Mobile homes are not ordinarily designed to be able to support an addition bearing on their walls. Most manufacturers do not allow it—except when the manufacturer builds a “host beam” into an area of exterior wall for support of a future site-built addition, such as a carport. It is an optional extra you can request for an additional fee, and will require beefed-up foundation pier and tie-down spacing specifications. If the manufacturer has installed a host beam at the factory, it will be noted on the data plate inside the home.

    If a host beam is not in the wall, then the addition must be freestanding, which usually means posts set next to the mobile home wall that support the roof structure. The roof of the addition can then connect to the roof of the mobile home, with flashing, but not actually transfer any of its weight to it. Here’s an example below.

    To learn more about mobile home additons, see our blog post What do I need to know about building an addition to a mobile home? 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Want to learn more about inspecting
manufactured/mobile homes? 
Get our  Handbook for 
Manufactured Home Inspectors 
at amazon.com for $19.95

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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?

• 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?  

       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.