Are manufactured homes covered by warranties? The answer is that most of them are. Warranties on manufactured homes vary between manufacturers. Some warranties may include appliances in the manufactured home, but many a time appliances are covered by their own warranties. When you’re considering manufactured homes to buy, learn for yourself which items are covered by warranties, who is offering them, and how any warranty-covered repairs would be handled. Also find out the length of any warranty, as coverage times will vary, too.

Manufactured homes all conform to the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (HUD code) of the U.S. government if made and sold in the United States. This means that manufactured homes don’t conform to the local building codes of the place where you’ll be erecting and living in the house. To find a house’s date of manufacture, you should be able to locate data plate located on or close to the main electrical panel or one that is in the kitchen cabinet or one of the bedroom closets. This data plate provides you with information concerning the manufactured home’s heating system, cooling system, other components, and appliances as well as the snow load and wind zone that the house was designed to be able to endure. All of this information will help you to better understand how good or extensive any relevant warranties are.

Installers and retailers, not just the makers of manufactured homes, may offer their own warranties, and if so they may cover different parts or aspects of a home. You’ll want to know about all such possible warranties. Get complete warranty packages that are written up in detail—don’t rely merely on sales brochures that might not provide you with the detail that you need to make an informed decision. Compare these packages. There are several things that you specifically want to focus on in your researching and comparing:

How long will a given warranty last?

What exactly does a given warranty cover? You’ll find that manufactured houses’ warranties usually will not cover what are regarded as normal wear and tear, consumer abuse or maintenance neglect, or site preparation. A lot of warranties also exclude covering what are considered cosmetic item. It’s important for you to understand what this means, because it often becomes a bone of contention with regards to manufactured homes’ warranties. Other warranties may not cover important items like problems with windows and doors, wall cracks, or leaky faucets. If you’re buying a used manufactured home, it probably comes with a very, very limited warranty.

What actions or events void the warranty? There are times when moving or selling the house can void the warranty. Improper site preparation typically voids a warranty, too. The conditions may also be that a house needs to receive regular maintenance of particular kinds to keep the warranty in force.

Do appliances get covered by a separate warranty? If so, who provides service on them?

Who performs the repair work on a given warranty? How do the various parties split their responsibilities? Know that while it’s best to buy warranty coverage straight from the home’s manufacturer, not all states allow this because of licensing laws.

So-called extended warranties are very often a bad deal. Typically they’re not really anything other than the high-priced insurance products of third party companies. Extended warranties’ terms might be different than those in the original warranty.

Learn whether or not the retailer, installer, retailer, site contractor, or park owner will certify that the site where the home is to be put up is properly prepared and will meet the warranty requirements. Improper site preparation often voids warranties, remember.

So, manufactured homes are covered by warranties. But you’ll have to look them over carefully.