What are the HUD label and the data plate, and what if one is missing?
The HUD label is a metal certification tag on the outside of a manufactured home, and the data plate is a paper sheet inside it. If either one is missing, first ask your lender which information it needs and what verification it will accept, because neither is the same as an engineer's foundation report.
Where should you look?
The exterior label is attached to a transportable section of the home. The data plate is often inside, in a kitchen cabinet, a bedroom closet, or near the main electrical panel.
Photograph what you can see. Do not pry off a label or open electrical equipment to get a better picture.
What does the data plate contain?
It can include the manufacturer, model and serial information, manufacture date, label numbers, and design zone information. A photo of the whole sheet is more useful than a cropped number.
What if the exterior label is missing?
HUD does not issue replacement labels. Its guidance points owners to a label verification process through the Institute for Building Technology and Safety, known as IBTS, when historical records can be found. Whether that works depends on the records for your home, and your lender decides what it will accept.
What if you cannot find the data plate?
Tell your lender what you have already found and ask what is still needed. HUD names the manufacturer and the inspection agency as possible starting points. Older closing or financing papers may also carry the information.
Do not make a substitute label or assume a handwritten list will do. Never borrow an identifier from a similar model or a neighbor's home.
Does a missing label mean the foundation will fail?
No. A missing identification record and a foundation condition are separate questions. A missing label says nothing about the supports under the home, and a foundation report cannot recreate missing manufacturing records.
Keep the documents separate and clearly named:
- HUD label photos or verification records.
- A full photo of the data plate.
- The engineer's foundation report.
- Title or affixation papers with the title company's requests.
Avoid calling everything a "HUD certificate," since that makes it harder for a reviewer to see which condition each file answers. See what is a HUD engineering report for the foundation side.
When do you need an engineer as well?
If your lender also wants a foundation report, we can do that while the label question is worked out separately. Mention which identification records you have when you contact us. Our manufactured home structural inspection service covers the engineering report.
What should you send us?
Send the address, your lender's wording and photos of whatever labels you have. We reply within one business day.