How to Inspect the Roofs of Mobile Homes for Defects:

Detailed mobile home, doublewide, trailer roof inspection procedures, roof defect lists, references to mobile home roofing standards.

This article describes common sources of leaks and other problems with roofs used on doublewides, caravans, mobile homes & trailers.

Guide to Trailer & Mobile Home ROOFING DEFECTS - Inspecting for Mobile Home Roofing Defects

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Our photos above and below show leak-prone low-slope roofs on mobile homes. Behind the home at above right you can see that a steeper gabled roof has been added on that home - a roof less likely to be a source of chronic leaks.

Ver.7 - 2023/11/15, original: 08/15/2012 - Steve Vermilye, New Paltz NY and Daniel Friedman, Poughkeepsie NY, Hudson Valley ASHI Chapter Seminar, Newburgh NY, January 4, 2000, NY Metro ASHI Fall 99 Seminar, Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 2, 1999. Our photo at page top shows inspector Steve Vermilye on a double-wide trailer roof shows areas of ponding and a history of tar patching - Ulster County New York.

Low slope mobile home roofs (above left) are at risk of leaks in part because of their slower drainage rate and due to sagging with age.

Our photo at below illustrates reliance on roofing mastic to seal a water heater vent that is itself partly blocked - a double hazard.

Our photo below shows tar spills on the side of a mobile home whose roof was coated in attempts to stop leaking.

• 31% of mobile homes had roof problems; (C. R. survey)
• Flat or near-flat roofs, may be covered with conventional shingles (slope too low)

• Chimneys or plumbing vents "patched-over" so as to be blocked, and are frequently missing caps, a functional problem for the heater and a potential fire hazard.

• Dents and ponding on mobile home roofs, and leaks at seams (patching with roof cement fixes leaks but corrodes metal)

• Mobile home roofs with no roof eaves overhang (common design such as our photo at above left) contribute to frequent leaks in walls at windows or wall tops;
• Shingled roofs on mobile homes usually have overhang (added?); flat roofs don't. Metal roof seams leak;

Our photo below shows six mobile home or doublewide home roofs that demonstrate a variety of materials and venting approaches.

(Sorry for the big (C) mark.)

Watch out: At ROOFING INSPECTION & REPAIR we provide a series of detailed articles about building roof selection, installation, inspection, troubleshooting and repair.

But an additional roof inspection limitation for mobile homes is that some home roofs are not constructed to tolerate foot traffic without damage or bending or sagging - don't walk on fragile roof surfaces.

Our photo above illustrates mineral granule coated roll roofing overlaid on a mobile home roof.

Above is a roof detail presenting a high risk of leakage - this hole was found by Steve Vermilye while walking the roof shown at the top of this page. It would not have been evident even from a ladder-at-roof-edge inspection.

Our photo above shows a low sloped no-eaves roof over a static caravan. In addition to a clue that roof spillage has annoyed people entering and exiting at the home's doorway, notice that there are three roof penetrations, all with leak and safety and operating concerns: rus, flashing, tar-repairs, and missing chimney cap.

It is always best to inspect a roof from "up close" even if roof conditions mean the roof should not be walked-on. But if the roof is not directly accessible for any reason, every safe reasonable effort should be made to obtain view and inspection.

Structural Properties & Components of Mobile Home or Caravan Roofs

[in process] Contact Us to suggest photos or content

• 1x lumber frame with aluminum covering, typical of campers and some older trailers or mobile homes
• Wood-framed low to medium sloped roofs covered with metal, asphalt shingles, roll roofing
• Roof structures with no overhang - extra leak risks at eaves and walls
• Roof structures with soffit/eaves overhang
• Interior roof / ceiling integral structured roofs
• Roof insulation properties:
• Solid foam varying in thickness from 1"
• Fiberglass batts in wood framed roofs or add-on roofs on older units (watch out for inadequate under roof ventilation & ensuing condensation problems)

Watch out: in deep snow zones, earthquake and high wind zones special tie-downs and other roof structural and home stability connectors and measures are required.
See

• MOBILE HOME ROOF ZONES
• MOBILE HOME STABILIZING SYSTEMS

Reader Question: roof is crooked and doors won't shut in cold weather

(Feb 13, 2014) Re-Posted with space after periods in the text: (3 hours ago) Joseph Matteini said:

It has been very cold 0 degrees plus or minus for a month. My enclosed front porch has sliding windows. slanting roof. The roof is higher on the left side above the doorway,making the door not shut evenly. The difference is one inch. This is also starting on the inside door to the home. This has never happened before. This is an open porch of redwood and steps before the porch. It is an 1985 mobile home. HELP!

Reply:

Joseph,
Without seeing the actual home or sharp diagnostic photos I can only guess that you have either

1. a sagging roof in danger of collapse - THIS IS UNSAFE and needs prompt attention; if this is the case you may need someone to rake snow off of the porch roof as well as to inspect for damage to the structure. We don't want the porch roof to fall in on you

2. A second possibility is that the roof structure has not sagged and begun to collapse but instead frost heaves have pushed up one end of the porch foundation. The hazards if this is the case are more subtle: there could be hidden damage to the floor structure - another collapse risk, or there may be just a trip hazard due to a sloped floor.

If the floor to the porch is level and has not changed, but the roof slope has changed then my first guess is more likely correct.

Watch out: doors that don't open or shut can be unsafe - you can be trapped in the event of a fire

Roof Over, Roof Coating Systems, Roof Repair Products for Mobile Homes, Doublewides, Trailers, Manufactured Homes 

• Danco steel mobile home plumbing vent cap, designed to seal plumbing vent penetrations in a mobile home roof, (Home Depot), Corporate Office: 2727 Chemsearch Blvd Irving , TX 75062 Distribution Center: 3801 Pinnacle Point Drive Ste. 200 Dallas, TX 75211 Phone: 800.523.5135 Email: support@danco.com Website: http://www.danco.com/
• Roof King, Thermal MAX®, Roof King Corp., Eddyville KY 42038, tel: 800-276-0176 & Roof King Corp., Bonne Terre MO 63238, Tel: 800-748-0645, Website: www.roofking.net, metal cap + insulation for mobile homes
• Tamco Building Products, Aluminum Roof Coating for Mobile Home Roofs, tamko Corp., Address 220 West 4th Street P.O. Box 1404 Joplin, MO 64802 Tel: 800-641-4691, Website: www.tamko.com,
• CONTACT us to add products and approaches to mobile home roof repair or roof-over products. No fees are involved

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2021-01-31 by (mod) - Since 2012, model codes require drip edge on roofing for mobile homes & manufactured homes

Angela:

Thank you for the question: is roof drip edge required by building codes?

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I agree that typically manufactured-home manufacturers typically build to comply with codes in the states or provinces to which their homes will be shipped and sold.

Prior to 2012 drip edge was recommended by the roofing manufacturers and so indirectly, as I'll explain below, required to comply with strict code interpretation.

Since 2012 (and your home was made in 2020) the model codes require drip edge on roofing - see excerpt below from iccsafe.

Even if this were an older home, the home inspector probably recognizes that in a more-careful interpretation of building codes, the phrase commonly present for most features "... shall be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions ..." is included specifically because the code writers know perfectly well that they cannot possibly anticipate and keep up with every single proper construction detail for all products on the home building market, but the code writers, too, want buildings to be safe and durable.

Where drip edge may not be strictly or explicitly required by local codes (check with the local building code official as she is the final legal authority) it is nevertheless a good and recommended practice found in the illustrations and instructions for installing most roofing products.

You don't give the location of the home, nor local code citations, but a model code authority shows the home inspector's absolutely-right position is the ICC model code from which I excerpt:

A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and gables of shingle roofs. Adjacent pieces of drip edge shall be overlapped a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend a minimum of 0.25 inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up the roof deck a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm).

Finally and perhaps more important: why are we wasting a second arguing about such a trivial and inexpensive defect to remedy. We're talking about less than $100. in materials and probably an hour of labor to retrofit missing drip edge on a manufactured home.

Frankly if I were selling a home and the only stumbling block were roof shingle drip-edge I'd be doing cartwheels of joy and offering to pay for the cost out of my commission.

On 2021-01-31 by Angela Adams - Realtor selling home objects to adding drip edge

I am a real estate agent and currently representing the seller regarding a brand new 2020 double-wide home, which he purchased from a distributer and installed per HUD guidelines.

Potential buyers are being told by their home inspector that drip edge flashing is missing and needs to be installed per current building code.

If this is current building code, why would the manufacturer not be installing it? If is it not current building code, where can I find this documentation to present back to the buyer's agent? Thank you in advance.

On 2020-05-19 - by (mod) - Can you install a Ridge Vent on a Mobile Home ?

Donnie,

A ridge vent would make sense on the sloped or gable roof ("A" shaped" on a mobile home only if there is a "ventable" attic, meaning there is soffit or eaves or roof overhang intake venting as well as then a ridge vent for outlet.

On 2020-05-19 by Donnie

Can you install a Ridge Vent on a Mobile Home ?

On 2020-03-29 - by (mod) - How many roofs can I have on my mobile home in California?

Lynne

You can see and download the California roofing code at

CALIFORNIA ROOFING CODE, CHAPTER 15, (2007) [PDF] Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures Section 1500

https://inspectapedia.com/roof/California_Code_Ch15_2007.pdf

In that document see section 1510.3 Recovering versus replacement

And you'll see that the existing roofing shall be removed if there are two or more layers already present.

On 2020-03-28 by Lynne

Question: How many roofs can I have on my mobile home in California? Moved recently from Oregon where we could have 3 layers before it had to all be removed and redone. Might need to do it here in the Palm Springs area...currently have two. Thanks for your input...got buried trying to search the California Code...yipes!

Lynne

 

Reader comment: reader opinion about AAA mobile home parks

(Aug 21, 2011) Peter W. said:

To all folks who think that AAA mobile home parks here in Ravenna Ohio are all that huh think again, please think seriously about your family and there lives.

This AAA park has a history of ongoing drugs problems and no back ground checks,no notifications of sexaffenders within this park, police are here on a daily basis, no street lights that for safety, also a creek that has erosion problems that are getting bigger every time it rains.

Also there so called water is always black in color no matter what. Parents are not held accountable for there older teens for there actions no matter the law. We have seen teens who will and have sex on the parks bridge. There are flooding problems, do to not cleaning out the drains and no fixing of there roads or pipes.

Winter's they don't clean up any common area's and if some falls there looking for a law suit, because of this AAA needs to have an out side inspector here, NOT!!! one of there own, who knows the law of the land. In the past there has been personal mail stolen from residents witch thats a very, very serious crime in of it's self. the president of the mobile parks love.

won't go up aginst AAA because there owner's have money , sence when is wrong a right?? I think that even the police are being payed off to keep quiet. People here should not be scared of AAA nor the on going every day problems with pine gate mobile home parks and AAA or the owner's.

I really believe in coummiunty but this isn't it. AAA is well know for it's violations, many are fed up. Ravenna and with the right inspector's needs help and take care of AAA before someone gets hurt or even killed

Kids here do not have anything to do AAA needs to be sighted for many of its violations and actions, someone needs to be held accountable. AAA is clueless and doesn't care about there people or there community or parks.

I think that there needs to be a secerious FBI investigation in on or about the AAA love. in question. I question there so called $2.5 million?

Reply:

The comments above are a reader opinion.

Our opinion is that if any tenant believes that there are unsafe conditions at a property s/he should notify the owners both verbally and in writing. More suggestions are

at TENANT LANDLORD MOLD DISPUTE

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information provided free to the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

Reader comment: reader agrees that mobile home park managers may be unresponsive to complaints

(Feb 15, 2014) Lot Lover said:
The comments made by Peter apply to most trailer parks, I have lived in 2 of them here in Chesapeake,Va. in the last 12 years,they have alot of problems inside them,and they cover a wide area of subjects,the one I currently live in ,

the Geneva Mobile Home park,charges high fees,for example,I live alone,I am hardly home,but yet I pay the minimum water fee,$43.00 a month,they are always leaving letters for the tenants,such as paint the shed,cut the grass,build a fence,paint a fence and such,

and of course they have their very own work crew that goes around and does what the residents fail to do,and of course they get a bill,and they get away with it,that is until someone has had enough and goes into the office with a baseball bat.

Reply:

Thanks for the comment Lot. While we certainly do not recommend trying a baseball bat as a means of persuasion, if you are dissatisfied with the trailer park management and no one responds to a written request you may have no choice but to seek help from your local building department, health department, or similar agency.

Reader comment:

Angela Jones said

It is a great post that it’s giving knowledge about inspection, people commonly ignore. It is the most important part of maintenance the second part is to find the leaks and cure them at once with a roof leak repair kit.

Her advertisement was deleted.

Question: leaky mobile home window

Anonymous said:
I have a leak on inside of window. Sealed roof edge with no success. Have slanted metal roof 1987 mobile home.

Reply:

Anon

Indeed leaks at mobile home windows are common; You can use our email found at our CONTACT US links at page to or bottom to send me some photos for further comment.

Meanwhile if you are certain the leaks are not at the roof edge itself then inspect carefully for

- leaks around the window frame
- leaks into the siding above the window

Also sere MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

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Continue reading at MOBILE HOME EXTERIOR DEFECTS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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Recommended Articles

• MOBILE HOME EXTERIOR DEFECTS
• MOBILE HOMES, DOUBLEWIDES, TRAILERS - home
• MOBILE HOME DEMOLITION / REMOVAL / RELOCATION
• MOBILE / MANUFACTURED HOME LEAKS & MOISTURE

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MOBILE HOME ROOF LEAKS, DEFECTS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to MANUFACTURED & MOBILE HOMES

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