Moving a manufactured home in Texas
The TDHCA Manufactured Housing Division licenses installers under the Texas Manufactured Housing Standards Act.
Who licenses installers in Texas
TDHCA's laws page identifies the Standards Act as Chapter 1201 of the Texas Occupations Code.
TDHCA states that anyone who installs or re-levels a manufactured home must be licensed and bonded with the division.
Sources: Agency and law; Occupations Code Chapter 1201; License required to install or re-level
Installer license
Every applicant must take the 8-hour Core Licensing Education Class and pass an exam.
Installers also take a 4-hour Installer Licensing Education Course and pass its exam before licensing.
TDHCA's license information sheet lists a $25,000 bond and a $350.00 biennial fee for an installer license.
All TDHCA manufactured housing licenses are valid for two years.
TDHCA's FAQ says only a licensed installer may install, relevel or modify a home's foundation.
Permits to move the home
TxDMV issues single trip manufactured housing permits for loads over legal size, and the fee is $40.
A single trip permit covers one move from a set origin to a set destination within the permit's times, up to five days.
An owner may move their own home if named on the title, owning or leasing the towing vehicle, and carrying at least $300,000 combined single limit liability insurance.
TxDMV requires one escort for homes over 16 and up to 18 feet wide (front on two-lane roads, rear on four-lane), and two escorts above 18 feet.
Two homes or two sections of one home may share escorts in a convoy if no more than 1,000 feet apart.
Manufactured housing may not be transported on national holidays.
Sources: Single trip permit fee; Escorts by width
Title and taxes before the move
TDHCA says the mover gets the TxDMV permit, and the owner then applies for a new Statement of Ownership showing the new location.
Any lienholder must be paid off or give written consent before the move.
The Statement of Ownership application is due within 60 days of a sale or relocation.
If a past move had no permit, TDHCA accepts a county Tax Certificate showing no taxes due, and any taxes owed must be paid.
Tax liens on manufactured homes are recorded with TDHCA under Tax Code Section 32.03, so a lien search covers unpaid taxes.
Sources: Permit copy and new Statement of Ownership; Tax liens recorded with TDHCA
Installation standards
TDHCA rules require new homes to be installed by a licensed installer per the manufacturer's DAPIA approved instructions.
Used homes must be installed by a licensed installer to resist overturning and lateral movement, using the instructions for the home's wind zone.
The installer files a Notice of Installation (Form T) with the fee within 7 days of completion, or 3 days for a provisional license.
Timely notice lets state inspectors see the home with utilities connected but before skirting goes on.
A Wind Zone I home built on or after September 1, 1997 may not be installed in a Wind Zone II area.
Source: New homes
Checking a license
TDHCA's consumer page links to a search of active license holders by number or name and a downloadable list by county and license type. The search runs on a TDHCA host that disallows crawlers, so we did not open it.
TDHCA also offers a lookup of a home's installation and inspection records by label, serial number or owner name.
Sources: Active license holder records; Installation and inspection records
Complaints and recovery
TDHCA lists Form 1039 for its Manufactured Homeowner Consumer Claims Program alongside the online complaint form.
For a warranty complaint, TDHCA performs a consumer complaint home inspection.
Under Occupations Code 1201.361, the installer's warranty covers defects reported in writing within two years of purchase or installation, whichever is later.
TDHCA says its consumer claims program may pay actual damages from a violation, then seeks repayment from the licensee's bond.
Sources: Consumer claims program; Warranty inspection
Common questions
Do I need a permit to move a mobile home in Texas?
TxDMV issues single trip manufactured housing permits for loads over legal size, and the fee is $40.
Texas move permit and title
The transport permit and the ownership paperwork each have their own page, with fees, forms and sources.
Fees as each agency publishes them, read October 2026. Each page links its sources.
Installer and mover lists we are waiting on
- MH license download, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Manufactured Housing Division: not published as a list we can use yet. We will add these businesses when the state provides it.
Moving a manufactured home?
Title, taxes, liens, move permits, site checks, blocking and tie-downs: the checklist walks through each step, with the source behind it.
Open the move checklist