Vancouver, WA manufactured and mobile home roofing

Manufactured homes are built differently from site-built houses, and their roofs are too. Older single-wides and double-wides often have a shallow metal roof or a low-slope roof with a rolled membrane over thin decking. Newer homes may have a steeper pitch with shingles. The framing is lighter, the trusses are spaced and sized for the original roof, and the ceiling sits close under the roof. All of that changes which materials make sense.

Our crews work on manufactured homes in parks and on private lots around the county. We handle leak repair at seams and vents, recoating of metal roofs, metal or membrane roof-overs that add a new layer over the old roof, and full replacements on homes with pitched shingle roofs. Every job starts with understanding how the home was built, because a roof that is too heavy can strain the structure below.

Common manufactured home roof types

Many older manufactured homes have a metal roof made of long, thin aluminum or steel sheets running from side to side, with a slight crown in the middle. These roofs leak at seams, around vents and where the roof meets the walls, and they are noisy in rain. Others have a low-slope roof with a rolled membrane or a rubber layer over thin decking. Over time those surfaces crack and pull away at the edges, and water gets into the ceiling below.

Newer manufactured homes often have a pitched roof with composite shingles, much like a site-built house but with lighter framing. These roofs age the same way any shingle roof does here, with moss, curled tabs and worn flashing. Some older homes also had a pitched roof added later, built on top of the original. We look at what is up there now before planning any work. Each layer changes the weight on the framing.

Repair and roof options

The right fix depends on the roof's type and condition, the home's framing and the owner's plans. A home that is in good shape with one leaking seam may only need a careful repair. A home with a worn-out metal roof and plans to stay for many years may be better served by a roof-over that adds a new surface and some pitch for drainage. We walk through the options and their costs side by side.

• Seam, vent and edge leak repair
• Reseal and coat aging metal roofs
• Membrane roof-over on low-slope homes
• Raised metal roof-over with added pitch
• Shingle replacement on pitched-roof homes
• Ceiling stain and soft decking repairs

Why weight and framing matter

Manufactured homes are built to carry their original roof plus a set snow and wind load, and not much more. Adding heavy material, like a second layer of shingles or a full new roof built on top without care, can push the trusses past what they were designed to hold. In a rare heavy snow or ice storm, that extra weight shows up as sagging ceilings and cracked panels. Damage like that is costly to fix.

That is why we lean toward lightweight options. Coatings add almost no weight. Membrane roof-overs and metal roof-overs with light framing spread their load and are designed for these homes. Before any roof-over, we check the trusses and connections, and we check with the local building department, since rules for manufactured homes can differ from those for site-built houses. We pull permits where they are required and keep copies for the owner.

Parks, lots and access

Homes in parks often sit close together, with carports, sheds and neighbors' homes just a few feet away. We plan access carefully, protect nearby structures, and keep debris contained. If the park has its own rules on work hours, parking or exterior colors, we follow them. For homes on private rural lots, we plan around driveways, outbuildings and septic areas before bringing in materials. Septic drain fields and soft ground in the wet season are a real concern for heavy trucks.