North Carolina County and Code Starting Points

Craven County Manufactured Home Starting Points

Craven County has no county-wide zoning. Outside the zoned areas around MCAS Cherry Point and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, one mobile home on your own lot — single-wide or double-wide — meets no county district rule. A second manufactured home on the same land counts as a mobile home park unless a close relative lives in it. In a flood zone the county asks for a FEMA setup, two elevation certificates, and the home set 2 feet above the flood level, and the county says that cost surprises many owners.

Manufactured Home Land Check

Will this Craven County land take a manufactured home? Find out before you commit to buying the land, or the home.

Buying land, already own it, or selling it — one report on what the county and the land will allow.

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Common Questions

Mobile homes in Craven County, answered from the county's own sources.

Can I put a mobile home on my land in Craven County?

Which zoning districts in Craven County allow a mobile home?

No county-wide zoning. One home on your own lot meets no district rule. Craven County's written answer on 2026-09-08 put it plainly: the county has no county-wide zoning, so one mobile home is typically allowed. The ordinance agrees. Its only zoning covers the areas around two airfields. Source: Craven County Code of Ordinances, reviewed 2026-09-08.

What happens if the land is in a flood zone in Craven County?

In a flood zone, the county says the cost surprises many owners. Craven County has a lot of special flood hazard area. The county's written answer names three things that apply to a manufactured home in most flood zones. Source: Craven County Code of Ordinances, reviewed 2026-09-08.

Can I put a mobile home in a park or community in Craven County?

A second manufactured home makes the land a mobile home park. The ordinance defines a mobile home park as land used by two or more manufactured homes. That is the lowest threshold of any county we have read, and it has no rental test. Source: Craven County Code of Ordinances, reviewed 2026-09-08.

What setbacks and lot size does Craven County require for a mobile home?

The county's only setback table is for lots in new subdivisions. With no zoning districts, the county's lot and setback numbers sit in its subdivision rules. They apply to lots in new subdivisions. Source: Craven County Code of Ordinances, reviewed 2026-09-08.

Manufactured Home Placement Questions

Start with what the sources actually support.

Do I need a permit for a mobile home in Craven County?

No county-wide zoning — one home on your own lot meets no district rule

Single-wide and multi-section homes both allowed

A second manufactured home on the same land makes it a mobile home park

The close-relative exception to the park rule

A FEMA setup, two elevation certificates and 2 feet of freeboard in a flood zone

The zoned areas around MCAS Cherry Point and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport

Lot size and setbacks for lots in new subdivisions

Living in an RV for up to nine months while the home is placed

Subdivision covenants the county does not enforce

Town rules instead of county rules inside a town or its ETJ

Craven County Local Process Guide

Official-source-backed starting points and questions to verify.

These sections organize the public source links already reviewed for this page. Where a source does not answer a project-specific question, the item is framed as something to ask the county, AHJ, utility company, licensed professional, dealer, setup contractor, or responsible provider.

Where a home is allowed

No county-wide zoning. One home on your own lot meets no district rule.

Craven County's written answer on 2026-09-08 put it plainly: the county has no county-wide zoning, so one mobile home is typically allowed. The ordinance agrees. Its only zoning covers the areas around two airfields.

The county's answer: single-wide and multi-section homes are both fine.
There is no class scheme, no minimum width, no roof pitch rule and no skirting rule for a home on its own lot.
What still applies: the Health Department for septic and well, the flood rules if the lot is in a flood zone, the park rule if there is a second home, and the subdivision rules if land is being divided.
Inside the areas around MCAS Cherry Point and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, zoning does apply. The county says to check with them first there.

Flood

In a flood zone, the county says the cost surprises many owners.

Craven County has a lot of special flood hazard area. The county's written answer names three things that apply to a manufactured home in most flood zones.

A FEMA setup — the home installed to the flood standards for anchoring and elevation.
Two elevation certificates: a preliminary one and a final one.
Two feet of freeboard — the home set 2 feet above the base flood elevation. On a double-wide, the crossover duct under the home has to be at that height too.
The ordinance requires an engineer's certification when the chassis sits more than 36 inches above the ground. A home raised to a coastal flood height will often be that high.
A manufactured home is allowed in a floodway if the anchoring, elevation and no-rise conditions are met.
In a coastal high hazard area (zone VE), no manufactured home is allowed except in an existing manufactured home park or subdivision.
Flexible skirting needs no flood openings. Masonry or wood underpinning counts as an enclosure and needs flood openings.

More than one home on the land

A second manufactured home makes the land a mobile home park.

The ordinance defines a mobile home park as land used by two or more manufactured homes. That is the lowest threshold of any county we have read, and it has no rental test.

A park needs a plat approved by the Planning Board and the Board of Commissioners, and a certificate of compliance before anyone moves into a home.
The exception: a home lived in by the landowner's parents, children, brother or sister, grandparents or grandchildren — step and half relations included — does not count toward the park.
The list stops there. A spouse's parent, an aunt or uncle, a cousin or a caretaker is not on it.
The homeowner carries the burden of proof, and the home or space may not be rented out once it stops being used that way.
The county's answer adds that it typically honors systems already in the ground without sending them through the park process. Ask what that covers on your land.
Every new park is also checked against the Cherry Point air station land-use study, anywhere in the county.
In a park, a double-wide needs a space of at least 10,000 square feet, whatever the water and sewer.

Near Cherry Point or the airport

Near the air station, a manufactured home is treated the same as a house.

The Cherry Point zoning table lists single-family homes "including mobile homes" as one use. A home on its own lot is allowed where a site-built house is, and barred where a house is barred.

Not allowed in the clear zone, in accident potential area B3, or in noise zone 3.
In accident potential areas B1 and B2, one home per five acres.
In accident potential zone 2 (C1 and C2) and noise zone 2, two homes per acre. In the potential noise zone, three per acre.
In areas B2, C2 and noise zone 2, the home must be built to cut outside noise by 30 decibels, with patios and porches on the side away from the flight path. The ordinance names no way to show a manufactured home meets this. The county's Planning Department posts a 2004 acoustical design guide.
In the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport zone, homes are not allowed. In the airport's mixed-use zone, a manufactured home is allowed by right.

Lot size and setbacks

The county's only setback table is for lots in new subdivisions.

With no zoning districts, the county's lot and setback numbers sit in its subdivision rules. They apply to lots in new subdivisions.

No community water or sewer: 20,000 sq ft, 75 ft wide at the setback line. Front 30 ft, side 10 ft, rear 15 ft.
One of the two: 15,000 sq ft, with the same widths and setbacks.
Both: 8,000 sq ft, 60 ft wide. Front 25 ft, side 8 ft, rear 15 ft.
For an existing lot outside a subdivision, the ordinance states no minimum lot size or setback. The Health Department's septic and well rules still decide what fits.

While the home is placed

A family may live in an RV for up to nine months.

An RV park article adopted 2026-01-20 allows an RV as a temporary home while a manufactured home is being placed. It is on the county's Planning page and not yet in the online code.

Allowed while a single-family house is built or a modular or manufactured home is placed.
Also allowed while a home damaged or destroyed in a disaster is being replaced.
Up to nine months.

Covenants and towns

A subdivision or a town can have rules the county does not.

The county's answer names covenants, and about six in ten Craven County addresses are inside a town or its ETJ.

Many subdivisions have covenants. The county does not enforce them, but the people who hold them may.
Craven County has eight towns. Three have an ETJ: New Bern, Havelock and River Bend.
Inside a town or its ETJ, the town's rules decide. This page does not cover any town's rules.

Local Prerequisites To Verify

Environmental health, utilities, zoning, and access may shape the sequence.

Septic approval or existing-system review

County sources often require septic approval, construction authorization, or existing-system authorization before or alongside manufactured-home permitting.

Septic

Well or water availability

County sources may require well, public water, or water-sewer tap documentation before a permit can move forward.

Well Plumbing

Water/sewer availability

Some county sources ask for sewer approval, tap receipts, or public water documentation when applicable.

Plumbing Septic Well

Utility service availability

Some county sources connect power release or final readiness to completed trade inspections or utility-provider steps.

Electrical HVAC Propane / Gas

Zoning or land-use review

County sources may require zoning, municipal zoning, watershed, floodplain, or land-use review before manufactured-home placement.

Engineering

Driveway or access

Driveway, access, or delivery-route questions belong in the library only where county or source-backed process notes make them relevant.

Driveway Improvement Grading and Site Preparation Transport and Setup

Inspection-Related Scopes

Limited to source-backed manufactured-home scopes.

Grading and Site Preparation

Use only where source-backed county or state guidance ties grading to pad, drainage, foundation readiness, access, footers, or setup readiness.

Several county sources reference site grading, drainage, footings, setup readiness, or documents needed before power or final signoff.

Transport and Setup

Core manufactured-home installation scope for delivery, setup, pier/blocking, anchoring, tie-downs, setup contractor information, and inspection readiness.

The NC Installation Manual is the primary statewide installation source; county manufactured-home process pages may add local setup contractor, permit, and inspection steps.

Electrical

Electrical service, site-installed electrical work, utility handoffs, and inspection readiness when source-backed.

County sources commonly separate electrical permits or inspections for mobile/manufactured-home setup.

Plumbing

Plumbing connections, water and waste lines, pressure or water tests, and final readiness where source-backed.

County sources commonly separate plumbing permits or inspections for mobile/manufactured-home setup.

HVAC

Mechanical systems, heat pump or air-conditioning work, ducting, and final readiness where source-backed.

County sources commonly reference mechanical permits or inspections for mobile/manufactured-home setup.

Propane / Gas

Use only when official guidance mentions gas service, gas appliance connections, LP systems, fuel-gas inspection, pressure testing, shutoffs, or installation-manual requirements.

Onslow County explicitly groups gas fuel work with prescriptive code and NC manufactured-home regulations for manufactured-home permits.

Decks / Stairs / Landings / Handicap Ramps

Egress, steps, landings, handrails, ramps, deck thresholds, and final access readiness where source-backed.

County manufactured-home guides may reference stoops, steps, landings, handrails, and deck-size thresholds.

Masonry / Block / Foundation

Footings, piers, blocking, masonry skirting/foundation presentation, soil bearing, anchorage, and foundation readiness where source-backed.

County sources reference footings, piers, blocking, anchorage, soil bearing, tie-downs, or foundation-related items in inspection processes.

Vinyl Skirting

Skirting or underpinning only where source-backed guidance connects it to inspection timing, access, ventilation, appearance, or placement requirements.

County manufactured-home inspection documents may reference skirting timing, access panels, or underpinning requirements.

Trim-Out / Carpentry

Use only where official guidance touches final trim-out, marriage line completion, close-up, access panels, finish details, weatherproofing, or readiness for final inspection.

Onslow County references marriage wall inspection for multi-wide homes and close-up type items within manufactured-home setup inspections.

Questions To Ask The County

Bring better questions to the right local office.

Is the parcel inside the zoned area around MCAS Cherry Point or Coastal Carolina Regional Airport? The county says to check with them first if it is.

Is any part of the parcel in a special flood hazard area? If so, what is the base flood elevation, and who will do the preliminary and final elevation certificates?

Is there already a manufactured home on the land? A second one makes the land a mobile home park unless a close relative lives in it.

Is the parcel inside a town or a town's ETJ? The county rules do not apply there.

Does the subdivision have recorded covenants that limit the type of home? The county does not enforce them, but the people who hold them may.

Will the parcel need a septic permit and a well permit from the Health Department?

Dealer Quote Responsibility Questions

Ask who owns each step before the project depends on it.

Has anyone checked whether the lot is in a flood zone before the home is priced?

Is the FEMA setup, and the height for 2 feet of freeboard, in the price?

Who orders the preliminary and final elevation certificates?

If the chassis will sit more than 36 inches above the ground, who provides the engineer's certification?

On a double-wide, is the crossover duct set at the freeboard height?

Is there already a home on the land, and does the new one make it a mobile home park?

What To Gather

Better details make county and provider questions clearer.

Property address and parcel identification number.

Whether the parcel is inside a town's limits or its ETJ, or near MCAS Cherry Point or Coastal Carolina Regional Airport.

The FEMA flood zone and base flood elevation for the parcel.

Whether a manufactured home is already on the land, and who lives in it.

Whether the home is a single-wide or a multi-section home.

Any recorded subdivision covenants.

Whether water and sewer are private well and septic or public utilities.

Related provider types

Transport and Setup Grading and Site Preparation Septic Well Electrical Plumbing HVAC

Related project stages

Preparing Your Land Permits, Septic, and Utilities Setup and Installation Purchasing or Acquiring Land

Source notes

The aviation zoning, the park rules, the subdivision lot table and the flood rules are read from the Craven County Code of Ordinances on Municode, codified through the ordinance of 2024-09-16, read 2026-09-07.

The statements that the county has no county-wide zoning, that one mobile home is typically allowed, that both single-wide and multi-section homes are fine, that systems already in the ground are typically honored, and the flood-zone requirements — FEMA setup, two elevation certificates, and 2 feet of freeboard including a double-wide's crossover duct — come from the county planning office's written answer, received 2026-09-08.

The RV rule is read from the RV park article adopted 2026-01-20, published on the county's Planning page and not yet in the online code.

WHETHER THE COUNTY HAS ADOPTED OTHER CHANGES SINCE 2024-09-16 IS UNKNOWN. The RV article shows the online code is already behind. Ask the county which version is current.

Town ordinances were not read. Everything on this page applies outside town limits and ETJs only.

This page carries the offices, not staff names.

No zoning determination, permit outcome, flood determination, septic approval, or inspection result is implied.

Helpful Next Steps

Move from Craven County questions into the right My Manufactured Home Guide path.

Use these pages to organize the next question by stage, responsibility, utility path, setup readiness, or private project summary. They do not replace county, utility, AHJ, or professional confirmation.

Land readiness checklist

Organize the land, access, utility, septic, and site questions before a home is chosen.

Manufactured-home permit order

Separate land-use, Environmental Health, permit, setup, trade, and utility-release lanes.

Source Hierarchy

State installation guidance first, then local process.

The NC Installation Manual sets how a home is installed statewide. Craven County's own offices set the permit steps, zoning, septic and inspections.

NC installation guidance

primary statewide installation source

Primary statewide installation source: NC Installation Manual

Primary statewide installation source for North Carolina manufactured-home installation requirements, published as the State of North Carolina Regulations for Manufactured Homes.

state program authority

State program authority: NC OSFM Manufactured Homes

Official state manufactured-homes program landing page and document hub; use the NC Installation Manual for installation-specific requirement details.

state program authority

State program authority: NC OSFM Manufactured Building

Official NC OSFM manufactured building division page for manufactured and modular housing resources.

local process source

Craven County local process sources

County and local AHJ sources explain local process layers; they do not replace statewide installation guidance or project-specific authority.

County Links and Source Notes

Official source links reviewed for this page.

We organize Craven County's own sources. Rules change — confirm them with the county before you rely on them.

local process source

Local process source: Craven County Code of Ordinances

Published by Municode, Supplement 13, codified through the ordinance of 2024-09-16. Chapter 41 (Developmental Regulations) holds the aviation zoning, the mobile home park article and the subdivision lot table; Chapter 18 holds the flood rules for manufactured homes. Read 2026-09-07.

Responsible authority / official host: library.municode.com
Purpose and coverage: local process source
Last verified: 2026-09-08
Link health: Verified when reviewed; reconfirm the current page or form before relying on it.
Fallback status: Direct local-process starting point

local process source

Local process source: Craven County Self-Service Permit Portal

The county's online permit portal, linked from its Departments page. This page does not describe the portal's steps.

Responsible authority / official host: selfservice.cravencountync.gov
Purpose and coverage: local process source
Last verified: 2026-09-08
Link health: Verified when reviewed; reconfirm the current page or form before relying on it.
Fallback status: Direct local-process starting point

Manufactured Home Land Check

Will this Craven County land take a manufactured home? Find out before you commit to buying the land, or the home.

Buying land, already own it, or selling it — one report on what the county and the land will allow.

Check this land