North Carolina County and Code Starting Points

Franklin County Manufactured Home Starting Points

Franklin County writes its set-up instructions to the homeowner and then tells the homeowner to hand them to the company setting up the home. Two things in them are easy to miss and expensive to miss: the county states its own frost line as a number, so the bottom of the footers has a depth to beat, and the home has to be empty of belongings and unlocked when the inspector arrives, because the inspector goes inside to look at the electrical panel.

Manufactured Home Land Check

Will this Franklin 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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Need a set-up crew, poured footers or skirting in Franklin 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 Franklin County, answered from the county's own sources.

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

What inspections does a mobile home need in Franklin County?

The county prints the dimensions, and rules out the cheapest option by name. Steps are one of the most common reasons a final inspection does not pass, and Franklin removes the guesswork by publishing the measurements. Source: Setting Up Your Manufactured Home in Franklin County, reviewed 2026-09-09.

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

The permit comes before the deck, not after it. The county draws the line at 36 square feet and states which side of it needs what. Source: Setting Up Your Manufactured Home in Franklin County, reviewed 2026-09-09.

Do I need a septic or well permit in Franklin County?

Two valves on the water line, and a statement about the electrical permit. The county states the plumbing details it looks for and then states the consequence of not meeting the sheet. Source: Setting Up Your Manufactured Home in Franklin County, reviewed 2026-09-09.

Manufactured Home Placement Questions

Start with what the sources actually support.

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

A county frost line stated as a number: 4 inches below finish grade

Footer bottoms required to be below that frost line

The home empty of belongings and left unlocked for the inspection

Five named inspections: footings, marriage wall, set-up, DWV test, final

No underpinning installed until the final inspection

Steps required at every doorway, and stacked blocks not accepted as steps

Step, handrail, picket, landing and deck dimensions printed in inches

A building permit issued before any deck or landing is built

An engineer or architect design where the home sits more than 3 feet up

A check valve and a cut-off valve on the outside water line

Franklin 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.

The number under the home

Franklin County states its frost line, so the footers have a depth to beat.

Most counties in this library point at the state regulations and stop. Franklin prints the local number the state rule depends on.

The county frost line is established at 4 inches below finish grade.
The bottom of the footers has to be below that line.
The home has to be on blocks and wedged.
Tie downs go in per the state regulations, with anchors and anchor plates driven completely into the ground.
The set-up manual has to be on site at the time of the inspection where the state regulations require it.

When the home sits high

More than a quarter of the home, more than 3 feet up, and it becomes engineered work.

The county states the threshold and who has to sign the design. It is the same statewide rule Transylvania County states in different words, which is worth knowing if the home is being set in one county and quoted by a crew from another.

The trigger is more than one-fourth of the area of the home installed with the bottom of the main frame members more than 3 feet above ground level.
Above that, the stabilizing system has to be designed by a qualified Registered Professional Engineer or Architect.
The installation then has to be approved.

Steps and rails

The county prints the dimensions, and rules out the cheapest option by name.

Steps are one of the most common reasons a final inspection does not pass, and Franklin removes the guesswork by publishing the measurements.

Steps are required at every means of egress — every doorway.
Steps may be precast concrete, pressure-treated wood, or mortared masonry. Stacked blocks are not acceptable.
Risers no more than 8 1/4 inches high; treads no less than 10 inches deep including the overhang; the nosing may not hang over the step below by more than one inch.
Steps at least 36 inches wide, and where a solid stringer is cut for treads and risers, at least 3 1/2 inches of undisturbed wood has to be left in it.
Handrails on any run of four or more risers; above 30 inches from finish grade, handrails and pickets on both sides.
Picket spacing no more than 4 inches apart when vertical, and no more than 6 inches when horizontal.

Landings and decks

The permit comes before the deck, not after it.

The county draws the line at 36 square feet and states which side of it needs what.

A deck smaller than 36 square feet — 6 feet by 6 feet — is treated as a landing.
Any deck or landing needs a building permit issued before it is built, with zoning approval and plans submitted and approved.
A 3-foot by 3-foot landing is required where a door swings out. A storm door does not count as the door that swings out.
All framing has to conform to the current North Carolina building codes.

The day of the inspection

The home has to be empty, unlocked, and still dug up.

This is the part of the sheet a homeowner reads too late. The inspector goes inside to look at the electrical panel, and everything that will be buried has to still be visible.

Leave the home unlocked, and empty of all belongings.
Leave the final septic approval, the sub slips filled out and signed, and the manual required by the state regulations.
All trenches left open for inspection.
The ground rod uncovered so the connection can be seen.
The septic connection cemented at the tank entry and left exposed, with the septic opening uncovered.
No underpinning installed — it is inspected at the final.
Panel covers and screws available so the inspector can close the panel back up.

The order of the inspections

Five inspections, and the county names them.

Knowing the names makes it possible to ask a set-up crew which one they are calling in, and when.

Footings.
Marriage wall.
Set-up, which the county says includes electric inside and out, blocking and tying.
DWV test.
Final, which the county says covers underpinning and steps.

Water, septic and power

Two valves on the water line, and a statement about the electrical permit.

The county states the plumbing details it looks for and then states the consequence of not meeting the sheet.

Water connections made, with a check valve and a cut-off valve on the outside water line just beneath the point where it enters the home.
Septic connections made with the opening uncovered and the piping securely cemented; sewer lines with cleanout plugs.
Electrical connections completed from the home to the meter pole, with all breakers in place and no open knockouts.
The service head, meter base, service entrance cable and main panel adequately supported on a sturdy meter pole.
The air conditioner, heat pump or heating unit wired with the ductwork installed properly.
The county states that a home not meeting these requirements will not pass inspection, and that the inspections department cannot issue an electrical permit for the home.

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 this instruction sheet still current? It prints no revision date, and the file was created in 2016.

Where will the footers bottom out, and is that below the county's 4-inch frost line?

Is any deck or landing planned? The county requires the building permit to be issued before it is built, with zoning approval and plans approved first.

Will more than a quarter of the home sit with the main frame more than 3 feet above the ground? That turns the stabilizing system into engineered work.

Who will make sure the home is empty and unlocked on inspection day, and that the trenches are still open?

Who is leaving the final septic approval, the sub slips, and the set-up manual on site?

Dealer Quote Responsibility Questions

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

Who has read this sheet — the county asks the homeowner to show it to the company setting up the home?

Who is responsible for footer depth, and do they know the county frost line is 4 inches?

Who is building the steps at every doorway, and are they precast concrete, pressure-treated wood, or mortared masonry?

Who is pulling the building permit for a deck or landing, and is it issued before anyone builds?

Who empties the home and unlocks it for the inspection?

Who is leaving the sub slips, the final septic approval, and the set-up manual on site?

What To Gather

Better details make county and provider questions clearer.

Property address and parcel identification number.

Whether the home is single-section or multi-section, and whether a marriage wall inspection applies.

How high the home will sit — whether any part puts the main frame more than 3 feet above the ground.

Which doors will have steps, and which doors swing out.

Whether a deck or landing is planned, and its size in square feet.

Whether the water supply is a private well or public water, and whether the septic system is existing or new.

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

SCOPED HONESTLY: this sheet is about setting the home up and passing the inspections. It states no permit fee, no zoning district rule, no flood requirement and no wind zone, and this page does not supply them from elsewhere.

The sheet prints no revision date and the file's own creation date is 2016-11-03. It is quoted as retrieved on 2026-09-09; confirm with the county that it is still current before relying on any number in it.

The sheet cites the North Carolina Regulations for Manufactured Homes for tie downs, set-up and step requirements without naming an edition. Ask the county which edition it inspects to.

The county's phone number for set-up questions is printed on the sheet as 919.496.2281. This page carries the office, not staff names.

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

Helpful Next Steps

Move from Franklin 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. Franklin 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

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

local process source

Local process source: Setting Up Your Manufactured Home in Franklin County

Franklin County Inspections Department, published under Planning and Inspections. Three pages, retrieved 2026-09-09 as 180,049 bytes of application/pdf. It carries the general set-up requirements, the elevated-home rule, the step, handrail, landing and deck dimensions, the list of typical inspections, and a one-page owner's checklist. The document prints no revision date; the file's own creation date is 2016-11-03, so ask the county whether it is still the current instruction sheet.

Responsible authority / official host: cms9files.revize.com
Purpose and coverage: local process source
Last verified: 2026-09-09
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 Franklin 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