Single-Wide Mobile Home Movers in Mobile, AL

What a single-wide move includes, and who may do each part

A full-service quote can cover permits, transport and setup (HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026), so ask for it in one written quote. In Alabama different licensed or certified parties do the prep, hauling, setup and utility work, under rules mostly from the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission (AMHC).

An owner may not install the home unless the owner is a certified installer. When a company offers to handle everything, ask who holds the AMHC certificate and which licensed trades do the utility work.

Single-wide moving cost in Mobile: national ranges and county permit fees

What raises the price

• Distance. More miles mean more truck, driver and escort time.
• Width and length. Past 12 feet wide or 75 feet long the ALDOT fee doubles, and wider homes need escorts.
• The home's age and condition. HomeAdvisor names both as price factors (June 19, 2026).
• Site access. Ask each company what it needs to see at both sites before it fixes a price.
• Setup scope. Setup and utility work are done by different trades (certified installers for setup, licensed trades for utilities), so ask for them as separate lines.

We found no reliable source that publishes a single-wide moving cost per mile, so ask each company to price the whole trip. The single-wide moving permit cost is small next to the national move ranges above. Part of the setup price is state fees the installer pays, such as $130 for each AMHC installation decal (AMHC fee schedule, rule 535-X-19-.03).

How much to move a single-wide across town, or across the bay

HomeAdvisor's national range for a very short move (a mile or two) is $1,000 to $5,000 (June 19, 2026). It still needs the fixed work: teardown, permits and setup.

Daphne, Fairhope and Spanish Fort are across the bay on the Eastern Shore. The Bayway is a key evacuation route (City of Mobile Local Recovery Plan, 2024), and the load may not leave the route on its permit (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.04), so plan that route with the company early.

Full-service move vs transport only: what each quote covers and what you must arrange yourself

In HomeAdvisor's transport-only price, the owner handles permits, utility disconnection and reconnection, and setup, so those are what you must arrange yourself.

On paper, the cheapest way to move a single-wide is transport only. Add the setup-alone price from the cost table to a transport-only quote before you compare.

Getting a single-wide moving quote

Mobile Mobile Home Movers is a referral service, not a mover. We pass your request to one independent local company. Ask the company whether its quote is free and whether it includes a site visit, and get the single-wide moving estimate in writing. To price the job, the company needs:

• Both locations, and photos of both sites.
• The width and length from the data plate, and the year built.
• Whether the axles, tires and hitch are still under the home.
• Your target date.

Can your single-wide be moved? Age, HUD label and data plate

Whether a home can travel safely is for the certified installer who prepared it to certify when an outside carrier hauls it (see step 3 below; AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.07). Age, the HUD label and the data plate are paper checks. Frame and floor condition, roof and siding panels are checks to ask the company about, covered in the next section. The AMHC says the plate is usually in a kitchen cabinet, at the electrical panel or in a bedroom closet.

A pre-1976 or pre-HUD home brought into Alabama needs an AMHC letter of exception, as does one without a valid HUD label (built before June 15, 1976; AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.04). The rule says nothing about a pre-1976 home already here, so ask the AMHC before you pay a deposit. A home built on or after June 15, 1976 needs its HUD label and data plate to be installed, and the plate must allow Wind Zone II.

Older single-wides: frame and outrigger checks, soft floors and loose panels

Can an older single-wide be moved? Older single-wide moving depends on three checks you can ask the company to make before it gives a firm price:

• Frame and outrigger checks. The frame is one part of the home's chassis (24 CFR 3280.902). Ask how the company will check the frame and the outriggers for rust and bent steel before the home is lifted. The federal standard for how homes are built to travel expects the chassis to carry its design loads without excessive deformation (24 CFR 3280.904).
• Soft floors. Ask whether the company will check the floor near the kitchen, the bath and the exterior doors for soft spots.
• Loose panels. Ask whether loose roof or wall panels will be fastened down. When an outside carrier hauls the home, the installer who prepared it must certify that parts will not fall off (step 3 below).

If the frame or floor fails the check, compare the cost of repairs plus the move with the cost of another home. A new single-section home averaged $82,300 in Alabama in 2023 (Manufactured Housing Institute, 2024).

Step by step from quote and site check to move-in

1. Quote and site check. The company looks at the home, the route and the new site, then puts the price in writing.
2. Paperwork. You pay any taxes due and find the title. The county and ALDOT permits follow.
3. Notice before transport. When a federal motor carrier that is not a licensed manufacturer or retailer (or under written contract with one) or a certified installer hauls the home, the installer who prepared it notifies the AMHC at least 72 hours ahead and certifies that the home can travel safely and parts will not fall off; the ten-day transport decal is covered under Moving day (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.07).
4. Teardown. An AMHC licensed manufacturer or retailer, or a certified installer, prepares the home for the road. For a used, lived-in home, anchors come off in reverse order, contents are secured or removed, and licensed trades disconnect utilities. Wheels and axles go on, all piers come out, the bottom board is secured, and the home is closed against wind and rain (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.06).
5. Transport. The load moves in daylight on the permitted route, with the escorts its width calls for.
6. Delivery. A federally certified carrier gives the AMHC 72 hours' notice and may remove the wheels and axles but not install the home (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.08; the arrival sequence is under Moving day). Whoever drops a home for final delivery reports its location within 72 hours of arrival (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.11).
7. Setup. The certified installer sets up the home; the installation decal comes first (see Setup after delivery).
8. Utilities and power. Licensed trades connect water, sewer, power and heat and air. In Mobile County, the county releases power once its checklist is met, and Alabama Power then needs about 24 hours.

How long each step takes depends on fixed limits: a transport decal good for ten days, a county permit good for 14 days per section, and a five-day ALDOT permit. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and storms are one of the few reasons ALDOT extends a trip permit.

Getting the home ready

Getting the home ready starts with you: empty out valuables and heavy furniture, latch cabinets, take down wall hangings and schedule utility shutoffs. Alabama's prep rule says contents must be secured or removed before the trip, and only a licensed manufacturer or retailer or a certified installer may prepare the home. Ask who will secure or remove the rest and who will disconnect the utilities.

• Take papers, medicine, jewelry and fragile items with you.
• Book the shutoffs with the power, water and gas providers and the licensed trades who disconnect them.
• Decide whether sheds, decks, porches and carports stay, move or come down.
• Find the title or bill of sale, your latest tax receipt and a photo of the data plate.

Getting the new lot ready

Getting the new lot ready means a pad, drainage, truck access past trees, fences, power lines, tight turns and soft ground, and utilities at the pad. Alabama requires the site to be graded, crowned and sloped so water does not stand or run under the home. The AMHC installer page adds that, for new homes, drainage should fall at least half an inch per foot for the first ten feet. A written contract between the landowner and the retailer or installer says who prepares the site. Inside a park, it is the park owner's job (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.04).

Mobile County will not approve power or water unless the home meets its Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance and has Health Department approval (county building code amendments). Inside the city of Mobile, manufactured homes are allowed only by conditional use permit in certain residential districts (City of Mobile Local Recovery Plan, 2024). Alabama 811 law calls for notice two to ten working days before excavation, which includes trenching, boring and grading by machine. Ask whether the installer will drive anchors or dig with machines, and if so who files the Alabama 811 notice (Alabama 811).

Moving day, morning to evening

What happens from morning to evening, and whether you need to be there, follows Alabama's rules for a home hauled by a federal motor carrier:

1. Before the wheels turn. An AMHC inspector inspects the home and, if it is fit, issues a transport decal valid for ten days. The carrier puts it near the centre of the back of the home where an enforcement official can see it (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.07).
2. On the road. The truck carries a copy of the permit, OVERSIZE LOAD signs front and rear, flags at the corners and an amber strobe light (ALDOT rules 450-3-1-.03 and .04). The load travels only within the hours and days in the oversize section below.
3. On arrival. The AMHC inspector meets the carrier at the site. The carrier may not unhitch until the inspector has put a dated decal on the home. It may then remove the wheels and axles and secure the home temporarily (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.08). When a licensed retailer, its contractor or a certified installer delivers a home that is not installed at once, the rule says it must be properly blocked until a certified installer installs it (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.08).
4. Do you need to be there? The rules do not require the owner to attend, but the AMHC may ask the carrier for a signed, witnessed statement from the owner that the carrier took no part in the installation (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.02). Ask the company what it needs from you and who confirms where the home sits on the pad.

Park-to-park, park-to-land and land-to-land moves, and park closings

• Park to park. To move a single-wide out of a mobile home park, get the park's move-out terms in writing, and ask the new park to confirm in writing that it accepts the home. The AMHC does not regulate parks, so ask the city or county about park rules.
• Park to land. To move a single-wide onto land in Mobile County, plan for a 911 address, a percolation test number or a sewer connection, and permits before power is turned on (Mobile County Mobile Home Checklist).
• Land to land. Both ends are yours, so plan access and tree trimming at both.
• Buying a home. Used single-wide moving starts with the title or bill of sale and proof that taxes are paid. For single-wide mobile home delivery of a new home, only the licensed manufacturer or retailer may prepare it for the road.

If your park is closing, we found no Alabama rule on closures or relocation help. Get the owner's timeline in writing and start quotes early.

Permits and paperwork for a local single-wide move

Paperwork for the move: title or proof of ownership, property taxes paid, the county move permit, and, for a park, its notice and new-park approval terms, which you ask the park about. If you still owe money on the home, ask your lender whether you need lender approval before you book. A lien holder that moves a home must tell the county registration official in writing within ten days (Alabama Department of Revenue rule 810-4-2-.09).

• County move permit for a single-wide. The state rule sets $10 per home, and the Mobile County License Commission lists $11.25, however many sections. It is good for 14 calendar days per section. Taxes or registration must be paid first, and moving without it is a class C misdemeanor with a fine of at least $50 (rule 810-4-2-.09).
• Title or bill of sale. Mobile County asks for a title or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin for homes 20 years old or newer, and a bill of sale for all homes.
• ALDOT single-trip permit for a single-wide. Five days, one round trip, prepaid, with a copy in the truck (ALDOT rules 450-3-1-.03 and .10). Insurance proof rules are in the insurance section below.

Moving from Mobile County to Baldwin County? The county permit comes from the official who handles home registration, and a copy goes to the county of destination. In Baldwin County that office is the Probate Judge's office (state audit, 2026). The rule does not say whether the old or the new county issues the permit, so ask both offices before you set a date.

Oversize-load permits, travel-time limits, escorts and pilot cars

Without a permit, Alabama allows a load 8 feet wide (8 feet 6 inches on roads with 12-foot lanes) and 13 feet 6 inches high. Wider homes need an ALDOT permit. Permitted loads travel in daylight only, never on Sundays, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. They stop when visibility drops under 500 feet or weather turns unsafe, and they keep half a mile apart (ALDOT rules 450-3-1-.02 and .04).

What width decides for 14-wide and 16-wide mobile home moving

Sources: ALDOT fee schedule (2025), ALDOT rules 450-3-1-.05, .09 and .10, Code of Alabama 32-9-29 as reprinted in HB323 (2025), and ALDOT's Rules and Regulations presentation. Even with the lights, the mobile home escort rides in front on two-lane roads and moves to the rear on multilane roads. Ask the company to confirm its escort plan with the ALDOT Permit Office.

Does a single-wide need a pilot car?

A single-wide pilot car, or escort, is needed once the width reaches the bands above (ask about a home exactly 12 feet wide). It must be a licensed single vehicle towing nothing, with amber strobes seen all around at 500 feet, low beams on, radio contact and black-on-yellow OVERSIZE LOAD signs. Its driver must be at least 18 and trained in a flagging course (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.05). 16-wide mobile home movers plan for the most escort work, so ask how many escorts the price includes.

Axles, tires and hitch: who supplies the running gear if it was removed

Running gear is the springs, axles, bearings, wheels, hubs, tires and brakes (24 CFR 3280.902). The hitch (drawbar and coupling) and the lights are separate parts of the home's transport system. Carriers may take the wheels and axles off after delivery (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.08), so a home that was set up before may have none. Ask each quote whether the gear is the company's, rented or bought for you, and who keeps it after the move. The federal standard for how homes are built to travel (24 CFR 3280.904) makes a good checklist:

• Hitch. The drawbar is fastened to the home's substructure, and the coupling locks and releases at any angle.
• Axles and brakes. At least two axles per section need brakes unless the design shows otherwise.
• Tires. The load may not exceed the tire's rating. Used tires need at least 1/16 inch of tread and no dry rot or excessive sidewall splitting.
• Hubs, bearings and lights. Hubs and bearings must be easy to inspect, and the carrier may supply a temporary light harness.

That standard is written for the factory, but it shows what to ask about old gear: tread depth, dry rot and brakes on two axles.

Single-wide moving insurance: what the rules require

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 load wider than 12 feet, the Public Service Commission's minimum insurance must be on file first. The permit holder pays for damage to bridges, signals and signs (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.06).

The AMHC makes the transporter responsible for safety-related damage while the home is in its care, custody or control (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.04). These rules set liability; they are not a policy on your home. Ask each single-wide transport company for a current certificate of insurance and whether it covers the home itself in transit. Certified installers must carry $100,000 in general liability insurance and a $20,000 bond (AMHC installer page).

Setup after delivery: blocking, leveling, anchoring, skirting and steps by a certified installer

Once the home is on site, a certified installer takes over, and the carrier's part ends at removing the wheels and axles. The steps run in this order:

1. Decal first. The installer puts the installation decal on the home on arrival and before work starts. It shows the installation date and the installer's name and certification number (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.04).
2. Blocking and leveling. For a used home without the maker's manual, Alabama's minimum rule puts piers under the main frame no more than 6 feet apart, each on at least a 16 x 16 x 4 inch concrete pad (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06). This Old House (updated June 5, 2026) says difficult access raises the labor on leveling and added or adjusted piers can raise the price. Ask the installer how the pad and drainage affect the leveling work.
3. Anchoring. The Wind Zone II tie counts below apply.
4. Inspection, then skirting. The AMHC may inspect any installation and give a written report, and the installer must correct deficiencies within 30 days (AMHC rules 535-X-12-.07 and 535-X-13-.11).
5. Steps and porches. HomeAdvisor says homes with decks or porches may need extra materials and labor (June 19, 2026), so ask whether entry steps and landings are in the setup quote or priced as a separate line.

Mobile and Baldwin counties are a Hurricane Zone, so the Wind Zone II table applies. Each side of the home needs 5 vertical and 5 diagonal ties up to 40 feet long, 7 and 7 from 41 to 60 feet, and 9 and 9 from 61 to 90 feet, not counting the draw bar (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.07). The mobile home tie-downs page covers anchors in depth.

A home may not be skirted until an AMHC inspector has inspected the set-up, or until ten days after notice if no inspector comes (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.11). If skirting encloses the space under the home, it must be vented, and a 6-mil plastic ground vapor retarder should cover the ground under the home (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06). See mobile home setup for every setup step.

Single-wide vs double-wide: what changes in price and process

Moving a double-wide costs $8,000 to $15,000 nationally, table average $11,500 (HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026). Its ridge caps come off and the sections are separated before the trip, multi-section homes are transported in multiple pieces and joined on site (NAHB, April 3, 2025), and the marriage line must be inspected before trim-out (AMHC rules 535-X-12T-.06 and 535-X-13-.11). For two-section homes, see double-wide mobile home movers.

Tips and mistakes to avoid

• Don't use a tow truck. Single-wide mobile home towing by the homeowner is not on Alabama's list of lawful haulers (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.09), and a violation can bring a penalty of up to $1,000 or a year in jail (rules .10 to .13).
• Confirm what the quote includes. A low price that leaves out permits, escorts, running gear or setup is not a low price. Use the questions below.
• Keep moving and setup with one accountable company only if that company is a certified installer or brings one. Ask who answers in writing for each part: prep, transport, setup and utilities. A hauler that is neither may not prepare or install the home, so get the certified installer's name, and who handles the utilities, in the same written quote.

How to choose a single-wide mover: license and insurance checks, a written quote and questions to ask

Compare single-wide mobile home moving companies on the same lines. Ask each one:

• Who prepares and sets up the home, and what is that person's AMHC certification number? Check it in the AMHC installer search.
• Which permits does the price cover: county, ALDOT or both?
• How many escorts does the plan use, and does it use rear strobe lights?
• Who supplies the axles, tires and hitch?
• Can I see a current certificate of insurance, and does it cover my home in transit?
• Which licensed trades handle the utilities, and are they in the price?
• What warranty, if any, comes with the move and the setup, in writing?

Put two or three written quotes side by side. Hiring an uncertified installer breaks state rules and can bring a fine of up to $500 per home.

Single-wide moving questions

How much does it cost to move a single-wide mobile home?

Nationally, $4,000 to $8,000 for a full-service move, or $1,000 to $3,500 for transport only up to 60 miles (HomeAdvisor, June 2026). In Mobile County, the county move permit and the ALDOT single-trip permit cost $31.25 together for a home over 12 feet wide.

How long does it take to move a single-wide?

The drive itself must happen in daylight. The time goes into 72-hour AMHC notices where they apply, a five-day ALDOT permit window, the set-up inspection before skirting, and the county power release.

Do I need a permit to move a single-wide a short distance?

Yes, if it travels on an Alabama highway: the county move permit, plus an ALDOT single-trip permit for any home wider than the legal 8 feet (8 feet 6 inches on some roads). For a move that stays on private land, ask the county office.

How much to move a 14x70 mobile home, or a 16x80?

HomeAdvisor gives one national single-wide range and no separate 16x80 mobile home moving cost or 14x70 price, so ask for a quote by exact width and length. Both homes pay the $20 ALDOT fee, and the wider home needs more escort work.

What if my single-wide is too damaged to move?

Fix it first or don't move it. When an outside carrier hauls the home, the installer who prepared it must certify that it can travel safely (step 3 above). If the frame or floor can't pass, compare repairs with another home.

Does the mover set up the home after the move?

Only if the company is also an AMHC certified installer, or brings one. A carrier may unhitch and remove the wheels and axles, but it may not install the home (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.08).

Do I have to be there on move day?

Alabama's rules do not require the owner to attend, but the AMHC may ask the carrier for a signed, witnessed statement from the owner that the carrier did no installation work (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.02). Ask the company what it needs from you, and who confirms the spot on the pad.

Will my furniture be safe inside during the move?

Contents must be secured or removed. Ask the company which packed items may stay, take heavy, fragile and valuable things out, and ask in writing whether its insurance covers what is inside.

Who moves single-wide trailers in Mobile?

Only firms on Alabama's list: AMHC licensed manufacturers and retailers and their contractors, AMHC certified installers, and federally certified motor carriers. A homeowner may not tow it. Mobile Mobile Home Movers connects you with one independent local company; it is not a mover.