Mobile home skirting closes in the space between the floor of the home and the ground. Nationally, a skirting job costs $1,500 to $5,000 for most homes, with a $2,400 average and a full span of $500 to $7,700 (HomeAdvisor, page dated June 19, 2026). No dated source gives a Mobile-only price or an installation time, so ask each company for both in writing. In Alabama, two rules apply: the home may not be skirted until the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission (AMHC) has inspected the set-up (or ten days pass after notification), and an enclosed space must be vented.
Mobile Mobile Home Movers is a referral service, not a skirting company. We pass your request to one independent local company. This page gives you the costs, options, Alabama rules and quote questions you need before that call.
What mobile home skirting does, and what it does not do
Skirting encloses the space under the home. HUD's 2009 guidance to FHA lenders describes the enclosure as a continuous wall that keeps out vermin and water, is secured to the home and allows ventilation (HUD Mortgagee Letter 2009-16). Companies may call the job manufactured home skirting, trailer skirting or mobile home underpinning installation, so ask each one what its quote covers.
Skirting does not hold the home up. HUD's letter calls it a non-structural enclosure, usually lightweight vinyl or metal. Piers, level and anchors are separate jobs; see the mobile home tie-downs page for the anchor rules.
Is skirting required on mobile homes in Alabama?
We found no Alabama rule that says every home must be skirted. Parks and lenders may still ask for it; the state sets when skirting may go on and how it is vented.
- The state. The home may not be skirted until an AMHC inspector has inspected the set-up. If the Commission has not inspected within ten days after notification, the home may be skirted (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.11). If skirting encloses the space, it must be vented (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06).
- Parks. The AMHC says it does not regulate parks and tells owners to ask the local city or county. We found no published Mobile or Baldwin County rule on skirting in parks. For mobile home park skirting requirements, read the park's rules and your lease, and ask the manager before you spend money.
- Lenders. For an existing home, HUD's 2009 letter says lightweight skirting needs backing such as concrete, masonry or treated wood. That is one lender program from 2009, not a rule for every owner. Ask your lender what it wants.
Skirting materials and which fits whom
The types to compare are vinyl, metal, insulated panels, faux stone or rock, concrete block and brick. Vinyl fits the lowest budget: it has the lowest single-wide starting price in the table below. Insulated panels fit an owner with energy questions and have the widest price spread; one retailer says they run R-5 to R-10, which is a seller's claim (MH Giant blog, read October 18, 2026). Faux stone or rock starts near vinyl's price for a single-wide. Wood fits only if it passes the ground-contact and termite checks in the wood section below. Concrete block or brick is the masonry choice and has its own page: block and brick mobile home skirting. HomeAdvisor lists no metal price, so get metal by written quote; see the metal questions below.
HomeAdvisor prices vinyl, insulated vinyl, faux stone, faux brick, brick or block and timber. The table shows the types on this page with the national installed cost for a single-wide and a double-wide, and what to ask a company about each. HomeAdvisor's block or brick price is $700 to $1,000 for a single-wide and $1,400 to $2,000 for a double-wide (HomeAdvisor, 2026).
| Material | What to ask the company | Single-wide installed (national) | Double-wide installed (national) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | What track or rail holds the panels, and how the bottom edge is fastened | $630 to $1,090 | $1,100 to $1,550 |
| Insulated vinyl | Panel thickness and the vent plan | $1,440 to $4,000 | $1,760 to $4,480 |
| Metal | Material, coating and thickness | Not listed | Not listed |
| Faux stone | Whether it is a panel or masonry, and how it is fastened | $660 to $1,000 | $920 to $1,350 |
| Faux brick | Whether it is a panel or masonry, and how it is fastened | $800 to $1,500 | $1,200 to $1,980 |
| Timber (wood) | Whether wood near the ground is pressure-treated or naturally resistant to decay and termites | $1,500 to $2,000 | $3,000 to $4,000 |
Source: HomeAdvisor's national skirting cost guide, page dated June 19, 2026, read October 17, 2026. These are national figures, not Mobile prices. The guide lists no metal row and no lattice row, so a metal or lattice quote has to stand on its own written line items.
One federal rule applies to every material. The federal model installation standard for new homes (24 CFR 3285.504) says skirting must be weather-resistant, or protected at least as well as steel with a zinc coating of 0.30 ounces per square foot. It must not be attached in a way that traps water between the siding and the trim. Wood within 6 inches of the ground must be pressure-treated or naturally resistant to decay and termites. This is the federal model standard, not an Alabama rule, but it is a fair checklist to hold a quote against.
Vinyl, metal and insulated skirting
Vinyl skirting cost starts at $630 for a single-wide. For vinyl skirting installation and metal skirting installation, ask how the panels are fastened and how cut edges at corners and vent openings are handled. Metal skirting cost has to come from a written quote with the material, coating and thickness, using the zinc-equal coating above as the yardstick. On vinyl vs metal skirting, no neutral source ranks one above the other, so compare written quotes line by line. For insulated skirting cost, ask an insulated skirting installer for the panel thickness and the vent plan. Heavy-duty mobile home skirting has no neutral ranking either, so make any company that uses the phrase name the material, the gauge and the fastening.
Faux stone and faux brick skirting
Is faux stone skirting worth it? Faux stone skirting cost for a single-wide starts at $660. For faux stone skirting installation, ask what the product is made of and how it is fastened. If you want real masonry, read the block and brick page instead.
Wood skirting and lattice skirting
In Mobile County's design table, termite infestation is rated Very Heavy (Mobile County adopted building codes, IRC Table R301.2(1)), so hold a wood quote to the 6-inch rule above. Ask how lattice openings are covered to keep rodents out, as the federal standard asks of vents.
Mobile home skirting cost: national prices and what moves them
These are national prices from HomeAdvisor's cost guide, dated June 19, 2026 and read October 17, 2026. No dated source gives a Mobile or Baldwin County skirting price, and we do not turn the national numbers into a local figure.
| Item | National range | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Skirting installed, normal range (average $2,400) | $1,500 to $5,000 per home | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Skirting installed, full span | $500 to $7,700 per home | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Panels, average | $6 to $8 per linear foot | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Panels for a standard single-wide (about 150 linear feet) | $900 to $1,200 | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Installer labor | $60 to $125 per hour | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Access door | $50 to $85 per door | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Vents | $7 to $25 per vent | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Removal and disposal of old skirting | $200 to $500 per home | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
HomeAdvisor says labor is about 60% of a skirting budget, so mobile home skirting labor cost matters as much as the panel price. A quote should show hours as well as panels.
Mobile home skirting cost per linear foot
Skirting prices per linear foot run $6 to $8 for panels. That is panel cost, not the installed price. As worked arithmetic: a 16 by 80 home measures 192 feet around, so 192 feet of panels at $6 to $8 comes to $1,152 to $1,536 for panels alone. A 28 by 60 home measures 176 feet around, or $1,056 to $1,408 in panels. Those perimeters use the nominal floor size and add nothing for a porch or a bump-out. The company measures the real perimeter on site.
How much skirting do I need for a 16x80?
Plan on about 192 feet, as worked out above. HomeAdvisor's guide uses about 150 linear feet for a standard single-wide, so your own measurement could differ from the guide. Ask the company to put the linear footage in the quote, so the skirting cost estimate is built from your home and not from an average.
What moves the price
- Perimeter length. More linear feet mean more panels, track and labor.
- Material. See the materials table.
- Removal of old skirting. $200 to $500 nationally.
- Vents and access work. Vents are $7 to $25 each and a door is $50 to $85.
- Lot slope and ground work. Ask whether grading, the ground cover and clearing under the home are in the quote or priced as extra lines (the grade rule is in install step 3).
How to get a free skirting quote and cost estimate
Ask whether the company gives a free skirting quote and whether it includes a visit. Ask whether the quote is for full skirting installation on every side of the home. To price the job it needs the width and length of the home, the material you want, photos of the existing skirting and the ground around it, and whether the home has steps or a porch. Get the skirting cost estimate in writing, and compare quotes on the lines listed under how to compare below. Cheap mobile home skirting is only cheap if the lines match. If a company calls the job underpinning, we found no dated source for a mobile home underpinning cost in Mobile, so ask for that cost in writing, broken out the same way. This service is call-only, so the first step is a phone call.
How new skirting is installed, step by step
The steps below are a checklist drawn from the Alabama and federal rules, so you can ask whether a quote covers each one. Steps without a rule behind them are phrased as questions.
- Check that the set-up has been inspected. Skirting waits for the AMHC inspection or the ten-day release described above. A multi-section home also may not be trimmed out until the marriage line has been inspected inside and out (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.11).
- Measuring the perimeter on site. Ask whether the quote counts corners, steps, porches and any place the ground rises or falls.
- Ground prep: clear and grade. Ask whether the quote covers it. The AMHC rule says all decayable material must be removed from under the home (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06). For new homes the ground should slope away from the home at least half an inch per foot for the first ten feet (HUD 3285.203, as the AMHC installer page repeats it).
- Lay the ground vapor retarder. The rule is in the vents section below; ask that it is in the quote.
- Set the track or rails. Ask how the panels are fastened, using the federal water-trapping rule above.
- Cut and fit panels, corners and trim. Ask how the bottom edge and the corners are closed.
- Add vents and the access door. Ask where they go; the sizes are in the sections below.
- Handle openings. Dryer vents and combustion air inlets go through the skirting to the outside under the federal model standard, so ask where yours will pass.
- Walk the job. Ask for a walk-around with you, and check the bottom edge, panel fastening and the door latch.
This list is a quote checklist, not a do-it-yourself guide; see the next section on who may do the work.
Who installs mobile home skirting? DIY vs professional installation
In Alabama, an owner may not install the home unless the owner is a certified installer (AMHC rules 535-X-12-.01 and .02). The AMHC's definition of installation lists locating, setting up, siting, tying down, anchoring and placing the home, and skirting is not named. So we found no rule that says who may fit panels: ask the AMHC before you do any of the work yourself, and ask the company. If the skirting job also touches the set-up, such as blocking, anchors or the marriage line, check the installer's name and certification number on the AMHC installer search.
Mobile home skirting contractors, installers and companies: how to compare
When you compare mobile home skirting contractors, mobile home skirting installers or any mobile home skirting company, line up the same items. Ask each one:
- What material, and what thickness or gauge, goes on the home?
- How many linear feet, and how many vents? What net vent area do those vents give?
- Is a ground vapor retarder included, with overlapped joints?
- Is there an access door, and how big is it?
- Is removal of old skirting in the price?
- Will the work wait for the AMHC set-up inspection, and who gives the AMHC notice?
- What happens at the bottom edge, so animals cannot push in?
- Is the scope, the price and the time written down?
- What written warranty, if any, comes with the work?
Ventilation: vents, vapor barrier and moisture control
The City of Mobile is low-lying on the Gulf Coastal Plain, and its recovery plan describes frequent flooding (City of Mobile Local Recovery Plan, 2024). Vent sizing and the vapor barrier under the home follow.
Skirting vents: Alabama's rule and the federal numbers
Alabama says that if skirting encloses the space under the home, it must be vented. The same rule says a ground vapor retarder of 6-mil polyethylene or equal should cover the whole area under the home, with joints overlapped at least 12 inches (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06). Alabama's rule gives no vent count.
How many vents does mobile home skirting need? Vent sizing and placement
The count comes from the federal model installation standard for new homes (24 CFR 3285.505). It asks for 1 square foot of net vent area for every 150 square feet of floor, or 1 square foot for every 1,500 square feet when a ground vapor retarder covers the ground under the whole floor. Openings go as high above the ground as practicable, on at least two opposite sides, and each is covered with a perforated, corrosion-resistant covering that keeps rodents out. This is the federal number, not the Alabama number.
Worked example, as arithmetic: a 16 by 80 home has 1,280 square feet of floor. At 1 per 150, that is 8.5 square feet of net vent area. With a ground retarder at 1 per 1,500, it is about 0.85 square foot. A 28 by 60 home has 1,680 square feet, so 11.2 square feet without a retarder or about 1.1 with one. Net vent area is the open area after the screen and louvers, so it is smaller than the vent's outside size. Ask the company for the net area printed on the vent you are getting.
Mobile home skirting flood vents
If the home sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area, flood vents may be a different matter. We found no flood-opening rule for skirting in the sources we read. A building permit in a flood zone needs a current Flood Elevation Certificate or a waiver from the Mobile County Flood Plain Administrator (Mobile County Building Inspections, 2026). Ask that office, and ask your skirting company whether it has worked in your zone. HUD's 2009 FHA letter also says a home in Flood Zone A or V is not eligible for FHA insurance without a LOMA, LOMR or acceptable elevation certificate.
Mobile home vapor barrier installation and how to fix moisture under a mobile home
The vapor barrier under the home is the ground vapor retarder in Alabama's rule above. Mobile home vapor barrier installation means laying plastic sheeting over bare ground under the home, to that rule. To fix moisture under a mobile home, ask the company where the water is coming from and to write what it found into the quote, how the lot will drain (see the grade rule in install step 3), whether torn or missing plastic is replaced, and how many vents are in the quote with what net vent area. The City of Mobile's recovery plan also says flash flooding is made worse by missing, undersized or deteriorated drainage (2024). Bring drainage up in the quote call.
Crawl space access door
A crawl space access door lets someone reach the utility connections under the home. The federal model standard asks for at least one opening not smaller than 18 inches wide and 24 inches high and not less than 3 square feet, placed so that under-home utility connections can be reached (24 CFR 3285.505). Ask for a door with a latch. If an old door is broken, mobile home skirting access door replacement is a small line item you can ask about alone.
Uneven lots, slope-adjustable panels and flood-prone lots
Mobile home skirting for a sloped lot
We found no sourced rule or price for skirting on a sloped lot. Ask each company how it will close the gap on the low side, whether it uses slope-adjustable parts, how that changes the price, and how it keeps the bottom edge tight against the ground.
Skirting for an elevated mobile home and flood-prone lots
If the home sits high, skirting has more height to cover. Alabama's blocking rule makes piers over 32 inches double-tiered and caps pier height at 60 inches unless an engineer designs it, or flood rules require another design (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06). Flood-prone sites can need a different pier design under National Flood Insurance Program rules. Ask the company how it will support panels at that height and what the price includes.
Repair and partial replacement: matching existing skirting and re-securing loose panels
We found no stored source on repair practice, so this section is a quote checklist. We found no dated source for a mobile home skirting repair cost, a partial replacement price or a mobile home skirting replacement cost in Alabama, so ask for each as written lines using the national items in the cost table.
- Loose skirting repair and mobile home underpinning repair. Ask the company to say why the panel moved and what it will do about the cause, not only how it will re-secure the panel.
- Vinyl skirting repair and metal skirting repair. Ask whether the quote replaces the damaged panel, the track or both, and whether mobile home skirting trim replacement is a separate line.
- Partial skirting replacement and skirting panel replacement. Ask for each as its own line, and ask whether the same panel is still sold.
- Match existing mobile home skirting. Take a photo of the panel, the trim and the track, and measure the panel's profile and height. If the company will not match it, replacing one full side is an option to price.
- Mobile home skirting reinstallation. If panels have to come off and go back on, ask for it as a written line.
Single-wide and double-wide skirting
Single-wide mobile home skirting
A single wide mobile home skirting job at national prices runs from $630 in vinyl to $4,000 in insulated vinyl (HomeAdvisor, 2026), so single wide skirting cost depends on the material. Price by the measured linear feet, not by home type.
Double-wide mobile home skirting
HomeAdvisor prices double wide mobile home skirting from $920 in faux stone to $4,480 in insulated vinyl, so double wide skirting cost also depends on the material. A double-wide also has a marriage line, where the sections meet, and it must be inspected before trim-out (see install step 1). For skirting for an older mobile home, ask the company to look at the rim, the ground and the piers before it quotes, and have anything it finds written into the scope.
Skirting after a move, a set-up or a re-level
New skirting often follows a move. Here is how the work splits in Alabama.
- The mover. A carrier may unhitch only after an AMHC inspector has placed a dated decal on the home. It may then remove the wheels and axles, but it may not install the home unless it is also an AMHC certified installer, and any further blocking counts as installation (AMHC rules 535-X-12T-.08 and 535-X-12-.02). Preparing a home for the road belongs to licensed manufacturers, licensed retailers and AMHC certified installers (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.06). The rules we read do not name skirting as work for a carrier.
- The installer. Setting up, blocking, anchoring and tying down belong to a certified installer, who puts a decal on the home on arrival (AMHC rules 535-X-12-.01 and .04).
- The county. Mobile County's checklist before electric service asks for the AMHC inspection decal and the installer's decal on the home, a percolation test number, a 911 address, plumbing and HVAC permits, and an application to Alabama Power (Mobile County Inspection Services).
So plan skirting for after the inspection, and ask the skirting company to wait for it. For the whole sequence, see mobile home setup.
Skirting during a re-level or tie-down work
We found no stored source on whether skirting must come off for this work. Ask the leveling or tie-down company whether the quote includes any skirting refit, or ask the skirting company to price a reset afterward, and get it in writing so neither scope leaves it out.
Skirting inspection: before you pay and before you sell
A skirting inspection is a walk around the wall. Check for panels that bow or pull out, gaps at the bottom edge, missing vents or door latches, damp spots, and bare ground inside. If you can see under the home through a vent, look for torn plastic and standing water.
Mobile home skirting before selling: buyer and inspection requests
A buyer's inspection requests may list broken panels, missing vents, torn ground cover or an access door that does not latch. We found no rule that says an owner must skirt a home before a sale or that sets what a buyer may ask for (for lenders, see the Lenders bullet above). Get a written quote for any repair you agree to, and keep the photos and the quote with the paperwork.
Storms, wind damage and skirting insurance claims
Mobile and Baldwin counties are both designated Hurricane Zones (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.02). Hurricane Sally in September 2020 made landfall near Gulf Shores with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, and Hurricane Zeta struck downtown Mobile about five weeks later with winds up to 110 mph (City of Mobile Local Recovery Plan, 2024). After those storms, 852 FEMA individual assistance applications came from mobile homes, equal to 70% of households living in mobile homes in the city. Anchors and ties are a separate job from skirting; the mobile home tie-downs page has the Wind Zone II rules.
Storm damaged skirting repair
For storm damaged skirting repair, first make sure it is safe to be near the home. Photograph the damage before anything is moved. Ask the company to list which panels, trim, vents and doors need replacing, and whether the ground cover and any fallen debris under the home need attention.
Skirting insurance claim
Whether a skirting insurance claim pays depends on your policy, its wind or hurricane deductible and the cause of the damage. We found no source that says insurance covers skirting, so call your insurer before you hire anyone, and ask what documents it wants. Keep photos, the written quote and receipts together.
Rodents and pest exclusion: keeping animals out
Look at the bottom edge, the corners, the dryer vent opening, the vents and the door. The federal model standard asks for vent openings covered with a perforated, corrosion-resistant covering that prevents rodent entry. That is the heart of mobile home skirting rodent proofing: tight panels at the ground line, covered vents and a door that latches. Remove stored wood and scraps from under the home, because the AMHC rule also calls for decayable material to be cleared from under it.
Energy bills and insulated skirting
Will skirting lower my energy bills? One retailer says foam-insulated skirting panels typically run R-5 to R-10 and can cut heat loss in winter and help keep the home cooler in summer (MH Giant blog, read October 18, 2026). That is a seller's claim, not a standards body's. The U.S. Department of Energy treats insulating the belly, the underfloor cavity, as a separate weatherization retrofit job (DOE Job Aid 15-1). We found no sourced dollar saving for skirting or insulated skirting, so this page gives none. If someone promises a saving, ask where the number comes from.
How long does skirting installation take, and how long will new skirting last?
One retailer says brick or block skirting may take several days or even weeks, and that lattice can be completed quickly; it gives no time for vinyl panels. The same retailer says vinyl may need replacing sooner in harsh climates, and that cement board should be repainted every 5 to 10 years (MH Giant blog, read October 18, 2026). That is retailer content, not a guaranteed life span. We found no neutral source for install hours or warranty terms, so ask the company for the work time, the start date and any written warranty in writing.
Where this fits in the Mobile area
In the city of Mobile, mobile homes are only about 1% of housing, and manufactured housing is allowed only by conditional use permit in certain residential districts (City of Mobile Local Recovery Plan, 2024). This page serves Prichard, Saraland, Satsuma and the Eastern Shore towns of Daphne, Fairhope and Spanish Fort as well as the city.
We found no skirting permit rule in Mobile County, Baldwin County or the City of Mobile, so ask the building office for your address before work starts. In unincorporated Mobile County, building permit applicants other than an owner who occupies the building need a county business license and a contractor's license (Mobile County building code amendments). Ask your city or Baldwin County office what applies to you.
Mobile home skirting questions
How much does mobile home skirting cost?
Nationally, $1,500 to $5,000 for most homes, with a $2,400 average (HomeAdvisor, June 2026). By material, vinyl is $630 to $1,090 for a single-wide and $1,100 to $1,550 for a double-wide. No Mobile-only price is published, so ask for a written quote.
Is skirting required on mobile homes in Alabama?
We found no Alabama rule requiring every home to be skirted. Alabama says the home may not be skirted before the set-up inspection and that an enclosed space must be vented. Parks, leases and lenders may require skirting, so ask them.
Can skirting go on before the set-up inspection?
No. A home may not be skirted until an AMHC inspector has inspected the set-up, but it may be skirted if the Commission has not inspected within ten days after notification (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.11).
Does skirting need vents?
Yes, if it encloses the space (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06). The count is not in the Alabama rule; the federal model standard asks for 1 square foot of net vent area per 150 square feet of floor, or per 1,500 with a retarder.
How much skirting do I need for a 16x80 home?
About 192 feet around, using the nominal floor size. HomeAdvisor's guide uses about 150 linear feet for a standard single-wide, so ask the company to measure and put the linear footage in the quote.
Does a flood zone in Mobile County change what I need?
A building permit in a flood zone needs a current Flood Elevation Certificate or a waiver from the Mobile County Flood Plain Administrator (Mobile County Building Inspections, 2026). We found no skirting-specific flood-opening rule, so ask that office before work starts.
Does the AMHC set the skirting rules for my mobile home park?
No. The AMHC says it does not regulate parks and tells owners to ask the local city or county. We found no published Mobile or Baldwin County rule on skirting in parks, so read the park's rules and your lease.
Is vinyl or metal skirting better for an older home?
No neutral source ranks them. Compare written quotes, and ask each company to check what the panels attach to before it prices them.
My skirting blew off in a storm. Will insurance cover it?
It depends on your policy, your deductible and the cause. We found no source saying coverage is certain. Photograph the damage before repairs, and call your insurer first.
Does the skirting have to come off to work on tie-downs or leveling?
We found no source on that. Anchor and set-up work is for a certified installer in Alabama, so ask for any refit of skirting and vents to be written into that quote.
Do buyers or realtors require skirting before a sale?
We found no rule that does. An appraiser or lender may look at the enclosure, so ask your lender what it wants before listing.