Tie Down Straps For A Mobile Home

[Donald E. Viehman]

Are we as NACHI inspectors certified to inspect a mobile home to verify that it has tie down straps?

[gbeaumont]

Originally Posted by dviehman

Are we as NACHI inspectors certified to inspect a mobile home to verify that it has tie down straps?

Hi there,

Generaly no, most lenders and insureres require a stamped engineers report.

Regards

Gerry

[Bruce M. Graham]

Donald,
try www.hayman-res.com and sign up

[Donald E. Viehman]

Bruce Graham,

Are you signed up with Hayman Engineering? How does it work?

[Nick Gromicko]

Don't be a dolt. Insurance companies hire InterNACHI members to do these all the time. They are simple to do and do not constitute the practicing of engineering.. There is no law that says you have to be stupid and cut-in some other company in on the service you are providing for your client that your client wants you to do.

Now if Hayman wants to give YOU work, that is a different story. But Don, you emailed me and said an insurance company wants you to do them... so do them. No need to pay to do them under an engineering company. You aren't engineering anything. You are inspecting.

[Doug Edwards]

Check with your State laws first. FL does required an Engineers stamped certification letter for MH foundation inspections and have for many years. It involves a lot more than just tie downs (piers, spacings, heights, bracing, different configurations of components, lateral stabilization devices, longitudinal stabilization devices, midline anchors, different skirting, etc. etc. ) and there are very specific protocols that have to be observed, documented and measured. FL works these in conjunction with VA, FHA and HUD and even the DOT (HUD regulates mobile homes, not the county inspectors). Hayman will sign you up to do these but they may already have someone in your area to do them, but worth a try. Very often you may be required to go through an installers course and pass a test to know what to look at and what is and isn't allowed.

[Nick Gromicko]

Doug, even when an insurance company is asking him to check for these? Do you have a link to the reg? I don't see how the state has any say in deciding whom the insurance company chooses to help collect information.

[Doug Edwards]

The only thing I still have on hand is the law which was amended in 1999 and that is ancient compared to what is on the books now. It has been amended several times since.
Everything anyone knows about State laws and insurance you can throw out the window when it comes to FL and wind. They take wind damages and regulations very seriously here. The insurance does not dictate what the requirements are in FL., the State does and the insurance companies can comply or get the hell out. The paper I have is 34 pages long with charts on just how to set up a MH, they get so specific it is a wonder anyone manages to do it right. They even tell you what size and configuration of concrete Masonry units to be used, spacing, what material can and can not be used for shims. Which tie downs are allowed, not all are, the minimum length of the augers, shafts, number of wraps on the bolts on the heads, the for and aft angles, the side to side angles, spacing on tie downs, numbers required, skirting, bracing on skirting, materials on skirting, soil compressions and dozens of other criteria that have to be met. This ain't just rolling up, chocking the tires, jacking it up and such anymore and has not been for decades.

I just happen to have this on an old floppy and as I said it is outdated but it is even more stringent than this one .

Specific Authority 320.011, 320.8249, 320.8325(2), F.S. Law Implemented 320.01(1)(b) 7,
320.01(2), 320.822(12), 320.8249, F.S. History - New 1-10-94, Amended 10-02-95.

BTW, I can give you the number of someone who can probably answer all your questions but I won't post it here.

[Nick Gromicko]

I believe you Doug. I've instructed staff to develop a certification course for members.

If anyone finds a link to the reg, post it please.

[Darren Spencer]

Banks here also require the report is stamped.. that's why I have one on staff

[Nick Gromicko]

Some clients clearly want an engineers stamp. We're looking for a regulation that requires it.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

FHA requires an engineer's stamp. I do not know why because there is not much to understanding stabilizing a manufactured home.

[Al Wright]

I talked with local Mobile home dealer here in Ontario Canada about doing inpsection. What they require is someone with at least a propane license to verify that the it is safe to use. They didn't mention engineer's stamp up here

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

I do manufactured home inspections all the time. The only entity that I'm aware of that requires an engineer's inspection is FHA.

[grusk]

In Ohio you are required to be certified by the Ohio Manufactured Homes Commission. To get certified you take the State of Ohio Manufactured Home Installation/Inspection Course (16 hrs), then the ICC certification test based on the course and the Ohio Manufactured Homes Installation & Inspection Manual.

Gary