Make sure the transporting company warrants its services in writing.

Before your home is installed, you must ensure that the site has been prepared properly. If you are placing your home on your own land, your retailer can provide advice on how to prepare the site.

If you will be living in a rental community, the community manager will probably take care of site preparation. Before signing your lease, ask about this and any other costs.

If you are having your home installed on your own land, you are responsible for site preparation. However, it is a good idea to ask your retailer (or whoever is going to install your home and warrant the installation) to inspect the site prior to installation to make sure that everything has been prepared properly.

Here are some guidelines that must be followed in preparing the site.

• The site must be accessible by the truck transporting your home.
• The site must be as level as possible.
• The precise site area must be cleared of trees, rocks, and any other surface debris.
• The soil must be graded and sloped for water runoff.
• The soil must be compacted so that the foundation will not sink or shift on loose earth fill.

If any damage occurs while the home is being transported to your site, the company transporting your home is usually responsible. Therefore, you should check for damage as soon as your home is delivered. If you find any damage, contact the transporting company immediately.

If you allow your home to be transported by a company that does not provide a written transportation warranty, it may be difficult to obtain free repairs, if any are necessary. Therefore, before you purchase your home, make certain that the transporting of your new home is protected by a written warranty.

Every manufacturer is required by the federal standards to provide instructions for installing your home. However, the actual installation typically is not within the manufacturer's control. Therefore, the installation of your manufactured home is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

These cautions are not designed to worry you, but rather to alert you to the importance of installation. Hundreds of thousands of manufactured homes are installed on sites each year without major problems. You should not have problems if your home is installed by a reliable retailer or by a company that specializes in manufactured home installation.

Check for damage as soon as you receive your home and report any problems to the retailer or transporter as soon as possible.

The manufacturer's written warranty on the home usually will not cover problems that are caused by improper installation.

Usually, the retailer will install your home or contract with a professional installation crew to do the work. In most cases, the price of your home will include the cost of installation by such qualified professionals. Be sure to check this with your retailer before you sign the sales contract. If installation is not included in the price, you may have to contract with a separate company to install your home. Ask your retailer for the names of such companies.

Clarify in writing what installation services are provided, who is providing them, and who warrants the work.

The retailer should spell out in writing the full scope of installation services that are included in the price of your home. This should assure you that everything is covered and that there will be no misunderstandings about who is responsible for what.

Regardless of whether the retailer or a separate company installs your home, you should follow several guidelines.

• Discuss with the contractor the steps involved in installation so you understand them.
• Have the contractor write these steps into the contract.
• Ask if there is a written warranty covering your home's installation. If not, then ask to have it put in writing.

Installing your home involves six steps. The price of your home usually includes all of these steps. Therefore, ask to see an itemized list in writing before signing the contract to purchase your home.

Transporting Your Home From the Retailer's Sales Center to Your Homesite.
As noted earlier, the manufacturer normally is responsible for transporting the home from the factory to the retailer, and the retailer is usually responsible for getting the home to your land. However, if the roads are not adequate or there are obstacles that will make it difficult to get the home to your site, your retailer may be unable to accept responsibility for delivering your home. Be sure to check the route to your homesite for such things as low-hanging tree limbs and loose rocks.

Constructing a Foundation for Home Placement.
In addition to following the manufacturer's instrucions and complying with local law, find out if the institution financing your home (or the rental community in which you place your home) has foundation requirements. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Administration (VA) also have special foundation requirements. Remind your retailer about the kind of financing you are using so that all applicable foundation requirements will be met.

If you place your home on your own property, you have the option of choosing from a number of different foundation types. Several types of foundations are available, from concrete slabs to full basements. Remember, local codes reflecting the different climates and soil conditions must be followed. A professional installer will know which foundation codes are required by local law or what is required by your financing institution.

Leveling Your Home
It is essential that an experienced crew installs your home to assure that it is leveled correctly. Leveling is one of the most important steps in setting up your home. It must be done according to the manufacturer's specifications. If your home is not level on its foundation, the weight of the home will not be distributed evenly. Poor leveling could result in such problems as doors that do not open and close easily or floors or walls that buckle.

If any of these problems do occur because your home was not properly leveled, the manufacturer's warranty will not cover the repairs. Remember, the manufacturer's warranty only covers problems resulting from faulty construction.

Insist on walking through the home before the installation crew leaves to check for signs that your home may not be level. Guidelines for checking whether your home is level and properly installed are provided in this guide.

Leveling is critical and must be performed by a professional crew.

After installation has been completed and you have checked out the installed home, it is very important to periodically recheck the leveling of your home. This is important because, over time, such things as foundation supports may settle unevenly and create an un-level condition. Such conditions can, in extreme cases, cause serious damage to the walls and floors. Normally, you should recheck leveling about 60 to 90 days following installation and, perhaps, once a year after that.

Anchoring your home to the ground should be done by experts.

Securing Your Home to the Foundation.
It is not sufficient merely to place your home on a properly constructed foundation. There are certain minimum requirements that should be met. To ensure that your home does not shift and become damaged, it must be anchored to the ground according to the manufacturer's instructions or as required by local codes. Anchoring should prevent severe winds from damaging your home. Although your home will come with instructions for properly securing it to its foundation, anchoring is not a do-it-yourself project. Talk with your retailer about anchoring, and be sure that your home's installation includes this very necessary step.

Finishing Your Home.
Once your home is secured to the foundation, finishing work may be needed, such as an enclosure around the crawl space or landscaping. If your home is a multi-section, finishing may include applying molding and joining carpet on the interior or completing work on the exterior siding.

Connecting Your Home to Utilities.
Installation services should include connecting your home to the necessary water, electrical, gas, and sewerage lines. If this is not included in your installation price, you will have to contract for these services yourself. Your retailer can tell you how to make arrangements for utility connections. Alternatively, you can obtain the information from the local government agency that oversees building permits.

This chapter outlined the process of site preparation, transportation, and installation. The installation guide that comes with your home provides more detailed information. The important point to remember, however, is that although this guide is informative and detailed, it is not designed to enable you to install your home yourself. Leave installation to the professionals.