The Office of Manufactured Housing Programs

The Office of Manufactured Housing Programs regulates the construction of all manufactured (formerly known as mobile) homes built in the United States. The HUD program also oversees the enforcement of the construction standards through third party inspection agencies and State governments.

What is a Manufactured Home

Manufactured homes are homes built as dwelling units of at least 320 square feet in size with a permanent chassis to assure the initial and continued transportability of the home. All transportable sections of manufactured homes built in the U.S. after June 15, 1976 must contain a certification label. The label certifies that the manufacturer has built the home in accordance with HUD's Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (the Standards). The Standards covers Body and Frame Requirements, Thermal Protection, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire Safety and other aspects of the home, published under 24 CFR Part 3280.

Enforcement of HUD Standards

The Department has approved 13 State and private third party agencies to conduct inspections of the manufacturer’s production facility at various stages of the construction process. Some of the third party agencies also approve a manufacturer’s home design to ensure the plans are consistent with the HUD Standards. These agencies are known as a Primary Inspection Agency (PIA). There are two types of PIAs: Design Approval Primary Inspection Agencies (DAPIA) and Production Inspection Primary Inspection Agencies (IPIA). Manufacturers contract directly with a State or private third party agency and pay for the design review and home inspection services. Manufactured home retailers also have certain responsibilities to assure that only homes meeting the standards are sold to the general public.

Program Enforcement

HUD has entered into cooperative agreements with many State governments to conduct periodic checks of plant records and to respond to consumer complaints. These State governments each designate a State Administrative Agency (SAA). HUD staff provide these functions in the other states and the District of Columbia without SAAs.

Program Management

HUD manages the program from its Headquarters in Washington, DC. The program's office telephone number is (202) 402-2698; Fax number (202) 708-4213.

The mailing address is:

U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Manufactured Housing Programs
451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 9168
Washington, DC  20410-8000

HUD also uses a contractor to conduct monitoring reviews of third parties, issue certification labels to manufacturers, and perform record reviews in non-SAA states.

Other Related HUD Program Information

• Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, 24 CFR Part 3280
• Manufactured Home Procedural and Enforcement Regulations, 24 CFR Part 3282
• Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards, 24 CFR Part 3285
• Manufactured Home Installation Program, 24 CFR Part 3286
• Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program, 24 CFR Part 3288
• Homeowner's Fact Sheet

Contact Info for Questions and Additional Information

Questions regarding HUD standards, technical inspection, design issues, consumer complaints, or issues regarding State Administrative Agencies may be directed to mhs@hud.gov or by calling the Office of Manufactured Housing Programs at (202) 402-2698.