For many years, Move it Move it Home Transport has been the first choice for a mobile home break down, moving, and set up. We are a local and nationwide mobile home transport company located in Charlottesville, VA. We are available for all your mobile home moving needs. Contact us today to speak with one of our helpful staff members.
How to Move a Mobile Home
Unless you’ve moved a mobile home before, you are likely not familiar with the transport process. Manufactured home delivery with Move it Move it Mobile Home Transport requires planning, time and most importantly experience. It’s important to understand the process and work with an experienced manufactured home transportation company to help eliminate setbacks and additional costs. Whether you’ve transported a mobile home before, or this is your first time, you’ll get everything you need to know about moving a mobile home to make to make the whole transport process easy.
Here’s What You’ll Need
1| Type of Mobile Home – Do you have a manufactured home, modular home, park model home, tiny home, mobile office or RV ?
2| Single or Double Wide – A single-wide is no more than 72′ long and 15′ wide. A double-wide ranges between 56′-90′ long and 26′ wide.
3| Pickup and Delivery Locations – Are we picking up from a residential or commercial address?
4| Route Survey – Will we need commercial route planning?
3| Towing or Hauling – Is this a legal or oversize transport?
4| Permits/Escorts – Will your move require local, state or nationwide permitting?
5| Set-Up Services – Do you need professional service to disconnect and reconnect your utilities or attach axles and wheels?
The Route Your Home Must Travel
While distance plays a vital role in your final price tag for mobile home transport, it’s far from your only concern. After all, roadways and access to different regions of the country vary greatly. The more challenging the conditions, the more you’ll get billed.
As you explore the route your home will need to travel, bear in mind factors such as steep inclines and narrow roadways. Also, will your house need to go over any mountain passes? Your driver must compensate for these obstacles and challenges when they move a mobile home.
The Size of Your Mobile Home
The type of mobile home you own plays a massive role in the final bill you receive. There are three standard sizes of mobile homes on the market today:
Single-wide mobile homes
Double-wide mobile homes
Triple-wide or multi-wide mobile homes
The size determines whether your home can be moved on a single trailer or in pieces. Moving it in pieces costs more as you’ll need to pay for each part’s trip.
What’s more, if your home proves extra wide, it may require traffic redirection along the route. All of these possibilities add up.
How do mobile units vary in size? Let’s break them down based on general dimensions and features.
1. SINGLE-WIDE MOBILE HOMES
Single-wide mobile homes average between 600 and 1,300 square feet. A single-wide mobile home typically has one to two bedrooms and one to two bathrooms. On average, a single-wide mobile home is less than 18 feet wide and 90 feet long.
2. DOUBLE-WIDE MOBILE HOMES
As for double-wide trailers? A double-wide mobile home averages between 2,000 and 2,500 square feet. At least 20 feet wide, double-wide mobile homes measure a maximum of 90 feet long. A double-wide mobile home usually includes two to three bedrooms and two to three bathrooms.
Many double-wide mobile homes also include layout features not seen in single-wide models, such as separate dining rooms.
3. TRIPLE-WIDE AND MULTI-WIDE MOBILE HOMES
Triple-wide or multi-wide mobile homes get substantial. We’re talking 4,500 square feet and a length of 50 feet. Width varies based on the model of the triple-wide or multi-wide mobile home and its specific features. As a result, layout customizations abound.
They typically have at least three bedrooms and two bathrooms, if not more. Of the three sizes, single-wide units have the most “trailer-like” appearance. As for double- and triple-wide units, they often mimic site-built homes in appearance.
For triple-wide and multi-wide mobile home transport, flatbed trucking services or professional freight truck services are simply a necessity.
The Weight of Your Mobile Home
How much your home weighs has a significant impact on the equipment needed during mobile home transport.
Older mobile homes usually weigh between 35 and 40 pounds per square foot, Newer models come in around 45 to 50 pounds per square foot. In other words, an 800 square-foot home could easily weigh in at a monstrous 40,000 pounds.
That’s a lot of weight for a driver to handle! No wonder so many units need to be moved in pieces. Some also require traffic redirection during the move. These are massive and cumbersome moving parts, so you don’t want to leave them to anybody but highly experienced mobile home moving companies.
To sum it up, be prepared for expenses to get adjusted once movers have a final weight on your home.
Permits Required to Move Your Mobile Home
During mobile home transport, you’ll need to foot the bill for several different licenses. Set money aside for this aspect of your move to avoid unwanted surprises later.
When relocating your mobile home to a new county or state, permits may be required for each territory through which it travels. After arriving at your final destination, you’ll also need a “setup” permit to install your home.
Some states also require a mandatory inspection beforehand. A full-service mobile home moving company should be able to help you navigate the process of obtaining permits and dealing with inspections.
How much should you set aside for the cost of acquiring permits? For a single-wide home, we recommend between $5,000 and $8,000 for documents and hooking up utilities. For double-wide mobile homes, think more like $10,000 to $13,000.
Moving Materials for Relocation
As you can see, mobile home transport is a complicated process, involving the transport of large components. It should come as no surprise, then, that such moves necessitate tools and supplies.
A good moving company will provide a breakdown of the costs for these tools and equipment in your contract. When you move a mobile home, transparency is the mark of a good moving company.
Pre-Travel Repairs and Other Contingencies
Depending on your mobile home’s age and condition, it may require repairs before mobile home transport. Older mobile homes often need significant maintenance and repairs to ensure they remain structurally sound throughout the relocation process.
Movers may also need to alter your home to make it travel-worthy. Allot extra time and money for pre-travel repairs.
Setup Services
Knowing how much to move a mobile home also depends on other factors like setup services. These services encompass taking a mobile home apart in one location and then setting it up in another. A full-service mover may charge fees for:
Disconnecting and reconnecting utilities
Removing and reinstalling skirting or foundation
Removing and reinstalling interior features
Reassembling and reconnecting double-, triple-, and multi-wide trailers
Removing and reinstalling exterior features (e.g., porch or patio)
These setup services typically run between $1,000 and $5,000. Some mobile home movers require customers to remove and reinstall their exterior features and skirting. So, inquire about what each company provides before signing a contract to move a mobile home.
Insurance and Liability
Working with mobile home transporters takes much of the guesswork out of mobile home relocation. Yes, you’ll pay for these services, but they’ll prove well worth it when it comes to a successful and safe move.
That said, you’ll need to purchase liability coverage through the moving company for your move. You may also wish to add outside insurance to the mix.
What if you already own mobile home insurance? Check with your policyholder to find out if your mobile home will be covered while in transport.
The Benefits of Hiring Professionals to Move Your Home
Moving a mobile home requires a team of experienced professionals. They should be skilled in every aspect of the move. A great company will provide you with the following benefits:
Obtaining all permits for the move
Transporting the home for you
Saving you time, energy, and stress
Let’s face it, permits can be a pain to obtain. So, leave it to the professionals who deal with these requirements every single day. From state transportation permits to setup permits, a full-service moving company should handle the paperwork for you.
DIY doesn’t work for some things. This fact proves especially true with mobile home moving. Driving a large rental truck is hard enough without adding a mobile home into the mix. Unless you’re an experienced mobile home mover, you could hurt yourself and others.
With a complicated relocation involving massive moving parts, there’s plenty of room for error. Think everything from popped tires to permitting issues
When you hire trusted professionals to handle your move, they handle these headaches for you. A mobile home moving company can ensure a smooth and easy move, so don’t leave anything to chance with amateurs or DIYers.
Find out more about professional mobile homes moving companies and get a free, no-obligation quote for your upcoming relocation.
What Companies Move Mobile Homes?
Where should you look to find mobile homes moving companies? Start with a Google search. Then, you’ll want to vet companies that come up carefully. Do this by pouring over online reviews as well as checking out sites such as:
The United States Department of Transportation (US DOT)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
The organizations above can provide you with information about mobile home transporters’ business and safety records. They can also confirm whether companies have the appropriate licensing to move your home.
You’ll also want to make sure that the company you choose to transport your home services both your origin and destination points. They should provide quality shipping for homes of various sizes, from single- to double-wide and beyond.
They should also employ experienced specialists who can provide the best solution for your unique home-moving needs. After all, different home sizes require different moving strategies.
Single-wide trailers are typically long and narrow, but such isn’t the case for double-, triple-, and multi-wide units. Many of these models tend to be shorter and wider. While this makes for a standard home appearance, it also means a more complicated move.
Fortunately, with the right mobile home transporters, you won’t have to worry about any of these things. Instead, you can rest assured your home is in competent hands.
Mobile Home Transport
Mobile home transport requires working with a professional team of mobile home transporters who can handle every aspect of your move. From obtaining permits to installation and setup once your home reaches its destination, to move a mobile home or a manufactured is a job best done by professionals.
Interested in learning more about other aspects of a relocation? Whether you’re worried about moving a daily commuter or an investment-worthy collectible, we’ve got you covered. Check out everything you need to know about car transporters.