Will the truck fit? Getting your property ready for a mobile home delivery: road, gate, trees and ground

One of the questions we hear most from people moving a home onto land is some version of this: the road is gravel and about 16 feet wide, the gate is 24 feet, do we need to open it up? The honest answer is that it depends on the home, the turn and the ground, and the best time to find out is before delivery day, not during it.

The road in

• Width: the home is wider than it looks once you add the roof overhang, and the truck needs extra room in the turns.
• Turns: a tight turn off the road or a curve on the driveway is often harder than a narrow straight stretch.
• Surface: gravel and packed dirt are usually fine when dry. Soft sand, mud and low spots that hold water after rain are what stop a truck.
• Slope and ditches: a steep entry or a deep ditch at the road can catch the trailer.

Gates and fences

A gate has to be wider than the home including the overhang, with room to swing the truck through it. Farm gates and fence sections are often taken out for the day and put back after the move. That is common and usually the simplest fix, so plan for it rather than trying to squeeze through.

Trees, branches and wires

• Branches over the road and the driveway have to clear the height of the home on the trailer.
• Trees close to the path, and roots near where the home will sit, may need to be trimmed or removed.
• Power, phone and cable lines across the driveway are a common problem. Find out early who owns them and whether they can be raised.

The ground where the home sits

The spot for the home has to be firm, level enough and well drained. A low spot may need fill or a compacted dirt pad, and in a flood zone the floor height may need to be raised. It is much easier to fix the ground before the home arrives than after.

What to send your mover

• Photos or a short video of the road from the street to the spot, including every turn and the gate.
• The gate width and the narrowest point of the road, measured with a tape.
• Any trees, branches or wires over the path.
• Where you want the home, and where the well, septic and power are.
• Whether the road gets soft after rain.