Most mobile (a.k.a. manufactured) homes are designed with roofs which are only engineered to support a minimal snow load – most generally the maximum design roof snow loads range in the 30 to 40 psf (pounds per square foot) range.
Besides the issue of snow, many mobile homes are designed with roof slopes of less than 4/12 – in many cases to allow them to be transported down highways without being remodeled by overpasses. The flatter roof slopes tend to have issues with leaks much easier than do steeper slopes, especially around penetrations in the roof such as attic, plumbing and heating vents.
One of my loyal readers Genna from Traverse City writes: “Hello! Can a roof-only pole barn be constructed over a mobile home? Not directly on top of it, like a roof, but over it, covering the porches and surrounding area as well, probably ten feet past the mobile home in each direction. Thank you!”.
In some states, it is against the Building Code to be able to attach directly to a mobile home to do things like increase roof slope with an overlaid roof. In jurisdictions such as these, the only solution becomes to utilize what is known as a “snow roof”.
Snow roofs can be designed to not only cover the manufactured home itself, but also to incorporate covering decks, porches and extensions. I’ve designed them to allow for both covered parking as a carport beyond an endwall, as well as fully enclosed for garage space.
When planning a snow roof, it is prudent to lay out the locations of doors and windows on each side of the mobile home, so as not to end up with a column which would block the view, or obstruct a doorway. This can result in some ‘interesting’ column spacing – where every bay along the sidewalls is a differing width. The beauty of post frame construction is it easily adapts to these changes in spacings from what might be considered the norm (every post evenly spaced).
In order to get the most from your investment in a new mobile home cover, it is best if one (or ideally both) endwalls can be covered to the ground, as this allows for the transfer of wind shear loads without the need for huge columns embedded deeply in the ground to prevent over turning.
You can read more about roof only buildings here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2015/04/roof-only-pole-buildings/
Have or planning to invest in a mobile home? A snow roof might be in your future. If so, a post frame cover is going to give the ultimate in affordability and flexibility as a design solution
Are you in Seattle or Portland (I see a dot on the U.S. map)?
Hello Brin,
Well, yes, and no. Our offices are physically located in beautiful northeastern South Dakota along the Minnesota border. However, I guess you could say we are anywhere one might have an internet connection as we are an internet based company. We do have buildings in those areas, and scattered throughout this great land of ours. Each of those dots is near one of our buildings.
Thanks for following the Pole barn Guru, and visiting our Hansen Pole Buildings page.
PBG
we are wanting to put a metal snow roof over our current mobile home
We are in NW Washington State
Is that something you would do?
Thank you for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building. One of our Building Designers will be reaching out to you shortly.
Hello Brin do you do work in northern Nevada I have damage from snow and need a Re-engineered roof on my 28×60 Mobil home the Insurance will fix the trusses and put on a re-engineered roof I am having a hard time finding someone to engineer my new roof any help will be appreciated thanks
We could provide you with a completely new system, however not one working with attempting to repair damaged trusses.