I was contacted to do a structural inspection for a lending company. What they want is me to confirm that the manufactured home was properly tied down with the proper anchors. I have taken the online course and don’t remember anything saying a licensed structural engineer is the only ones qualified to sign off on this. Can someone please advise. If a licensed certified home inspector can do this what type of documents should I send the Lending Company.
I don’t know where you are located, but in Oklahoma it must be done by an engineer.
Billy, I think most, if not all, states require an engineer to sign off on the tie downs.
Cone back sooner than a year to share our forum with us, okay? 
Contact Harrison or Hayman Engineering and give them the lead. You can then do the inspection and submit it to them and at least get some $ out of it.
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That arrangement would never fly in my state. Has to be eyes-on by a PE.
Ditto for OK.
To clarify, the companies I mentioned do the “engineering”. I’m just there to take pictures and document everything and submit to the engineering company to write their report.
Yes. I’ve done several for Harrison Engineering in the past. I don’t do them any more, too busy. An engineere foundation report is definitely required when buyer is getting an FHA or VA loan
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This is a resale not a new move. The home has been here for a while. So an engineer has to sign off on it.
I think that is what I said:
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I report on them all the time here, it’s really not rocket science.
But like the guy’s said it depends on the standards where you are, there are different types.
A code inspector here will do the same thing to look and see that they are in place.
The people who install them are certainly not calling engineers.
when I lived in Cali they where pickier but they just wanted what we call dead men in the ground.
and then strap them.
I would and do just take pictures and report if they are in place and not rusted out or damaged.
and that the anchors are not visible.
I’m in Florida and that’s what I report.
Check out; https://www.nachi.org/manufactured-home-tie-downs.htm
You could also add that you are not an engineer but they appear in good condition or not
If they require further evaluation please consult and engineer, and feel welcome to forward the report. to them.
I would get paid as I always do before releasing the report, after all they called an inspector not an engineer. so you should be good.
So if we are doing a full blown home inspection on a manufactured home and all structural tie downs are installed correctly with the proper concrete anchor pads, then everyone on here is saying that an engineer is still required to come out and inspect. I’m trying to make sure that everything is done correctly. This would also mean the buyers would have to pay for an additional inspection (engineer).
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You are inspecting the structure and doing your report based on the NACHI standards and your state SOP.
You are not claiming to be anything but a home inspector.
If you put what you see in the report, then you did the job of a home inspector.
If the strapping and anchors look to you like they need further evaluation then recommend it.
It’s a loan company calling an inspector, then they should be used to the normal inspections that we do.
Their underwriter will send it to insurance or who ever they are using and take it from there.
I do Caldwell Bank reports.
When they call me, they expect a home inspection like we do.
You only need a foundation certification (engineer) If the loan requires one.
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And you will find tags like this, take the picture and put it in the report, if they need a Certificate they should know that, and the underwriter knows who to call normally.
Also you can look them up if they where already certified.
FHA/HUD/VA require engineers to check wind loads and earthquake loads for sliding and overturning, in addition must verify decks are self-supported. There is a list of other items that needs checked like vapor barrier, ventilation, etc.
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Randy , Agreed if they ask for it, but in his case they asked him to do the job of an inspector, not an engineer like you are.
He Said; I was contacted to do a structural inspection for a lending company. What they want is me to confirm that the manufactured home was properly tied down with the proper anchors.
He can do that!
If they want or need an engineer they will call one.
I’ve worked with engineer’s and even built 3 homes for them including the dean of engineers.
Doctor Reenda offered me an IUPUI scholarship after I built his home in the 80’s
Mr. Matamoros a renown Engineer used to stamp all of my building plans that I designed for home owners. And I used to go do jobs for him.
and my son is an engineer.
you really don’t want to get me started on what I know about to many engineers other then most if they get their Doctorate become like a lot of doctors to anal over BS.
I built residential and commercial 44 yrs.
I get what you are saying, but he can do this job as an inspector.
If they need it Certified they will get it!
Nice website by the way!
Yes Hayman takes the responsibility. They send you the work order, you make arrangements for the inspection. You take a photograph from every corner of the home, photograph of the skirting entry point to crawl space if applicable, photographs underneath the home to include any tripods, anchoring, clearance from ground 2 I beam and anything odd. You measure the length and the width of the home. Hayman engineering send you a link that you click on you download the photographs to the link and upload the data. Most times they collect the fee $415 and usually within 3 days they mail you a check or you could set up a direct deposit. If you like I could kitchen Heyman engineering’s phone number along with a couple of points of contacts. I’ve worked with them since about 2006 great people. The inspection takes me about 20 minutes on site it pays about $120. Yes you can make more money doing a home inspection but sometimes during the lunch break or between inspections I’ll go pick up an extra hundred twenty bucks and have a dreckly deposited to my checking account. It usually pays for my cruise every year LOL
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Exactly
but in this case he can do and charge his normal and they ( bank underwriter ) can forward it to an engineer.
I’ve done this a few times for engineering company’s. They usually want to verify tie downs, columns and piers placement and they would also want the manufacture tag number off the I D plate. And pictures. They sent me a form and I did everything online. The company I did work for was an engineering firm out of Texas. Once all they had me do is verify the septic placement and property distance to the road. These were for loan closings. Pay wasn’t bad either $110 to $145 depending how far I had to travel for a couple hours work. I don’t do it anymore cause business for me picked up about 3 years ago and I don’t have time anymore
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