Moving a mobile home on the same property (or next door) in Florida: is it still a full move?

Some of the moves we get asked about are short: 30 feet to make room for a dirt pad, 600 feet across five acres to a spot with better drainage, or to the lot next door. People often expect a short move to be a small job. Part of it is, because the trip itself is short. But most of the work in any move happens at the two ends, and that does not change with distance.

What stays the same as a long move

• Taking the home down: skirting off, utilities disconnected, anchors released, the home lifted off its piers. A double-wide still has to be separated.
• Setting it up again: a level pad, piers, anchors and straps, the marriage line closed on a double-wide, skirting and steps.
• The county installation permit for the new spot, and the inspection before the power company reconnects.
• Disconnecting and reconnecting power, water, sewer and the A/C.

What a short move can save

• If the home never goes on a public road, there is usually no road travel permit and no escort.
• Less time on the road, and often less risk to an older home.
• If the new spot already has a well, septic and an electric meter, the utility work can be much simpler.

The new spot matters more than the distance

Most of the trouble in a short move comes from the new spot, not the trip. Before anything moves, check:

• Setbacks: distance from property lines, from the well, from the septic tank and drainfield, and from other buildings.
• Flood zone: moving even a few hundred feet can change the flood zone and the required floor height.
• Ground and drainage: a low, wet spot will need fill or a dirt pad before the home can be set.
• Access: room for the equipment to get the home from where it is to where it is going, past trees, fences and the septic area.

A second home on the same property

Some people want to move a home onto a property that already has a house, for a parent or an adult child. Whether a second home is allowed depends on the zoning, the lot size and the septic capacity, and every county answers it differently. Ask the county zoning office before you buy or move the home. Your installer can help you ask the right questions, but the county decides.