FHA underwriters operate from the HUD 4000.1 II.D.4.b checklist. Every report we deliver addresses each requirement in the order the handbook expects, with the matching reference code, the determination, and the supporting photo evidence indexed by finding number. This page is the long form of that checklist — what we verify, what we find, and how it gets documented.
The foundation system meets HUD's Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing, § 3 — pier specifications, footings, soil bearing, frost depth, and anchoring. This is the engineering core of the entire FHA structural inspection.
About 8% of 2025 foundations needed remediation before certifying. Most common deficiencies:
All 33 remediation cases in 2025 ultimately certified after corrections.
Pre-1976 manufactured homes can rarely satisfy PFGMH § 3. Homes built before HUD code took effect on June 15, 1976 typically can't be brought into compliance through remediation — the foundation can't carry the chassis design to spec. We flag pre-1976 on Day 1 (intake) before the field visit, so the file doesn't burn five days waiting on an inspection that can't certify.
Electrical, water, sewer, and HVAC must be permanently connected to local utility infrastructure. No temporary or seasonal connections. No extension cords, no garden-hose water supply, no portable propane tanks as the primary fuel source.
The HUD data plate is the manufacturer's identification placard, typically affixed inside a kitchen cabinet or near the electrical panel. It must be present, legible, and match the manufacturer's certificate of origin or title. Photo verification is in the report's appendix.
The red metal HUD certification label is affixed to the exterior of each home section (single-wide: one label; double-wide: two labels; triple-wide: three labels). Each label carries a unique HUD label number that matches the certificate of origin.
Each section of the home has its own HUD certification label affixed to the rear exterior wall (typically the tow-away end). The label is:
Two 2025 files had missing HUD certification labels — both resolved through the IBTS label replacement program:
The HUD certification label is the FHA underwriter's primary proof that the home was built to HUD code (post-June 1976). Without it, the file can't certify FHA. Photo documentation of the label number is non-negotiable for first-submission approval.
Skirting, grading, drainage, driveway, and walkway must all be permanent materials. Continuous skirting, drainage away from the foundation, permanent driveway surface. This is the requirement that catches the most conditional findings in 2025 — usually skirting damage.
Skirting damage is the single most common Finding 05 issue — lawn equipment, animals, weather, or simple aging. Replacement skirting installs same-day from local supply; the finding becomes Compliant after re-inspection (no second field visit needed, photo verification by LO or borrower is accepted).
Hitch, running gear, and tongue removed at minimum. Axles and wheels removed in most jurisdictions — though state-specific guidance varies. The intent is to demonstrate the home is no longer transportable, which is part of how the home converts from chattel to real property.
The towing hitch / tongue — the metal A-frame at the front of the chassis used to attach to a truck — must be removed. Verified visually under the home or at the front skirting access panel.
The axles, springs, and wheels are typically removed during permanent installation. Some jurisdictions accept axles in place if the home is otherwise immobilized; most require full removal.
Under-home photography documenting absence of hitch, axles, and wheels — or, if axles remain, the immobilization mechanism. Photo Set 06 in every report.
Every requirement gets its own narrative section in the report and its own indexed photo set. Underwriter reading Finding 04 flips directly to Photo Set 04 — not a chronological photo dump. Report structure detail →
Drop the property address, FHA case number, and target close. Acknowledgment within an hour. Written quote returned same business day. Sealed PDF in your underwriting file in five business days.