Moving a mobile home with a carport, shed, porch, room addition or A/C: what goes with it

Almost every home we move has something attached to it or sitting next to it: a carport, a shed, a porch, an added room, the A/C unit, two sets of steps. These are some of the most common questions we get before a move, and they change the plan and the quote more than people expect. Here is how each one usually works.

Carports and awnings

A carport or awning attached to the home has to be detached before the home can move. Metal carports can often be taken apart, hauled and put back up at the new site. Older ones, or ones bolted into a concrete slab, sometimes cost more to save than to replace. At the new site, a carport or awning attached to the home may need its own permit.

Sheds

A small shed can usually travel on a separate trailer. A larger one may need to be emptied and moved in pieces, or rebuilt. Check the new park or county rules first: many parks limit the size, look and placement of sheds.

Porches, decks and steps

Porches and decks are built on site, so they come off before the move. Small decks and prefab steps can sometimes travel. Larger porches are usually rebuilt at the new site, and new steps and landings have to meet code for the new install. If the porch is tied into the roof of the home, tell your mover, because the roof line has to be closed up for the trip.

Room additions

A room built onto the home on site is not part of the manufactured home, and it almost never travels. It usually has to be taken down before the move. If the addition shares a wall or roof with the home, the opening has to be closed up so the home can travel and pass inspection at the new site. Plan for it early, because it adds time and sometimes a demolition permit.

The A/C unit and the ductwork

The outdoor A/C or heat pump unit has to be disconnected by a licensed HVAC technician before the move and reconnected at the new site. The unit itself can usually travel with the home. Whether it is worth moving depends on its age and condition: an old unit may be a good candidate to replace at the new site. Ask your mover whether disconnecting and reconnecting the A/C is in the quote.

Utilities, the breaker panel and the power pole

Before the move, power, water, sewer and gas have to be disconnected, and the old site often has to be capped to the owner's or the park's standard. The outside breaker panel and power pole usually belong to the site, not the home. At the new site, the electrical service is set up by a licensed electrician, and the power company connects it after the county inspection.

What to tell your mover before the quote

• Every structure attached to the home or next to it: carport, awning, porch, deck, shed, added room.
• Whether any of them share a wall or a roof with the home.
• The A/C or heat pump, and how old it is.
• How many sets of steps, and whether they are wood or prefab.
• What the old site needs when you leave (utilities capped, debris removed) and what the new site allows.
• Photos of each one. They save a trip and make the quote more accurate.