HUD Manufactured Home Installation Program (MHIP)
Installer Certification Actual Test
Questions and Answers with Rationales
Based on 24 CFR Part 3285 — Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards
,Question 1. Under 24 CFR Part 3285, which document takes precedence when its
requirements are more stringent than the Model Installation Standards?
A. The Model Installation Standards always control
B. The manufacturer's installation instructions
C. State building code, regardless of content
D. The retailer's sales contract
Answer: B
Rationale: The manufacturer's installation instructions govern whenever they are more
stringent than, or address a condition not covered by, the Model Installation Standards
in Part 3285. Installers must follow the manufacturer's instructions first.
Question 2. What is the primary purpose of 24 CFR Part 3285?
A. To regulate manufactured home transportation only
B. To establish minimum standards for the installation of manufactured homes
C. To set retail pricing for manufactured homes
D. To license manufactured home retailers
Answer: B
Rationale: Part 3285 establishes the Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards,
which set minimum requirements for site preparation, foundations, support, anchoring,
and connection of manufactured homes when a state does not have its own HUD-
approved installation program.
Question 3. Which term describes the vertical distance from finished grade to the
bottom of a footing, used to determine frost protection depth?
A. Footing depth
B. Frost line
C. Grade elevation
D. Pier height
Answer: B
Rationale: The 'frost line' is the depth of frost penetration in soil; footings must be
placed below the local frost line (or on undisturbed soil/engineered alternative) to
prevent frost heave from displacing the foundation.
Question 4. According to the Model Installation Standards, what is 'blocking'?
, A. Insulation placed in the belly of the home
B. Devices that transmit vertical loads from the home's support structure to the
footings
C. Skirting material around the perimeter
D. A type of ground anchor
Answer: B
Rationale: Blocking refers to the piers, caps, and shims used to transfer the vertical
(dead and live) loads of the manufactured home down to the footings/foundation.
Question 5. What is the definition of a 'pier' in manufactured home installation?
A. A structural support placed between the footing and the I-beam or frame
B. A concrete slab under the entire home
C. A type of anchor strap
D. A ventilation opening in the skirting
Answer: A
Rationale: A pier is an individual support component (concrete block, adjustable steel, or
other approved material) that carries the load from the home's chassis or frame down to
the footing.
Question 6. What is a 'footing' as defined in 24 CFR Part 3285?
A. The manufacturer's data plate
B. A pad or material that transmits loads directly to the soil
C. The main frame beam of the home
D. A type of tie-down strap
Answer: B
Rationale: A footing is the component of the foundation/support system that rests on or
in the soil and distributes the structural load over a sufficient soil area to prevent
excessive settlement.
Question 7. What must be verified about soil bearing capacity before installing
footings, absent a site-specific soil test?
A. Nothing; footings can be placed on any soil
B. A default presumptive soil bearing capacity of 1,000 psf is used unless otherwise
justified
, C. Soil bearing capacity is irrelevant to pier spacing
D. Only the manufacturer determines soil capacity
Answer: B
Rationale: Absent an engineered soil test, the Model Standards use a conservative
default presumptive bearing capacity (1,000 psf) for determining footing size, and
installers must size footings accordingly or obtain a soil analysis for higher capacities.
Question 8. Which of the following is NOT an acceptable footing material under the
Model Installation Standards?
A. Poured concrete
B. Concrete masonry units (patio blocks/pads) rated for the load
C. ABS plastic pads listed for the application
D. Untreated plywood scraps
Answer: D
Rationale: Footings must be manufactured, listed materials (concrete, approved plastic,
or masonry) designed to bear the required load; improvised materials such as untreated
plywood scraps are not approved footing materials.
Question 9. What information is used to determine minimum pier spacing under a
manufactured home?
A. The color of the home's exterior siding
B. The home's design load (roof load zone, wind zone) and the manufacturer's
installation manual
C. The installer's personal preference
D. The retailer's delivery schedule
Answer: B
Rationale: Pier spacing is engineered based on the home's structural design (perimeter
and mate-line loads, roof/wind/snow load zones) as specified in the manufacturer's
installation instructions or the Model Standards' default tables.
Question 10. A center-line (mate-line) pier under a multi-section home typically
supports what?
A. Only the marriage line wall of a multi-section home
B. The roof overhang only
Installer Certification Actual Test
Questions and Answers with Rationales
Based on 24 CFR Part 3285 — Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards
,Question 1. Under 24 CFR Part 3285, which document takes precedence when its
requirements are more stringent than the Model Installation Standards?
A. The Model Installation Standards always control
B. The manufacturer's installation instructions
C. State building code, regardless of content
D. The retailer's sales contract
Answer: B
Rationale: The manufacturer's installation instructions govern whenever they are more
stringent than, or address a condition not covered by, the Model Installation Standards
in Part 3285. Installers must follow the manufacturer's instructions first.
Question 2. What is the primary purpose of 24 CFR Part 3285?
A. To regulate manufactured home transportation only
B. To establish minimum standards for the installation of manufactured homes
C. To set retail pricing for manufactured homes
D. To license manufactured home retailers
Answer: B
Rationale: Part 3285 establishes the Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards,
which set minimum requirements for site preparation, foundations, support, anchoring,
and connection of manufactured homes when a state does not have its own HUD-
approved installation program.
Question 3. Which term describes the vertical distance from finished grade to the
bottom of a footing, used to determine frost protection depth?
A. Footing depth
B. Frost line
C. Grade elevation
D. Pier height
Answer: B
Rationale: The 'frost line' is the depth of frost penetration in soil; footings must be
placed below the local frost line (or on undisturbed soil/engineered alternative) to
prevent frost heave from displacing the foundation.
Question 4. According to the Model Installation Standards, what is 'blocking'?
, A. Insulation placed in the belly of the home
B. Devices that transmit vertical loads from the home's support structure to the
footings
C. Skirting material around the perimeter
D. A type of ground anchor
Answer: B
Rationale: Blocking refers to the piers, caps, and shims used to transfer the vertical
(dead and live) loads of the manufactured home down to the footings/foundation.
Question 5. What is the definition of a 'pier' in manufactured home installation?
A. A structural support placed between the footing and the I-beam or frame
B. A concrete slab under the entire home
C. A type of anchor strap
D. A ventilation opening in the skirting
Answer: A
Rationale: A pier is an individual support component (concrete block, adjustable steel, or
other approved material) that carries the load from the home's chassis or frame down to
the footing.
Question 6. What is a 'footing' as defined in 24 CFR Part 3285?
A. The manufacturer's data plate
B. A pad or material that transmits loads directly to the soil
C. The main frame beam of the home
D. A type of tie-down strap
Answer: B
Rationale: A footing is the component of the foundation/support system that rests on or
in the soil and distributes the structural load over a sufficient soil area to prevent
excessive settlement.
Question 7. What must be verified about soil bearing capacity before installing
footings, absent a site-specific soil test?
A. Nothing; footings can be placed on any soil
B. A default presumptive soil bearing capacity of 1,000 psf is used unless otherwise
justified
, C. Soil bearing capacity is irrelevant to pier spacing
D. Only the manufacturer determines soil capacity
Answer: B
Rationale: Absent an engineered soil test, the Model Standards use a conservative
default presumptive bearing capacity (1,000 psf) for determining footing size, and
installers must size footings accordingly or obtain a soil analysis for higher capacities.
Question 8. Which of the following is NOT an acceptable footing material under the
Model Installation Standards?
A. Poured concrete
B. Concrete masonry units (patio blocks/pads) rated for the load
C. ABS plastic pads listed for the application
D. Untreated plywood scraps
Answer: D
Rationale: Footings must be manufactured, listed materials (concrete, approved plastic,
or masonry) designed to bear the required load; improvised materials such as untreated
plywood scraps are not approved footing materials.
Question 9. What information is used to determine minimum pier spacing under a
manufactured home?
A. The color of the home's exterior siding
B. The home's design load (roof load zone, wind zone) and the manufacturer's
installation manual
C. The installer's personal preference
D. The retailer's delivery schedule
Answer: B
Rationale: Pier spacing is engineered based on the home's structural design (perimeter
and mate-line loads, roof/wind/snow load zones) as specified in the manufacturer's
installation instructions or the Model Standards' default tables.
Question 10. A center-line (mate-line) pier under a multi-section home typically
supports what?
A. Only the marriage line wall of a multi-section home
B. The roof overhang only
