What does my lender mean by a permanent foundation certification?
It usually means a Professional Engineer's report on your home's foundation, measured against a standard the lender names. It does not mean a copy of the standard itself.
What is PFGMH?
PFGMH stands for Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing. It is a HUD guide used in evaluating and designing permanent foundations for manufactured homes. The guide does not certify any individual address. A property-specific engineering report applies the requested scope to your home.
Does a conventional loan always need one?
Do not assume either way. Ask your lender whether it requires a foundation certification for your file and what standard it names. Our guide to the engineer report for a conventional loan explains how to get the request in writing.
Does skirting mean I have a permanent foundation?
No. The enclosure around the bottom of the home does not show how the home is supported or secured. A finished exterior can hide conditions that need review. Tell us what you see, but do not pick repairs based on appearance alone.
Is a foundation certification the same as an affixation document?
No. A foundation certification is an engineering document. An affidavit or other paperwork about affixation serves a different purpose in the title and legal records. Your title company or the recording office can tell you what is needed for your transaction.
A foundation report does not, by itself, retire a manufactured home title or turn the home into real property. Keep the two requests on separate lists until the people who asked confirm what remains.
What if the foundation does not meet the criteria?
The report describes the findings within the agreed scope. Depending on the conditions, the next step could be more information, a repair scope, completed repairs, or further review. Ask what is included in the first quote and what would be priced separately.
Certification depends on the findings, and your lender decides whether the resulting document satisfies its requirement. We cannot promise a favorable result.
What should you send us?
- The address and state.
- Your lender's written foundation requirement.
- Any earlier foundation report, so the lender can say whether it may be usable.
- Known additions, alterations, or repairs.
- An access contact and the date the report is needed.
Reports are signed by an engineer licensed in the state where the home sits: Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, or Indiana.
Ready to start?
Our permanent foundation certification service covers the visit and the signed report. Send the lender's wording and your address. We reply within one business day.