North Carolina County and Code Starting Points

Davidson County Manufactured Home Starting Points

Davidson County's zoning ordinance sorts manufactured homes into Class A, Class B and Class C by age, size, roof pitch, siding and foundation. The class decides the answer: a Class A is allowed by right in six districts, a Class B in three, and a Class C only by special use in three. This page covers where a home may go. It is not the county's permit path, and it does not supply one.

Manufactured Home Land Check

Will this Davidson 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

Need a set-up crew, poured footers or skirting in Davidson County?

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Project Roadmap, Cost and Next Steps — Planning the whole project? Costs, stages and who does what.
Review My Quote — Have a quote in hand? Included, missing, unclear—and what to ask.
Project Consulting — Want to talk it through? An experienced set-up contractor and dealer.

Common Questions

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

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

What permits does a mobile home need in Davidson County?

What the marks in the county's use table mean. Article III's Table of Permitted Uses states its own key, and one of the five values is easy to miss: a blank cell is not silence, it is a prohibition. Source: Davidson County Zoning Ordinance, reviewed 2026-09-08.

Which zoning districts in Davidson County allow a mobile home?

Which districts allow a manufactured home on an individual lot. Read from the manufactured-home rows of the Table of Permitted Uses. The county's rural districts are RA-1, RA-2 and RA-3; RM-1 is Medium Density Residential; OI is Office and Institutional; PEC is a planned district. Source: Davidson County Zoning Ordinance, reviewed 2026-09-08.

Can I move an older mobile home onto land in Davidson County?

What the county requires before a home counts as Class A. A Class A home is one built after July 1, 1976 to the HUD standards in effect at the time, that also satisfies every one of the following. The ordinance states the intent plainly: that an installed Class A home have substantially the appearance of a conventionally built single-family dwelling. Source: Davidson County Zoning Ordinance, reviewed 2026-09-08.

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

What a manufactured home park has to be. Parks with ten or fewer spaces go to the Board of Adjustment; more than ten go to the Governing Body. These are the numbers the ordinance states. Source: Davidson County Zoning Ordinance, 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 Davidson County?

Three classes — A, B and C — and the class decides which districts allow the home

Class A allowed by right in RA-1, RA-2, RA-3, RM-1, OI and PEC

Class B allowed by right in RA-2, RA-3 and RM-1 only — not on an individual lot in RA-1, though a park in RA-1 may permit one

Class C only by special use, in RA-2, RA-3 and RM-1, decided by the Board of Adjustment

Class A requires at least 960 square feet, a length no more than four times the width, a 2.2-in-12 roof pitch and a continuous masonry curtain wall

A park model on its own lot carries no mark in any district, and a blank means prohibited

A Class C home may be relocated only if it was in the county on May 11, 1990

A manufactured home park needs two acres, and spaces of 30,000 square feet unless public water and central sewer serve it

Davidson 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.

Read the table

What the marks in the county's use table mean.

Article III's Table of Permitted Uses states its own key, and one of the five values is easy to miss: a blank cell is not silence, it is a prohibition.

X — permitted as a use by right.
D — permitted on demonstrating compliance with specific development standards.
SA — a Class A Special Use, approved by the Governing Body.
SB — a Class B Special Use, approved by the Board of Adjustment.
A blank — the use is prohibited in that district.

The class decides

Which districts allow a manufactured home on an individual lot.

Read from the manufactured-home rows of the Table of Permitted Uses. The county's rural districts are RA-1, RA-2 and RA-3; RM-1 is Medium Density Residential; OI is Office and Institutional; PEC is a planned district.

Class A on an individual lot: permitted by right in RA-1, RA-2, RA-3, RM-1, OI and PEC.
Class B on an individual lot: permitted by right in RA-2, RA-3 and RM-1 — and in no other district, RA-1 included.
Class C on an individual lot: a Board of Adjustment special use in RA-2, RA-3 and RM-1 only.
Park model on an individual lot: the row carries no mark in any of the sixteen districts.
Manufactured home park with more than ten spaces: a Governing Body special use in RM-1 only.
Manufactured home park with fewer than ten spaces: a Board of Adjustment special use in RA-1, RA-2, RA-3 and RM-1.

Class A

What the county requires before a home counts as Class A.

A Class A home is one built after July 1, 1976 to the HUD standards in effect at the time, that also satisfies every one of the following. The ordinance states the intent plainly: that an installed Class A home have substantially the appearance of a conventionally built single-family dwelling.

A length no more than four times the width, measured along the longest axis against the narrowest part of the other, and at least 960 square feet of enclosed living area.
A roof pitch of at least 2.2 feet of rise for every 12 feet of run, finished with shingles commonly used in standard residential construction.
Eave projections of at least six inches on all roof structures.
Exterior siding predominantly vinyl or aluminum horizontal lap siding, wood, or hardboard comparable in composition, appearance and durability.
Set up to NC Department of Insurance standards, with a continuous permanent masonry foundation or curtain wall, unpierced except for required ventilation and access.
Stairs, porches, entrance platforms and ramps built to Department of Insurance standards, attached firmly and anchored securely.
The moving hitch, wheels, axles and transporting lights removed — the ordinance allows them to be enclosed within the foundation.

Class B and Class C

The other two classes, and what separates them.

Class B carries a shorter list. Class C is defined by what it is not, and the ordinance says why it is treated separately.

Class B: built after July 1, 1976 to the HUD standards, or after July 1, 1970 and labelled by an approved independent inspection agency; set up to NC Department of Insurance standards; a continuous foundation or curtain wall; stairs, ramps and porches attached firmly and anchored securely.
Class C: any manufactured home that meets neither definition. The ordinance states that these are subject to special restrictions because of their age and because they were not required to meet uniform construction standards.
A Class C home already on a lot may be replaced with a Class B or Class A home in any district where that class is permitted.

Moving an older home

A Class C home can only be relocated under one condition.

Article V's relocation special use is narrow, and the date in it is fixed rather than rolling.

No special use permit is granted except to transfer and relocate a unit that was located in Davidson County on May 11, 1990, and the application must show registration evidence of that.
The transfer must be onto an individual lot in RA-2 or RA-3, unless it is into a manufactured housing park that permits Class C units.
Moving a Class C home from one lot to another inside the same park does not require a special use permit.
Under-skirting around the entire home, and set up to NC Department of Insurance standards.

A home for a relative

The family hardship permit is temporary and it expires.

A Class B or Class C home may be placed as an accessory use on a lot that already has a single-family home, in ten of the sixteen districts, on a Board of Adjustment special use.

Two years, renewable on application to the Board of Adjustment for a further term of up to two years.
Minimum lot size 20,000 square feet per dwelling unit, and all district setbacks satisfied.
The occupant must be related by blood or marriage to the occupants of the existing residence, or under their guardianship, and require care due to illness, disability or advanced age.
Public sewer if available, otherwise a septic system built to County Health Department rules; public water if available, otherwise a Health Department approved source.
Under-skirting around the entire home, set up to NC Department of Insurance standards, and adequate off-street parking.
No lease or rental is permitted, and the permit expires when the illness, disability or hardship ends.

Parks

What a manufactured home park has to be.

Parks with ten or fewer spaces go to the Board of Adjustment; more than ten go to the Governing Body. These are the numbers the ordinance states.

Minimum lot size two acres.
One home per space, each space at least 30,000 square feet — or 20,000 square feet where the park is served by public water and a central sewage collection system.
Minimum space width 80 feet, and two off-driveway parking spaces per space.
At least 20 feet between homes or structures, and at least 10 feet from the side property line of any space.
At least 30 feet from the park boundary or bounding street right-of-way in a park with fewer than ten spaces, and 75 feet in a park with more than ten.
Water supply and waste disposal approved in writing by the Davidson County Health Department, and the street layout reviewed by the County Fire Marshal.
Where adjacent parcels each hold a park of ten or fewer spaces and together total eleven or more, those parcels must be rezoned to RM-1 before approval.
The ordinance adds a note worth reading twice: parks in the RA-1 district may permit Class B manufactured homes. A Class B home cannot go on an individual lot in RA-1, and inside a park in RA-1 it can.

Lot dimensions

The rural districts share one set of numbers.

RA-1, RA-2 and RA-3 carry the same dimensional line in Article IV, and the lot width changes with the water and sewer arrangement rather than with the district.

Minimum lot area 30,000 square feet.
Minimum lot width 100 feet on well and septic, 90 feet on public water and sewer.
Minimum front setback 30 feet, side 10 feet, rear 20 feet.
Maximum lot coverage 30 percent, maximum building height 35 feet.

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.

What is this parcel's zoning district? The district and the home's class together decide the answer.

Does this home meet the county's Class A criteria — 960 square feet, length no more than four times width, 2.2-in-12 roof pitch, eaves, siding, masonry curtain wall, hitch and axles removed?

If the home is a Class B, is the parcel in RA-2, RA-3 or RM-1? The ordinance's table leaves RA-1 blank for Class B.

If the home is a Class C, when does the Board of Adjustment hear special use applications, and what does the application need?

Which office issues the permits, and in what order? This ordinance states the zoning answer and not the permit path.

Dealer Quote Responsibility Questions

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

Which class is this home under Davidson County's definitions, and who confirms it before the lot is bought?

If the home is offered as a Class A, who verifies the 960 square feet, the four-to-one length rule and the 2.2-in-12 roof pitch?

Who installs the continuous masonry curtain wall a Class A requires, and is it in the price?

Who removes the hitch, wheels, axles and transporting lights, or encloses them within the foundation?

If the parcel's district does not allow this home's class, what is the alternative — a different home, a different lot, or a special use application?

What To Gather

Better details make county and provider questions clearer.

Property address and parcel number, and the parcel's zoning district.

The home's year of manufacture — the class definitions turn on July 1, 1976 and July 1, 1970.

The home's length and width, and its enclosed living area in square feet.

The roof pitch, siding material, and whether a masonry curtain wall is planned.

Whether the parcel is served by public water and sewer or by well and septic.

Whether the home is being moved from another site in Davidson County, and when it first arrived there.

Related provider types

Transport and Setup Masonry / Block / Foundation Grading and Site Preparation Septic Well Decks / Stairs / Landings / Handicap Ramps

Related project stages

Purchasing or Acquiring Land Shopping for a Home and Home Purchase Preparing Your Land Permits, Septic, and Utilities

Source notes

SCOPED HONESTLY: this is the county's zoning ordinance. It answers where a manufactured home may be placed and under what class. It does not state the permit path, the inspection sequence, the fees, or the Environmental Health steps, and this page does not supply them from elsewhere.

The district assignments above were read from the Table of Permitted Uses by the position of each mark on the page, and checked against Article V, which lists the allowed districts for the family hardship and park model special uses in its own words. Both lists match the table rows exactly.

TWO PLACES WHERE THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT AGREE WITH ITSELF, reported rather than resolved. The use table marks Class C as a special use in RM-1, while the relocation standard says the transfer must be onto a lot in RA-2 or RA-3 unless it is into a park that permits Class C. And the table's row reads 'less than ten (10) Spaces' where the special use standard reads 'ten (10) or fewer spaces', so a park of exactly ten spaces is described twice and not identically. Ask the Zoning Administrator.

The ordinance is amended repeatedly and carries dated amendment marks through 7-16-26. Confirm the current text with the county before relying on any figure here.

No zoning determination, permit outcome, or approval is implied. The zoning district of a particular parcel is a determination the county makes.

Helpful Next Steps

Move from Davidson 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. Davidson 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

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

local process source

Local process source: Davidson County Zoning Ordinance

The county's zoning ordinance, 216 pages, retrieved 2026-09-08 as 2,120,794 bytes of application/pdf. Article III Section III.9 is the Table of Permitted Uses and carries the manufactured-home rows; Article V holds the special-use standards for family hardship, Class C relocation, park model disaster hardship and manufactured home parks; Article IX holds the Class A, Class B and Class C definitions. The file's own amendment marks run to 7-16-26.

Responsible authority / official host: co.davidson.nc.us
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 Davidson 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