Manufactured Homes are as Safe as Traditional-Built Homes

There’s an old stereotype that needs to be cleared up. Manufactured homes (those built after 1976) are not more vulnerable to natural disasters than site-built homes. The fact is that tornadoes or hurricanes do not discriminate as to what types of homes or buildings they destroy. The only safe place to be during a tornado is in appropriate shelter.

Manufactured Home Durability

The building materials in today’s manufactured homes are the same as those used in site-built homes. The homes are engineered for wind safety and energy efficiency based on the geographic region in which they are sold. For example, in areas prone to hurricane-force winds (Wind Zones II and III of the HUD Basic Wind Zone Map), the standards for manufactured homes are comparable to the current regional and national building codes for site-built homes.  Manufactured homes are designed and constructed to withstand wind speeds of 150 miles per hour in Wind Zone 2 and 163 miles per hour in Wind Zone 3. In fact, during the hurricanes that struck Florida in 2004, not one manufactured home built and installed after 1994 was destroyed by hurricane force winds. What that means is, the construction standards for manufactured housing across the country are subject to robust compliance and quality assurance regulations, sometimes more stringent than those for traditional site-built homes.

Anchoring

Anchoring is what holds manufactured homes firmly in place. Anchors are steel rods several feet long that screw into the ground, and steel straps fasten around the frame of the mobile home and are attached to the anchors with adjustable bolts. In 2007, the federal government established standards requiring all new manufactured homes to meet minimum requirements for installation and anchoring in accordance with its structural design and windstorm standards. In addition, states have the authority to establish additional installation standards above the minimum federal standards. State governments may establish installation and anchoring requirements for homes depending on soil conditions and other factors in their state. The industry supports state efforts to ensure that older homes are retrofitted with proper installation technologies to ensure their safety.

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