Common questions.

The governing reference is HUD 4000.1 II.D.4 (Single-Family Housing Policy Handbook, Manufactured Homes section). The six structural sub-requirements live at II.D.4.b.i through II.D.4.b.vi, with foundation requirements specifically referencing the Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing (PFGMH), § 3.

Every one of our reports cites these references inline at the matching finding.

(1) Permanent foundation meeting PFGMH § 3. (2) Permanent utilities — electrical, water, sewer, HVAC. (3) HUD data plate present and legible. (4) HUD certification label (red metal) on exterior. (5) Permanent site work — skirting, drainage, driveway. (6) Towing equipment removed — hitch at minimum, axles and wheels typically.

Full detail on the Requirements page.

The FHA-format report is specifically for manufactured homes (HUD-code homes built after June 15, 1976). For modular homes (factory-built but built to state/local building code rather than HUD code), conventional stick-built foundations, and other residential structural inspection, the work is performed under the firm's general practice through scapularengineering.com.

Pre-1976 manufactured homes ("mobile homes") were built before HUD code took effect on June 15, 1976. They generally cannot meet FHA structural requirements because the chassis design pre-dates the load and anchoring standards in PFGMH § 3.

We flag pre-1976 on Day 1 of intake (we check the data plate or title year). The file doesn't burn five days waiting on an inspection that can't certify — we tell the LO immediately so the file can be repositioned to a chattel loan or a different lender product.

Yes — we deliver them in the order HUD 4000.1 II.D.4.b expects (foundation first, then utilities, data plate, cert label, site work, towing). Out-of-order findings are the most common reason FHA structural reports get sent back for revision. Underwriters scan in checklist order; a report that disrupts the order forces a re-read, and the re-read often turns into a clarification request.

Because underwriters read by finding. An underwriter who has a question about Finding 04 (HUD certification label) wants to flip directly to the photos that support Finding 04 — not scroll through 30 chronological field photos hunting for the label shot.

Indexed appendices make every photo earn its inclusion. If a photo doesn't support a specific finding, it doesn't go in. Average appendix length: 6–10 pages.

Default is a digitally-sealed PDF (cryptographic signature with PE credentials, accepted by every FHA underwriter in our 2025 pipeline). Wet-ink originals are produced on request — $45 surcharge for production and courier, delivered within 24 hours of seal date.

About 12% of 2025 files requested wet-ink, typically for lenders whose compliance framework still requires physical seals in the loan file.

14–22 pages total. Cover sheet (1 page), narrative findings (5–8 pages), photo appendix (6–10 pages indexed across six photo sets), certification page (1 page). Length varies primarily with how many photos each finding needs to support its determination.

Average 36 hours from underwriter request to revised PE-sealed PDF in 2025. Most revisions are documentary (we have the answer in field notes or the photo archive); about 14% of revisions need a return field visit, which adds 24–48 hours for scheduling.

No revision-related surcharge for clarifications on findings within the original scope. Revision protocol detail in Report.

5 business days from intake to PE-sealed PDF in the underwriter's file. Day 1 — intake, quote, scheduling. Day 2 — field visit. Day 3–4 — drafting and photo appendix. Day 5 — PE seal applied, sealed PDF delivered.

Rush track delivers in 3 business days for a 40% surcharge — fits files with rate-lock expiration or active closings. Pipeline detail.

Minimum: property address, FHA case number, loan type, target close date, LO contact, borrower contact. With those six fields submitted, we return a written quote and confirmed field-visit date by end of business Day 1.

Helpful but not required: AUS findings status, conditions list, year of home, title commitment, prior structural reports for rescue scenarios.

Yes — 5+ files in a single submission qualifies for batch pricing. CSV upload available on the submit form. One written quote covering the full batch, returned same business day. Files in the same county or on the same I-corridor route scheduled efficiently. 13 firms used batch terms in 2025, combined volume 412 reports.

Our P.E. — personally, every time. No subcontracted inspectors, no junior inspectors signing under a senior PE's supervision, no rotating field staff. Same engineer who signs the report is the engineer who walked the home, photographed the data plate, and verified the foundation.

This is the operating premise of the firm. About page.

Yes. Our P.E. takes underwriter calls on our own sealed reports. Standard response same business day; most calls resolve in under 15 minutes. Direct line: (573) 275-7647.

The phone tree doesn't route through a project coordinator or a scheduler — underwriters reach the engineer who signed the file directly.

Yes. The report format is optimized for FHA underwriting (HUD 4000.1 II.D.4 compliance), but the same six findings satisfy USDA Rural Development (HB-1-3555 Ch. 13), VA (Pamphlet 26-7), and conventional Fannie/Freddie (Selling Guide B5-2-04).

Submit the file under whichever loan product you're closing; the report works without modification.

Most portfolio lenders accept FHA-format structural reports as their permanent foundation verification. Confirm with your investor's MH product matrix before quoting — some non-QM investors have proprietary structural requirements that go beyond HUD 4000.1, and a few want their own engineer on the file. We can do that work too; just flag it at intake.

Yes. Fannie Mae's MH Advantage program accepts a PE structural report compliant with HUD 4000.1 plus the MH Advantage sticker verification. We add an MH Advantage cover page on request — same underlying report, different cover sheet that references the MH Advantage product specifically.

Yes. Cash buyers, end-user homebuyers without an LO, MFG-home dealers, and insurance underwriting routinely commission the same report under different identifying information. Cash files run through midwestmfginspection.com rather than this brand, but the engineer and the work are identical.

Published pricing on standard-track files. Quote returned same business day at intake, all-in (no separate field-visit fee, no separate appendix fee, no surprise hourly charges). Wet-ink delivery: $45 surcharge. Rush track: +40% on standard.

Partner-tier discounts: Preferred (10–24/qtr): −8% off published. Enterprise (25+/qtr): custom quote. Partner program detail.

Yes for partner-tier firms on approval. Standard-tier net-30 available after the first two on-time payments under standard terms. Preferred and Enterprise tiers net-30 by default.

No. Single-file LOs are welcome at published standard pricing — we don't gatekeep volume. Partner tiers reward repeat volume with discounts, but every LO who submits a first file is treated identically to a partner-tier client on that file.

We document the specific deficiencies in writing with photos and HUD 4000.1 handbook references. Common deficiencies are remediable: undersized pier footings can be re-poured, missing skirting can be added, drainage can be regraded.

Once remediation is complete, we revisit and re-certify. About 8% of 2025 foundations needed remediation before certifying; all certified after corrections. Pre-1976 homes typically cannot remediate to compliance.

Two paths. If only the exterior label is missing but the interior data plate is present, we document the absence and flag as a conditional finding pending IBTS label replacement (borrower or LO files for replacement; ships in 4–6 weeks). Two of 996 files in 2025 went this route, both ultimately certified.

If both the exterior label and the interior data plate are missing — the home can't certify FHA. The HUD identifiers are non-negotiable.

Yes — occupancy doesn't prevent the inspection. We need under-home access (a skirting access panel or a small enough opening for a camera) and exterior access to all four elevations, plus brief interior access for the data plate. Typically 60–90 minutes on site.

Yes. Each home section has its own HUD certification label and its own anchoring system, both photographed and verified. Multi-section homes add about 30 minutes to the field visit but don't change the report structure — still six findings, still one sealed report.

Moved homes are an inspection risk. We can certify a moved home only if the new installation meets PFGMH § 3 in full at the current site, with permitted utilities, and (in most jurisdictions) a current installation permit on file with the local building department.

The original installation isn't relevant; the current installation is. About 6% of 2025 files were on previously-moved homes; all certified after current-site verification.

The report cites the home's wind zone rating (Zone I, II, or III per HUD) from the data plate and verifies that anchoring is adequate for that zone. We do not perform separate seismic or hurricane inspections — those are specialized engineering products outside FHA's structural requirements.

Not included: appraisal of value, termite inspection, electrical/plumbing/HVAC system condition assessment, environmental hazards (radon, asbestos, mold), septic operation, well water quality. The FHA structural report is a structural compliance determination — it doesn't replace other inspections that may be required for the loan.

If the file needs additional inspections, we can refer to specialists; ask us directly.