Owners call about mobile homes for all kinds of reasons. A unit was damaged in a storm and can't be fixed. A family inherited a lot with an old trailer on it and wants to sell or build. A park is clearing old homes to bring in new ones. The work itself is usually quick. What trips people up is everything around it: the title, the permit, the park and the pieces nobody thinks about until the home is gone.
First decision
Haul it away or tear it down?
Moving it whole
If the home is in decent shape and someone wants it, a mobile home mover can take it off the lot. Before paying for that, check whether it can legally be set up again where it's going. Setup in Florida has to be done by a licensed mobile home installer, and older homes may not meet the wind standards required in South Florida.
Demolishing on site
When the home is storm-damaged, rotted or simply too old to move, it's taken apart on the lot. The roof, walls and floor come down, the steel frame is cut up, and everything is hauled away.
Taking it off the frame
Sometimes the box is demolished and the steel frame and axles are pulled out in larger pieces. That depends on the home's condition and how much room there is to work.
Additions count too
Florida rooms, carports, screen rooms, sheds and decks are often attached to the home. They're part of the job and should be in the quote, along with any concrete pad or runners.
The process
How a mobile home demolition goes
Check the paperwork
Find the title or confirm whether the home was declared real property with the land. If there's a loan on the home, the lender has to be part of the conversation. In a park, read the lot agreement and park rules about removal.
Pull the permit
Most South Florida building departments require a demolition or removal permit. Some ask for electrical and plumbing sign-offs as part of it, and some want a letter showing the refrigerant was recovered.
Disconnect the utilities
The electric is disconnected at the pedestal or meter, the water is shut off and the sewer line is capped. In a park, the park usually owns the pedestal and the connections, so coordinate with the office.
Recover the refrigerant
The A/C or heat pump has to have its refrigerant recovered by a certified technician before the unit is removed. It can't just be cut loose.
Check for asbestos
Older homes can have asbestos in flooring, ceiling texture, roof coatings, siding or duct wrap. A survey tells you what's there before the crew starts.
Take it down and haul it
The home and any additions come apart, the steel is separated, and the debris goes to a licensed facility with disposal tickets.
Clean up the lot
Piers, tie-down anchors, pads and runners come out as the scope requires, holes are filled and the lot is graded. Then the permit gets its final inspection.
The title
Don't forget the title
If the home has a title
Florida law says that when a mobile home is dismantled or destroyed, the owner on the last title has to surrender it to the state's motor vehicle department, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Your county tax collector's office handles this and can tell you what they need.
If it was declared real property
When the home and the land have the same owner, the home may have been made part of the real property, with an RP decal. In that case it's taxed with the land, and once it's gone the property appraiser updates the record after the demolition is finished.
Why it matters
A title that's still active can keep tags, fees or tax bills coming for a home that no longer exists. It can also slow down a sale of the lot.
Mobile home parks
When the home sits in a park
Two owners, one site
In most parks the homeowner owns the home and the park owns the land. Both have a say. Get written permission from the park and agree on access, work hours and where trucks can go.
Park rules
The lot agreement and park rules can cover how a home is removed, what has to be left behind and what condition the lot has to be in. Read them before you hire anyone.
Several homes at once
When the same owner removes several homes in a park at the same time, federal asbestos rules can apply the way they would to a commercial job, including a notice to the state before work starts. A single home used as a family dwelling is usually exempt.
Neighbors close by
Park homes are packed tight. The crew has to protect the homes next door, keep debris contained and keep the road open.
The price
What drives the cost of removing a mobile home
| Item | Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Size | A single-wide is less work than a double- or triple-wide | |
| Haul or demolish | Moving it whole and demolishing it on site are priced very differently | |
| Additions | Florida rooms, carports, sheds and decks add demolition and hauling | |
| Asbestos | A survey costs money, and if asbestos is found, abatement comes first | |
| Access | Tight park roads, trees and fences slow the machines and trucks down | |
| Storm damage | A collapsed or soaked home is harder and slower to take apart safely | |
| Concrete and anchors | Pads, runners, piers and tie-down anchors may or may not be included | |
| Permit and paperwork | Permit fees, utility work and refrigerant recovery are sometimes priced separately |
Ask whether the quote includes the additions, the anchors and pad, the refrigerant recovery and the final grading. Two prices that look far apart often cover different work.
Related
Keep reading
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to remove a mobile home in Florida?
Usually yes. Most South Florida cities and counties require a demolition or removal permit, and some also want electrical and plumbing sign-offs or a letter showing the A/C refrigerant was recovered. Check with your building department before any work starts.
What do I do with the title after a mobile home is demolished?
Florida law requires the owner to surrender the title to the state when a mobile home is dismantled or destroyed. Your county tax collector's office handles it. If the home was declared real property with the land, the property appraiser updates the record instead.
Can an old mobile home be moved instead of demolished?
Sometimes, if it's in good enough shape and someone wants it. But setup in Florida has to be done by a licensed installer, and older homes may not meet the wind standards required in South Florida. Check before paying to move it.
Do mobile homes have asbestos?
Older ones can. Flooring, ceiling texture, roof coatings, siding and duct wrap are common places to find it. A survey before demolition tells you what's there.
Who disconnects the utilities on a mobile home in a park?
The electric, water and sewer are disconnected before demolition, and in most parks the park owns the pedestal and connections. Coordinate with the park office and your contractor so the lot is left the way the park requires.
Is the concrete pad removed too?
Only if it's in the scope. Pads, runners, piers and tie-down anchors may stay or go depending on what's next for the lot and what the park or the city requires. Make sure the quote says which.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Title, tax and permit rules vary by county and change over time, and mobile home parks set their own rules. Confirm the details with your building department, your county tax collector and, if the home is in a park, the park office.