North Carolina County and Code Starting Points

Richmond County Manufactured Home Starting Points

Richmond County's Unified Development Ordinance has four residential districts. Its Table of Uses permits a manufactured home by right in three of them: A-R Agricultural Residential, R-R Rural Residential and V-R Village Residential. The fourth, C-R County Residential, says 'Manufactured homes, as defined in this ordinance, are prohibited in this district.' A house or modular home is permitted in all four. The ordinance counts only homes built after July 1, 1976 to the HUD standards, and the county's checklist asks for proof of that date. Outside a manufactured home park, the home must sit on a permanent foundation of poured concrete or a precast solid concrete pad, below the frost line or 4 inches deep, whichever is greater. The whole perimeter must be underpinned, and the county's checklist says the power cannot be turned on until it is. The copy the county posts says it was re-adopted effective July 14, 2026, but its cover still reads 'Draft', so ask the Planning Department which version is in force.

Manufactured Home Land Check

Will this Richmond 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 Richmond County?

One request, free for you. Pick the work:

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 Richmond County, answered from the county's own sources.

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

Is there anything in Richmond County that could stop a mobile home on this land?

C-R County Residential prohibits manufactured homes. The C-R description ends: 'Manufactured homes, as defined in this ordinance, are prohibited in this district.' The Table of Uses leaves the manufactured-home cell blank for C-R. A house or modular home is permitted there. Outside a park, the home sits on a concrete pad. Section 3.5.15 says every manufactured home placed outside a bona fide manufactured home park 'shall be placed upon a permanent foundation of either poured concrete or a pre-cast solid concrete pad. The bottom of the pad shall be below the frost line or 4 inches deep; whichever is greater.' No power until the underpinning is in. Unless the home is on land leased to the homeowner, the whole perimeter must be enclosed from the ground to the bottom of the home. The county's permit checklist says: 'You cannot get electricity on a manufactured home until appropriate underpinning is properly installed.' Source: Richmond County Unified Development Ordinance, marked adopted July 14, 2026 (PDF, 282 pages), reviewed 2026-09-19.

Which zoning districts in Richmond County allow a mobile home?

Three residential districts of four permit a manufactured home. Richmond County's Table of Uses lists four residential districts. A site-built or modular home is permitted by right in all four. A manufactured home is permitted by right in three. Source: Richmond County Unified Development Ordinance, marked adopted July 14, 2026 (PDF, 282 pages), reviewed 2026-09-19.

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

Lot size and setbacks where a manufactured home is permitted. These are the Section 3.3 dimensional tables. Source: Richmond County Unified Development Ordinance, marked adopted July 14, 2026 (PDF, 282 pages), reviewed 2026-09-19.

What permits does a mobile home need in Richmond County?

Every permit comes before the home is moved. The county's checklist says all permits must be obtained before a manufactured home is moved onto the property, and that the penalty is double the permit fees. Source: Richmond County Unified Development Ordinance, marked adopted July 14, 2026 (PDF, 282 pages), reviewed 2026-09-19.

Manufactured Home Placement Questions

Start with what the sources actually support.

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

A manufactured home is permitted by right in A-R Agricultural Residential, R-R Rural Residential and V-R Village Residential

C-R County Residential prohibits manufactured homes

A site-built or modular home is permitted by right in all four residential districts

A manufactured home park needs a special use permit, and only in R-R and V-R

The ordinance counts only homes built after July 1, 1976 that meet the HUD standards, and the permit asks for proof

Outside a park, a permanent foundation of poured concrete or a precast solid concrete pad, below the frost line or 4 inches deep, whichever is greater

The tongue, wheels and axle come off once the home is placed

The whole perimeter underpinned - brick, masonry, stuccoed block, stone, or metal or vinyl with treated-lumber support every 2 feet

Masonry underpinning is not required on land leased to the homeowner

Crawlspace access and the outside heating and cooling unit go on the side away from the road

A new home sits parallel to the road unless the setbacks do not allow it

The original roof, or a replacement to the maker's specification or the State Building Code

Vinyl, aluminum, wood or hardboard siding comparable to a standard house

Two manufactured homes on one lot make a manufactured home park

A county zoning permit and a county building permit before the home is set up

No power until the underpinning is installed, according to the county's checklist

Richmond 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 finding

Three residential districts of four permit a manufactured home.

Richmond County's Table of Uses lists four residential districts. A site-built or modular home is permitted by right in all four. A manufactured home is permitted by right in three.

Manufactured home: permitted by right in A-R, R-R and V-R, under the standards in Section 3.5.15.
Site-built or modular home: permitted by right in A-R, R-R, C-R and V-R.
Manufactured home park: a special use permit, in R-R and V-R only.
The district descriptions say the same thing in words. A-R and R-R: 'Individual manufactured homes, as defined in this ordinance, are permitted in this district.' V-R: 'Mobile homes and other forms of manufactured housing ... are permitted in this district.'
No commercial or industrial district lists a manufactured home.

Adverse finding

C-R County Residential prohibits manufactured homes.

The C-R description ends: 'Manufactured homes, as defined in this ordinance, are prohibited in this district.' The Table of Uses leaves the manufactured-home cell blank for C-R. A house or modular home is permitted there.

Check the parcel's district on the county's zoning map before you put money down on the land or the home.
If a lawful nonconforming use is discontinued for more than 180 days in a row, Article 5 says every later use must conform. Ask the county before you move an existing home off a C-R lot.

Adverse finding

Outside a park, the home sits on a concrete pad.

Section 3.5.15 says every manufactured home placed outside a bona fide manufactured home park 'shall be placed upon a permanent foundation of either poured concrete or a pre-cast solid concrete pad. The bottom of the pad shall be below the frost line or 4 inches deep; whichever is greater.'

Ask whether the pad is in the quote. It is often a separate trade and a separate price.
The tongue or hitch, the wheels and the axle must be removed once the home is placed.

Adverse finding

No power until the underpinning is in.

Unless the home is on land leased to the homeowner, the whole perimeter must be enclosed from the ground to the bottom of the home. The county's permit checklist says: 'You cannot get electricity on a manufactured home until appropriate underpinning is properly installed.'

Allowed materials: brick, masonry, concrete block with a stucco finish, natural or synthetic stone, and metal or vinyl.
Vinyl or metal needs horizontal support of treated lumber at most every 2 feet on center.
The underpinning is vented to the State Building Code, with a permanent crawlspace access on the side away from the road.
Masonry is not required on land leased to the homeowner.

The placement rules

Parallel to the road, the equipment round the back.

Section 3.5.15 sets how the home sits on the lot and how it looks.

A new home sits parallel to the road frontage unless the setbacks do not allow it. A home set perpendicular keeps the district's front setback on its side.
The outside heating and cooling unit goes on the side or end of the home away from the road.
Steps and landings are built to the North Carolina State Building Code.
The roof is the original, or a replacement to the maker's specification or the State Building Code.
Siding is mostly vinyl or aluminum lap, wood or hardboard, comparable to a standard house.

The numbers

Lot size and setbacks where a manufactured home is permitted.

These are the Section 3.3 dimensional tables.

A-R: no minimum lot area or width. Setbacks: front 45 feet, side 15, side on a street 45, rear 15.
R-R: 20,000 square feet and 50 feet wide. Setbacks: front 45 feet, side 15, side on a street 45, rear 15.
V-R: 7,000 square feet and 50 feet wide. Setbacks: front 25 feet, side 10, side on a street 25, rear 20.
Height: 35 feet in each.
One principal building per lot. Two manufactured homes on one lot count as a manufactured home park.
A lot recorded before the ordinance that is no more than 20 percent short of the width and area minimums may still be built on.

The order of steps

Every permit comes before the home is moved.

The county's checklist says all permits must be obtained before a manufactured home is moved onto the property, and that the penalty is double the permit fees.

Step 1: a zoning permit from the county, or from the town if the lot is inside one.
Step 2: a septic and well permit from the Health Department's Environmental Health office, or proof of water and sewer.
Step 3: a moving permit from the tax office, if the home is not a new purchase and is being moved.
Step 4: an E911 address, if the lot does not have one.
Step 5: the title or sales agreement and the lien agent, with the application, to Building Inspections.
Proof that the home was built after July 1, 1976, from the sales contract or the title.

What is not written down

Not found is not a yes.

Each item below was looked for in the Richmond County sources named on this page and was not found there.

No minimum width, floor area or roof pitch for a manufactured home.
No pier or anchoring dimensions beyond the pad rule. The state's set-up standards apply.
No list of manufactured-home inspections in order.
No septic setback or lot-size rule from the Health Department. Its pages were not read for this page.
No fee schedule and no review time. Neither was read for this page.
No rule for tree cutting, landscaping or gutters on a home's own lot.

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.

Which version of the Unified Development Ordinance is in force - the one posted marked adopted July 14, 2026, whose cover still says Draft?

Which zoning district is my parcel in, and is it under the county's zoning or a town's?

Is my parcel in A-R, R-R or V-R, where a manufactured home is permitted by right?

If my parcel is in C-R, is there any way to place a manufactured home on it?

Will the foundation inspection look for a poured concrete or precast concrete pad, and how deep is the frost line here?

Does the land-lease exception to the underpinning rules apply to my lot?

Has the Health Department approved a septic system or well for this lot?

Does my parcel have an E911 address yet?

Which inspections will the county call for on a manufactured home, and in what order?

Dealer Quote Responsibility Questions

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

Have you confirmed the lot's zoning district is A-R, R-R or V-R?

Is a poured concrete or precast concrete pad in this quote, below the frost line or 4 inches deep?

Is the underpinning in this quote, and is it one of the materials the county lists?

Will the home be set parallel to the road, with the heating and cooling unit on the far side?

Do you have the title or sales agreement showing the home was built after July 1, 1976?

Who pulls the zoning and building permits before the home is moved?

What To Gather

Better details make county and provider questions clearer.

The parcel's address, parcel number and zoning district, and whether it is inside a town

Whether the lot is on a septic system and well, or on public water and sewer

The Health Department septic or well permit for the lot, if there is one

The home's manufacture date, from the sales contract or the title

Whether the lot is owned or leased, which changes the underpinning rule

The E911 address, if the lot already has one

Related provider types

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

Related project stages

Purchasing or Acquiring Land Permits, Septic, and Utilities Preparing Your Land Setup and Installation After Installation / Move-In

Source notes

Every quotation on this page was read cold on 2026-09-19 from the Richmond County Unified Development Ordinance posted on the county's Planning and Zoning page (282-page PDF). Its footers read 'Adopted: July 14, 2026' and Section 1.10 records a re-adoption effective July 14, 2026, but its cover and contents page are still labelled 'Draft' and the signature lines are blank. Which version the county enforces is not confirmed here. The county's ordinance brief in the research record was used only to find the sections; no brief wording was carried onto this page.

The headline finding rests on the Section 3.4 Table of Uses, rows 1.110 Site Built and Modular Homes, 1.120 Manufactured Homes and 1.600 Manufactured Home Parks, read from the rendered table page so each P and S sits under its district. The Section 3.3 district descriptions state the same result in words, including the C-R prohibition.

The foundation, underpinning, placement and appearance rules are Section 3.5.15, paragraphs e to j. Its applicability paragraph says it covers all manufactured homes in the county's jurisdiction; its purpose paragraph speaks of homes outside parks. The masonry exception for leased land is paragraph f(2).

The definition of Manufactured Home, including 'only homes constructed after July 1, 1976, that meet HUD standards', is in Article 11.

The lot and setback numbers are the Section 3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 3.3.4 dimensional tables; the A-R table was read from the rendered page. The one-principal-building rule is Section 4.3, the two-homes-make-a-park rule Section 3.5.15(d)(1), the substandard-lot rule Section 4.5 and the 180-day rule Sections 5.1 and 5.2.

The permit order, the double-fee penalty, the proof-of-age rule and the underpinning-before-power rule are from the county's one-page Manufactured Home permitting procedures, read on 2026-09-19.

Whether the bona fide farm exemption in Section 1.5 reaches a manufactured home is not answered here: the section names residences 'constructed to the applicable residential building code', and a manufactured home is built to the federal standard. Ask the county.

No written answer from Richmond County Planning, Building Inspections or the Health Department is on file for this page, and no staff confirmation is claimed. No staff names appear here, and no project approval, inspection result or utility-release outcome is implied.

Helpful Next Steps

Move from Richmond 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.

Do I need a permit for a mobile home in North Carolina?

The statewide permit question, before Richmond County's district and foundation rules.

How to check zoning for a manufactured home

In Richmond County a manufactured home fits three residential districts of four; this is how to ask which district yours is.

Manufactured-home site plan checklist

The county wants the zoning permit first, and the home set parallel to the road.

Source Hierarchy

State installation guidance first, then local process.

The NC Installation Manual sets how a home is installed statewide. Richmond 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

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

local process source

Local ordinance source: Richmond County Unified Development Ordinance, marked adopted July 14, 2026 (PDF, 282 pages)

The whole ordinance, linked from the county's Planning and Zoning page. Every rule on this page is quoted from it: the district descriptions and dimensional tables in Section 3.3, the Table of Uses in Section 3.4, the manufactured-home standards in Section 3.5.15, the one-principal-building rule in Section 4.3, the substandard-lot rule in Section 4.5, the nonconforming-use rules in Article 5 and the definition of Manufactured Home in Article 11. Its page footers read 'Adopted: July 14, 2026' and Section 1.10 records a re-adoption effective that day; its cover and its contents page still say 'Draft', and the signature lines are blank. Read cold on 2026-09-19.

Responsible authority / official host: richmondnc.com
Purpose and coverage: local process source
Last verified: 2026-09-19
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: Richmond County Manufactured Home permitting procedures (PDF, 1 page)

The county's one-page permit checklist for a manufactured home: every permit before the home is moved onto the property, the five steps in order, the proof-of-age rule and the underpinning-before-power rule. Read on 2026-09-19.

Responsible authority / official host: richmondnc.com
Purpose and coverage: local process source
Last verified: 2026-09-19
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 Richmond 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