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15.60 - 1 CHAPTER 15.60 MOBILE HOME INSTALLATION SECTION: 15.60.010: General Installation Requirements for Mobile Homes 15.60.020: Installation Permits 15.60.030: Inspections 15.60.040: Appeals 15.60.050: Building Site Preparation 15.60.060: Foundation System Footings 15.60.070: Foundation System Piers 15.60.080: Foundation System Plates and Shims 15.60.090: Foundation Facia 15.60.100: Anchoring Systems 15.60.110: Assembly 15.60.120: Water and Sewer 15.60.130: Accessory Structures 15.60.010: General Installation Requirements for Mobile Homes: All mobile homes must be installed in compliance with the national manufactured housing procedural and enforcement regulations in subparts F and I of 24 C.F.R. Part 3282 adopted as of April 1, 1982, which are incorporated into this Section by reference. A Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mobile home must also be installed in compliance with the mobile home manufacturer's installation recommendations. The recommendations must be approved by HUD. The manufacturer must send two copies of its approved installation recommendations to the purchaser of the mobile home. The copies must be in the home and available at the time of inspection. A mobile home not labeled by HUD must be installed in accord with installation recommendations provided by a professional engineer or architect licensed in Washington. To the extent that the installation of a mobile home is not covered by a manufacturer's, engineer's, or architect's recommendations, the mobile home must comply with the installation requirements set out in this chapter. No person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity may install a mobile home unless he owns the mobile home or is a licensed mobile home installer under RCW 43.63B. In those areas that are recognized as flood plains by the Washington State Department of Ecology or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or hazardous because of the probability of earthquakes, ground slides, avalanches, or high winds, the City may impose conditions which lessen the hazards. For the purposes of this Chapter, a mobile home is a structure; transportable in one or more sections; which, in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width; and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the necessary or appropriate utilities (and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein). Any ---PAGE BREAK--- 15.60 - 2 structure certified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a mobile home is a mobile home. Exempted from the requirement of installation permits and inspections are single-wide units which are less than eight feet in width and 32 feet in length. The units must rest on their own wheels. Skirting is optional. The vehicles may be connected to community sewer and water facilities. Exempted units will be inspected if requested by the occupant and required fees are paid. Mobile homes manufactured prior to June 15, 1976, and that do not meet HUD Mobile Home Manufactured Housing Standards, must meet Alteration Fire Safety Standards and be certified as such by the State of Washington. (Ord. 3649 Sec. 1, 1996: Ord. 3006 Sec. 1 (part), 1986: Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.020: Installation Permits: The owner or the installer of a mobile home must obtain an installation permit from the City before he installs a mobile home that will be used as a residence. The applicant must include with the application a permit fee as established by the City Council. The dealer may not deliver a mobile home until he has verified that the owner or installer has obtained an installation permit for the mobile home. The application for an installation permit must be on a form supplied by the City. Before transport, a permit is required. (Ord. 3006 Sec. 1 (part), 1986: Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.030: Inspections: The installer must request an inspection after all aspects of the installation, other than installation of the foundation facia, have been completed. The City will inspect the installation within five business days after it receives the request. The tenant or owner may occupy the mobile home at his own risk prior to obtaining the installation permit or completion of any city inspection. Occupancy before inspection does not imply city approval. The City will approve the installation of a mobile home, and allow the mobile home to be permanently occupied if the installation complies with the installation requirements of this chapter and the conditions of the installation permit, and other applicable laws. If the installation does not comply with this chapter and the installation permit, the City will provide the installer with a list of corrections that the installer must make. The list of corrections will state a date by which the corrections must be completed. The City will reinspect the installation after the corrections are completed. If the items that require correction do not endanger the health or safety of the occupants, or substantially affect the habitability of the mobile home, the City may permit the unit to be occupied or to continue to be occupied. Failure of the installation to comply with these regulations may be cause for the City to not allow occupancy or to require the unit to be vacated until the regulations have been adhered to, to the satisfaction of the Building Inspector. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.040: Appeals: If a dispute concerning an installation requirement of this chapter arises between any person or business and the City, the dispute may be submitted to the mobile home, commercial coach, and recreational vehicle advisory board for its opinion as to the proper interpretation of the requirement. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.050: Building Site Preparation: A mobile home may not be installed at a building site unless the ground at the site has adequate compaction and load-bearing ability to meet the support requirements of 15.60.070, KMC. The owner, the installer or, if the building site is in ---PAGE BREAK--- 15.60 - 3 a mobile home park, the park owner must ensure that the ground on which a mobile home is to be installed has been improved as necessary to provide a proper base for the mobile home and that the area beneath the mobile home has adequate drainage at the time of installation. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.060: Foundation System Footings: Footings must be constructed of: Solid concrete or an approved alternate that is at least 3½ inches thick by 16 inches square; or Two 8-inch by 16-inch by 4-inch solid concrete blocks that are laid with their joint parallel to the main frame longitudinal member. Footings must be: Evenly bedded and leveled; Placed on firm, undisturbed, or compacted soil that is free of organic material; Centered in a line directly under the main frame longitudinal members on both sides of a mobile home; and Spaced not more than 8 feet apart, and not more than 2 feet from the ends of the main frame. A closer spacing may be required, depending on the load-bearing capacity of the soil. A mobile home with more than one section must have center line blocking at end walls and at any other point of connection of the sections of the mobile home that are a ridge beam bearing support. Blocking is also required at both ends of a door opening that is 6 feet or more wide in an exterior wall. If a mobile home requires footings on its exterior perimeter, the footings must be installed below the frost line. Footings for the main frame longitudinal members must be recessed only if frost heave is likely to occur. Footings must be constructed so that 75 percent of the area under the mobile home has at least 18 inches clearance between the bottom of the main chassis members and the ground level. The area beneath furnace cross-overs and fireplaces, however, must always have at least 18 inches clearance. At no point under the mobile home may the clearance be less than 12 inches. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.070: Foundation System Piers: An installer must build and position piers and load-bearing supports or devices to distribute the required loads evenly. An installer may use manufactured piers or load-bearing supports or devices that are listed or approved for the intended use, or may build piers that comply with the following requirements. All blocks must be concrete blocks. A pier may be made of a single stack of 8-inch by 8-inch by 16-inch blocks if the blocks are not stacked more than three blocks high. A pier made of a single stack of blocks must be installed at a right angle to the main frame longitudinal member and must be capped with no more than two 2-inch by 8-inch by 16-inch wood blocks or one 4-inch by 8-inch by 16-inch concrete block. A pier may be made of a double stack of 8-inch by 8-inch by 16-inch blocks if the blocks are not stacked more than 5 blocks high. Each row of blocks in such a pier must be stacked at right angles to the abutting rows of blocks. A wood block must be of hem-fir, douglas fir, or spruce pine fir. The pier must be capped with two 2-inch by 8-inch by 16-inch wood or concrete blocks. The pier must be installed so that the joint between the cap blocks is at right angles to the main frame longitudinal member. ---PAGE BREAK--- 15.60 - 4 A pier may be made with more than five rows of blocks if the stacked blocks are filled with 2,000 psi concrete or mortar. A licensed architect or professional engineer must approve a foundation system that includes a pier that is higher than 72 inches (9 blocks) high, or in which more than 20 percent of the piers exceed 40 inches (5 blocks) high. All blocks must be set with the cores placed vertically. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.080: Foundation System Plates and Shims: An installer may fill a gap between the top of a pier and the main frame with a wood plate that is not more than 2 inches thick and two opposing wedge-shaped shims that are not more than 2 inches thick. Wood plates and shims must be of hem-fir, douglas fir, or spruce pine fir. A shim must be at least 4 inches wide and 6 inches long. The installer must fit the shim properly and drive it tight between the wood plate or pier and the main frame to ensure that the mobile home is level and properly supported at all load-bearing points. A block that abuts a wedge shaped shim must be solid. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.090: Foundation Facia: A mobile home must have an approved foundation facia around its entire perimeter. The wood of the facia must be at least 3 inches from the ground unless it is pressure-treated wood. Metal fasteners must be galvanized, stainless steel, or other corrosion-resistant material. Ferrous metal members in contact with the earth, other than those that are galvanized or stainless steel, must be coated with an asphaltic emulsion. A mobile home that is installed on a non-recessed site and that has a metal foundation facia must have ventilation openings with a net area of at least one and one-half square inches per linear foot. A mobile home that has been installed on a recessed site or that has a foundation facia that is not made of metal must have ventilation openings in the foundation facia with a net area of at least one and one-half square feet for each 25 linear feet of facia. The openings must be designed to provide cross-ventilation on at least two approximately opposite sides of the mobile home. The installer must locate the openings as close to the corners of the mobile home as practical, and must cover the openings with corrosion-resistant wire mesh or louvers. Dryer vents and hot water tank pressure relief valves must exhaust on the exterior of the foundation facia. The facia for each section of a mobile home must have an opening of at least 18 inches by 24 inches, with a cover of metal or pressure-treated wood, to allow access to the crawl space. The foundation facia must be installed within 30 days after the mobile home is occupied. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.100: Anchoring Systems: All single-section or multiple-section mobiles must be anchored when the Building Inspector determines that the pier-blocking height to be a safety hazard, or where the wind velocities in the area are dangerous. Any required anchoring must be as specified by the manufacturer. Where the manufacturer's anchoring recommendations are not available, the anchoring must be in accord with the following: Components of the anchoring system must have a resistance to weather deterioration that is at least equivalent to that of a zinc coating that is not less than 0.3 ounces per square foot of coated surface. Cut edges of zinc-coated strapping do not need to be coated. An installer must install, preload, and adjust a ground anchor in accord with the anchor manufacturer's instructions. The installer must supply a copy of the instructions to the City, as appropriate. A ground anchor, when installed, must be able to resist a working load of 3,150 pounds in the direction of the tie plus a 50 percent overload (4,725 pounds total) without failure. Failure occurs if the point of connection of a vertical tie to an anchor is ---PAGE BREAK--- 15.60 - 5 withdrawn more than 2 inches at 3,150 pounds, or when the point of connection of a diagonal tie is moved more than 4 inches horizontally when a load of 3,150 pounds is applied at 45 degrees from the horizontal. Ground anchors must be marked with the manufacturer's identification and model number in a location that is visible after the anchor is installed. The manufacturer of a ground anchor must provide instructions with each anchor that specify the kinds of soil for which the anchor is suitable. If concrete slabs or continuous footings are used to transfer the anchoring loads to the ground, the following requirements apply: Steel rods cast in concrete must be able to resist the loads and corrosion as specified for ground anchors. A deadman anchor may be used in place of a listed anchor. It must be constructed of solid concrete at least 6 inches in diameter and 2 feet long, reinforced with two #4 deformed steel rods, and installed at least 5 feet below the surface of the ground. A concrete slab may be used in place of a ground anchor if it provides holding strength equal to that required for ground anchors. Ties must be of cable, strapping, or other approved materials. Ties must be fastened to ground anchors and drawn tight with turnbuckles, yoke fasteners, or other approved tensioning devices. Tension devices must end in clevis, forged, or welded eyes. Hook ends are not permitted. Tension devices must be designed to prevent self-disconnection if the tie becomes slack. Cable tie eyes must be secured with two U-bolt cable clamps or an approved equivalent. Tie materials must be able to resist a working load of 3,150 pounds with no more than 2 percent elongation and withstand a 50 percent overload (4,725 pounds total). Ties must connect the ground anchor to the main frame longitudinal member. Ties may not connect to steel outrigger beams that fasten to the main frame, unless the manufacturer's installation instructions specifically approve the connection. Diagonal ties must lie at least 40 degrees from the vertical. Vertical ties must be substantially vertical. If a vertical tie is not substantially vertical, the anchor must be placed outboard of the tie's connection to the main frame. A cable frame tie must be connected to the main frame by a 5/8-inch drop, forged, closed-eye bolt through a hole drilled in the center of the I-beam web, or by an approved alternative. The installer must reinforce the web if necessary to maintain the strength of the I beam. The installer must space the ties as evenly as practical, and must locate a tie within 8 feet of each end of the mobile home. The installer may attach two or more ties to a single ground anchor if the anchor can carry the total required load. The installer must install vertical ties at each detached corner of a clerestory roof and of add-on sections of expandable mobile homes. As a minimum, the installer must install the following number of ties for each I-beam or other main frame longitudinal member: LENGTH OF HOME (FEET) NUMBER OF NUMBER OF EXCLUDING VERTICAL DIAGONAL HITCH TIES TIES 32-54 2 3 55-73 2 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- 15.60 - 6 Multiple section mobile homes require only diagonal ties. Vertical ties are not required. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.110: Assembly: Sections of a multiple section mobile home must be aligned, closed, and securely fastened at the required points along the ridge beam, end walls, and floor line. Heat ducts, electrical connections, and other fixtures and connections required between sections of a mobile home must be properly installed. The floor of the mobile home must be level within the tolerances given in the following table. Tolerances may not exceed the following amounts (L equals the clear span between supports, twice the length of a cantilever): Floor L/240 Roof and Ceiling L/180 Headers, Beams, Girders (Vertical Load) L/180 Walls and Partitions L/180 The installer must provide adequate clearance to ensure that the cross-over heat duct does not touch the ground and is not compressed. The installer must insulate the cross-over duct at the intersection. The installer must insulate and seal areas of potential air leaks to ensure that the mobile home is air-tight, and must seal areas of potential water leaks with metal flashing or trim, if required, and with putty tape or other approved caulking to ensure the mobile home is watertight. The water pipe connection to the mobile home must have a main shut-off valve in compliance with 24 CFR 3280.609(b) adopted as of April 1, 1982. In all other respects, utility connections to the mobile homes, including water, sewer, electricity, and gas, must comply with the provisions of this Title. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.120: Water and Sewer: The provision of water and sewer must meet the requirements of the applicable city, county or state agency having jurisdiction. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983) 15.60.130: Accessory Structures: Accessory structures, including, but not limited to awnings, carports, garages and steps, must be constructed in conformance with the Uniform Building Code, if constructed on-site. Conformance with the Uniform Building Code is not required if the accessory structure is constructed elsewhere, and has been inspected and approved by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. The installation of any State-approved accessory structure must be in conformance with this chapter. (Ord. 2740 Sec. 1 (part), 1983)