If a plot has three or more mobile homes installed, it can be considered a mobile home park.
Ohio laws require a licensed mobile home installer to be present during the setting up of a mobile home. The only exception is if you are installing a mobile home for your personal use on your own property and you do all the work yourself. Homeowners who decide to go down the do-it-yourself path will lose some of the legal protections granted by the Ohio Manufactured Homes Commission. If you are a park operator and supervise the moving and setting up of mobiles homes in your park, you are also legally required to get a license. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Hire the services of a licensed installer. This will afford you the maximum legal protection in the event of an accident and ensure your mobile home is installed correctly. If you employ several contractors, draft a contract with your main installer specifying he or she accepts overall responsibility for the installation.
2. Choose a plot and decide the exact location for your mobile home. Make sure the lot is level and has a clear access to the road for the mobile home transporters. Check with your local planning authority to ensure the zoning specifications for your plot allow its use for a manufactured home.
3. Obtain a permit and arrange for government-certified inspectors to check things out before, during and after the setting up of the mobile home. If you are setting up in park a mobile home park, call the Ohio Department of Health. If you are setting up on private land and live in a county or metropolitan area with a certified local building department, contact them. If a certified building department does not exist in your area, contact the Ohio Manufactured Home Commission, or OMHC, and ask for information on third party inspection agencies in your area.
4. Set a foundation for your mobile home capable of withstanding the weight of your home in accordance with accepted design practices and your local building code. The specifications required for a foundation vary depending on the size and design of your mobile home, so check the mobile home installation manual and contact the OMHC to confirm that your design is adequate. Grade your lot to drain water away from your foundation. The minimum slope in Ohio is 5 inches every 10 feet.
5. Set a 6-millimeter ground vapor retarder sheet. Build footings, piers and either a bearing wall enclosure or install skirting. The footings must have footing drains packed with gravel and the piers must be located under your mobile home's I-beam. Building blocks can be with or without mortar but you must stack two columns of blocks side-by-side if the footing is over four blocks high. Set down ground anchors as required by your manufacturer. Call for a footing inspection from your local building department.
6. Apply for permits from your local services providers. Hire a certified plumber and electrician and connect your mobile home to water and electricity services. Connection methods vary depending on your mobile home model. Confirm your contractors are familiar with how your mobile home works. If you are doing the work yourself, check your mobile home's owners manual before making the connections.
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