Cost of Putting a Mobile Home on a Permanent Foundation

The cost to put a mobile home on a permanent foundation can vary widely, depending on several factors such as location, type of foundation, and local building codes. Here's a breakdown of potential costs:

Foundation Type

Pier and Beam Foundation: This is often the least expensive option, ranging from $3,000 to $6,000. Slab Foundation: A concrete slab can cost between $5,000 to $10,000, depending on local labor and material costs. Basement Foundation: This is the most expensive option, potentially costing $15,000 or more.

Site Preparation

This may include clearing the land, grading, and installing utilities, which can add another $1,500 to $5,000.

Permits and Inspections

Depending on local regulations, permits can cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000.

Miscellaneous Costs

These can include utility connections, water, sewer, electricity, landscaping, and any necessary repairs to the mobile home itself.

In total, you might expect to pay anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 or more to install a mobile home on a permanent foundation, depending on the specific circumstances. It's advisable to get quotes from local contractors to get a more accurate estimate for your situation.

Professional Services

There are licensed and experienced specialist contractors that will move your house onto a permanent foundation or simply build a permanent foundation on a mobile home already set in place. It would probably not cost much more than attempting this on your own, which would require you to have an engineer design the foundation for you and obtain the required building department permits.

To give you an idea of possible costs, figure on about $15,000.00.

DIY Foundation Building

For those who prefer to do it themselves, a good permanent foundation could be block walls with concrete footings underneath. You don't need a concrete slab unless it is wanted.

If you do all the work yourself, with just footings and short block walls, it would not be too much. If it were me, I would make the block walls high enough to use the bottom as a garage, which is very useful. I would use house jacks to lift the mobile home high enough, like about 8 feet up. House jacks can be bought for good prices at Harbor Freight. All the materials to do this would probably run about $5,000 to $10,000, but having a complete ground floor makes this a very good bargain. Also, this makes all the utilities and pipes under the mobile home very easy to access for repairs and maintenance.