#Zone 3 mobile home wind rating upgrade
#Zone 3 mobile home wind rating code

It’s called a “D-sticker” home, and means that it has been designed to meet the wind resistance requirement of ASCE 7-88, Exposure D-which is a standard referenced in the HUD Code. There is also a special category for manufactured homes to be sited within 1500 feet of the coastline in a hurricane zone. The upper 2/3 of our state is in Wind Zone 2, designed to tolerate 100 mph winds, and the bottom portion is Wind Zone 3, rated for 110 mph winds. Wind Zone 1 is for areas not considered prone to hurricanes, and no part of Florida is in Zone 1.

HUD requires that manufactured homes be built to one of three wind zone standards. See our blog post What year were mobile homes required to become more storm resistant? to learn more. So pre-1976, 1976 to 1994, 1994 to 1999, and after 1999, are each timespans that produced progressively sturdier mobile homes. HUD followed up by raising the tie-down standards to a nationwide in 2009. Then, in 1999, the State of Florida raised the bar on tie-down requirements. Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida in 1992 and it was hailed as a “wake-up call” for HUD to improve structural wind resistance of mobile homes, which they did in July, 1994. Although there was voluntary compliance to manufacturer association guidelines and some states had minimal codes for mobile home construction and tie-down, the strength of the pre-1976 structures varied over a wide range and none met later HUD standards. Homes built before July, 1976, which was when HUD took over making and enforcing new “HUD Code” standards, are the most vulnerable to wind damage. There are four eras of mobile construction standards, each one progressively more hurricane-resistant than the previous era.

If you’re worried about high winds, you can communicate with us about having your home constructed and installed for Wind Zone II standards or higher as a means of caution.Four variables affect how a mobile home will fare in a hurricane: 1) when it was built, 2) the wind zone it was designed for, 3) how well it has been maintained, and 4) what additions have been made to the home and how they are attached.

If you are looking to buy a new manufactured home, the best way to determine which wind zone your home will be in (once you choose which lot you’d like your home on), is to ask us! If you would like to check which zone your manufactured home was built to stand, there is a “Data Plate” within the inside of your home with information on it.

#Zone 3 mobile home wind rating code

Keep in mind that the HUD Code Wind Zones are not based on where your home is built, but rather where your manufactured home will be placed. Homes that are in the Wind Zone III must be built to withstand 110 miles per hours winds, and hurricanes are very frequent in this zone. Wind Zone II is designed for areas that are prone to hurricanes and can experience up to 100 miles per hour of wind speeds. Most of the United States are where hurricanes are not expected and are usually designed for Wind Zone I. There are 3 wind zones currently Zone I, Zone II, and Zone III. Image from MHI (Manufactured Housing Institute)

#Zone 3 mobile home wind rating upgrade

Unfortunately, it is hard to upgrade your home to a higher zone once it is built, so be sure to know which Wind Zone you live in! However, a home designed for a lower Wind Zone cannot be constructed in a higher Wind Zone area. Homes that are designed and constructed for the higher Wind Zone can also be constructed in a lower Wind Zone. The chosen Wind Zone is dependent on where the home will be installed. The HUD code specifies that homes shall be designed and constructed to conform to one of the three wind zones. Every manufactured home is built to the standards of HUD Code wind zone classifications.