer or septic, electric, gas if applicable).
Engineer certification
A licensed structural or civil engineer inspects the foundation and signs off that it meets PFGMH. This certification is filed with the appraisal package. Cost runs $300 to $600 in most markets. The engineer is paid by the borrower or by the seller depending on contract terms.
Mike maintains a working list of engineers by state who are familiar with PFGMH inspection. Scheduling the engineer in parallel with the appraisal avoids 2-week delays.
Common failure points
- Pier-and-beam without anchors. Common on older installations. The piers exist but the anchoring (cross-bracing, ground anchors) was never installed. Solution: Retrofit anchoring before closing.
- Missing skirting. Open underbelly fails PFGMH. Solution: Install perimeter skirting before close.
- Wheels and axles still attached. Common when an older home was set up assuming it might be moved. Solution: Remove running gear before engineer inspection.
- Wrong anchoring for wind zone. Anchoring spec installed correctly for Wind Zone I but the home is in a Wind Zone II or III area. Solution: Upgrade anchoring to the appropriate spec.
- No engineer certification yet. Easy to fix — schedule the inspection. The cost is small; the documentation is required.
What if the foundation does not meet PFGMH?
The home either gets retrofitted before closing (most common path) or the buyer pursues chattel / FHA Title I financing instead of real-property programs. Retrofit cost varies — usually $2K to $8K to add anchoring, replace skirting, and remove running gear. Mike can introduce you to contractors who do this work routinely.
What this means for your timeline
Plan 5 to 10 days for engineer certification on a property where the foundation already complies with PFGMH. Plan 30 to 60 days if retrofitting is required. Mike scopes this at pre-qualification so the timeline does not surprise the buyer.