Moving a manufactured home in Florida

Who licenses installers in Florida

Installer licensing is preempted to the state: no one may install a mobile home without the state license, even with a local license.

Only installers licensed by FLHSMV are authorized to install a mobile home in Florida.

Sources: Installer licensing agency; Who may install

Installer license

Applicants attend a free 12-hour installation course and must score 70 or higher on the FLHSMV exam; the exam fee is $100.

Installers must hold a $5,000 performance bond and carry $100,000 in general liability insurance.

The license costs $200 to start ($50 application plus $150 license) and runs from October 1 to September 30; renewal is $150 a year.

Florida does not let consumers set up their own home; only licensed mobile home installers may do it.

Counties and cities may not demand extra licensing, bonding or insurance from a state-licensed installer, though they may require a local occupational license.

Sources: Course and exam; No owner setup; No extra local licensing

Permits to move the home

FDOT's Permit Application System lets haulers self-issue trip permits on state roads for loads up to 16 feet wide.

FDOT's State Permit Office issues annual blanket permits, ten-day trip permits and three-month route-specific blanket permits for state-maintained roads.

Florida law sets a $5 minimum fee for an oversize permit and caps the annualized blanket permit fee at $500.

Sources: Self-issued trip permits; Fee floor and cap

Title and taxes before the move

A home on land carries a mobile home sticker, or an RP sticker when it is taxed as real property.

If a home whose title was retired is moved off the land, getting the title back takes an affidavit from the landowner and lienholders consenting to the removal.

Sources: Sticker on the home; Reinstating a retired title

Installation standards

FLHSMV sets uniform installation standards (Rule 15C-1, F.A.C.) and no other body may amend them; the home must sit on a foundation that resists wind and flood.

Sites must be prepared under Rule 15C-1, F.A.C., and set-up permits come from the local county building department.

Each county or city inspects every installation in its area and issues a certificate of occupancy when the home meets the state rules.

A state installation decal showing the date, installer and license number goes on the home, next to the HUD label, before installation.

Sources: Uniform state standards; Site preparation rule; Local inspection; Installation decal

Checking a license

FLHSMV publishes a list of licensed mobile home installers, updated monthly.

Source: Official installer list

Complaints and recovery

Complaints go on form HSMV 81095 to the FLHSMV Manufactured Housing Section in Tampa; allow 2 to 4 weeks for a response.

FLHSMV can revoke or suspend a license and fine up to $1,000 per violation on a single installation, or up to $5,000 for the total setup.

A person harmed by an installation that breaks the state standards can sue for actual damages, and a court can add punitive damages for willful violations.

Sources: Complaint form; Penalties; Right to sue