Installation Law
PA Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (Act 158 of 2004) requires all NEW manufactured homes installed in the Commonwealth to be subject to certain provisions of the law and regulations, all designed to assure proper installation and completion of every new manufactured home.
Act 158 enacted on November 29, 2004 provides:
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New manufactured homes shall be installed in conformity with the manufacturer’s approved designs applicable with that particular home.
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Construction elements not addressed in the HUD Code must comply with the IRC. Some of these elements are frost protection for the foundation, stair geometry, soil bearing values, etc.
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Building Code Officials cannot reject a manufacturer’s approved design for HUD Code construction elements.
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Building Code Officials may not issue a Certificate of Occupancy for a new manufactured home until provided with a completed Certificate of Compliance form.
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Certificate of Compliance forms must be completed within five days of the installation and provided to the building code official, the purchaser, and the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).
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Only persons trained and certified by the DCED may complete the Certificate of Compliance form.
Click here to view House Bill 1929 of 2003
Click here to view the regulations
Click here for a Certificate of Compliance form
NOTE: Requirements for the installation of relocated manufactured homes is not specifically addressed in state law. Installing a preowned home consistent with the manufacturers approved installation instructions, is generally acceptable to the local code official. If those instructions are not available, a generic suggestive installation standard is available here (Pennsylvania Field Guide).
PMHA has introduced Senate Bill 1141 which amends Act 158 to include preowned manufactured homes. The language gives DCED the authority and responsibility to write a habitability standard and an installation standard for relocated manufactured homes giving code officials guidance for the installation of relocated manufactured homes.
Certified Installers
In accordance with the new installation regulations which became effective August 23, 2006, a new manufactured home must be installed by a certified installer.
Once an installer has completed the two-day course he is presented with a certification certificate showing that he is certified to install homes. An installer must indicate to the Department of Community and Economic Development his permission to publish his name as a certified installer.
For a partial list of certified installers click here. The link is located at the bottom of the page.