Do I need a permit to set up a mobile home in Florida?

Yes. Florida requires a county installation permit before any home is set, plus a state DHSMV trip permit for the transport. We coordinate both, and the licensed installer signs the county permit at install completion.

How long does mobile home setup take?

A standard double-wide setup takes 1 to 3 days on site once the home is delivered, plus another 7 to 14 days for utility hookups and the county inspection visit.

What does setup actually include?

Block and level the home, tie it down to ground anchors per FL Rule 15C-1, marry the halves on a multi-section, install skirting, and connect water, sewer, and electric service to the home's existing connections.

Can I do my own setup to save money?

Florida law requires a licensed installer to sign the county install permit. The county will reject homeowner-installed setups for permit closure. You can do site prep and skirting yourself, but the structural setup and tie-down work is regulated.

What does mobile home setup cost in Florida?

Single-wide setup runs $1,800 to $3,500. Double-wide runs $3,000 to $5,500. Triple-wide runs $4,500 to $6,500. Pricing varies with site prep, soil class, distance to utilities, and county fees.

Do you handle the inspection?

We meet the county inspector on site and walk through the install. If anything fails inspection on work we performed, we fix it at our cost.

What does mobile home setup include?

A code-compliant setup covers blocking and leveling, the anchor and tie-down system per FL Rule 15C-1, marriage-line work on double and triple-wides, and the final inspection. Skirting and utility hookups are usually separate line items so you see what each step costs.

Do I have to use the dealer's installer?

No. Florida lets you choose your own licensed installer for transport and setup. The dealer's bundled setup line is often where buyers overpay; a line-by-line comparison routinely finds four figures of difference.

How long does setup take?

A typical single or double-wide setup runs one to two days once the home is on site, scheduled around the county permit and inspection.

Setup and installation

Mobile home setup in Florida, blocked, leveled, tied, and signed off.

Setup is the work that turns a transported home into a livable, code-compliant home on its lot. In Florida, every step is regulated under FL Rule 15C-1, with construction baselines from HUD 24 CFR Part 3280. We coordinate the full setup from delivery to county sign-off.

Scope of work

What setup actually includes

When people say setup, they mean five separate jobs that have to happen in order. Skip one and the county will not sign your permit:

Pier and footing layout: pads spaced per the manufacturer's guide and FL Rule 15C-1 (typically every 8 ft along the I-beam)
Block and shim: ABS or concrete piers stacked, capped, and shimmed tight under the frame
Level: every pier checked with a 4 ft level, then re-checked with a water level across the home
Tie-down anchors and frame straps: ground anchors driven, frame ties torqued, stabilizers added
Skirt, utility hookup, and weather seal: vinyl or block skirt, water, sewer, electric, and the marriage line on multi-section homes

Permits and licensing

Permits you actually need

Two permits, two separate offices. Both must be open before the home is set, and both must close before you can move in:

DHSMV trip permit: covers the transport and the act of installing on the lot. We pull this for you.
County installation permit: filed at your county building department by a Florida-licensed mobile home installer. Trinity coordinates with licensed installers in every county we serve so the permit is filed correctly the first time.
Electrical, plumbing, and septic sub-permits: required in most counties, often pulled by the licensed sub-contractor doing that trade
Final county inspection: scheduled after every system is hooked up and the home is tied down. Pass and you get a certificate of occupancy or a setup affidavit.

Trinity does not hold a Florida mobile home installer license. We coordinate with licensed installers and pull the trip permit. The installer signs the county permit. This protects you legally and keeps the chain of accountability clean.

Sources: FL Administrative Code Rule 15C-1, HUD 24 CFR Part 3280, FL Statute 320.8325.

The sequence we follow

1Site visit and quote: we walk the lot, check soil, access, and utility stub locations
2Permits open: DHSMV trip permit (us), county install permit (licensed installer)
3Pad and pier layout: marked per manufacturer's setup manual
4Home delivered and rolled into final position
5Block, shim, and level: every pier checked twice
6Tie-down anchors driven and pull-tested, frame straps torqued
7Utility hookups: water, sewer, electric, gas if applicable
8Skirting installed and marriage line sealed (double or triple-wide)
9County inspector visits, signs the permit, you get the paperwork

Common setup pitfalls we fix

Piers too far apart

Some installers space piers wider than the manufacturer's manual to save block and time. The home settles unevenly within a year. Doors stick, drywall cracks. We follow the actual setup manual, every time.

Shims missing or wrong material

Wood shims rot in Florida humidity. We use treated hardwood or composite shims rated for ground contact, capped under steel pier caps.

Anchors not pull-tested

Driving the anchor is half the job. The other half is pull-testing each one to the rated holding load for the soil class. We test every anchor and document the result for the county.

Marriage line not sealed

On double and triple-wide homes, the seam between sections must be bolted, gasketed, and weather-sealed. A bad seal lets in water, bugs, and energy loss. We seal top to bottom, inside and out.

Skirting blocking ventilation

Florida code requires net free ventilation area in the crawlspace, calculated by square footage. Solid skirt without proper vents traps moisture and rots the floor system. We install vented skirt sized to your home.

What setup typically costs

Single-wide setup, basic (block, level, tie, skirt)$1,800 to $3,200

Double-wide setup, full coordination$3,500 to $5,500

Triple-wide or modular setup$4,800 to $6,500

Add: utility hookup coordination (water, sewer, electric)$600 to $1,800

Add: HVHZ zone (Miami-Dade, Broward) upgrade$700 to $1,500

Prices vary with lot prep, soil, distance to utilities, county fees, and home size. We give a firm written quote after a site visit.

For the full anchoring and frame-strap detail under FL Rule 15C-1: See the tie-down and anchor system guide →

Common questions

What does mobile home setup include?: A code-compliant setup covers blocking and leveling, the anchor and tie-down system per FL Rule 15C-1, marriage-line work on double and triple-wides, and the final inspection. Skirting and utility hookups are usually separate line items so you see what each step costs.
Do I have to use the dealer's installer?: No. Florida lets you choose your own licensed installer for transport and setup. The dealer's bundled setup line is often where buyers overpay; a line-by-line comparison routinely finds four figures of difference.
How long does setup take?: A typical single or double-wide setup runs one to two days once the home is on site, scheduled around the county permit and inspection.

Get your home set right the first time

From the trip permit to the final county inspection, we run the whole setup so you only deal with one team and one phone number.