5 Important Tips for Leveling Your Mobile Home

When the scales tilt in your favor it’s a good thing, but if your mobile home is tilting instead it’s time for releveling.

Professional companies charge anywhere from $500-1500 to re-level a mobile home. Yet with just a few tools and these five helpful tips, most homeowners should be able to tackle this project in one, affordable weekend. 

1. Know What You Are Looking For

Mobile homes can become unlevel for many reasons. Usually, moisture and mother nature are to blame. The wetter your climate is, the more prone your home is to ground erosion, shifting, sinking, and damage to wood and wedges.

Here are a few telltale signs it’s time to relevel your mobile home:

• Doors and windows won’t shut completely. 
• Cabinet doors don’t open/close smoothly. 
• Ceilings, floors, or walls have cracks.                    
• Roof shingles and sidings are buckled.

If you’ve noticed any of these, it’s important to get your home leveled out again as soon as possible to avoid costly consequences in the future.

2. Know When to Look

Mobile homes should be checked for level 90 days after installation, annually at the beginning of summer, after renovations, and after any severe weather.

The longer your home remains unlevel the more likely you are to incur water damage, increased heating/cooling costs, and undue, uneven stress on the piers holding up your home.

3. Know What You Are Working With 

The main tools you’ll need are a water level and one or two, 20-ton hydraulic bottle jacks. You’ll also want to-code materials for rebuilding your piers such as pressure-treated wood, wooden wedges, and the appropriate concrete blocks.

DIY Affordable Water Level

A homemade water level is the best money-saving tip for this project. Many DIY-ers drill and seal a barbed plumbing fitting into the bottom of a large container, but for an even more affordable route, skip all that!

Essentially all you need is a 50-100 foot length of wide-diameter aquarium tubing and a large, empty container. Anything from a milk jug to a 5-gallon bucket works.

Fill the container with water and add some food coloring or Kool-Aid packets to make it easier to see. Wrap the aquarium tubing around the handle so it stays put and stick one end of the tubing all the way to the bottom of the container. You can weigh it down or tape it to the sides if you choose. Give a couple of long draws on the other end of the tubing and water will siphon into it.

Helpful Extra Ideas When Leveling

Since you’re going to be crawling, lying, and scooting around under your home, here are a few extra ideas to make your life easier while you’re down there. Use a pencil to cap the end of the tubing. You don’t want any air bubbles or any water to spill out. Using a pencil will prevent leaks and will make it extra easy to mark levels on your piers as you go.

Another handy tip is to attach a magnet to the end of your tubing. That way you can stick it on the metal frame as you measure. It will keep the dirt out, the water in, and keep both your hands free while you’re working. 

4. What You Are Ready To Do

Now you’ve got your tools, it’s time to do the “dirty” work.

• Start at the highest point under your home.
• Set up your water level container somewhere so that the line of the water is even to the base of your metal at your tallest pier.
• Run the tubing of your water level to each pier, uncap the end, and hold it up (or stick it on your frame with that handy magnet!).
• Let the water line settle and mark where “level” is on each pier.
• Use wood blocks to form a solid base to set up your bottle jack/s and jack up the metal frame under each that needs adjusting.
• Lift the frame enough to allow you room to remove, replace, or replenish materials as needed to rebuild each pier to your level line.

You won’t need to do the two last steps on every pier, but you will need to use your water level to check them all to find the highest starting point and to note which ones will need adjustment.

5. What You Don’t Want To Forget

After crawling under your house with tools and making level adjustments it’s a good idea to check on your sewer pipes. Their placement is crucial for maintaining proper drainage and keeping your home up to code. While it’s unlikely your releveling threw them out of alignment, that’s a messy complication worth avoiding.

Checking will only take a few extra minutes and no extra dollars. Inspect each pipe, connection, and all the straps to make sure everything is still securely in place. It’s also a good idea to verify your drainage is still at the appropriate grade so that everything flows the way it’s supposed to. Typically sewer pipes should be on a 3% downgrade but check with your local community to be sure.

Always prioritize safety. This project is best if it’s done with a buddy around and if any techniques sound too complicated make sure you consult a contractor or licensed professional.