When you purchase a mobile home, it is essential to understand some basics. When you buy a manufactured home, the opportunity or idea of selling it in the future may arise.
A HUD plate and the HUD tag are essential pieces of information that will be required to sell or purchase a manufactured home in the future or to even purchase a manufactured home today.
You can not get financing without the information contained on these items, so it is essential to have a decent understanding of each.
Ever since 1976, manufactured homes are required to contain a HUD tag and a HUD plate per the HUD Code for mobile homes.
We will discuss both in this guide.
We will detail what a HUD data plate is, what information it contains, where to locate the HUD tag, and the importance of the HUD data plate and HUD tag in general.
By the end of the discussion, you should understand the information on the HUD data plate and HUD label, along with the importance of each.
We will also cover other important specifics, such as how to replace missing HUD tags and data plates.
Let’s jump into those details now.
What is a HUD Data Plate?
When purchasing a mobile home, several pieces of crucial information, like buying a traditional home, will be necessary and required, and most of them are contained on the HUD data plate and HUD label/tag.
While we plan to focus on the HUD data plate and the HUD tags/labels, you should understand that the following pieces of information are also vital to the financing, purchasing, or selling process of a manufactured home:
● Serial Number
● Title
● VIN number
● Certification Number
For the sake of this discussion, we will be focusing on only the HUD tag and the HUD data plate. Still, the other items listed above may be briefly referenced during our discussion and breakdown.
The HUD plate is a paper label affixed inside of the manufactured home.
The paper is a standard–size piece of paper (8.5 inches by 11 inches).
It can be found inside the kitchen cabinets, the bedroom closet, or the electrical panel on the manufactured home.
Other potential locations for the HUD data plate include:
- Inside the water heater closet
- Inside of a bathroom cabinet door
The HUD data plate contains maps of the United States that are designed to inform the owner of wind zone ratings for mobile homes, along with the snow load and roof load zone of the manufactured home.
Furthermore, the HUD data plate will contain other important pieces of information, such as the following:
- Name and address of the manufacturing plant where the manufactured home was built/manufactured
- Manufactured home serial number and model designation of the unit
- The date the manufactured home was built
Additionally, you will find the following statement on the HUD data plate:
This manufactured home is designed to comply with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards in force at the time of manufacture. This manufactured home has been substantially completed in accordance with an approved design and has been inspected (except for the components specifically identified in the instructions for completion on–site) in accordance with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards and the requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in effect on the date of manufacture.
You will also find a list of all major factory-installed equipment, and the certification label or number affixed to each transportable manufactured section.
Now that we know the basics about the HUD data plate, let’s discuss the HUD label/HUD tag on a manufactured home.
How Do You Identify a HUD Label?
The HUD label or tag is a thick aluminum plate.
The HUD tag measures two inches by four inches. The HUD tag is made of metal, and each exterior section of a mobile home will typically contain the HUD tag.
Put simply, you will have two HUD tags on double-wide manufactured homes. On single-wide mobile homes, you will have one HUD tag.
Most commonly, you will be able to locate the HUD tag near the rear of the manufactured home, roughly one foot from the side and one foot from the bottom.
Every HUD label/tag on manufactured homes will have one paragraph that reads:
The manufacturer certifies to the best of the manufacturer’s knowledge and belief that this manufactured home has been inspected per the Department of Housing and Urban Development requirements and is constructed in conformance with the federal manufactured home construction and safety standards in effect on the date of manufacture. See data plate.
The tag details the unique identifying number of the manufactured home that is different from every other manufactured home, also known as the certification label number.
Additionally, the label will include other identifiers required by the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Law.
This also includes:
First Three Letters: The first three letters identify the primary production inspection agency.
Now that you have a rough idea of what a HUD tag contains and where it is located on a manufactured home, let’s discuss what steps you should take and what the best approach is if you are struggling to locate your HUD label and data plate.
What if I Can’t Find My HUD Label or Data Plate?
Not being able to locate or find your HUD label or HUD data plate can present you with a problem. Especially if you are planning to sell your manufactured home or even if you are the potential buyer of a manufactured home.
Here is where to begin if you are in this situation.
First, you will need a label certification in case of a missing HUD label or HUD data plate.
In this situation, the individual needing said information should request and obtain the previous financing paperwork for the manufactured home from the previously documented lending institution.
HUD, through the IBTS label department, may also be able to provide a letter certifying the specific HUD tags that previously were attached to the manufactured home.
For all other inquiries that are related to purchasing or selling a manufactured home with missing HUD label/tags, you would want to go contact IBTS label department. In addition to assisting with expediting label verifications, they may be able to help with other inquiries about the manufactured home.
Another option for missing data plates is to contact the IPIA (In-Plant Inspection Agency of the Manufactured Home Manufacturer).
According to HUD.gov, The IPIA is a third-party inspection agency that works with the department to inspect manufactured homes during the manufacturing process to ensure that the manufacturer meets the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards.
The Takeaway: HUD Tags and Data Plates are Essential
The HUD data plates and the HUD tags are critical for the certification process with manufactured homes.
HUD data plates and HUD tags/labels ensure that manufactured homes are built in accordance with all HUD standards; ultimately ensuring your safety and the proper construction of manufactured homes.
HUD data plates and HUD tags are also essential if you plan to sell your manufactured home in the future.
It is critical to ensure you keep these unique identifiers on your manufactured home throughout your lifetime of living in the house.
Obtaining loans for mobile homes is not possible without this essential information.
While it is possible to get replacement tags, it is a hassle that would be better to avoid.
Be sure that when you are going through the process of buying a manufactured home, you verify all this information is present and easily identifiable.
Also, throughout the time you are living in your manufactured home, be mindful of this information and always keep it affixed to your home to make the process easy for all parties involved in a potential sale in the future.
If you are looking to move to the Cedar Springs, Michigan area, be sure to check out our availability of mobile homes for sale by visiting Cedar Springs Mobile Estates.
