Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

New mobile home?

I’m new to this kind of stuff but I just purchased a  bit of land. I want to get a double wide put on it. What all do I need to do afterwards? I assume I need to call somebody to get plumbing set up. I’m sure I’ll need to get a mailbox but I’m not sure how the address will work yet. Is there anything else that I should keep in mind and what is a good estimated cost? 

11 Answers

Relevance
  • 8 months ago

    Federal mailbox rules determine what address to use for the mail, based upon the local streets and numbering rules.

    Rules for such things are local and you didn't give a clue as to where the land is.  In my town you would need a "construction permit" to install a permanent structure on your property and it would come with an address assigned, if you don't already have one, based upon its location for 9-1-1 mapping.  In theory, you could file for a permit to "build" nothing more than a driveway with permanent mailbox, if it's only for a seasonal RV or camping site. Around here, you would measure how far the "driveway" is from the nearest intersection of public ways and put that on your application, resulting in assignment of a 911 number proportional to that distance.

    The construction permit would also need to show compliance with the corresponding zoning, building, health and fire codes (setbacks, fire road access, heating system, water/sewer, etc).  You also don't always need "a slab" for a "mobile home" -- many rest on piers or another type of foundation.

    There are millions of rural parcels having no "street address" until a structure is permitted, not to mention a "public way", so I'm not sure where someone got the idea that "all property has an address", let alone anything to do with your "deed or title". 

    You don't always need "utility lines" to your home: you can live "off-the-grid", as it were, with a private well, sewage cesspool or septic system, solar- electrics (if any), oil or propane-fired heat, and wireless phones (if any).  You would be wise to figure all that out before building any sort of foundation, in case you need anything installed under ground.  Costs vary widely, based upon location and specific requirements (starting with surveys and engineered plans, if required).

    For what it's worth, US laws only refer to "mobile homes" if they were built prior to the 1976 federal preemption of those building codes by HUD regulations, which now define and regulate "manufactured homes".

    Your mileage may vary: this is not intended as a comprehensive list, let alone any sort of legal advice on what you may actually need to do, given your actual circumstances.

    Source(s): rural fire inspector and consultant to local planning commission
  • 8 months ago

    my daughter just bought a used mobile home and the license bureaus  are not doing title transfers right now  she needs this title in her name help !

  • F
    Lv 7
    8 months ago

    If you are in the UK, you must immediately tell the authorities you are a “ traveller”., otherwise you will have to apply for planning permission which will probably be denied. If you are a traveller you do what you want and no one stops you.

  • 8 months ago

    Any land you purchase in the US will have an address--you will get your deed or title and the address will be on it. If not, you'll need to rent a PO Box at your local post office. 

    However--as for utilities, it really depends where the land is. It may or may NOT have utilities already there--and if it doesn't, the cost will be huge to have them run to your land. You'll need electric, gas and water/sewer--or you can have a septic tank and leach bed put in. You're looking at quite a bit of money to do this. It's going to easily cost more than $10K for just the septic system. It's going to cost you whatever your local utility companies charge to run your lines to their lines--and I have no idea how to tell you what that might be--but they will most likely charge you by the running foot. Don't forget phone services, too. And trash pickup. You're also going to need a concrete pad so your home can sit there--it can't sit on it's wheels or tires, and if it's a double-wide (a modular home) it will need some kind of foundation. Another large expense. What you do is start by calling your city or county and asking if there are services already nearby you can hook up to. Then you call the utility companies one by one and find out if they have to run lines to your place or if there are already hookups available. BTW: This is something you should have investigated BEFORE purchase.  Land can be very cheap when no services are available. 

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • Eva
    Lv 7
    8 months ago

    There are things you need to do beforehand. The septic and well need to go in, a driveway, and a slab for the double wide to sit on. Then there's arranging for all the water, septic, and electric hookups. A mailbox is the least of your worries.

  • Maxi
    Lv 7
    8 months ago

    So have you applied for and got permission to put a mobile on the 'bit of land' as if not you are in for a long and expensive journey as you need that before you can put it on and before you could get services to the land...which will be VERY expensive regardless of how close to the land services are....

    Get your plans in and get permission, then contact the companies like water, electric and they will tell you the costs after seeing the land/plans and planning permission you have

  • Anonymous
    8 months ago

    There are many problems with mobile homes, the biggest being they decrease in value fairly significantly. You also have zoning to think about in addition to power & plumbing. The mailbox is the least of your concerns.

  • y
    Lv 7
    8 months ago

    As another said, it has to be zoned for it. I'm looking into the same sort of options for retirement. I don't need this big house, but I haven't shared a wall since living in a barracks. Stairs are scary things, so land, with a mobile home or single level small place, seem like decent options. Many place will not allow a mobile home I have found during my research.  You'll need a pad for it, and that depend on area, septic, water source, electrical lines, mail will have to be in accordance with local bylaws and such.

  • 8 months ago

    Most importantly make sure it's zoned for a mobile home.

  • Anonymous
    8 months ago

    Is it raw land or does it already have utilities?  What about septic/side sewer?

    Will you need a foundation for the mobile?  

    You'll need approval from the county for all these things.   It could be very, very expensive if it's just land without any of the water, electric, septic/sewer and permits.  A septic system alone can cost 20k. 

    But if the land is "build ready", it may not be a big deal. 

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.