365 Realty Deals

Most, but not all, manufactured home dealers will include delivery and installation in the total sales price of the manufactured home. It is not recommended that purchasers arrange for the essential functions of delivery and installation. This article will discuss delivery, and a subsequent article will discuss set-up.

Most manufacturers include delivery from the factory to the site if the site is within a fixed radius of miles, which in most instances is 100 miles. The purchaser is responsible for the expense of the additional miles beyond the radius of 100 miles as well as additional expenses necessary to deliver the home. These expenses include additional equipment and manpower required to access the installation site and place the home on the site.

Contracting with the transport company is best arranged by the manufacturer. The manufacturer will ensure the home should is properly loaded onto the transport truck and unloaded at the installation site. The transport company will arrange for the trucking equipment that is necessary to transport the home without damage. Damage prevention begins at the manufacturer’s plant because it is here that the home is prepped for transport. Every part of the home must be protected from the weather while it is being transported to the installation site.

Transport companies do route planning to your home site. The route may not be necessarily the same route that you would take with your car. The dimensions of the manufactured home sections determine which roads or highways are the best routes for transportation. The transporters will take into account lane width, overpass clearance, road construction, and traffic congestion. Restrictions apply to what time of day a home can be transported. Routing will also determine the location and number of “pilot cars” required. Pilot cars are vehicles that lead or follow the truck with flashing lights and “wide load” signs.

The purchaser or their representative should place corner stakes so the transporter will know where to place the home. The purchaser may want to have a representative do this since this is an important, technical part of the delivery process. A path or road must be made to accommodate the transport truck. This means that all brush and trees must be removed from the entry way, and access to the installation site must also be cleared. The manufactured home dealer will be able to advise you on the extent of site clearing that will be required. One important consideration is placing the home’s bathrooms where it will be easiest to install the sewer lines.

The purchaser or their representative should be at the site when each section arrives to inspect the home for damage that happened in transit. An inventory of “shipped loose” parts should be made. Missing parts required for installation should be reported to the manufacturer as soon as possible, and this information should be noted on the transporter’s delivery receipt that the driver will ask you to sign. The dealer should provide a representative to assist with these tasks.

If a multi-section manufactured home is transported in different sections by individual trucks, then each truck may or may not arrive at the site at the same time. However, the driver of the first truck will know the estimated time of arrival for additional sections. If the sections will arrive on different days, then the first section must be protected from the weather and vandalism. The manufacturer can advise you about delivery dates, and the manufacturer will make every possible effort to ship all sections at the same time.

The delivered sections of the home should be placed close together to prevent vandalism and theft. Purchasers should ask their insurance company if insurance is available beginning at the point of delivery.

Hiring a set-up company before the sections are delivered will ensure that each section is placed where it can be installed easily and with protection from the sun’s heat during the warmest part of the day. Our article on set-up will discuss more information on the set-up process.

Manufactured home transporters are regulated and licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and they must comply with all laws and requirements within the states they operate. Purchasers should check with their state office that deals with manufactured home transporters to be sure they know what to expect from their transporter.

Originally published at thehomesdirect.com