Expert: Ted Barnhill (Principal, Design45 LLC) - 5/14/2009

Question

My manufactured house is a little over 4 years old, and it's on a basement. My new husband and I are wanting to put an addition on to this. It's a simple ranch and we would like push out the back wall and add an upstairs. Is this possible with a manufactured house on a basement?  

Answer
Amy,

You can certainly add an addition on to your existing manufactured home.  However, to determine the best and most economical way to do this may require some design.  I suspect that you may run into structural problems with building a second story, as your basement was probably not sufficiently "overbuilt" to allow a doubling of the live loads above.  A structural engineer can suggest options and cost ranges for various possible kinds of additions; when you get serious about building, this is a good investment.

If you have or can get a copy of the original plans for your home, it will be much easier to assess the structure and determine your best course of action.  

Best of luck with your project.

-Ted Barnhill