How level does the home need to be, and how is it leveled?

HUD's installation standards treat a home as adequately level when there is no more than 1/4 inch difference between adjacent pier supports and exterior doors and windows do not bind. Leveling is done at the piers with hardwood shim pairs and hardwood plates up to 2 inches nominal between the pier cap and the frame, after footings are set on firm soil. A water level or laser level is used across the frame. Out-of-level homes show sticking doors, cracked finishes and stressed plumbing joints. On expansive Texas clay the home can drift out of level as soil moisture changes, so a recheck after the first wet and dry seasons is wise.

Sources

• 24 CFR Part 3285, Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards (2020 edition)U.S. Government Publishing Office (HUD regulation)
• IHB Technical Bulletin TB 10-01: Foundations on Expansive SoilsTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation