What is the Difference Between a Manufactured and a Mobile Home?
The terms "manufactured homes" and "mobile homes" are often used interchangeably, but distinctions exist, primarily tied to evolving industry standards.
Mobile homes predate manufactured homes, constructed before the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) implemented stricter standards in 1976. These homes were associated with a more temporary, mobile lifestyle.
In contrast, manufactured homes, a newer version post-HUD Code, adhere to stringent construction and safety standards. They are defined as homes that have been entirely built in a factory and affixed to a permanent chassis to ensure the homes' transportability.
Essentially, all mobile homes are manufactured homes but not all manufactured homes are mobile homes. The term "mobile home" is now considered outdated and doesn't accurately reflect the modern standards of today's manufactured homes. The key difference lies in regulatory standards and historical context.
We have a detailed article dedicated to the cost of repiping a mobile home.
Why Should I Repipe My Manufactured Home?
There are several reasons why you may need to repipe your manufactured home.
Many manufactured homes that are over 30 years old and have not undergone repiping often have outdated plumbing materials such as polybutylene pipes (also known as Qest, Quest, Poly-b, Pb-1 pipe, or simply "poly pipe") or galvanized plumbing.
Polybutylene pipes have a known history of failure and can pose a significant liability for homeowners. The presence of polybutylene pipes may also impact your home insurance premiums.
Some manufactured homes may still have galvanized pipes in their plumbing system. All galvanized plumbing has far exceeded its working life and can cause various issues, including rusty and discolored water, as well as significant water leaks. It's not a matter of if, but when, all the galvanized plumbing needs replacing.
Replacing polybutylene and galvanized plumbing is crucial to safeguard your manufactured home from problems such as low water pressure, as well as more serious issues like breakages and leaks.
What Material Should I Use to Repipe My Manufactured Home?
A manufactured home repipe often involves the use of more flexible materials like PEX tubing to navigate small openings and tight spaces, in contrast to other commonly used materials such as copper. Nevertheless, copper can still be used to repipe a manufactured home repipe.
There are numerous benefits to using PEX tubing in a manufactured home repipe. Materials like PEX can endure higher and lower temperatures throughout the year. We have an in-depth article discussing the advantages of PEX tubing in freezing conditions.
For all our repipes in manufactured homes, we exclusively use Uponor PEX, unless a client specifically requests copper piping. We route all plumbing in your manufactured home through a central manifold and wall cavities, minimizing the need for intrusive and messy wall patching.
It is crucial to consider repiping with up-to-date plumbing materials to ensure the longevity and integrity of your manufactured home's plumbing for many years to come.
How Much Does It Cost to Repipe a Manufactured Home?
The cost to repipe a manufactured home generally begins at around $4,500 for a smaller property and up to $15,000 for a much larger, more complicated job.
There are a number of key factors that can affect repiping costs, including the type of pipe material, area size, the number of plumbing fixtures, installation complexity, and pipe accessibility.
Opting for a specialized repipe company, such as ours, often proves to be more cost-effective than engaging a generalist plumber for your manufactured home repiping requirements.
For further insights into the cost-effectiveness of choosing a specialist over a generalist plumber, you can read our article Choosing A Repipe Company: Specialists vs General Plumbers.
How Long Does It Take to Repipe a Manufactured Home?
At Repipe Specialists, we pride ourselves on our efficient and minimally disruptive repiping services tailored to meet the needs of your manufactured home.
The duration of a complete manufactured home repipe can vary significantly among different companies, influenced by factors such as company expertise, the size of the manufactured home, and the complexity of the plumbing system.
When a company specializes in whole-home repiping (as we do here at Repipe Specialists - in fact, it's all we do), they can direct all their efforts toward excelling at that one service.
Unlike generalist plumbers unfamiliar with complete manufactured home repipes, our innovative One-Stop Repipe™ process sets us apart, enabling us to efficiently handle complete repipes, typically within one day. If necessary, a second day is allocated for wall patching and finishing touches.
We offer a comprehensive range of services, including managing drywall repairs, securing building permits, and ensuring continuous water availability, even if the project extends beyond a single day.
Feel free to contact us to receive a free fixed-price repipe quote from one of our local estimators.
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With over 75,000 repipes completed, we've perfected our One-Stop Repipe™ for your home.
Get a Quote for Your Manufactured Home Repipe
Here at Repipe Specialists, we've repiped many manufactured homes across the USA. We continually get positive customer feedback from customers about their overall home repipe experiences. We often exceed their expectations on:
- Speed: Our repipe crews typically complete a repipe in a day, returning on another day for wall patching.
- Convenience: Through our One-Stop Repipe™ process, we handle everything from permits, to wall patching, to inspections.
- Cleanliness: Our crews are trained to protect your home while working (we cover all surfaces with protective sheeting), and to clean up fully at the end of each day.
- Peace of Mind: Repipe Specialists is a fully licensed plumber in every state we operate in, and we back all of our repipes with a lifetime warranty.
- Financing programs: To help take the sting out of unplanned repipe expenses, we offer several financing programs.
- Price: As a specialist that performs hundreds of repipes a week, we can deliver high-quality repipes at a lower cost vs generalist plumbers.
Schedule a free in-home consult, and a local repipe consultant will explain all your repipe options and provide you with a written, fixed price quote. Repipe your manufactured home and ensure the longevity of your plumbing.