Chapter 18.100
MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOME INSTALLATION
Sections:
18.100.030 Installation permits.
18.100.040 Installation permits – Fees.
18.100.060 General installation requirements.
18.100.070 Temporary installation permits.
18.100.080 Building site preparation.
18.100.090 Foundation footing system.
18.100.010 Title.
This chapter shall be known as the Columbia County “manufactured/mobile home installation ordinance.” [Ord. 98-01 § 1.010.]
18.100.020 Definitions.
For the purpose of this chapter, the words set out in this section shall have the following meanings:
“Building official” or his designee is the officer charged with the administration and enforcement of this chapter.
“Installer” means an individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, or agency responsible for the installation of a manufactured/mobile home. This includes the owner of the property.
“Lot of record” means a parcel of land used or which is capable of being used under the regulations of this chapter and the comprehensive zoning ordinance for Columbia County.
“Manufactured/mobile home” means a dwelling on one or more chassis for towing to the point of use, which bears an insignia issued by a state or federal regulatory agency indicating that it complies with the construction standards of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards of 1976. If manufactured prior to 1976, it shall bear an insignia indicating compliance with Washington State Labor and Industries fire and life safety requirements. This definition does not include modular homes, commercial coaches or recreational vehicles. Manufactured/mobile homes are further classified as follows:
1. Single-wide: having a minimum width of eight feet its entire body length, is 40 feet or more in length and is a minimum of 320 square feet in area, and is in one section.
2. Double-wide: having two sections.
3. Triple-wide: having three sections.
“Manufactured/mobile home park” means any tract of land that is divided into rental spaces under common ownership or management for the purpose of locating two or more manufactured/mobile homes for dwelling purposes.
“Manufactured/mobile home space” means an area or lot in a manufactured/mobile home park on which an individual manufactured/mobile home is sited.
“Modular/factory-built structure” means a structure that is designed for occupation or use, or is occupied or used by persons, and complies with Chapter 19.27 RCW, the State Building Code, which shall bear an insignia issued by a state or federal regulatory agency indicating that it complies with the State Building Code. “Modular/factory-built structure” includes modular/factory-built structure closed construction rendering it not inspectable at the site, that is entirely or substantially prefabricated or assembled at a factory or place other than the building site on which the structure will be installed. See Chapter 296-150F WAC.
“Recreation vehicle” means a vehicular-type unit primarily designed for recreation or temporary camping, travel or seasonal use, which has its own motor power, is mounted on or towed by another vehicle and has a living area of less than 320 square feet. This includes travel trailers, park trailers, folding camper trailers, truck campers and motor homes, designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
“Skirting” means approved material not adversely affected by the elements, which is securely anchored by an approved method to a manufactured/mobile home. It must cover the entire space except required for crawl hole access between the bottommost point of the permanent exterior wall of the manufactured/mobile home and the surrounding grade level, and must be nonflammable material. [Ord. 2017-04; Ord. 98-01 § 1.020.]
18.100.030 Installation permits.
A. The owner or installer of a manufactured/mobile home must obtain an installation permit from the county planning and building department, 114 South 2nd Street, before a manufactured/mobile home can be sited within the unincorporated areas of the county. A dealer and/or individual may not deliver a manufactured/mobile home to the location site until he has verified that the owner or installer has obtained an installation permit from the building department. The building department shall issue the installation permit after it has been determined that all applicable building, zoning and any other regulations adopted by the county of Columbia have been satisfied.
B. The installation permit shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance, and shall be issued for the location of a specific manufactured/mobile home on a specific lot of record or manufactured/mobile home space. Location of a different manufactured/mobile home in the same location or of the same manufactured/mobile home in a different location shall cause the permit to became null and void and shall require a new installation permit and fee to be paid by the applicant.
C. Failure to meet the conditions of the installation permit within the one-year period shall require reapplication; provided, that an extension of the original installation permit for a period of 180 days may be granted by the building official, or his designee, for good cause shown upon a request by the applicant prior to expiration of the original period.
D. The application must be submitted by the property owner or installer, and must provide the following information to be considered complete:
1. The name, address and telephone number of the manufactured/mobile home owner;
2. The manufacturer, year of manufacture, and dimensions of the manufactured/mobile home to be installed;
3. The name, address and telephone number of the installer and the installer’s manufactured/mobile home dealer’s license number or their Washington State Contractor’s registration number, and a copy of the Washington State Mobile Home Installer’s Certificate for the installer and any subcontractors hired to assist in the installation of the manufactured/mobile home;
4. The address and location of the proposed building site;
5. A plot plan showing the location and dimensions of the manufactured/mobile home and its proposed placement on the proposed site or lot with setbacks from the property lines, together with the location of existing buildings, structures, or improvements on the property;
6. The assessor’s parcel number if the manufactured/mobile home is to be placed other than within a manufactured/mobile home park;
7. The septic tank permits and water availability permit issued by the Columbia County health department;
8. Signatures of the property owners. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.030.]
18.100.040 Installation permits – Fees.
The installation fee for each manufactured/mobile home shall be the current fee as adopted by the county commissioners for placement within Columbia County. A double permit fee shall be charged if a manufactured/mobile home is moved onto the site and/or the setup has commenced prior to obtaining a placement permit. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.40.]
18.100.050 Inspection.
A. The installer shall request an inspection after all aspects of the installation other than the installation of skirting has been completed. The building inspection division will inspect the installation within 48 hours after receiving the request. If the inspection is not completed within the 48-hour period, the tenant or owner may occupy the manufactured/mobile home at his or her own risk.
B. Occupancy before inspection does not imply approval. The building official will certify the installation after it has been determined that all requirements of this chapter and other applicable regulations of the county of Columbia have been made. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.050.]
18.100.060 General installation requirements.
A. All manufactured/mobile homes shall be installed in compliance with the regulations stated in this chapter.
B. Repealed by Ord. 2017-04.
C. A HUD-labeled manufactured/mobile home shall be installed in compliance with the manufactured/mobile home manufacturer’s installation recommendations. These recommendations must be approved by HUD. The manufacturer shall send one copy of its approved installation recommendations to the purchaser of the manufactured/mobile home. This copy shall be in the manufactured/mobile home and available at the time of inspection. A manufactured/mobile home must be labeled by HUD or a current Labor and Industries label or placement cannot be permitted.
D. No person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity may install a manufactured/mobile home unless they are the owners of the manufactured/mobile home, a licensed manufactured/mobile home dealer, or a contractor registered under RCW 18.27.117. Any manufactured/mobile home dealer, contractor or subcontractor doing installation work on the manufactured/mobile home must be a certified Washington State mobile home installer.
E. All water and sewer connections shall be installed according to the International Plumbing Code and the requirements of the Columbia County health department.
F. Each manufactured/mobile home installed within any 100-year floodplain shall be placed on a permanent foundation that meets the construction requirements of the International Building Code and/or International Residential Code or subsequently adopted building codes.
G. Each manufactured/mobile home placed on a permanent foundation or basement shall have all running gear, including axles, removed.
H. Each manufactured/mobile home installed on a parcel of land outside of a designated manufactured/mobile home park shall have the towing tongue removed.
I. Steps shall be required for all exit doors and shall be a minimum of 36 inches wide and shall not exceed an eight-inch rise with a minimum nine-inch tread. More than three steps in height shall require one handrail, which shall be 34 to 38 inches above the nose of the step. Exception: Stairs and stairways that parallel the exterior wall of the manufactured/mobile home will require only one handrail on the open sides of the stairway if the width is 44 inches or less.
J. Manufactured/mobile homes designed as dwellings and designated as such by the state of Washington insignia may not be used as storage units. Modifications to make them uninhabitable will not be used for an exception.
Commercial coach and manufactured/mobile home use may not be interchangeable; i.e., manufactured/mobile homes may be used only for residential purposes and commercial coaches may not be used for residential purposes. They may only be used in the intended manner. [Ord. 2017-04; amended during 2012 codification; Ord. 98-01 § 1.060.]
18.100.070 Temporary installation permits.
A. Temporary Installation – During Construction.
1. The issuance of a temporary installation permit shall allow the use of a manufactured/mobile home or an RV during the construction of a permanent dwelling, without meeting all zoning and/or manufactured/mobile home installation requirements. The applicable requirements of this chapter shall be determined at the time of permit application by the building official. Each manufactured/mobile home or RV used during the construction of a permanent dwelling which has been legally placed under the temporary permit use shall be equipped and fulfill the requirements of the International Building Code and/or International Residential Code or subsequently adopted building codes, for sanitation.
2. The temporary installation permit shall be issued only after the building permit for the permanent dwelling has been obtained.
3. The temporary installation permit shall allow the use of the manufactured/mobile home or RV for a period of six months. Upon written request from the permit holder, the building official may extend the permit for an additional six months.
4. Upon completion of the permanent dwelling or the expiration of the temporary installation permit, the manufactured/mobile home or RV shall be moved from the lot of record within 30 days.
B. Temporary Installation of an RV. The temporary installation of an RV for recreational purposes or as an accessory dwelling shall not exceed 15 days, and does not need a permit. If placement extends longer than 15 days, proper placement permits must be obtained from the building department and the sewage disposal method must be permitted and have Columbia County health department approval. [Ord. 2017-04; amended during 2012 codification; Ord. 98-01 § 1.070.]
18.100.080 Building site preparation.
Manufactured/mobile homes may not be installed on any building site unless it has been determined that the ground has the load-bearing ability to meet the minimum requirements in WAC 296-1502-230. The installer, or, if the location site is in a manufactured/mobile home park, the park owner, must ensure that the ground on which the manufactured/mobile home is to be installed has been improved as necessary to provide a proper base for the manufactured/mobile home and that the area beneath the manufactured/mobile home has adequate drainage to prevent collection of surface water. Exception: location site is within existing established manufactured/mobile home parks when the manufactured/mobile home is installed in the same location as the previous manufactured/mobile home. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.080.]
18.100.090 Foundation footing system.
A. Footings shall be constructed of:
1. Solid concrete or an approved alternate that is at least three and one-half inches thick by 16 inches square; or
2. Two eight-inch by 16-inch by four-inch solid concrete blocks that are laid with their joints parallel to the main frame member.
B. Footings shall be:
1. Evenly bedded and leveled;
2. Placed on firm, undisturbed and compacted soil that is free of organic material;
3. Centered in a line directly under the main frame members on both sides of the manufactured/mobile home; and
4. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for pier spacing where available. On older manufactured/mobile homes where manufacturer’s installation instructions are not available, piers are spaced not more than eight feet apart, and not more than two feet from the ends of the main frame. A closer spacing may be required depending on the load-bearing capacity of the soil.
C. Installers shall follow manufacturer’s instruction for blocking where available. On older manufactured/mobile homes where manufacturer’s installation instructions are not available. A manufactured/mobile home with more than one section must have center blocking at end walls and at any other point of connection of the section of the manufactured/mobile home that is a ridge beam bearing support. Blocking is also required at both ends of a door opening four feet or more in width on an exterior wall.
D. If a manufactured/mobile home requires footings on its exterior perimeter, the footings shall be installed a minimum of 18 inches below finish grade. Footings for the main frame long members must be recessed only if frost heave is likely to occur.
E. Footings shall be constructed so that 75 percent of the area under the manufactured/mobile home has at least 18 inches of clearance between the bottom of the main chassis members and the ground level. The area beneath furnace crossovers and fireplaces, however, must always have at least 18 inches of clearance. At no point under the manufactured/mobile home may clearance be less than 12 inches. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.090.]
18.100.100 Foundation piers.
An installer must build and position piers and load-bearing supports or devices to distribute the required loads evenly. An installer may use manufactured piers or load-bearing supports or devices that are listed or approved for the intended use, or may build piers that comply with the following requirements. All blocks must be concrete.
A. A pier may be made of a single stack of eight-inch by eight-inch by 16-inch blocks if the blocks are not stacked more than three blocks high. A pier made of a single stack of blocks shall be installed at a right angle to the main frame member and shall be capped with no more than two two-inch by eight-inch by 16-inch wood blocks or one four-inch by eight-inch by 16-inch concrete block.
B. A pier may be made of a double stack of eight-inch by eight-inch by 16-inch blocks if the blocks are not stacked more than five blocks high. Each row of blocks in such a pier shall be stacked at right angles to the abutting row of blocks. A wood block must be of hem fir, Douglas fir, or spruce pine fir. The pier shall be capped with two two-inch by eight-inch by 16-inch wood and concrete blocks. The pier shall be installed so that the joint between the cap blocks is at right angles to the main frame member.
C. A pier may be made with more than five blocks if the stacked blocks are filled with 2,000 psi concrete or mortar. A licensed architect or professional engineer must approve a foundation system that includes a pier that is higher than 72 inches (nine blocks) high, or when more than 20 percent of the piers exceed 40 inches (five blocks) high.
D. All blocks shall be set with the cores placed vertically. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.100.]
18.100.110 Skirting.
A. A manufactured/mobile home shall have an approved skirting around its entire perimeter. The wood of the skirting shall be at least three inches from the ground, unless it is pressure-treated wood. Metal fasteners shall be galvanized, stainless steel, or other corrosion-resistant materials. Ferrous metal members in contact with the earth, other than those that are galvanized or stainless steel, shall be coated with an asphaltic emulsion.
B. A manufactured/mobile home that is installed on a nonrecessed site and has metal skirting shall have ventilation openings with a net area of at least one and one-half square inches per lineal foot. A manufactured/mobile home that has been installed on a recessed site shall have ventilation openings in the foundation fascia with a net area of at least one and one-half square feet for each 25 lineal feet of fascia. The openings shall be designed to provide cross ventilation on at least two approximate opposite sides of the manufactured/mobile home. The installer shall locate the openings as close to the corners of the manufactured/mobile home as practical and shall cover openings with corrosion-resistant wire mesh or louvers.
C. Dryer vents and hot water tank pressure relief valves shall be exhausted on the exterior of the skirting. The skirting for each section of the manufactured/mobile home shall have an opening of at least 18 inches by 24 inches with a cover of metal or pressure-treated wood to allow access to the crawl space. The skirting must be installed within six months of the placement of the manufactured/mobile home. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.110.]
18.100.120 Anchoring system.
All manufactured/mobile homes installed within Columbia County shall have an approved anchoring system which meets the following requirements:
A. Components of the anchoring system shall have a resistance to weather deterioration that is at least equivalent to that of zinc coating that is not less than 0.3 ounces per square foot of coated surface. Cut edges of zinc-coated strapping do not need to be coated.
B. An installer shall install, preload, and adjust a ground anchor in accordance with the anchor manufacturer’s instructions. The installer must supply a copy of the instructions to the building inspection division. A ground anchor, when installed, must be able to resist a working load of 3,150 pounds in the direction of the tie, plus a 50 percent overload (4,725 pounds total) without failure.
Failure occurs if the point of connection of a vertical tie to an anchor is withdrawn more than two inches at 3,150 pounds or point of connection of a diagonal tie is moved more than four inches horizontally when the load of 3,150 pounds is applied at 45 degrees from the horizontal. Sound anchors shall be marked with the manufacturer’s identification and model number in a location that is visible after the anchor is installed. The manufacturer of a ground anchor must provide instructions with each anchor that specify the kinds of soil for which the anchor is suitable.
C. If concrete slabs or continuous footings are used to transfer the anchoring loads to the ground, the following requirements apply:
1. Steel rods set in concrete shall be able to resist the load and corrosion as specified for ground anchors.
2. A dead-man anchor may be used in place of a listed anchor. It shall be constructed of solid concrete at least six inches in diameter and two feet long, reinforced with two number four deformed steel rods and installed at least five feet below the surface of the ground. A concrete slab may be used in place of a ground anchor if it provides holding strength equal to that required for ground anchors.
D. Ties shall be a cable, strapping or other approved materials. Ties shall be fastened to ground anchors and drawn tight with turnbuckles, yoke fasteners or other approved tensioning devices. Tension devices shall end in cleaves, forged, or welded eyes. Hook ends are not permitted. Tension devices shall be designed to prevent self-disconnection if the tie becomes slack. Cable tie eyes shall be secured with two U-bolt cable clamps, or an approved equivalent. Tie materials must resist a working load of 3,150 pounds with no more than two percent elongation and must withstand a 50 percent overload (4,725 pounds total). Ties shall connect the ground anchor to the main frame longitudinal member. Ties may not connect to steel outrigger beams that fasten to the main frame unless the manufacturer’s installation instructions specifically approve the connection. Diagonal ties must lie at least 40 degrees from vertical. Vertical ties must be substantially vertical. If a vertical tie is not substantially vertical, the anchor must be placed outside of the tie’s connection to the main frame. A cable frame tie shall be connected to the main frame by a five-eighths-inch drop forged closed eye bolt through a hole drilled in the center of the I-beam web, or by an approved alternative. Installers shall reinforce the web, if necessary, to maintain the strength of the I-beam. The installer shall space the ties as evenly as practical and shall locate a tie within four feet of each end of the manufactured/mobile home.
E. The installer may attach two or more ties at each detached corner of the clerestory roof and of add-on sections of expandable manufactured/mobile homes. At a minimum, the installer shall install ties according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Multiple section manufactured homes require only diagonal ties. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.120.]
18.100.130 Enforcement.
Any violation of this chapter shall be subject to the provisions of CCC Title 19, Code Enforcement. [Ord. 2017-06; Ord. 2017-04; Ord. 98-01 § 1.130.]
18.100.140 Validity.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this chapter is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this chapter. The board of county commissioners declares that it would have passed the ordinance codified in this chapter, and each section, subsection, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases are declared unconstitutional. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.140.]
18.100.150 Nonconforming use.
Any manufactured/mobile home placed and maintained upon a lot of record, or within a manufactured/mobile home park prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter which complied with applicable adopted regulations when installed and inspected, may have such use continue without complying with the requirements of this chapter, provided such continued use is not dangerous to health, safety or life; however, if an inspection is requested as part of a title elimination, the applicant must comply with all requirements of this chapter. [Ord. 98-01 § 1.150.]