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 Graham,
Are you signed up with Hayman Engineering? How does it work?
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Banks here also require the report is stamped… that’s why I have one on staff:)
Some clients clearly want an engineers stamp. We’re looking for a regulation that requires it.
FHA requires an engineer’s stamp. I do not know why because there is not much to understanding stabilizing a manufactured home.
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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
I do manufactured home inspections all the time. The only entity that I’m aware of that requires an engineer’s inspection is FHA.
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
Here is the copy from the HUD website as I know it…and now have Professional Engineers thru out the state of CA that do these certifications now.
Manufactured Homes
Foundation Compliance
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** Information by State**](http://www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm)
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[/size][size=2]Appraisal and Property Requirements
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[/size][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]All foundation systems, new and existing, must meet the guidelines published in the [size=2][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing](http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/guidebooks/4930.3G/index.cfm)[/FONT] (HUD-4930.3G), dated September 1996. A certification attesting to compliance with this handbook must be obtained from a licensed professional engineer and included in the insuring file. This procedure does not apply when the current FHA borrower refinances their loan. It is applicable for all re-sales.
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I will say that the rule “does not apply to refinance” Is not applicable when the loan is a reverse mortgage.
It is in FL. All MH here get a foundation inspection; new, refinanced, reverse mortgage. Practically, any time the home sells, if there is a lender involved it will have to have an inspection with an engineers stamped certificate letter and if necessary upgraded to the latest guidelines. Here, if a mobile home installer goes out and sets up a brand new MH, they still must have this inspection performed before the buyers can move in. The only thing here the county inspectors get involved in is the water and sewer hook up and electrical. All of that has to be done prior to this engineers inspection as it is on the checklist.
I’m no legislator, but I believe this requirement is only for compliance inspections/inspectors of new and used manufactured home installations for OMHC compliance and/or compliance with Ohio Department of Health and the ability to place the “seal of approval” prior to occupancy. Much like an AHJ issuing the Certificate of Occupancy.
Inspection Authority.pdf (24.3 KB)
FHA does requires this an engineer stamp on a refi.