HUD requires new mobile home installations to comply with their Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards, at 24 CFR 3285.203(d), which states that “all drainage must be diverted away from the home and must slope one-half inch per foot away from the foundation for the first ten feet. Where property lines, walls, slopes, or other physical conditions prohibit this slope, the site must be provided with drains or swales or otherwise graded to drain water away from the structure, as shown in Figure to 3285.203.”

Half-Inch Per Foot Slope Away From Home

    A shortened version of this HUD-code is “half-inch per foot slope for first ten foot away from home, unless other adequate drainage means is provided.” The HUD diagram is also shown below.

No Depressions Where Water Can Puddle

    That statement in the middle of the HUD diagram about “home sites must be prepared so that there will be no depressions in which surface water may accumulate beneath the home” is important. Small riverbed-like depressions running under a home, like in the photo below, are an indication that proper site prep was not done and water is not being diverted around the foundation.

    For how to prevent moisture problems inside your mobile home, see our blog posts What can I do to prevent dampness and mold in my mobile home? and How can I remove water under my mobile home? And for tips on how to check your homesite, go to How do I look for yard drainage problems when buying a house?

    Also, go to our HUD-CODE FOR MOBILE HOMES page for a listing of our other HUD-code articles. 

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?

• Can a mobile home permanent foundation be concrete blocks on pads and screw-in anchors? 

• 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?

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

• How can I remove water under my mobile home?

• What's the differences between a trailer, a mobile home, a manufactured home, and a modular home? 

• What is a D-sticker mobile home? 

• What are the tie-down requirements for a mobile home?

• How fireproof is a mobile home?  

• Can I install a mobile home myself?

• What is a Park Model mobile home?  

• Does an addition to a mobile home have to comply with the HUD Code? 

• What walls can I remove in a mobile 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.