Mobile home repair and remodeling is covered under the Florida Administrative Code Rule 15C-2.0081 For Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Division of Motor Vehicles, Rules of Procedure for Bureau of Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Construction.

    The four key items of the code are:

1. Additions must be self-supporting. In other words, an addition cannot bear on the mobile home walls. An exception is allowed for an addition to a home that has had a host beam installed at the factory specifically for a future addition. See our blog posts Why is it a dangerous mistake to attach a carport, porch, or room addition directly to the roof of a mobile home? and What is a "host beam" at a mobile/manufactured home? to learn more.
2. Must be constructed in compliance with state and local building codes.
3. Materials used must be equivalent to original construction.
4. Anchoring must be in compliance with similar type construction. For mobile home tie-downs, see our blog post What are the tie-down requirements for a mobile home?

    Here is the full text of the code:

15C-2.0081 Mobile/Manufactured Home Repair and Remodeling Code.

These guidelines shall be used to assure safe and livable housing and shall not be more stringent than the standard to which the home was originally constructed.

(1) Structure.

(a) Additions, including, but not limited to add-a-rooms, roof-overs and porches shall be free standing and self-supporting with only the flashing attached to the main unit unless the added unit has been designed to be married to the existing unit. All additions shall be constructed in compliance with State and locally adopted building codes.

(b) Anchoring of additions shall be in compliance with requirements for similar type construction.

(c) Repair or remodeling of a mobile/manufactured home shall require the use of material and design equivalent to the original construction. Structure shall include, but not be limited to, roof system, walls, floor system, windows and exterior doors of the mobile/manufactured home.

(2) Electrical repair and replacements shall require the use of material and design equivalent to the original construction.

(3) Plumbing repairs and replacements shall require the use of material and design equivalent to the original construction.

Rulemaking Authority 320.011 FS. Law Implemented 320.8232, 320.8245, 320.8285 FS. History–New 1-1-90, Amended 12-10-92, 4-8-99.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

Want to learn more about inspecting
manufactured/mobile homes? 
Get our Handbook for 
Manufactured Home Inspectors 
at amazon.com for $19.95

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

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

• When did a ground cover vapor barrier (plastic sheet) become required under a mobile/manufactured home? 

• Is it safe to go under a mobile home? 

• Are older mobile homes unsafe? 

• What do I need to know about buying a foreclosed mobile home? 

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

• 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? 

• 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.