Pounding Nails

Most people are surprised to learn that when putting a porch or steps to their manufactured home, that they must keep them free standing. Well, I shouldn't say they "must" keep them free standing, but they should and here is why.

Once something like a nail is driven into the manufactured home to attach the stairs or porch to the home, it could have affected the structural integrity of the home. You see, the home is structurally engineered to handle so much weight against the frame. Adding something like a porch, changes how much weight and pressure gets put against the frame. Once this happens, we need to have someone verify that the additonal weight did not affect the structural integrity of the home.

Many people are surprised to learn who handles this in the State of Washington. It's Labor and Industries. Once a permit is issued, L&I will come out to inspect and (hopefully) approve the addition to the home. The same inspection would be required with things like an add-on addition, a wood stove, new windows, anything that changes the original frame of the home.

That's why most people make their stairs free standing. Less permits, inspections and less hassles. I have also learned that each state designates who does the inspections. It's always a mystery the first time we have to find out who does it in a new state.