HUD HUD Manufactured Housing Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (FMHCSS)?
- To regulate land use around manufactured home parks
- To establish minimum construction, safety, and durability standards for manufactured homes (Correct answer)
- To set income limits for manufactured home buyers
- To license manufactured home dealers
Correct answer: To establish minimum construction, safety, and durability standards for manufactured homes
The FMHCSS establishes preemptive federal standards covering design, construction, strength, durability, fire resistance, and energy efficiency of manufactured homes.
Question 2: A manufactured home inspector finds that a home's roof trusses are notched to accommodate HVAC ductwork. What should the inspector note?
- This is acceptable if done at the factory
- This is a defect because field-notching trusses violates HUD structural standards (Correct answer)
- Notching is acceptable only in non-load-bearing areas
- Notching is permitted if re-engineered by a local inspector
Correct answer: This is a defect because field-notching trusses violates HUD structural standards
Field-notching or cutting of roof trusses is a structural violation under HUD standards because trusses are engineered components and cannot be altered without engineering approval.
Question 3: Under the HUD Manufactured Home Installation Program (MHIP), which entity sets minimum installation standards where states have no approved program?
- Local counties
- HUD directly (Correct answer)
- The home manufacturer
- The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)
Correct answer: HUD directly
Where states lack an approved installation program, HUD's own minimum standards under the MHIP apply to ensure safe installation of manufactured homes.
Question 4: Which document serves as the factory's certification that a manufactured home section was inspected and complies with HUD standards?
- Certificate of Occupancy
- HUD Certification Label and Data Plate together (Correct answer)
- ANSI A119.1 sticker
- Manufacturer's warranty card
Correct answer: HUD Certification Label and Data Plate together
Together, the HUD Certification Label (red label on exterior) and the Data Plate (inside the home) certify federal standards compliance for each manufactured home section.
Question 5: What is the maximum allowable moisture content for lumber used in the structural framing of a HUD-code manufactured home at the time of installation?
- 12%
- 16%
- 19% (Correct answer)
- 25%
Correct answer: 19%
HUD standards require that structural lumber used in manufactured homes have a moisture content no greater than 19% at the time of fabrication or installation.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes a 'multi-section' manufactured home for HUD inspection purposes?
- A home with more than one bathroom
- A home consisting of two or more transportable sections joined on-site (Correct answer)
- A home installed in a multi-unit park
- A home with a detached garage
Correct answer: A home consisting of two or more transportable sections joined on-site
A multi-section (double-wide or triple-wide) manufactured home is factory-built as two or more separate transportable units that are joined together at the installation site.
HUD HUD Manufactured Housing Standards 3
What is the primary purpose of the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (FMHCSS)?