Once you’ve chosen your manufactured home floor plan and finalized your purchase with your local home center, including obtaining your financing, the facility that’s building your home will receive the order for it. And while you’re waiting for your home to be built, you’ll want to make sure your land is ready for it to be delivered and installed.

Each home site is unique, so your exact preparation steps will vary. While you’re in the process of buying your home, you will work with your home consultant on what needs to be done to prepare your home site. This is so you can feel confident about both the potential costs and time estimates involved with each step. Home site preparation and land improvement options can also be completed by local contractors your home center can help you find.

Let’s break down what you need to know about getting everything ready for your new home!

How a Manufactured Home Site is Prepared

A properly prepared home site is vital to help keep your manufactured home in good shape for the years to come. Your local home center can help you figure out what will need to be done in your specific situation, but typical site preparation for a new manufactured home includes:

• Having someone determine the land’s soil conditions to make sure it’s suitable for the home.
• For homes in colder climates, determining the soil bearing capacity to make sure the soil will support the weight of the home, and finding the frost line to see how deep frost will penetrate the ground under or around the home.
• Determining the layout of the site and the location of the home on it.
• Clearing foliage, if necessary, and grading the home site for proper drainage.
• Determining the holding capacity of ground anchors that will secure the home in place.

Terrain and Home Site Preparation

The type of land can also affect some of the site preparation tasks that will need to be taken care of. For example, the preparation can vary if your land receives a lot of rain, is in a hilly area or is in a cold climate. The terrain type can affect details like:

• Home footers: The terrain can affect the density of the soil, which determines the depth and dimensions of the footing design that helps anchor your home to the ground.
• Seismic zone: The seismic zone your home site is located in can also affect the design of your footers to make sure your home is stabilized.
• Flood zone: Depending on the flood zone your home is in, your home may be required to be a certain distance off the ground and could require a specific type of foundation.

A professional contractor will also need to make sure your site is properly crowned, which means that the soil is built up and compacted to ensure any drainage goes away from your home. It is important to make sure your land is crowned to help prevent flooding or water from accumulating inside or underneath your home.

Land Improvement Options for Manufactured Homes

While your home site is being prepared, it’s also time to think about any land improvement options you may want or need. These can vary based on your location, budget or home setup, but some common options include:

• Connecting to electrical services
• Connecting to water or sewer systems, or having a septic system or well installed
• Having a driveway or other paths built
• Planning for a garage or carport
• Planning for a deck, porch or patio
• Adding ramps or handrails, if needed
• Selecting skirting to be installed once your home is delivered
• Planning for fencing to be installed, if you choose
• Landscaping, including your lawn as well as any plants or mulch
• And adding outdoor lighting or an alarm system

Preparation for Sewer or Septic Systems

Your home site will also need to be properly prepared for your new home's sewer or septic system. If your home site has access to a public sewer system, and connection to it is permitted by your local municipality, you can connect your home’s plumbing to the public sewer system. Some local governments may not allow a septic system to be installed if a public sewer system is available. Your home consultant can help you figure out which option best fits your specific situation.

Preparing for Your Manufactured Home Delivery

Once your home has been built and the site is ready for it, the home can be delivered. To make sure the final on-site installation process is completed as smoothly as possible, you can work with your home center to hire contractors for tasks like:

• Securing a route for your home to be moved to your home site. This might mean having your city or county block off a transportation route for a specific date and time.
• Securing transportation for your home. Your home consultant can help guide you on how the home will be moved to your site.
• Checking your transportation route for anything that may block the way as you get closer to the delivery date, such as tree limbs.

Once your home is delivered, the final setup and inspections can take place to ensure everything is ready. Then, it will be time for move-in day!

At Clayton, we know the process of purchasing a new manufactured or modular home can seem overwhelming when you’re just getting started. And that’s why our experienced home center consultants will be there to help support you through every step, from choosing the right floor plan for you to welcoming you home. Looking for more information about homeownership? You can check out our Studio blog for all kinds of helpful tips, from maintenance checklists to decor inspiration and more.