While it is theoretically possible to use a mobile home as an addition to a site-built home, there are several BIG hurdles you need to jump over to get there:

1. Two Living Units - A mobile home is a complete living unit that includes a kitchen, not just a bedroom addition, so the mobile home addition would be equivalent to creating a duplex on your property. The local jurisdiction may not allow two living units on the property.
2. Zoning - Mobile homes are excluded by zoning restriction from many areas.
3. Exits - A site-built residence only requires a single exit, but HUD standards state that a mobile home must have two exits directly to the outdoors. Also, each bedroom must have a window to the outside for emergency egress. Installation of the home cannot block the exit doors or bedroom egress windows.
4. Must Be Freestanding - Although a mobile home roof can be connected to an adjacent structure, it is not designed to support any additional loads and no other structure can bear on its walls unless it was specially designed for the additional load.
5. Different floor levels - Most site-built homes are slab-on-grade construction, with the floor level about 6 inches to a foot above the ground. The average mobile home floor is at least 2 feet higher, so a stair between the two levels is necessary. A pit-set home brings the mobile floor down much lower, but at great additional expense.

     One rural Florida county we know of has a “mother-in-law” exception to their zoning code that allows a homeowner to put a mobile home on their property to accommodate an elderly family member. It is temporary exemption and the mobile must be removed upon their death. But we have never seen one attached directly to the house, which is probably not ideal with a mother-in-law anyway. 

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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? 

• Can you put a zone 1 mobile home in Florida?

• How can I remove water under my mobile home?

• 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.