Site Completion of Construction of Manufactured Homes

24 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart M
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

24 C.F.R. § 3282.601 Purpose and applicability.

(a) Purpose of section. Under HUD oversight, this section establishes the procedure for limited on-site completion of some aspects of construction that cannot be completed at the factory. (b) Applicability. This section may be applied when all requirements of this subpart are met. To be applicable a manufactured home must: (1) Be substantially completed in the factory; (2) Meet the requirements of the Construction and Safety Standards upon completion of the site work; and (3) Be inspected by the manufacturer's IPIA as provided in this subpart, unless specifically exempted as installation under HUD's Model Installation Standards, 24 CFR part 3285. This subpart does not apply to Alternative Construction (see § 3282.14) that does not comply with the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. (c) Exception. An add-on or attached accessory building or structure which does not affect the performance and ability of the manufactured home to comply with the standards in accordance with § 3282.8(j) is not governed by this section.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.602 Construction qualifying for on-site completion.

(a) The manufacturer, the manufacturer's DAPIA acting on behalf of HUD, and the manufacturer's IPIA acting on behalf of HUD may agree to permit certain aspects of construction of a manufactured home to be completed to the Construction and Safety Standards on-site in accordance with the requirements of this subpart. The aspects of construction that may be approved to be completed on-site are the partial completion of structural assemblies or systems (e.g., electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling, fuel burning, and fire safety systems) and components built as an integral part of the home, when the partial completion on-site is warranted because completion of the partial structural assembly or system during the manufacturing process in the factory would not be practicable (e.g., because of the home design or which could result in transportation damage or if precluded because of road restrictions). Examples of construction that may be completed on-site include: (1) Hinged roof and eave construction, unless exempted as installation by § 3285.801(f) of the Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards and completed and inspected in accordance with the Manufactured Home Installation Program; (2) Any work required by the home design that cannot be completed in the factory, or when the manufacturer authorizes the retailer to provide an add-on to the home during installation, when that work would take the home out of conformance with the construction and safety standards and then bring it back into conformance; (3) Appliances provided by the manufacturer, installer, retailer, or purchaser, including fireplaces to be installed on site; (4) Components or parts that are shipped loose with the manufactured home and that will be installed on-site, unless exempted as installation by the installation standards; (5) Exterior applications such as brick siding, stucco, or tile roof systems; and (6) Other construction such as roof extensions (dormers), site-installed windows in roofs, removable or open floor sections for basement stairs, and sidewall bay windows. (b) The manufacturer or a licensed contractor or similarly qualified professional with prior authorization from the manufacturer may perform the on-site work in accordance with the DAPIA approvals and site completion instructions. However, the manufacturer is responsible for the adequacy of all on-site completion work regardless of who does the work, and must prepare and provide all site inspection reports, as well as the certification of completion, and must fulfill all of its responsibilities and maintain all records at the factory of origin as required by § 3282.609.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.603 Request for approval; DAPIA review, notification, and approval.

(a) Manufacturer's request for approval. The manufacturer must request, in writing, and obtain approval of its DAPIA for any aspect of construction that is to be completed on-site under this subpart. The manufacturer, its IPIA, and its DAPIA must work together to reach agreements necessary to enable the request to be reviewed and approved. (b) DAPIA notification. The DAPIA, acting on behalf of HUD, must notify the manufacturer of the results of the DAPIA's review of the manufacturer's request, and must retain a copy of the notification in the DAPIA's records. The DAPIA shall also forward a copy of the approval to HUD or the Secretary's agent as provided under § 3282.361(a)(4). The notification must either: (1) Approve the request if it is consistent with this section and the objectives of the Act; or (2) Deny the proposed on-site completion and set out the reasons for the denial. (c) Manner of DAPIA approval. Notification of DAPIA approval must include, by incorporation or by listing, the information required by paragraph (d) of this section, and must be indicated by the DAPIA placing its stamp of approval or authorized signature on each page of the manufacturer's designs submitted with its request for approval. The DAPIA must include an “SC” designation on each page that includes an element of construction that is to be completed on-site and must include those pages as part of the approved design package. (d) Contents of DAPIA approval. Any approval by the DAPIA under this section must: (1) Include a unique site completion numeric identification for each approval for each manufacturer (i.e., manufacturer name or abbreviation, SC-XX); (2) Identify the work to be completed on-site; (3) List all models to which the approval applies, or indicate that the approval is not model-specific; (4) Include acceptance by the DAPIA of a quality assurance manual for on-site completion meeting the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section; (5) Include the IPIA's written agreement to accept responsibility for completion of the necessary on-site inspections and accompanying records; (6) Identify instructions authorized for completing the work on-site that meet the requirements of paragraph (f) of this section; (7) Include the manufacturer's system for tracking the status of homes built under the approval until the on-site work and necessary inspections have been completed, to assure that the work is being performed properly; (8) Include a quality control checklist to be used by the manufacturer and IPIA and approved by the DAPIA to verify that all required components, materials, labels, and instructions needed for site completion are provided in each home prior to shipment; (9) Include an inspection checklist developed by the IPIA and manufacturer and approved by the DAPIA, that is to be used by the final site inspectors; (10) Include a Consumer Information Notice developed by the manufacturer and approved by the DAPIA that explains the on-site completion process and identifies the work to be completed on-site; and (11) Include any other requirements and limitations that the DAPIA deems necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of the Act. (e) Quality assurance manual for on-site completion requirements. The portion of the quality assurance manual for on-site completion required by paragraph (d)(3) of this section must receive the written concurrence of the manufacturer's IPIA with regard to its acceptability and applicability to the on-site completion of the affected manufactured homes. It must include a commitment by the manufacturer to prepare a final site inspection report that will be submitted to the IPIA for its review. When appropriate, this portion of the quality assurance manual for on-site completion will be deemed a change in the manufacturer's quality assurance manual for the applicable models, in accordance with §§ 3282.203 and 3282.361. (f) Instructions for completion on-site. The DAPIA must include instructions authorized for completing the work on-site as a separate part of the manufacturer's approved design package. The manufacturer must provide a copy of these instructions and the inspection checklist required by paragraph (d)(9) of this section to the IPIA for monitoring and inspection purposes.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.604 DAPIA responsibilities.

The DAPIA, acting on behalf of HUD, for any manufacturer proceeding under this section is responsible for: (a) Verifying that all information required by § 3282.603 has been submitted by the manufacturer; (b) Reviewing and approving the manufacturer's designs, quality control checklist, site inspection checklist, site completion instructions, and quality assurance manuals for site work to be performed; (c) Maintaining all records and approvals for at least 5 years; (d) Revoking or amending its approvals in accordance with § 3282.609; and (e) Reviewing its approvals under this section at least every 3 years or more frequently if there are changes made to the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, 24 CFR part 3280, to verify continued compliance with the Standards.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.605 Requirements applicable to completion of construction.

(a) Serial numbers of homes completed on-site. The serial number of each home completed in conformance with this section must include the prefix or suffix “SC”. (b) Labeling. A manufacturer that has received a DAPIA approval under § 3282.604 may certify and label a manufactured home that is substantially completed in the manufacturer's plant at the proper completion of the in-plant production phase, even though some aspects of construction will be completed on-site in accordance with the DAPIA's approval. Any such homes or sections of such homes must have a label affixed in accordance with § 3282.362(c)(2) and be shipped with a Consumer Information Notice that meets the requirements of § 3282.606. (c) Site inspection. Prior to occupancy, the manufacturer must ensure that each home is inspected on-site. The manufacturer is responsible for inspecting all aspects of construction that are completed on-site as provided in its approved designs and quality assurance manual for on-site completion. (d) Site inspection report. (1) In preparing the site inspection report, the manufacturer must use the inspection checklist approved by the DAPIA in accordance with § 3282.603(d)(9), and must prepare a final site inspection report and provide a copy to the IPIA within 5 business days of completing the report. Within 5 business days after the date that the IPIA notifies the manufacturer of the IPIA's approval of the final site inspection report, the manufacturer must provide a copy of the approved report to the lessor or purchaser prior to occupancy and, as applicable, the appropriate retailer and any person or entity other than the manufacturer that performed the on-site construction work. (2) Each approved final site inspection report must include: (i) The name and address of the manufacturer; (ii) The serial number of the manufactured home; (iii) The address of the home site; (iv) The name of the person and/or agency responsible for the manufacturer's final site inspection; (v) The name of each person and/or agency who performs on-site inspections on behalf of the IPIA, the name of the person responsible for acceptance of the manufacturer's final on-site inspection report on behalf of the IPIA, and the IPIA's name, mailing address, and telephone number; (vi) A description of the work performed on-site and the inspections made; (vii) When applicable, verification that any problems noted during inspections have been corrected prior to certification of compliance; and (viii) Certification by the manufacturer of completion in accordance with the DAPIA-approved instructions and that the home conforms with the approved design or, as appropriate under § 3282.362(a)(1)(iii), the construction and safety standards. (3) The IPIA must review each manufacturer's final on-site inspection report and determine whether to accept that inspection report. (i) Concurrent with the manufacturer's final site inspection, the IPIA or the IPIA's agent must inspect all of the on-site work for homes completed using an approval under this section. The IPIA must use the inspection checklist approved by the DAPIA in accordance with § 3282.603(d)(9). (ii) If the IPIA determines that the manufacturer is not performing adequately in conformance with the approval, the IPIA must redtag and reinspect until it is satisfied that the manufacturer is conforming to the conditions included in the approval. The home may not be occupied until the manufacturer and the IPIA have provided reports, required by this section, confirming compliance with the Construction and Safety Standards. (iii) The IPIA must notify the manufacturer of the IPIA's acceptance of the manufacturer's final site inspection report. The IPIA may indicate acceptance by issuing its own final site inspection report or by indicating, in writing, its acceptance of the manufacturer's site inspection report showing that the work completed on-site is in compliance with the DAPIA approval and the Construction and Safety Standards. (4) Within 5 business days of the date of IPIA's notification to the manufacturer of the acceptance of its final site inspection report, the manufacturer must provide to the purchaser or lessor, as applicable, the manufacturer's final site inspection report. For purposes of establishing the manufacturer's and retailer's responsibilities under the Act and subparts F and I of this part, the sale or lease of the manufactured home will not be considered complete until the purchaser or lessor, as applicable, has been provided with the report. (e) Report to HUD. (1) The manufacturer must report to HUD through its IPIA, on the manufacturer's monthly production report required in accordance with § 3282.552, the serial number and site completion numeric identification (see § 3282.603(d)(1)) of each home produced under an approval issued pursuant to this section. (2) The report must be consistent with the DAPIA approval issued pursuant to this section. (3) The manufacturer must submit a copy of the report, or a separate listing of all information provided on each report for homes that are completed under an approval issued pursuant to this section, to the SAAs of the States where the home is substantially completed in the factory and where the home is sited, as applicable.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.606 Consumer information.

(a) Notice. Any home completed under the procedures established in this section must be shipped with a temporary notice that explains that the home will comply with the requirements of the construction and safety standards only after all of the site work has been completed and inspected. The notice must be legible and typed, using letters at least 1/4 inch high in the text of the notice and 3/4 inch high for the title. The notice must read as follows: (b) Placement of notice in home. The notice required by paragraph (a) of this section must be displayed in a conspicuous and prominent location within the manufactured home and in a manner likely to assure that it is not removed until, or under the authorization of, the purchaser or lessor. The notice is to be removed only by the first purchaser or lessor. No retailer, installation or construction contractor, or other person may interfere with the required display of the notice. (c) Providing notice before sale. The manufacturer or retailer must also provide a copy of the Consumer Information Notice to prospective purchasers of any home to which the approval applies before the purchasers enter into an agreement to purchase the home. (d) When sale or lease of home is complete. For purposes of establishing the manufacturer's and retailer's responsibilities for on-site completion under the Act and subparts F and I of this part, the sale or lease of the manufactured home will not be considered complete until the purchaser or lessor, as applicable, has been provided with a copy of the final site inspection report required under § 3282.605(d) and a copy of the manufacturer's certification of completion required under § 3282.609(k) and (l). For 5 years from the date of the sale or lease of each home, the manufacturer must maintain in its records an indication that the final on-site inspection report and certification of completion has been provided to the lessor or purchaser and, as applicable, the appropriate retailer. IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION NOTICE WARNING: DO NOT LIVE IN THIS HOME UNTIL THE ON-SITE WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS PROVIDED A COPY OF THE INSPECTION REPORT THAT CERTIFIES THAT THE HOME HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND IS CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPROVED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEETING THE CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS. This home has been substantially completed at the factory and certified as having been constructed in conformance with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards when specified work is performed and inspected at the home site. This on-site work must be performed in accordance with manufacturer's instructions that have been approved for this purpose. The work to be performed on-site is [insert description of all work to be performed in accordance with the construction and safety standards]. This notice may be removed by the purchaser or lessor when the manufacturer provides the first purchaser or lessor with a copy of the manufacturer's final site inspection report, as required by regulation. This final report must include the manufacturer's certification of completion. All manufactured homes may also be subject to separate regulations requiring approval of items not covered by the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, such as installation and utility connections.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.607 IPIA responsibilities.

The IPIA, acting on behalf of HUD, for any manufacturer proceeding under this section is responsible for: (a) Working with the manufacturer and the manufacturer's DAPIA to incorporate into the DAPIA-approved quality assurance manual for on-site completion any changes that are necessary to ensure that homes completed on-site conform to the requirements of this section; (b) Providing the manufacturer with a supply of the labels described in this section, in accordance with the requirements of § 3282.362(c)(2)(i)(A); (c) Overseeing the effectiveness of the manufacturer's quality control system for assuring that on-site work is completed to the DAPIA-approved designs, which must include: (1) Verifying that the manufacturer's quality control manual at the installation site is functioning and being followed; (2) Monitoring the manufacturer's system for tracking the status of each home built under the approval until the on-site work and necessary inspections have been completed; (3) Reviewing all of the manufacturer's final on-site inspection reports; and (4) Inspecting all of the on-site construction work for each home utilizing an IPIA inspector or an independent qualified third-party inspector acceptable to the IPIA and acting as the designee or representative: (i) Prior to close-up, unless access panels are provided to allow the work to be inspected after all work is completed on-site; and (ii) After all work is completed on-site, except for close-up; (d) Designating an IPIA inspector or an independent qualified third-party inspector acceptable to the IPIA, as set forth under § 3282.358(d), who is not associated with the manufacturer and is not involved with the site construction or completion of the home and is free of any conflict of interest in accordance with § 3282.359, to inspect the work done on-site for the purpose of determining compliance with: (1) The approved design or, as appropriate under § 3282.362(a)(1)(iii), the Construction and Safety Standards; and (2) The DAPIA-approved quality assurance manual for on-site completion applicable to the labeling and completion of the affected manufactured homes; (e) Notifying the manufacturer of the IPIA's acceptance of the manufacturer's final site inspection report (see § 3282.605(d)(3)(iii)); (f) Preparing final site inspection reports and providing notification to the manufacturer of its acceptance of the manufacturer's final site inspection report within 5 business days of preparing its report. The IPIA is to maintain its final site inspection reports and those of the manufacturer for a period of at least 5 years. All reports must be available for HUD and SAA review in the IPIA's central record office as part of the labeling records; and (g) Reporting to HUD, the DAPIA, and the manufacturer if one or more homes has not been site inspected prior to occupancy or when arrangements for one or more manufactured homes to be site inspected have not been made.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.608 Manufacturer responsibilities.

A manufacturer proceeding under this section is responsible for: (a) Obtaining DAPIA approval for completion of construction on-site, in accordance with § 3282.603; (b) Obtaining the IPIA's agreement to perform on-site inspections as necessary under this section and the terms of the DAPIA's approval; (c) Notifying the IPIA that the home is ready for inspection; (d) Paying the IPIA's costs for performing on-site inspections of work completed under this section; (e) Either before or at the time on-site work commences, providing the IPIA with a copy of any applicable DAPIA-approved quality assurance manual for on-site completion, the approved instructions for completing the construction work on-site, and an approved inspection checklist, and maintaining this information on the job site until all on-site work is completed and accepted by the IPIA; (f) Satisfactorily completing all on-site construction and required repairs or authorizing a licensed contractor or similarly qualified person to complete all site construction and any needed repairs; (g) Providing a written certification to the lessor or purchaser, when all site construction work is completed, that each home, to the best of the manufacturer's knowledge and belief, is constructed in conformance with the Construction and Safety Standards; (h) Ensuring that the consumer notification requirements of § 3282.606 are met for any home completed under this subpart; (i) Maintaining a system for tracking the status of homes built under the approval until the on-site work and necessary inspections have been completed, such that the system will assure that the work is performed in accordance with the quality control manual and other conditions of the approval; (j) Ensuring performance of all work as necessary to assure compliance with the Construction and Safety Standards upon completion of the site work, including § 3280.303(b) of this chapter, regardless of who does the work or where the work is completed; (k) Preparing a site inspection report upon completion of the work on-site, certifying completion in accordance with DAPIA-approved instruction and that the home conforms with the approved design or, as appropriate under § 3282.362(a)(1)(iii), the construction and safety standards; (l) Arranging for an on-site inspection of each home upon completion of the on-site work by the IPIA or its authorized designee prior to occupancy to verify compliance of the work with the DAPIA-approved designs and the Construction and Safety Standards; (m) Providing its final on-site inspection report and certification of completion to the IPIA and, after approval, to the lessor or purchaser and, as applicable, the appropriate retailer, and to the SAA upon request; (n) Maintaining in its records the approval notification from the DAPIA, the manufacturer's final on-site inspection report and certification of completion, and the IPIA's acceptance of the final site inspection report and certification, and making all such records available for review by HUD in the factory of origin; (o) Reporting to HUD or its agent the serial numbers assigned to each home completed in conformance with this section and as required by § 3282.552; and (p) Providing cumulative quarterly production reports to HUD or its agent that include the site completion numeric identification number(s) for each home (see § 3282.603(d)(1)); the serial number(s) for each home; the HUD label number(s) assigned to each home; the retailer's name and address for each home; the name, address, and phone number for each home purchaser; the dates of the final site completion inspection for each home; and whether each home was inspected prior to occupancy. (q) Maintaining copies of all records for on-site completion for each home, as required by this section, in the unit file to be maintained by the manufacturer.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.609 Revocation or amendment of DAPIA approval.

(a) The DAPIA that issued an approval or the Secretary may revoke or amend, prospectively, an approval notification issued under § 3282.603. The approval may be revoked or amended whenever the DAPIA or HUD determines that: (1) The manufacturer is not complying with the terms of the approval or the requirements of this section; (2) The approval was not issued in conformance with the requirements of § 3282.603; (3) A home produced under the approval fails to comply with the Federal construction and safety standards or contains an imminent safety hazard; or (4) The manufacturer fails to make arrangements for one or more manufactured homes to be inspected by the IPIA prior to occupancy. (b) The DAPIA must immediately notify the manufacturer, the IPIA, and HUD of any revocation or amendment of DAPIA approval.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.610 Failure to comply with the procedures of this subpart.

In addition to other sanctions available under the Act and this part, HUD may prohibit any manufacturer or PIA found to be in violation of the requirements of this section from carrying out their functions of this Subpart in the future, after providing an opportunity for an informal presentation of views in accordance with § 3282.152(f). Repeated infractions of the requirements of this section may be grounds for the suspension or disqualification of a PIA under §§ 3282.355 and 3282.356.

24 C.F.R. § 3282.611 Compliance with this subpart.

If the manufacturer and IPIA, as applicable, complies with the requirements of this section and the home complies with the construction and safety standards for those aspects of construction covered by the DAPIA approval, then HUD will consider a manufacturer or retailer that has permitted a manufactured home approved for on-site completion under this section to be sold, leased, offered for sale or lease, introduced, delivered, or imported to be in compliance with the certification requirements of the Act and the applicable implementing regulations in this part 3282 for those aspects of construction covered by the approval.

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