Start with the property, not a guess
A manufactured home can look right in the showroom and still leave an important property question unanswered: was that home designed for the wind zone where it will be installed?
Bring the exact property address, county or parcel information when you compare homes around Von Ormy and south San Antonio. The dealer’s location does not determine the design requirements for your property, and a nearby parcel does not confirm them either. If you are still looking for land, write down each county you are considering so the question stays attached to the right property.
Know the difference between the HUD label and the data plate
HUD explains that the certification label, often called the HUD tag, is a metal plate attached to the outside of a manufactured home. Each transportable section has a certification label number.
The data plate is a paper label inside the home, commonly found near the main electrical panel, in a kitchen cabinet or in a bedroom closet. It identifies the manufacturing plant, serial number, model designation and manufacture date. It also shows the wind, roof-load and thermal information for which the home was designed.
- HUD label: exterior metal identification for a manufactured section.
- Data plate: interior document with the home’s identifying and design-zone information.
- Model name: useful for comparing layouts, but not a substitute for the exact home’s records.
- Property county: needed to connect the proposed home to the intended installation site.
Ask about the exact home being proposed
A display home’s data plate belongs to that physical home. If you are ordering a different home, or comparing a similar unit, do not assume the display home’s label numbers or zone information will be the same.
Ask whether the conversation is about the display unit, an identified inventory unit or a home that has not yet been built. When an exact home has been identified, request that its manufacturer, model designation, serial number or numbers, HUD label information and data-plate wind zone stay together in the project notes.
- Is this the display home or a different home?
- Has a specific unit been identified yet?
- What model designation appears on the proposed home’s paperwork?
- What wind zone appears on that home’s data plate?
- Who will verify that the home is suitable for the property location?
Use the county as a planning trigger
Texas does not apply the same wind-zone requirement to every county. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs identifies designated Gulf Coast counties as Wind Zone II and states that a Wind Zone I home may not be installed in those counties.
That does not mean a buyer should make the technical decision from a county list alone. It means the exact county should trigger the right follow-up before the home and property plan are treated as a match. This is especially useful when a household is comparing land across South Texas rather than staying within one local area.
Let the responsible professionals confirm suitability
Federal installation rules require the installer to verify that a new manufactured home’s design is suitable for the site. The rules also state that a home must not be installed in a wind zone that exceeds the design wind loads shown on its data plate.
Use the showroom visit to collect the right identifiers and questions. Leave the technical determination to the licensed installer, the manufacturer’s instructions and the authority responsible for the property. In Texas, TDHCA states that only a licensed installer may install, relevel or modify a component of a manufactured home’s foundation.
Keep one comparison sheet for every finalist
Give each home its own page. Record the manufacturer and model, whether it is the display or proposed unit, the property county, the wind zone shown on the exact home’s data plate when available, and any unanswered installation questions.
Do not copy label or serial numbers from one home onto another home’s page. Keeping the identifiers separate makes it easier to compare layouts without losing the property requirements behind the decision.
- Property address or parcel and county
- Manufacturer and model designation
- Display, inventory or ordered home
- Serial number or numbers when assigned
- HUD label number for each section when available
- Wind zone shown on the exact home’s data plate
- Name of the person or authority confirming site suitability
- Questions that must be resolved before moving forward
Plan your showroom visit at MHC Von Ormy
Bring your property information and your comparison sheet to MHC Von Ormy. Walk through the homes for room flow, storage and daily use, then connect each finalist to the exact unit records and property questions that still need an answer.
Call (210) 623-3356 to confirm hours and which homes can be viewed. Visit MHC Von Ormy at 13930 Interstate 35 Access Rd, Von Ormy, TX 78073, just south of San Antonio.