Check to see if the contractor is licensed.

Ask the contractor for a copy of his/her business license and state contractor's license, which are required by each city, county and state in order to do business there.

Check to see if the contractor is fully insured.

Ask the contractor for copies of his/her certificates of insurance.

Check with the local better business bureau, homebuilders associations and State Board for Contractors.

Ask if there have been any complaints filed against the contractor; past or active cases.

Check to see if the contractor has a reputable business establishment.

Confirm a physical address and local phone number. Call the number to verify its validity.  Stafford County cannot endorse or recommend contractors.

Inquire about employees and sub-contractors who will be working on your project.

Ask the contractor for a copy of their names.

Ask for references from previous clients.

Contact referrals whose projects are similar to yours. Ask specific questions regarding timelines, response to concerns and requests, job clean-up, and overall job quality. Ask to see a completed job. Your idea of a job well done may differ from someone else's.  Have a well written contract per the State Board for Contractor's standards.

What is a manufactured home?

A manufactured home (once referred to as a mobile home) is a single family dwelling built to the Federal Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards (HUD Code) and displaying a red certification label on the outside of each section of the home. A manufactured home is transported in one or more sections, built on a permanent chassis, and includes the electrical, plumbing, heating, and any air conditioning systems contained in the home.

Are recreational vehicles or RV's manufactured homes?

No. Travel trailers, pop-up campers, motor homes and other types of RV's and vehicle trailers are not constructed to the HUD Code and are not manufactured homes.

Are manufactured homes inspected by HUD inspectors during construction at the manufacturing plants?

Under the HUD program, inspections of the homes and the construction and quality control processes are done by inspection agencies approved and monitored by HUD. In addition, the manufacturer also conducts inspections through the quality control program which is in place during the construction process. The red certification label (HUD label) is applied to each home which has passed the final inspection process.

Are manufactured homes maintenance free?

No. No home is maintenance free. Just as with site-built homes, building materials used in manufactured homes require proper maintenance to extend their life. The homeowner's manual, which is required with every new home, explains proper maintenance requirements.

Will I receive a warranty with a new manufactured home?

Yes. Under Virginia laws and regulations, manufacturers and dealers are required to issue warranties on a new home. The manufacturer's warranty covers the structure and factory installed plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems. The dealer's warranty covers alterations or modifications made by the dealer and transportation and set-up operations performed by the dealer or by persons under contract to the dealer. All warranties shall be a minimum of 12 months measured from the date of delivery of the home to the buyer. The date of delivery is the date on which all terms or conditions of the contract have been completed.

Is there a time period for repairing warranty defects?

Yes. Any defect determined to be an imminent safety hazard to life and health shall be remedied within three days of receipt of written notice of the warranty claim. All other defects shall be remedied within 45 days of receipt of the written notice of the warranty claim. The 45 day period may be extended for bona fide reasons.

What is involved in the installation or set-up of a manufactured home?

First, a permit must be obtained from the local building official to install the home and hook up all utilities. Local zoning and land use regulations must be checked. Necessary site preparation, such as grading, drainage provisions and site access for the home, must be considered. After the permits have been approved, the home must be installed according to the Uniform Statewide Building Code and the manufacturer's installation instructions. All footings, piers, supports and anchoring provisions must comply with those instructions and inspectors. Skirting shall be installed to enclose the underside of the home within 60 days of occupancy of the home.

Who does the installation or set-up of a manufactured home?

Normally, the dealer is responsible for the installation of the homes as stated in the sales contract. The dealers would use their own personnel or contract with other contractors to complete the set-up. If the sales agreement between the dealer and buyer does not include installation by the dealer, the buyer should make certain that the person installing the home will follow the Uniform Statewide Building Code and the manufacturer's instructions. Set-up contractors should be licensed as required by the Virginia Board for Contractors.

May a homeowner apply for the permit and install a manufactured home?

Yes. The Uniform Statewide Building Code allows the owner of the home to apply for the permit for installation of the home. Owners performing their own installation work are not required to be licensed by the Board for Contractors. Other personas or companies performing the set-up work for the owners, including the dealer or persons under contract to the dealer, would be required to comply with the licensing requirements of the Board for Contractors.

Are manufacturers and dealers licensed and regulated in Virginia?

Yes. The Virginia Manufactured Housing Board, through the Department of Housing and Community Development, issues licenses and regulates manufacturers, dealers, manufacture d home brokers, and individual salespersons as provided in the Virginia Manufactured Housing Licensing and Transaction Recovery Fund Regulations.

What is the Manufactured Housing Transaction Recovery Fund?

As a requirement for obtaining a license, each manufacturer, dealer , broker and salesperson must pay an assessment into the Transaction Recovery Fund. This Fund was created by the General Assembly to provide protection against loss or damage due to a violation of the regulations by a regulant has the right to file a claim for recovery from the Fund. The clam will be reviewed and, if the Board finds that the claimant did suffer a loss due to a violation of the regulations, the Board ill determine the amount of actual damages to be awarded to the claimant and order the responsible manufacturer, dealer, broker, or salesperson to pay the awarded damages. If the responsible party does not either pay the damages awarded by the Board or file an appeal to the courts within 30 days, the board will pay the damages from the Recovery Fund, subject to single claim limits and aggregate claim limits.

How, and to whom, can manufactured home owners report problems with their homes?

Homeowners should first contact their dealers. Then follow-up with a written list of the problems to the dealer, installer and manufacturer. Follow- up any correspondence with a call to the dealer and/or manufacturer to discuss the problems and schedule a service appointment. If the manufacturers or retailers do not respond or if they have refused to make repairs, homeowners may want to contact the Manufactured Housing Office, 501 North Second Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219. The office telephone number is (804) 371-7160 or homeowners may send information by FAX to (804) 371-7092. As the designated State Administrative Agency (SAA) for the HUD program in Virginia, that office may be able to assist the homeowner in resolving problems with a manufactured home if the manufacturer and/or dealer have been unresponsive to homeowner's request. That office should also be contacted with questions or concerns regarding licensing problems or the Manufactured Housing Transaction Recovery Fund, or for additional information regarding manufactured homes.

(Information provided by the Department of Housing and Community Development ~ Manufactured Housing and Industrialized Building Office)

Why do I have to wait until the next working day to get my inspection?

The building code stipulates that our department must make an inspection within 2 working days after receiving a request to inspect. Our policy provides that, under normal circumstances, we will make the inspection within 12 working hours after receiving the request. Each morning at 8 am, inspectors are assigned their workload which consists of inspection tickets for requests received the previous day as well as other assignments, including responding to citizen concerns about issues involving the department. In addition to their daily inspection workload, inspectors often have other duties to attend to, including court appearances, training, and issuing enforcement notices. In order to balance the requirements on their time, inspectors must arrange their workday before leaving our offices each morning. This includes routing their inspection ticket workload for the greatest efficiency. Therefore, each inspector's workload is predetermined at the beginning of each workday. This allows the greatest optimization of our resources and facilitates a better inspection process at a reasonable cost to the consumer.

My inspection was rejected. Why can't the inspector come back today and reinspect?

Because of the items mentioned in #2 above, the inspector may not have enough time to back-track the pre-determined route. However, sometimes the inspector CAN come back. (But this depends on several factors. If the inspector is nearby and feels that the re-inspection can be worked into the workload, the inspector will often agree to re-visit a job on the same day to perform a re-inspection. The decision to re-inspect on the same day is the inspector's to make and is based on the remaining workload and the amount of time left in the workday.

What's my next inspection?

The Department of Building Inspections publishes booklets which provide specific information about required inspections.  

What type of activity requires a permit?

The Department of Building Inspections publishes a handout that lists the types of projects that require a permit. 

I'm going to upgrade my electrical service. Do I need to install a disconnect?

Persons un-licensed and inexperienced in the electrical trade should not attempt to upgrade their electrical service. This type of work is better left to a licensed electrician. If the upgrade ("heavy-up") requires the service entrance cable to be moved or lengthened, it may be necessary to install a disconnect. Typically, if the service entrance cable is moved and is over six feet in length, or if the service entrance cable is replaced with a longer cable over six feet in length, a disconnect may be required.

Where can I get a copy of the code book?

To obtain copies of the most current Code, please contact:

International Code Council            
4051 W. Flossmoor Road            
Country Club Hills, Illinois 60477-5795                  
1-888/422-7233                  
http://www.iccsafe.org

Why can't you waive this requirement, just this one time?

The building inspection departments throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia are required, by law, to provide for the safe construction of all buildings and structures. This responsibility is to the citizens of every community in the state, not to any single person or structure. The building code law does not permit any of its requirements to be waived. The code does contain provisions for modification of its requirements, so long as the spirit and intent of the code are met. If you feel that a code requirement is unreasonable, you may request the Code Official to consider modifying the requirement, but you must provide a reasonable alternative to compliance that meets the spirit and intent of the code.

Why can't you make my contractor come back and fix things?

The code provides for enforcement of its provisions for a limited time after completion of work under a permit. If a code violation is discovered during this time, we can take action that may require the responsible party to correct the violation. If you believe a building safety violation exists in a structure you own or rent, you may request an investigation by an inspector.  If the inspector determines that a violation exists, and the time limit for enforcing the code has not expired, we will take action to enforce the code. If the time limit for enforcement has expired, we will document the violation, but we can not take action to enforce the code.

Experience has taught us that in most instances where new homeowners and their contractor disagree about an item needing correction, the item is cosmetic in nature, which means that it usually isn't a building code issue. We can not address issues outside of code requirements. If , as a new homeowner, you have issues that you believe are building code violations or are unsure, we will gladly investigate the issues and make a determination.

How do I get an inspection for work performed under a building permit?

• HELLO Integrated Voice Response System 540/658-4141
• http://hello.stafford.va.us

We haven't quite finished things. Can we move in?

Sometimes things just don't work out so that your job is completed on time. If your project has progressed to a point where your building can be occupied safely, but you haven't quite finished everything, we can issue a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. (There is a small fee for this service.) You must have requested and received a final inspection for all permits issued for your job. The inspectors performing these final inspections will note the items which have not been completed. As long as a determination can be made that the building can be occupied safely, a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy can be issued. The Temporary Certificate of Occupancy will be issued for a limited time, allowing for completion of all items listed by the inspectors. If you are unsure as to whether a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy can be issued for your building, contact our department.