How much does mobile home skirting installation cost?
Mobile home skirting provides a clean and decorative finish to a mobile home while keeping animals and debris from under the house. Adding skirting to a mobile home also increases its value and boosts curb appeal. Specialists or handymen can take care of the installation of new skirting as well as help with upgrading existing mobile home skirting and removing old or damaged skirting. Similar to siding for a traditional home, mobile home skirting material options include vinyl, steel or tin, foam, cinder block or concrete, and faux stone or brick.
Mobile home skirting helps protect your investment. It keeps critters and pests from setting up camp under your home, which can cause damage and potentially spread disease. Skirting can also protect the structural elements of a mobile home as well as the vents, ducts and wiring located underneath the home from not only pests but also extreme weather. Mobile home skirting also acts as another layer of insulation between the home and the elements, keeping residents cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The icing on the cake? Skirting creates a finished look for the home, hiding the foundation, boosting curb appeal and increasing potential resale value. The average cost of mobile home skirting installation ranges from $400 to $4000 or more depending on the skirting material used, ground conditions and the size of the mobile home.
Materials
Professionals can help determine which skirting material is best for a particular regional environment as well as the homeowner’s lifestyle needs. In windy climates, mobile home skirting must be able to withstand strong gusts. If a home will be moved in the near future, metal panels might be a smart option because they are easier to take down than a more permanent option such as brick or stone. Vinyl is the least expensive option for skirting, followed by steel or tin, foam, cinder block or concrete, and the more expensive simulated stone or brick.
Cost of mobile home skirting
The cost of mobile home skirting depends on the material being used, the amount of prep work required to ready the site for skirting installation and the amount of skirting a mobile home requires. Professionals determine the amount of skirting needed by measuring the linear feet around the perimeter of the mobile home and multiplying that by the average height of the mobile home from the ground. Some specialists charge by the hour, and others charge a standard rate based on experience with the work. Full-service handyman Bill Britton of Bryan, Texas, shared the following project cost examples:
- Skirting installation for an average single wide mobile home: $3,000
- This price includes labor and materials.
- Costs can increase if a mobile home is on a hill because the skirting would then need to be custom cut to fit the slope and some materials will likely be wasted.
- This price is for vinyl skirting.
- Mobile home exterior makeover, including upgraded skirting installation: $14,000
- 750 square feet of faux stone skirting: $7,000 for skirting materials only
- This job included framing out a support wall of treated lumber and treated plywood as well as a concrete block base for the skirting. It also required some trench work around the home.
- Labor and additional materials: $7,000
- This cost was for removing and hauling away the old skirting and siding, replacing rotted trim around the mobile home, repairing and replacing bad siding, and a full paint job of the mobile home and its trim.
- 750 square feet of faux stone skirting: $7,000 for skirting materials only
According to Britton, for installation jobs with standard skirting, one-third of the project cost usually covers materials and two-thirds goes toward labor.
FHA and HUD loan requirements
People who have an FHA loan or who receive HUD assistance may need to meet certain criteria when it comes to securing mobile home skirting. HUD’s Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing states that for existing constructions, "if the perimeter enclosure is non-load-bearing skirting composed of lightweight material, the entire surface area of the skirting must be permanently attached to a backing made of concrete, masonry, treated wood or a product with similar strength and durability." Always be sure that your new skirting investment meets any loan requirements before moving forward with work.
