Questions to Ask a Mobile Home Dealer Before You Order

A good dealer visit should leave you with clear answers, not more confusion. You do not need to choose a home on the first visit. Your job is to learn what the dealer can sell, what the price covers, who handles each part of the project, and what happens after the home arrives.

1. Which Plant Builds This Exact Home?

Ask for the full manufacturer, brand, plant, model name, model number, floor plan, and written specifications. The same parent company can own many brands and plants. Homes with the same name may still have different sizes, features, or options.

Also ask whether that plant delivers to your area. A model shown online may not be available where you live.

2. Can I Tour This Model?

Ask whether the exact home is on the lot before you drive to the dealership. If it is not, ask which display home has the closest layout, kitchen, room size, cabinets, windows, or finish level.

An online catalog can show far more homes than a dealer can keep on display. A home may still be available to order even when it is not on the lot.

3. What Is Standard and What Costs Extra?

Photos and display homes often show added options. Ask the salesperson to point out what comes with the base home and what was added. Check cabinets, appliances, flooring, drywall, windows, exterior details, energy features, showers, and porches.

Ask for the current option sheet. Write down the name, price, and location of every choice you want. Make sure each one appears on the final order.

4. What Does the Written Price Include?

Ask for a written list that covers the home and the work around it. Check:

• Delivery and any distance limit.
• Setup, leveling, anchoring, and joining home sections.
• Heating and cooling equipment and installation.
• Foundation work, skirting, steps, and porches.
• Permits, inspections, and utility connections.
• Clearing, grading, drainage, driveway, well, or septic work.
• Trim-out, cleanup, taxes, title fees, and dealer charges.

If the quote says “standard setup,” ask what that means. If it uses an allowance, ask what happens when the real cost is higher.

The FAQ on costs beyond the home price gives you a quick way to check the quote for missing work.

5. What Work Will I Handle?

Every dealer runs projects differently. Ask which jobs the dealer will schedule and which jobs belong to you. If another contractor is involved, write down who hires the contractor, who pays, and who checks that the work is ready.

You should know the main contact for the home, land work, utilities, delivery, setup, trim-out, and warranty. A clear list can prevent two companies from thinking the other one owns the same job.

6. What Must Be Ready Before Delivery?

Ask who checks the road, entrance, turns, overhead lines, driveway, homesite, and working space. Ask who confirms the foundation, home location, permits, and site work before the home moves.

Delivery day is not move-in day. The home may still need setup, inspections, utilities, heating and cooling startup, trim-out, and repairs. Ask for the normal order of events, not a promise that every job will happen on one day.

7. How Will I Get Project Updates?

Ask who will call or email you and how often. Get a direct phone number and email address for your main contact. Find out whom to call when that person is away.

Notice how the dealership communicates before the sale. One missed call is not a crisis. A pattern of unclear answers, pressure, or messages that are never returned is a reason to slow down and compare another dealer.

8. How Are Delivery Problems Recorded?

The home travels by road and is finished on the property. Ask how the dealer records factory concerns, travel damage, unfinished trim, and setup problems. Find out when it is safe for you to take photos and who should receive them.

Ask for a written update after delivery and setup. It should say what is complete, what remains, who is coming back, and what must happen before the next crew starts.

9. Who Handles Trim-Out?

Trim-out is the work that finishes the home after setup. It may include marriage-line trim, wall and ceiling touch-ups, door adjustments, flooring work, siding details, cleaning, and other finish items.

Ask who makes the first list, who completes the work, and how open items are tracked. Do not rely on “someone will come back” without a name, job list, and next step.

10. How Does the Warranty Process Work?

Ask for the written warranty before ordering. Find out whether the dealer, manufacturer, or both handle service. Ask who receives the punch list, who decides which crew gets each item, and how appointments and updates work.

Also ask about the homeowner’s packet, warranty registration, appliance papers, and the home’s data plate. Keep copies of every order sheet, photo, email, inspection, and repair note.

For the short version, read what a manufactured-home warranty may cover.

11. How Should I Compare This Quote?

Compare the same home, plant, options, and work. A lower total may leave out site work, utilities, heating and cooling, or other jobs. A higher total is not better unless it gives you something you need.

Ask each dealer to put the price and work in the same order. Then compare the complete project, the way the dealer communicates, and the support you will receive after the sale.

12. What Happens Before I Pay a Deposit?

Before paying a dealer deposit, review the final home, options, price, included work, payment terms, refund rules, and how the deposit will be used. The dealer deposit may be different from a loan down payment.

Do not approve an unfinished order or depend on a promise that something will be added later. Keep a copy of the signed order and your receipt.