Double-Wide Mobile Home Movers in Mobile, AL

Double wide moving cost in Mobile, AL: national ranges, permit fees and what has no price

Here is what a double-wide move costs, with the source and date for every number. National ranges are labelled national.

The permits for a local double-wide add up to about $51.25 when both sections are over 12 feet wide ($11.25 county plus two $20 ALDOT permits), or $31.25 when both are 12 feet by 75 feet or smaller. That math assumes one ALDOT permit per section, which is an inference explained below, and it leaves out the card fee, escorts, insurance and city fees. Against the $8,000 low end of the national range, the permits are under 1% of the bill. HomeAdvisor names distance, size and weight, age and condition, special features such as decks or porches, permits and inspections, and full-service setup as cost factors.

What raises the cost to move a double wide

• Two toters and two drivers for the same trip, plus the time to coordinate them.
• Escort vehicles. Each section may need its own, based on its width. See the escort table below.
• Splitting and rejoining by someone allowed to do it, plus the licensed trades that disconnect and reconnect utilities.
• Running gear and a hitch for each half if they were removed at the last setup.
• More blocking. A multi-section home needs piers at the ends of the marriage wall, at openings 48 inches or wider and under ridge-beam columns, as well as under each frame.
• Site work, access and distance. HomeAdvisor names special features such as decks and porches as cost factors.
• Weather days. Loads stop for storms and low visibility, and Gulf Coast hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30.

Why double-wides cost more: two sections, two trucks, likely two sets of permits, reassembly

A single-wide is one load. A double-wide is two sections, so the same trip needs two trucks. Each toter pulls a combination of its own, so plan on a permit for each section (see the permits section below). Escorts are judged section by section. Then comes reassembly, which a single-wide never needs: gasket, lag and seal, roof, crossovers and an inspection before trim-out. The national table shows the result: $4,000 to $8,000 for a full-service single-wide move against $8,000 to $15,000 for a double-wide (HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026). The second load, the extra inspections and the rejoining are extra steps between you and move-in; no source says how many days they add.

Double wide moving cost per mile, double wide transport cost and the lines with no published price

We found no reliable source that publishes a double wide moving cost per mile. HomeAdvisor's guide gives size-based averages but no per-foot or per-mile rate, and no line for teardown, reassembly or escorts. So there is no sourced figure for how much to move a 28x60 double wide, no sourced double wide teardown cost and no sourced double wide reassembly cost. A double wide transport cost quoted as one number tells you little. Ask each company to price these as separate lines in writing:

• Splitting the home and preparing each half for the road, by a firm allowed to do it.
• Each toter and driver, and the miles each one drives.
• Each escort vehicle.
• Permits, county and ALDOT, for each section.
• Running gear and hitches, if they are needed.
• Reassembly: joining, sealing and closing up the marriage line.
• Reconnecting ducts, wiring and plumbing, by the named trades.
• Setup, anchors and the installer's decal, by a certified installer.

The double wide moving and setup cost is the sum of all these lines. If a quote shows one number and no lines, you cannot tell what is missing.

Full service double wide move or double wide transport only

In HomeAdvisor's transport-only price (up to 60 miles, $1,000 to $3,500), the owner arranges the permits, disconnection, reconnection and setup. HomeAdvisor's full-service price includes those jobs, but in Alabama the setup is done by an AMHC certified installer and the utilities by licensed trades (AMHC 535-X-12-.01 and 535-X-12-.02), so a full service double wide move still depends on who holds those certificates. The cheapest way to move a double wide, on paper, is a double wide transport only quote. In Alabama it leaves you to line up someone allowed to split the home, the licensed trades, a certified installer and the paperwork. A low bid may leave lines out, so add the missing lines before you compare.

Is a move worth the money? The average new multi-section home shipped to Alabama in 2023 cost $141,200 (Manufactured Housing Institute, August 2024), and a full-service double-wide move runs $8,000 to $15,000 nationally. Only you can weigh that against the condition of your home.

Who may do each job on a double-wide in Alabama

Alabama splits a double-wide move between trades. A hauler is not automatically allowed to split or set the home. When a company says it handles everything, ask which person or firm in the table below does each part.

An owner may not install the home unless the owner is a certified installer, and a homeowner towing a section is not on the list of lawful haulers. The AMHC installer page says a certified installer must carry a $20,000 bond and $100,000 in liability insurance, and it offers an online installer search. Hiring an uncertified installer can bring a fine of up to $500 per home.

Double wide transport companies and local double wide haulers: two-truck transport companies vs local haulers vs full-service crews; licensed movers and installers

Double wide movers near me may be any of these kinds of firm, and AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.09 allows each to haul. Ask which one you are dealing with:

• A hauler that only drives. This is the transport-only route. Hire a double wide hauler this way only if you have already lined up someone allowed to split the home, the licensed trades and a certified installer.
• A local hauler that is also a certified installer. Alabama lets certified installers prepare and haul. Ask for the certificate number and check it in the AMHC installer search.
• A firm under written contract with a licensed manufacturer or retailer. The hauling rule (AMHC 535-X-12T-.09) names such firms. Ask for each name and trade in writing, because the rules above still apply to each.

A hauler plus a separate installer is allowed when each is in the lawful class. The handoff points are the AMHC delivery notice, the inspector's decal and the installer's decal. Agree in writing who calls the AMHC and who waits at the lot. Whatever label a company uses, a full-service quote covers only what its certificates allow: ask for the certified installer's number for the setup and the licensed trades for the utilities.

Comparing double wide moving companies: a free double wide moving quote, questions and red flags

When you compare double wide moving companies, put every quote on the same lines. Ask each company whether its free double wide moving quote includes a site visit, and get the scope in writing. Whether you call them double wide trailer movers, haulers or installers, match the lines, not the labels.

Mistakes that cost owners money: hiring a hauler who doesn't reassemble, picking the lowest bid, no written scope

Red flags are no written scope, a price with no line items, a "hauler" that offers to split and set the home but names no AMHC certificate, and a quote that does not list permits for each section. Check each of these:

• Hiring a hauler who is not allowed to reassemble the home, so you need a certified installer to rejoin the halves.
• Picking the lowest bid without adding back the lines it leaves out.
• Skipping the site check before the trucks arrive.
• Accepting no written scope, so nobody is on record for splitting, permits, reassembly or utilities.

Do not take a company's word that it holds a license. Ask for the certificate number and look it up.

Double wide moving permit: permits and escorts per section; route planning around low bridges, narrow roads and travel-time limits

A local double-wide move can involve four sets of paper:

• County move permit. Alabama Department of Revenue rule 810-4-2-.09 requires a permit from the county official who handles manufactured home registration. It is one fee per home, however many sections, and is valid for 14 calendar days for each module. Proof that taxes, or the current registration, fees and penalties, are paid comes first. Moving without it is a class C misdemeanor with a fine of at least $50.
• ALDOT single-trip permit. Five days, one round trip, with a copy in the truck (ALDOT rules 450-3-1-.03 and .10). Each toter pulls a combination of its own, so plan on a copy in each truck. The rule does not say "one permit per section" in words, so ask the ALDOT Permit Office to confirm. Time extensions are granted only when floods, snow, ice, storms or similar events interrupt traffic in the area.
• AMHC notices and decals. The 72-hour notices and the inspector's decals described on this page.
• The installer's decal on each home, put on at arrival and before installation starts (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.04).

The county permit satisfies only the revenue laws. It is in addition to other required permits and does not replace the AMHC's move requirements.

Double wide moving permit cost, and the Mobile and Baldwin offices

In Mobile County the permit comes from the Mobile County License Commission, which publishes a fee of $11.25 per home regardless of the number of modules. The state rule shows $10, and the county figure is the one the county publishes. Mobile County also asks for a title or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin for homes 20 years old or newer, and a bill of sale for every home.

Moving to Baldwin County, such as Daphne, Fairhope, Spanish Fort or Robertsdale? A state audit shows the Baldwin County Judge of Probate is the county's manufactured home registration official. We could not read Baldwin's own permit page, so its fee is not confirmed here. The state rule does not say whether the county you leave or the county you enter issues the permit. It says only that a copy goes to the county of destination. Ask both offices before you set a date.

Pilot cars for a double wide move: ALDOT escort requirements for a double wide by section width

Escorts, also called pilot cars, depend on the width of each load. Each section of a double-wide is judged by its own width, not by the width of the joined home. Read it off the data plate or the floor plan. We found no official source for typical section widths.

A permitted load keeps one-half mile from the next vehicle load (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.04). The rule does not say how that applies to two sections of one home, so ask the Permit Office. Count the escorts per load from the table. ALDOT may require more than the minimums. If a quote lists one pilot car for both halves, ask how the plan meets the half-mile rule.

An escort vehicle must be a single vehicle that tows nothing and is legally registered for the road. It carries amber strobes visible all around at 500 feet, keeps low beams on, has radio contact with the load and shows black-on-yellow OVERSIZE LOAD signs. Its driver must be at least 18 and must have taken an escort or flagging course (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.05). The load itself carries its own signs, a strobe and 18-inch fluorescent orange or red flags at the corners (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.04). Read the permit for the full set.

Travel-time limits, insurance and the route

• Daylight only. Permitted loads never travel on Sundays, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. They stop when visibility drops under 500 feet or the weather turns unsafe.
• Route as written. The permit names the roads. We found no source listing low bridges or narrow roads on Mobile routes, so ask the company to name the roads it plans to use and how it checked them. If a detour makes the route impassable, the driver parks at the first safe place and waits for the Permit Office to give an alternate route (rule .04).
• Bridges. The load must obey posted bridge and highway load limits, and the permit holder pays for damage to bridges, signals and signs.
• Insurance. ALDOT issues a permit for a load over the legal height, weight or length only with proof of at least $300,000 split-limit or $1,000,000 combined single-limit insurance. For a single-trip permit on a load wider than 12 feet, the minimum insurance the Public Service Commission requires must be on file first (rule .06). Ask for a current certificate of insurance. We found no source on whether a policy covers structural damage to the home itself in transit, so ask that in writing.
• Crossing Mobile Bay. A move to the Eastern Shore crosses Mobile Bay. The City of Mobile's recovery plan calls the Bayway a key evacuation route that is not tall enough to withstand a 100-year storm surge. We found no published width or clearance limit for this crossing. Ask the company and the Permit Office about the route for your section widths. A state statute says 14-foot-wide loads may be permitted on the interstates. An ALDOT slide lists 16 feet wide as the single-trip maximum, but the rules state no single-trip maximum.

Transport day: two truck mobile home transport, one toter per section

Two truck mobile home transport means one toter truck per section, with pilot cars for each load by its width. Do both halves of a double wide travel on the same day? Plan for sections arriving at different times, because the half-mile rule (see the permits section), daylight-only travel, weather and the permit windows can separate them. No source says how often both travel the same day. If the first half arrives and the second is delayed, a unit that is not installed at once must be properly blocked until a certified installer installs it (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.08).

At delivery, a federal motor carrier gives the AMHC at least 72 hours' notice of the date, time and place. An AMHC inspector meets the carrier, and the carrier may not unhitch until the inspector puts a dated decal on the unit. The inspector notes any visible transport damage, and those reports become public records. After the decal, the carrier may disconnect the unit, take off the wheels and axles and temporarily secure it. It may not install the home unless it is also a certified installer. Whoever pulls and drops the home must also tell the AMHC the exact location within 72 hours of arrival (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.11).

Double wide mobile home delivery: who pays if something is damaged?

Under AMHC rules the transporter, or the business employing it, is responsible for all safety-related damage while the home is in its care, custody or control, and a home abandoned on the road is the transporter's sole responsibility (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.04). A transporter is also liable for transport damage that creates a serious defect or an imminent safety hazard (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.10 to .13). These rules set liability. They are not a policy on your home, so keep the written scope and photos of both halves, inside and out, before they leave. Ask how drywall and trim cracks at the seam are handled.

Double wide teardown and splitting, step by step

Teardown and splitting is the first big job. It has two parts: the owner's part, and the preparation rule that only listed firms may carry out. The mobile home teardown and prep page covers the whole process, including single-wides.

Homeowner prep: what to settle in writing

• Contents. The AMHC task list below says to secure or remove furnishings and contents. Ask in writing who clears furniture from the marriage line, who latches cabinets and who takes down wall hangings, and what is left for you to do before the day.
• Utilities. Licensed or certified trades disconnect plumbing, electric, heat and air conditioning. Ask who schedules the utility shutoffs and who confirms they are done.

What to settle for teardown and splitting

Only the firms in the table above may do the preparation work, and the nine AMHC tasks below leave the outside and the interior finish open. Put each of these items in the written scope and name who does it:

• Skirting, steps, porches and decks off. Who removes them and where they are kept. HomeAdvisor names decks and porches as cost factors.
• Utilities disconnected by the licensed or certified trades named in the table above.
• Marriage-line trim, flooring transitions and crossovers separated. Who does this, and who repairs the seam later.
• Roof cap opened. The AMHC task list says the ridge caps are removed (task 2).
• Section bolts or straps removed. The sections were lagged and sealed together at setup, so ask how they are unfastened and by whom.
• Open sides sealed with heavy plastic. Each open side faces the weather. The federal installation standard mentions transit polyethylene sheeting, so ask what covers the sides and how it is fastened.

The nine AMHC preparation tasks

For a used, occupied home where no licensed manufacturer or retailer is involved, the preparation rule lists nine tasks (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.06):

1. Take the anchoring system out carefully, in the reverse order it went in.
2. Remove the ridge caps from the multi-section home.
3. Separate the sections by the reverse of the joining procedure.
4. Secure or remove furnishings and contents.
5. Have licensed or certified contractors disconnect plumbing, electric, heat-producing equipment and air conditioning.
6. Fit wheels and axles to the frame.
7. Remove all piers.
8. Secure the bottom board for movement.
9. Secure the unit against moisture and wind so the inside is protected.

This is why double wide teardown and splitting belongs with a firm on the AMHC list, not with a general handyman.

Getting each half road-ready

Each section needs its own running gear, so ask whether the axles, tires, hitch and lights from the last setup are still with the home. Federal transport rules say at least two axles must have brakes, and used tires must have at least 1/16 inch of tread and no dry rot or serious sidewall splitting (24 CFR 3280.904). That standard is written for the factory, but it is a fair checklist for old gear. Ask who supplies running gear for each half, who keeps it afterward and what it costs.

When a federal motor carrier that is not a licensed manufacturer or retailer, and is not under contract with one, hauls the home, the certified installer who prepared it must certify that it is safe for the road. The installer gives the AMHC at least 72 hours' notice. An AMHC inspector then inspects the unit. If it passes, the inspector issues a transport decal valid for ten days, placed near the center of the back of the unit (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.07). The rule says "unit", and a unit can be a home or any portion of one. Whether a double-wide gets one decal or two is not answered in the text we read, so ask the AMHC.

Double wide reassembly along the marriage line

The marriage line is the seam where the two sections meet. Reassembly means rejoining the halves along the marriage line, connecting the crossover ducts, plumbing and wiring, closing the roof and floor seams, and lagging and sealing the halves together as the home maker directs (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.07). After exterior close-up, no gaps are allowed at the marriage line. Here is the order the federal standard describes, and what Alabama adds. The federal standard is written for installing a new home, so the home maker's installation manual comes first. In Alabama a certified installer must be present for the entire installation (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.01).

1. Gasket first. On a multi-section home, the sealer gasket goes on the ceiling, end walls and floor mate-lines before the sections are brought together (24 CFR 3285.801).
2. Bring the sections together. Gaps of up to one inch are allowed before exterior close-up, but only if they are closed before close-up is finished, the sections touch and the gasket seals. Each gap is shimmed with dimensional lumber and longer fasteners are used (24 CFR 3285.802).
3. Join inside and out. Structural connections are made on both the interior and exterior sides of the mate-line. After exterior close-up, no gaps are allowed. In Alabama all multi-section homes must be lagged and sealed together following the maker's instructions (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.07).
4. Close up the exterior. The transit plastic is removed, holes in the roofing are made weatherproof and sealed, and close-up strips and trim are fastened and sealed (24 CFR 3285.801).
5. Reconnect the crossovers. See below.
6. Inspection before trim-out. A Commission inspector must inspect the marriage line from the inside and the outside before a multi-section home is trimmed out (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.11).

Double wide marriage line sealing and double wide roof seam sealing

The gasket, the exterior sealant and the weatherproofed roof joints are what keep rain, humidity, insects and rodents out of the seam. The federal standard calls for mate-line gaskets that resist air, water, water vapor, insects and rodents. Termite pressure in Mobile County is rated "Very Heavy" in the county's design table, so ask what product and method the company uses on the roof seam and how it is checked. Where a hinged roof is used, it gets a final inspection by a qualified inspector unless the home is exempt. A Wind Zone I home with a low pitch can be exempt, but Mobile and Baldwin counties are Wind Zone II.

Double wide crossover duct connection and utilities

Crossovers are the utility connections where the sections join: heating and cooling ducts, electrical circuits, water pipes, drain plumbing and gas lines (24 CFR 3285.5). Alabama says gas, electrical, central heat and air, sewer and water connections must be made by licensed or certified contractors (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.02). None of the Alabama rule text we read says who reconnects the crossovers, so this point is open. The AMHC says it inspects for utilities that are properly interconnected on multi-unit homes. Before you book, ask the company who does the double wide crossover duct connection, wiring and plumbing, and under whose license.

What can go wrong in reassembly (gaps, leaks, misaligned floors) and what to ask

Gaps, leaks and misaligned floors are the failures to ask about. The federal standard answers them with the mate-line gasket, shims for gaps, sealed roof holes and an inspection of the marriage line before trim-out.

• Level between the halves. Ask how the installer checks that the two halves sit level to each other.
• Gaps at the marriage line. The federal limit is one inch before close-up and none after. Ask about shims and longer fasteners.
• A roof seam left open. Holes in the roofing must be sealed before exterior close-up is finished.
• Crossover testing. Ask who tests the ducts, plumbing and wiring before the floor is closed.
• Skirting or trim before inspection. A home may not be skirted until an inspector has inspected the set-up. If the AMHC has not inspected within ten days after notice, the home may be skirted. The ten-day release is worded for skirting, and it does not say the marriage-line hold on trim-out is released.

The state does inspect. The AMHC told state examiners that it inspects every installation of new and used manufactured homes, and an installer who fails gets 30 days to correct. But the AMHC says it cannot force repairs in some cases: when the problem is cosmetic, in a contract dispute, on a used home sold as-is, or more than a year after a new home was installed unless it is a serious safety hazard. This is why the reassembly scope belongs in writing before work starts: gasket, lag and seal, roof, crossovers, who tests them and trim-out.

Setup to the standard: blocking, leveling, anchoring and skirting each section

After the halves are joined, the home is set on piers and anchored by a certified installer. This section is a short guide, and mobile home setup has the full process. The rules to know for a double-wide:

• Piers under each frame. No more than 6 feet apart and no more than 2 feet from each frame end, on at least a 16 x 16 x 4 inch concrete pad at 2,000 psf soil bearing. Piers over 32 inches are double-tiered, and the maximum height is 60 inches unless an engineer designs it or flood rules require otherwise (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06).
• Marriage-wall piers. Piers go at each end of the marriage wall, at openings 48 inches or wider and under ridge-beam columns (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06).
• Tie-downs. Mobile and Baldwin counties are a Hurricane Zone, so the Wind Zone II table applies. Each side needs 5 vertical and 5 diagonal ties for homes up to 40 feet long, 7 and 7 for 41 to 60 feet, and 9 and 9 for 61 to 90 feet, plus an extra diagonal tie for each 12 inches of pier height above 24 inches (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.07). For a 28x60 double-wide that is 7 + 7 per side, or 28 ties for two sides, before extras. Confirm with the installer how the maker's manual counts the marriage side.
• Anchors and soil. Only approved anchors tested to at least 4,725 pounds may be used, in the soil class they were approved for. Unless the soil is tested with a probe, a C4 or C5 anchor must be used (AMHC rules 535-X-13-.05 and .07 to .09).
• Anchoring comes right away. A relocated home must meet the tie-down law "immediately upon location on the new site" (Code of Alabama 24-5-32). A home in transit is exempt. Do you need new tie-downs after the move? Plan on it, and let the installer decide whether any old gear can be reused.
• A Wind Zone I home cannot go in Zone II. The data plate shows the zones the home was built for (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.03).
• Skirting. If skirting closes in the space under the home, it must be vented, and a 6-mil ground vapor retarder should cover the ground (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06).

An installer decal goes on each home on arrival, before installation starts. Mobile County's checklist for power also asks for the AMHC inspection decal and the installer's decal on the home, a percolation test number, a 911 address and permits for plumbing and HVAC before inspection. Alabama Power needs about 24 hours to act after the county releases service.

Getting the new lot ready: pad or foundation sized for both sections, room for two trucks

Move a double wide onto land: lot, pad and double wide pad size

Alabama defines the "site" as the area under the home plus a 5-foot perimeter all around (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.02). For a 28x60 home, that is about 38 by 70 feet, or 2,660 square feet. The site must be graded, crowned and sloped so water does not stand or run under the home. The AMHC installer page adds that drainage for new homes should fall at least half an inch per foot for the first ten feet.

The AMHC publishes no required pad size beyond the pier footings in the blocking rule, so double wide pad size comes from the installer's pier plan and the maker's manual. No source we read gives a foundation size, so ask the installer for the pier or foundation plan for both sections before the home arrives. Beyond the pad, leave room for two trucks:

• Access for two long loads. Check trees, fences, power lines, tight turns and soft ground. HUD's model standard recommends confirming that the transport equipment and home can reach the site before the move. We found no published rule on turning space for two loads.
• Who prepares the site. A written contract between the landowner and the retailer or installer says who does the site work and pays for it. Inside a park, the park owner is responsible. For a secondary siting outside a park with no retailer, site preparation is the installer's responsibility (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.04).
• Utilities and county rules. A county flood elevation certificate or waiver may be needed in a flood zone, and a site plan from the county engineer applies where a lot has more than two dwellings (Mobile County adopted building codes and amendments). Inside the city of Mobile, manufactured homes are allowed only by conditional use permit in certain residential districts.
• Call 811 before anchors go in. Alabama law calls for notice two to ten working days before excavation.

Moving a double-wide to land you own is the same job as moving to a park lot, except that you or the installer carry the site duties a park owner would carry. For a park-to-park move, get the new park's approval in writing.

Some lots are too tight for a toter. Makers of tracked positioning machines describe them as a way to place a home in hard-to-reach spots, and one maker says the halves of a double-wide can be mated without jacking or rolling. Those are the makers' own claims. Ask whether a quote assumes such a machine and who supplies it.

How long does a double wide move take?

No published source gives a duration. Web pages that say "a few days" or "four to eight weeks" give no basis for either. What is published is the set of clocks that run around the move:

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the City of Mobile's recovery plan counts 39 federally declared disasters in Mobile County going back to 1953, 24 of them hurricanes. A storm can stop loads and use up a five-day permit. Ask the company what happens to the permit window if weather halts the trip. Ask about dates early too: in a state questionnaire, four of 17 AMHC licensees named a shortage of crews or movers, a small unaudited sample and not a statistic.

Can a double-wide be moved without splitting it, and which homes can be moved?

No. Alabama law lets ALDOT permit an over-legal load only if it cannot be readily dismantled or separated (Code of Alabama 32-9-29, as reprinted in HB323; ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.02). A double-wide is built as two separable sections, so it is moved as two, and Alabama's preparation rule lists separating the sections as a step (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.06). Some web pages say a double-wide is "too wide for any road" once it is joined. That is not the permit rule. Each section travels as its own load, so the bands are read per load: the width of each half, not the width of the finished home.

Used double wide moving and older double wide moving

Can an older or used double-wide be moved? Check the label and data plate first. No home built on or after June 15, 1976 may be installed in Alabama without a HUD label and data plate (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.03), and the data plate must allow Wind Zone II. A pre-1976 home brought into Alabama needs a letter of exception from the AMHC. The rule says "into Alabama" and does not say what applies to a pre-1976 home already here. Some cost guides say such homes cannot be moved at all, and the rule does not say that. Ask the AMHC before you pay a deposit.

Triple-wides and other multi-section homes

A triple-wide adds a third load, a second marriage line and more supports. See triple-wide mobile home movers for what changes. Nationally, a full-service triple-wide move is $12,000 to $25,000 (HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026). Modular homes are a different program, and the AMHC certifies HUD-home and modular installers separately, so a company certified for one is not automatically certified for the other. The contact page lists what to have ready before you call.

Double wide moving questions

How much does it cost to move a double wide?

Nationally, $8,000 to $15,000 for a full-service move, with a table average of $11,500 (HomeAdvisor, June 2026). Transport only costs $1,000 to $3,500 up to 60 miles and leaves the other work to you. In Mobile County the permits come to about $51.25 for two sections over 12 feet wide, if ALDOT issues one permit per section.

Can a double wide be moved without splitting it?

No. A double-wide is built as two separable sections, ALDOT permits over-legal loads only if they cannot be readily separated, and Alabama's preparation rule lists separating the sections as a step.

Will my double wide be damaged in the move?

Damage is possible. The transporter is responsible for safety-related damage while the home is in its care, and an inspector notes visible damage at delivery by a federal motor carrier. Photograph both halves before they leave and keep the written scope.

How long does a double wide move take?

No source gives a duration. The drive is daylight only, the ALDOT permit lasts five days, the county permit is good for 14 days per module, and the inspections and power release come after delivery.

Do both halves of a double wide travel on the same day?

No source says how often both halves travel the same day. The half-mile rule, daylight-only travel, weather and the permit windows can affect it, and the rule does not say how the half-mile rule applies to two sections of one home. A half that arrives first must be properly blocked until an installer sets it.

Does each half need its own permit, and what do they cost?

The county permit is one fee per home. ALDOT issues permits to a vehicle or combination, and each toter pulls its own, so plan on one per section and confirm with the Permit Office. Each is $10 if the section is up to 12 feet wide and 75 feet long, or $20 if larger.

How many pilot cars does a double wide need?

It depends on each section's width. A section 12 to 14 feet wide needs one escort, and one wider than 14 feet needs a front and a rear escort unless approved lights replace the rear one. Sections narrower than 12 ft have no width-based band in the rule; at exactly 12 ft, ask the Permit Office. ALDOT may require more than the minimums.

Who may split a double wide in Alabama?

Only an AMHC licensed manufacturer, an AMHC licensed retailer or an AMHC certified installer may prepare a unit for transport, with licensed trades disconnecting utilities. A mover who is none of these is not on the rule's list.

Who reconnects the ducts, wiring and plumbing between the halves?

Alabama requires licensed or certified contractors for gas, electric, heat and air, sewer and water connections. The rule text we read does not say who handles the crossovers, so ask the company to name the trade and its license.

Do I need new tie-downs after the move?

Plan on it. A relocated home must be tied down as soon as it is on the new site. A 28x60 home needs 7 vertical and 7 diagonal ties per side in the Hurricane Zone, before extras.

Can an older double wide be moved?

It depends on the home. It needs a HUD label and a data plate that allows Wind Zone II for Mobile or Baldwin County. A pre-1976 home brought into Alabama needs an AMHC letter of exception. Ask the AMHC about a pre-1976 home that is already here.

Why two sections mean two loads: the technical detail

A double-wide is built in a factory as two sections that are joined at the home site (Manufactured Housing Institute, 2026). For the trip, each half is treated as a home of its own:

• Two chassis. Each section needs its own chassis for the road: drawbar, frame, axles, brakes, tires and lights (24 CFR 3280.902). Both halves need running gear.
• Two labels. Each section carries its own HUD label, so a double-wide has two (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.03). One data plate near the electrical panel lists the wind, roof-load and thermal zones.
• Two toters. A toter is the heavy truck built to pull one home section. Washington State's transport rule describes it as the towing unit paired with one housing unit, which shows how the trip works. It is not an Alabama rule.
• Paper in each truck. A copy of the ALDOT permit has to ride in the vehicle (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.03), so plan on a copy in each truck (permit count: see the permits section).
• Half a mile between vehicle loads. See the pilot-car section above for the rule (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.04).