Manufactured Home Repairs in Central Florida: What Differs

Soft floors, skirting, doors that do not fit and roofs that leak at the seams. Manufactured homes have their own repair rules, and a lot of contractors will not touch them.

A large share of the housing in Polk County and the surrounding counties is manufactured. Retirement communities around Lake Wales, Zephyrhills and Winter Haven, family homes on acreage north of Lakeland and around Polk City, and older mobile homes in every corner of the county. They need the same repairs as any house, plus a few of their own, and many contractors will not take the call. We do. Here is what is different about repairing a manufactured home and what we see most often.

The floor

Soft spots in the floor are the number one call. Manufactured home subfloors are typically particleboard or a similar sheet product over joists, and once water reaches it, from a plumbing leak, a window, a door threshold or a tub overflow, it swells and crumbles. The soft spot at the toilet, in front of the tub or at the entry door is the classic location. The repair is cutting out the damaged section back to the joists, adding blocking, installing new plywood and putting the flooring back. Our post on subfloor rot repair covers the process, which is the same, only the framing is lighter and the access from below is different.

Doors and windows

Manufactured home doors and windows are often different sizes from those at a home center, which is why so many end up with a poorly fitting replacement or a door that has been shimmed with whatever was on hand. Exterior doors in particular are a common size that has to be ordered, and older homes sometimes have an outswing door with a specific frame. Windows are frequently single-pane aluminum that leak at the corners. We measure carefully, order the correct unit and flash it properly. The window and door seal check applies here more than anywhere.

Skirting, vapor barrier and what is underneath

The space under a manufactured home is where a lot of problems start. Damaged skirting lets animals in and lets the ground moisture up. A torn or missing belly wrap and vapor barrier means humid air reaches the floor from below year round, which in Florida is a recipe for the soft floors above. Skirting repair, vent screens and a new vapor barrier are unglamorous and worthwhile. Pier and tie-down issues are a separate specialty and, where we see a concern, we say so.

Roofs, walls and the seams

Older metal roofs leak at the seams and the penetrations, and the fix is usually a proper roof coating over a cleaned and sealed surface, which is a job for a roofer. Where we come in is the interior: the ceiling panels that sagged from a leak, the wall panels that swelled, and the trim strips that cover the panel joints. Replacing a damaged wall or ceiling panel and matching the finish is a job most general handymen have not done, and we have.

Bathrooms and kitchens

Manufactured home bathrooms use some fixtures that are specific to the industry, especially one-piece tub and shower units sized to fit through the door and plumbing that is routed differently than in a site-built house. They can be updated, and a fresh vanity, a new toilet, new flooring and a properly caulked tub surround change the room completely. Kitchens are the same story. A bathroom refresh approach works well here because it leaves the plumbing where it is.

Additions, porches and carports

Many manufactured homes have a site-built Florida room, a screened porch or a carport attached, and those are where site-built rules meet manufactured construction. Rotted porch posts, a sagging carport roof, a screened room with failing panels and a door between the two structures that never closed right are all regular work for us. Our post on porch posts and columns covers the most common repair.

Permits and what is allowed

Repairs and replacements in kind generally do not need a permit. Structural changes, electrical and plumbing alterations and additions do, and the county treats manufactured homes under their own set of rules. We will tell you when a permit applies rather than finding out later.

Cost in the Lakeland area

Most manufactured home repairs are priced like any other handyman or repair job, by the scope. Subfloor repair is priced by the area. Special-order doors and windows carry their own cost and lead time. A free estimate is where it starts, and we are honest about which repairs are worth doing on an older home.

Inventive Home Improvement repairs manufactured homes in Zephyrhills, Polk City, Lake Wales and throughout Polk County with home repairs and handyman services. Call (863) 633-5499.

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