How Often Should You Relevel A Mobile Home? (Find Out Now!)
Mobile homes have a lot of needs that most people aren’t aware of. For example, you will need to make sure that your mobile home’s skirt doesn’t have holes in it if you want to make sure that your plumbing remains warm during winter months. Another major issue that you need to keep on top of is releveling your house.
Check your mobile home’s level after 90 days, and only relevel it when it begins to feel uneven. It is best to relevel your mobile home during the early summer because it’s easier to adjust the plane. You can tell that you need to relevel your mobile home if it’s difficult to open or shut doors, or if cracks appear.
If you are not sure whether you need to relevel your home, why it’s a must, or what you should be aware of when you’re doing it, you’re not alone. Releveling a mobile home is a new thing for most first-time mobile homeowners. Thankfully, we’re here to help you understand what needs to be done and why.
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Why Do Mobile Homes Need Releveling?
Leveling your mobile home is something that has to be done, and not just because it could cause your stuff to slide around, either. An unlevel home can easily have undue stress placed on its structure. This, in turn, could lead to your mobile home needing repairs or even just collapsing on its own if things get out of hand.
Moreover, it can’t just be a one-time thing. Much like with regular homes, mobile homes will sink and settle at different rates. This means that you could end up with a “slouched” mobile home, which could cause anything from plumbing issues to structural problems depending on the severity of the slouch.
Why Do You Need To Check A Home’s level After It’s Been Installed?
This is fairly counterintuitive, since most of us assume that the home is going to be level when you first install it. Truth be told, it should be. When a mobile home is first installed, installers make a point of finding a plot of land that is fairly level and equal. However, it’s important to note that the home is still new.
It’s totally normal to have your mobile home settle in a great deal during the first three months. The releveling and calibration are just there to make sure that you don’t end up with a home that’s slouching and to ensure that your home will be set up properly.
When Is The Best Time To Relevel A Mobile Home?
There’s no exact time that you should choose to relevel your mobile home, but there is a good season to do it. The best season to check and relevel your mobile home is during the early part of summer. This is a moment where you will be able to get a better reading and also easily correct any plane issues that your home might be having.
One thing you do not want to do is try to relevel a home during the winter. Between the ice and the cold air, you’re going to end up making your job a lot harder for you than it should be.
How Do You Relevel A Mobile Home?
The method that you can use to relevel a mobile home will vary depending on the severity of the unevenness. Leveling your own home can be done in a variety of different ways, including:
- You can add wedges to the bottom of your home. Wedges are giant blocks that are stacked against one another to lift up the home. Sometimes, releveling can involve repairing them rather than adding new ones.
- Or, you can modify your home’s footers. These are the beams that your home rests on. Sometimes, they may need to be filled up or readjusted.
- Sometimes, you might just need to add wedges or repair your piers. Repairs can make a huge difference when it comes to the level of your home.
Can You Relevel Your Own Mobile Home?
Though you might be able to add a wedge or two, or even do some repairs, it’s not advisable. Many trailer parks won’t allow for it, and at times, a lack of experience can cause you to have more harm than good. It’s best to go with a contractor who is certified by your local HUD to handle releveling.
Even if you can relevel your own home, there’s always the question of if you want to. It’s a lot of crawling around on the mud. It can get messy. You probably have better things to do, don’t you think?
How Much Does It Cost To Get A Mobile Home Releveled?
There’s some good news here. Releveling your home is fairly affordable. In most parts of the country, getting your single-wide home releveled will only cost between $200 to $300. If you live in a large metro area, your costs will reflect that and be closer to $500 to $700.
Got a larger trailer? If you have a double-wide, the prices will be roughly double what you’d pay for a single-wide trailer. This will put your range between $400 to $1400. If you need to level additional parts of your home, such as a patio or an extension, you may have to pay an additional $200 or more.
Signs You Need To Relevel Your Mobile Home
Not sure if your home is level, and don’t feel like checking? One of the best ways to figure out if it’s time to relevel your home is to look for the signs and symptoms of an uneven home. The most common signs include:
- You can’t open doors or windows very easily. Do you have certain doors that always have a hard time closing? Maybe it’s a window instead. Either way, it’s a sign that you should relevel your mobile home. Doors and windows get stuck as a result of an uneven foundation. It can also cause your stuff to be difficult to close, depending on which way your foundation is slouching.
- Your siding or roofing has started to buckle. This is a classic sign of an uneven home, especially if it’s bunched up in similar areas. If you notice your siding bunching up, or if you notice that your skirt doesn’t quite seem to be even all around, you could be dealing with a foundational problem.
- The tie-downs in your home are loose. That’s not a good sign, and should be a trigger to have you check the overall quality of your home’s balance. Oh, and while you’re at it, make sure that your tie-downs are tightened up sooner rather than later.
- You recently had a major storm or noticed the ground moving from mud pileup. This almost always means you need to have a releveling…as well as an all-around inspection.
- There are cabinet doors that won’t stay closed. They’re hanging open as a result of an uneven home, or as a result of your laziness. If you have closed the doors only to see them pop open again, then you probably should get your home releveled.
- When you’ve placed items on your counter, they’ve slid. It may be a more extreme sign, but it can still happen if you have seriously neglected your mobile home.
- You recently added a new porch or add-on to your mobile home. While this might be a sign that you’re moving on up, it also can be a sign that it’s time to relevel your home. After all, the weight of the new materials will be more than enough to bring a little bend in the rest of your home over time.
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Related Questions
Why is my mobile home’s floor uneven?
It can happen for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes, it’s a matter of just having too much moisture warping the wood or frame of the home. Other times, your mobile home’s floor just is on an uneven foundation or has issues with its leveling. Either way, there are ways to fix it and it should be addressed sooner rather than later.
How can I permanently affix my mobile home to my land?
This all starts by creating a permanent foundation, then placing your mobile home on top of it. Once that’s done, you will need to connect all your utilities to your home and affix the home there. After the actual labor is done, you will need to update your paperwork showing that the mobile home is officially a permanent fixture to the surrounding area.
Does permanently affixing a mobile home to a foundation stop your need to relevel a mobile home?
If the idea of having a home releveled at random times doesn’t appeal to you, you might be able to put a stop to that requirement. Since your home would be on a permanent foundation that would be locked into the ground, there is less chance of having slippage in your level. This would give you a firmer home and also prevent the slouching that puts your mobile home at risk of needing repairs.
Ossiana Tepfenhart is an expert writer, focusing on interior design and general home tips. Writing is her life, and it's what she does best. Her interests include art and real estate investments.
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