Mobile Home Moving Cost Calculator (Transport, Permits, Setup)

1. Pick the home size (single-, double- or triple-wide) and enter the distance of the move. Use the toggle for miles or kilometres.
2. Set your example rate per mile, per section, plus a low and high rate for the range. These are placeholders - replace them with numbers from a written quote.
3. Edit the add-on costs (teardown, setup, tie-downs, skirting, hook-ups, permits) and the escort toggle and cost. Read the transport subtotal, setup and permits subtotal, and the low-to-high total band.

What each result tells you:

Moving a mobile or manufactured home is really two jobs: hauling the home and setting it up again. This calculator keeps those two parts separate so you can see where the money goes.

Transport is the drive itself. A HUD-code manufactured home travels as one or more sections, each loaded on a transport frame and often moving as an oversize load. The cost scales with the number of sections and the miles travelled.

Setup and permits is everything at the destination: teardown and disconnect at the old site, re-levelling and joining sections at the new one, tie-downs and anchors, skirting, utility hook-ups, and the permits a move needs. For related budgeting, see the moving cost calculator for household goods and the used mobile home value calculator if you are also valuing the home.

The math is a simple, transparent cost build-up. Nothing here is a baked-in national rate - you supply every figure.

1. Transport = sections x distance in miles x your per-mile, per-section rate.
2. Setup and permits = teardown + setup + tie-downs + skirting + utility hook-ups + permits.
3. Escort = your pilot-car cost, added only if the escort toggle is on.
4. Low and high totals repeat step 1 with your low and high rates, so the output is a range.

Because transport is separated from setup and permits, you can quote the drive alone and still see the full budget.

Suppose you move a double-wide (2 sections) 50 miles. You enter an example rate of $10 per mile per section, with a low of $4 and a high of $18.

Meaning: the setup and permits subtotal ($5,800) is larger than the haul ($1,000) on a short local move. Every number above is an example input - your quote will differ.

A handful of inputs drive almost all of the total.

Number of Sections

Each section is hauled and set separately, so a double-wide is roughly twice the transport of a single-wide and a triple-wide three times. Setup work also grows with sections.

Distance

Transport scales directly with miles. A short local move can be mostly setup; a long haul is mostly transport.

Per-Mile Rate

Cost guides commonly cite a wide band of roughly $4 to $18 per mile per section, but the real figure depends on distance, home size, region, fuel and the mover. Treat the defaults as placeholders and use a written quote.

Permits and Escorts

An oversize load may need transport permits and one or more pilot/escort cars. The rules, widths that trigger them and the number of escorts differ by state, so confirm with your state DOT.

Splitting the budget in two is the most useful thing this tool does. The two halves behave very differently.

On a short move, setup and permits usually dominate. On a long move, transport can be the biggest line. For broader home budgets, browse the home cost calculators or the finance calculators.

Before You Call Movers

Build a rough budget so quotes have context and you can spot an outlier high or low bid.

Comparing Two Lots

Test different distances and permit costs to compare moving to one site versus another.

Buying or Selling a Home to Move

Fold the move into the deal. Pair this with the used mobile home value calculator to weigh the home against the cost to relocate it.

1. Treating a Per-Mile Rate as Fixed

There is no single national rate. The $4 to $18 band is an example range, not a quote. Always price with a mover.

2. Forgetting Setup Costs

On short moves the teardown, re-level, hook-ups and permits often cost more than the drive. Budget for both halves.

3. Skipping Permits and Escorts

Oversize-load permits and pilot cars are frequently required for wide or multi-section homes and vary by state. Confirm the rules before you commit.

4. Ignoring Site Prep

A new pad, blocks, or a longer utility run can add costs this estimate does not include. Inspect the destination first.

5. Assuming Any Home Can Move

Older homes may not survive a move or meet code at the new site. Have it inspected before you plan.

The arithmetic is exact, but the result is only as good as the figures you enter - and those vary widely.

It varies widely by size, distance and local rules. This tool builds the cost from your own figures: transport (sections x miles x a per-mile rate you set) plus setup, permits and escort. The example double-wide move comes to about 7,200 dollars, but that is illustrative - get written quotes.

There is no single national rate. Cost guides commonly cite roughly 4 to 18 dollars per mile per section, but it depends on distance, home size, region and fuel. Enter a rate from a written quote rather than relying on any default.

Because they behave differently. Transport scales with sections and miles, while setup and permits depend on home size and local requirements. On short moves, setup and permits often cost more than the drive.

Usually yes. A move typically needs transport and oversize-load permits, and often setup permits at the destination. The exact permits and fees vary by state and county, so check your state DOT.

Oversize loads - which many wide or multi-section homes are - frequently require one or more pilot/escort cars. The widths that trigger escorts and the number needed vary by state. Toggle the escort on and enter the cost once you know the route.

No. A new pad, blocks, or a longer utility run are not included unless you add them to the setup figures. Inspect the destination lot before you budget.

Generally yes. A single-wide moves as one section, so both transport and setup are lower than a double- or triple-wide, which split into 2 or 3 sections that are each hauled and set.

Not always. Older homes may not survive a move or meet code at the new site. Have the home and the destination inspected before you plan a move.

No. Every rate and fee here is an example input, not a quote or national average. Use the tool to frame a budget, then get written quotes from licensed movers.

No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers. Anything you choose to Save stays in this browser only.

• Manufactured Housing (HUD Code) program overview (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).
• Oversize / overweight load permits and escort requirements (U.S. Federal Highway Administration; rules are set by each state DOT).
• How much does it cost to move a mobile home (HomeAdvisor cost guide; cited only as an example cost range, not an authoritative figure).