How to Move a Mobile Home: The Steps, in Order
Updated 2026-10-28. Last verified against the sources below: October 28, 2026. General information, not legal advice; rules and fees change, so it may be out of date. The issuing office's current rules control.
This is the general sequence. Your state and county add their own permits and rules; where we have a state guide, it has the specifics.
1. Before you commit
- Confirm the new lot allows a manufactured home with the zoning office where it's going. Even a move on your own property may need a permit and must meet zoning rulesHomeGuide.
- Decide transport-only or full service. Transport companies pick up and drop off; full-service movers and installers also tear down and set upHomeGuide.
- Compare written quotes from about 3 companies that specialize in mobile homes, and ask what each includesHomeGuide.
- Ask whether your home's foundation lets it be lifted. Poured concrete and block foundations aren't meant to be lifted or transportedHomeGuide.
2. Permits
- Transport: permits for each county or state the home crosses; most movers obtain theseHomeGuide.
- Origin paperwork: some places require a tax or moving permit before the home leaves. North Carolina, for one, requires a county tax permit displayed on the home during the trip (NC example).
- Destination: zoning, setup and utility permits. Under the federal installation rules, a licensed installer "should obtain all necessary permits required under state or local laws"24 CFR 3286.511.
3. Teardown
Utilities disconnected, loose items secured, and exterior features such as decks and porches removedHomeGuide. Take furniture and belongings out: items that shift in transit can damage the home, and many movers restrict what can stay insideHomeGuide. Multi-section homes are separated and moved one section at a timeHomeGuide.
4. Transport
Specialized trucks tow each sectionHomeGuide. Homes wider than one lane travel with escort (pilot) carsHomeGuide; how many, and on which days and hours, is set by each state's oversize permit (NC rules, by width).
5. Setup
The home is leveled, anchored, sections rejoined, utilities reconnected, and skirting, steps and decks reinstalledHomeGuide. Federal installation standards and licensing cover a new home's first installation; later re-installations are left to state programs24 CFR 3286.2.
6. Inspection
Manufacturers must recommend in each home's consumer manual that a home reinstalled after its original installation be inspected after setup, to make sure it wasn't damaged and is properly installed24 CFR 3286.7. Ask the local permit office where the home is going whether it must pass an inspection before the power is turned on.
How to check a mover or installer · Full NC checklist
Sources
- HomeGuide, How much does it cost to move a mobile home? (2026). https://homeguide.com/costs/cost-to-move-a-mobile-home
- 24 CFR Part 3286, Manufactured Home Installation Program (incl. 3286.2 applicability, 3286.5 HUD vs. state programs, 3286.7 consumer information). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-3286
Sources checked October 28, 2026. Rules change; confirm with the office named before you move.