HUD Engineering Report for Manufactured Homes
HUD foundation certification for manufactured homes across North Texas.
HGS Engineering, PLLC serves buyers, sellers, agents and lenders on manufactured homes across North Texas.
The Short Answer
A HUD engineering report, also called a HUD foundation certification, is a signed letter from a Texas-licensed engineer stating that one manufactured home's foundation meets HUD's Permanent Foundations Guide. FHA lenders ask for it before closing.
What Do Lenders Require?
Who signs matters as much as having the letter. A home inspector can't sign it, and a contractor's written opinion won't do.
VA and USDA loans word this differently.
What the Inspector Checks on Site
The visit follows the Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing, HUD publication 49303g (September 1996), which you can read at HUD USER. The inspector looks at the items below, but the inspection is not necessarily limited to this list.
- Piers and footings
- Anchor straps (tie-downs)
- Perimeter skirting
- Site conditions and drainage
- Additions and alterations
What the Report Contains
The report states whether the foundation passes the guidelines. If it does not, the report outlines the items that must be completed to attain the certification. The letter also addresses any porches or accessory structures and whether the home is in its originally installed location.
Who Needs the HUD Engineering Report?
Buyers and sellers hit this requirement most. A buyer stuck at underwriting needs the letter to close. A seller whose old certification no longer matches the home needs a new one before listing. Agents often book for their clients once the lender raises it.
Lenders who carry responsibility for completing the file also contact the firm directly.
How Much Does a HUD Engineering Report Cost?
We quote each job, because the price moves with the home's location in North Texas, the number of structures on the lot, and any second visit to confirm repairs. To price it, we need what the booking question under Frequently Asked Questions asks for, sent in the contact form message.
Related Engineering Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can do a HUD foundation certification for a manufactured home in Texas?
In Texas that means a licensed professional engineer or architect whose firm is registered with the state engineering board.
What should I tell the engineer when I book a HUD engineering report?
Gather the address, the loan type and lender, any work done to the home since it was set, the closing date, and whether an earlier FHA loan covered it. The last two change what gets documented, and saying so on the first call saves a second trip.
Can an old HUD foundation certification be used again?
Sometimes. A lender may accept, per Handbook 4000.1, the certification from an earlier FHA-insured mortgage, as long as the home is unaltered and shows no damage since signing. A new porch, a shifted pier or storm damage ends that.
Does the appraiser decide whether the foundation passes?
No. Appraisers record what they can see and cannot require a foundation certification on a manufactured home. Pass or fail is the call of the engineer your lender hires, who reads the foundation against the HUD guide.
Send us your details and we will provide a price quote and availability.
Sources
- HUD USER, Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured HousingHUD publication 49303g from September 1996, the guide each site visit follows.
- HUD, FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Update 18Where the lender paperwork and skirting rules on this page come from.
- HUD, Mortgagee Letter 09-16Sets out the three items an engineering report must carry.
- Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Manufactured Housing DivisionThe state agency over manufactured home installation.
- Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, Engineering Firm RegistrationThe firm registration number and the licensed engineer seal.