Hurricanes, Humidity And Sand

Florida has frequent hurricanes, sandy soil, and a hot/humid climate. Although any one of those factors does not make the state unique, the combination of all three does. But Florida abided by the same HUD national standards for manufactured homes as all the other states across the U.S. from the time they became law in 1976.

Big Changes After Cat-5 Andrew

    Then Hurricane Andrew swept across South Florida in 1991. Just about all the mobile homes in the hardest-hit areas around Homestead, near the southern tip of the state, were knocked off their foundation piers and ripped apart by the storm. HUD responded by creating a new Wind Zone 3 just for us several years later in 1994, with tougher wind-resistant standards for South Florida. 

    But the state determined that installation standards that exceeded HUD guidelines were necessary for safe occupancy of a manufactured home. So Chapters 15C-1 and 15C-2 of the Florida Administrative Code were created in 1999. The regulations are enforced by the Manufactured Housing Section of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Tougher Than HUD

    Here’s some examples of the state’s stricter installation rules, which are often referred to as “Florida overrides”:

•  Wood foundations are not allowed.
•  Tie-down straps must be double-dip (0.60 oz. per sq. ft.) galvanized. HUD allows 0.30 oz. per sq. ft.
•  Piers are required near each end of the home’s centerline, whether or not the manufacturer requires them.
•  Minimum height from ground to bottom of frame I-beam is 18-inches, except that 25% of area can be lower, but not below 12-inches clearance. HUD allows lower.
•  Piers over 52-inches high must be engineered. HUD accepts up to 80-inches before engineering necessary.

Download The State Requirements

    To download a copy of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles requirements Rule 15C-1 & 2 as a pdf document, click the link below:

TieDownFL15C1-2.pdf

    Also, here is a link to a summary of the key requirements in 15C-1 and 2:

15C-1and2S.pdf 

Timeline For Improvements To Installation Standards

    For the dates when both HUD and the State of Florida tightened their standards for mobile home manufacture and installation, see our blog post What year were mobile homes required to become more storm resistant?   

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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES:

• What happens when a mobile home foundation fails in a hurricane?• Does the building code apply to mobile homes? 

• Where can I file a complaint if I have problems with my new or used manufactured/mobile home in Florida?

• What are the most common defects in mobile/manufactured home foundation piers?

• How do I determine the age of a very old mobile home?

• What is a "HUD label verification letter" for a mobile/manufactured home?  

• Does it make sense to buy an older mobile home and remodel it? 

• What is a foundation certification inspection for a mobile/manufactured home?

• Where do I find the vehicle identification number (VIN) on a mobile home? 

• How do I find out how old a mobile home is and who manufactured it?

• What is the right price for a used mobile home?

• How energy efficient is a mobile home?

• When were the first double-wide mobile homes manufactured?

• How do I upgrade my old (pre-1976) mobile home to meet HUD standards?

• What size air conditioner is right for my mobile home? 

• Can you move an older mobile home in Florida? 

• What does the HUD tag look like and where do I find it on a mobile home? 

• Can you put a zone 1 mobile home in Florida?

• How can I remove water under my mobile home?

• What's the differences between a trailer, a mobile home, a manufactured home, and a modular home? 

• What is a D-sticker mobile home? 

• What are the tie-down requirements for a mobile home?

• What walls can I remove in a mobile home?

• What can I do to prevent dampness and mold in my mobile home? 

• How can I tell if a mobile home is well constructed?

• How can I tell the difference between a manufactured home and a modular home?

       Visit our MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES  page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles. 

- Andrew Hurricane Damage Photo by NOAA