A triple wide is three separate sections, moved as three loads and joined again at the new site. Nationally, a full-service triple-wide move costs $12,000 to $25,000, with a table average of $18,500 (HomeAdvisor, page dated June 19, 2026). No dated source gives a Mobile-only price. In Mobile County the government fees are small: about $71.25 in permits if ALDOT issues one permit per section and every section is over 12 feet wide (confirm with the ALDOT Permit Office). No source we read gives a number of days for the move. Permits, notices, escorts and inspections come before and after the road trip.
Can a triple wide be moved?
Yes, but only as separate sections. Alabama permits an over-legal load only if it cannot readily be dismantled or separated (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.02 and Code of Alabama 32-9-29). Multi-section homes are built in two or three sections that are joined at the home site (Manufactured Housing Institute), so a triple wide travels as three loads. The Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission (AMHC) lists separating multi-section homes by the reverse of the joining procedure as a step in preparing a used home for the road (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.06).
Some conditions can stop a move. A home built before June 15, 1976 needs an AMHC letter of exception. The rule does not say what applies to a pre-1976 home already here, so ask AMHC before you pay a deposit. Photograph the HUD label on each section and the home's data plate before you call; the AMHC says the data plate is usually in a kitchen cabinet, at the electrical panel or in a bedroom closet.
Triple wide moving cost and what moves it
| Item | Price | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service triple-wide move, national | $12,000 to $25,000 (table average $18,500) | HomeAdvisor, page dated June 19, 2026 |
| Full-service double-wide move, national, for comparison | $8,000 to $15,000 (average $11,500) | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Full-service single-wide move, national, for comparison | $4,000 to $8,000 (average $6,000) | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Transport only, up to 60 miles (not size-specific), national | $1,000 to $3,500 | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| Setup alone after a move (not size-specific), national | $3,000 to $4,000, higher on undeveloped land | HomeAdvisor, June 19, 2026 |
| County move permit plus three ALDOT permits, Mobile County, all sections over 12 ft wide (assumes ALDOT issues one permit per section; confirm with the ALDOT Permit Office) | $71.25, plus $4 for each card payment to ALDOT | Mobile County License Commission and ALDOT fee schedule (March 11, 2025), read October 17, 2026 |
These are national figures, not Mobile prices. Permits are under 1% of the low end, so the money goes elsewhere. Price moves with distance, the size and weight of the home, its age and condition, special features, permits and inspections, and whether the quote is full-service with setup.
Ask whether the price includes:
- Three trucks and drivers, and the escorts each section's width calls for.
- Splitting and joining the sections, by the parties Alabama allows (see below).
- Running gear: a hitch, axles, tires, brakes and lights for each section if the old ones are gone.
- Disconnecting and reconnecting gas, power, heat and air, water and sewer.
- Weather days, since weather can stop travel until it clears.
- Which party's quote covers site work and setup, and who pays for it. Piers and tie-downs are certified-installer work.
No source gives a price for teardown alone, reassembly alone, escorts, a per-mile rate or a price by home size, and we do not invent them. Ask for each as a separate line. Weigh the total against the home: new multi-section homes shipped in Alabama in 2023 averaged $141,200 (Manufactured Housing Institute, 2024).
What a third section changes
A double-wide is two loads. A triple wide adds a whole extra load, and everything counted per load is counted again.
| Item | What a third section means | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Toter trucks and drivers | Three. A toter is the truck built to pull a home that rides on its own axles | Each section is its own load (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.03 allows a combination of no more than two vehicles) |
| Labels | Three HUD labels, one on each transportable section | AMHC rule 535-X-13-.03; Code of Alabama 24-5-2 |
| ALDOT permit copies | Three, one carried in each truck. The rule does not say "one permit per section", so confirm with the ALDOT Permit Office | Our reading of ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.03 |
| Chassis | Three sets of drawbar, frame, axles, tires, brakes and lights | 24 CFR 3280.902 |
| Escort positions | Set by each section's width | ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.05 |
| Spacing on the road | One-half mile between each vehicle load | ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.04(8) |
| AMHC units | A "unit" is a home or any portion of one, so ask AMHC whether notices and delivery inspections count each section and whether it issues one decal per section | AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.03 |
Triple wide moving permit: county, ALDOT and escorts for each section
A triple wide moving permit means several permits, not one. First is the county move permit. Alabama Department of Revenue rule 810-4-2-.09 requires it before a manufactured home moves on Alabama highways. It is one fee per home, however many sections, and it is valid 14 calendar days for each transportable module. In Mobile County the License Commission lists $11.25 and asks for proof that property taxes and registration are paid. For a move into Baldwin County, the Probate Judge's office is the registration official there. The rule does not say whether the old or the new county issues the permit, so ask both offices before you set a date. The Baldwin fee could not be confirmed, so we give no figure.
Second is the ALDOT single-trip permit for each load. It costs $10 for a section up to 12 feet wide and 75 feet long, and $20 above that. A card payment adds $4. Each permit allows five days and one round trip (loaded one way, empty the other).
| Section width (ask the company for each section's measured width) | ALDOT fee per section | Escort rule |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 12 ft wide, up to 75 ft long | $10 | Under 12 ft wide, no width-based escort band is listed. The escort rule's next band starts at 12 ft, so ask the Permit Office about a section of exactly 12 ft |
| Over 12 to 14 ft wide | $20 | One escort: in front on two-lane roads, behind on multilane roads |
| Wider than 14 ft | $20 | Front and rear escorts on all roads; approved rear strobe lights may replace the rear escort for a mobile home. Ask how the company will meet this |
Each section travels as its own load, so ask the ALDOT Permit Office to confirm that its own width sets the band. Government fees therefore run $11.25 + 3 x $20 = $71.25 if all three sections are over 12 feet wide, or $11.25 + 3 x $10 = $41.25 if all three are at or under 12 by 75 feet. Both sums hold only if ALDOT issues one permit per section; confirm with the ALDOT Permit Office. It leaves out escorts, insurance and the AMHC installer decal, which costs the installer $130 per home. No source we read gives typical section widths for a triple wide.
The rules that apply on the road to every load are the same. Travel is in daylight only, never on Sundays, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas, and not when visibility is under 500 feet. The load keeps to the route written on the permit. ALDOT will issue a permit for a load over the legal height, weight or length only with proof of insurance of at least $300,000 split limit or $1,000,000 combined single limit. For a single-trip load wider than 12 feet, proof of the Public Service Commission's minimum insurance must be on file first. The City of Mobile's recovery plan calls the Bayway a key evacuation route. We found no clearance figure, so have the company confirm the permitted route with ALDOT. Moving without the county permit risks a class C misdemeanor and a fine of at least $50.
Who may do which job in Alabama
A quote from a hauler alone can fall short, because Alabama splits the work among different parties.
| Job | Who may do it | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing the sections for the road (teardown and splitting) | An AMHC licensed manufacturer or retailer, or an AMHC certified installer. A mover that is none of these is not on the rule's list | 535-X-12T-.06 |
| Disconnecting utilities | Licensed or certified contractors regulated by state law | 535-X-12-.02; 535-X-12T-.06 |
| Hauling on Alabama roads | Licensed manufacturers and retailers and firms under written contract with them, certified installers, or federally certified motor carriers with current licences and insurance | 535-X-12T-.09 |
| Joining, lagging, sealing and setup | An AMHC certified installer, or an employee with a certificate of training, present for the whole job. An owner may not install unless the owner is a certified installer | 535-X-12-.01 |
| Reconnecting the utilities at the seams | Gas, electrical, heat and air, sewer and water connections must be made by licensed or certified contractors regulated by other laws. The rule does not name the crossovers at the seams separately, so ask AMHC and the trade boards who does that work | 535-X-12-.02; 24 CFR 3285.5 |
Hiring an uncertified installer can bring a fine of up to $500 per home. Ask any company for the AMHC certificate number of the person who will join the home, and look it up on the AMHC installer search.
Triple wide mobile home transport: moving day with three loads
Triple wide mobile home transport means three toters, each with its permit copy, strobe light, signs and flags, and escorts in front or behind according to the section's width. The loads may leave together or on different days. The half-mile rule, daylight limits, weather and the five-day permit all shape that choice, and the rule does not say how spacing applies to sections of one home.
When a federal motor carrier hauls, AMHC rules add steps. A certified installer certifies the prepared unit and gives AMHC 72 hours' notice. An inspector can issue a transport decal good for ten days. At delivery the carrier gives 72 hours' notice, and it may not unhitch until an inspector places a dated decal. After that it may only disconnect, remove the wheels and axles and secure the unit temporarily. A unit not installed at once must be blocked until a certified installer installs it. Whoever drops the home reports its location to AMHC within 72 hours of arrival (rules 535-X-12T-.07 and .08; 535-X-13-.11). The transporter answers for safety-related damage while the home is in its care (AMHC rule 535-X-12-.04).
How long does a triple-wide move take?
No source we read gives a duration for a triple wide. What we can give are the clocks:
- County move permit: valid 14 days for each module.
- ALDOT permit: five days and one round trip per load.
- AMHC transport decal, where one applies: ten days; notices 72 hours ahead.
- After setup: marriage-line inspection before trim-out, and set-up inspection before skirting.
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 (City of Mobile Local Recovery Plan, 2024). A load must park until hazardous weather clears (ALDOT rule 450-3-1-.04), so a storm day can halt every load. Ask early about dates.
Free triple wide moving quote: what to have ready
Mobile Mobile Home Movers is a referral service, not a mover. We pass your request to one independent local company. Ask whether the company's quote is free and written. For a three-section home, have ready:
- The floor plan, a photo of the HUD label on each section and a photo of the home's data plate.
- Photos of both sites, with the width of the gate, the lane and any low limbs.
- The title or bill of sale and proof that property taxes are paid.
- Whether axles, tires and hitches are still under each section.
- Your target date, and the county you are moving to.
Questions to ask triple wide moving companies and other multi section home movers
- Who prepares and splits the home, and what is that person's AMHC certification number?
- Which transporter class hauls the sections, and who holds the permits?
- How many permits and escort vehicles does the price include for three loads?
- Who reconnects the crossovers at each seam, and under whose licence?
- Is every joint between sections inspected before trim-out?
- Who supplies the axles, tires and hitches, and which party's quote covers site work (done by a certified installer) and the decal?
- Can I see a current certificate of insurance, and does it cover the home in transit?
- What happens if one section is delayed?
Put two or three written quotes side by side, listing each line. The AMHC cannot force fixes of cosmetic items, contract disputes or homes sold as-is, so the written scope is your protection. For two-section homes, see double-wide mobile home movers.
Triple wide teardown: three sections, one preparation rule
Triple wide teardown follows the same AMHC rule as any multi-section home, applied to each section. For a used, lived-in home, nine tasks are listed: remove the anchors in reverse order; take off the ridge caps; separate the sections by the reverse of the joining procedure; secure or remove the contents; have licensed or certified trades disconnect plumbing, electric, heat and air; fit the wheels and axles to the frame; remove all piers; secure the bottom board; and close the unit against moisture and wind (AMHC rule 535-X-12T-.06). The mobile home teardown and prep page covers the preparation rule in full.
Each section has its own running gear to check. Clear furniture away from the seams before the preparing party arrives, and ask which interior pieces it expects to come off.
Triple wide reassembly: joints between sections, one inspection rule
Triple wide reassembly means joining the three sections at the joints between them, called marriage lines. The floor plan decides the layout, so check yours. The federal installation standard (24 CFR 3285.801 and 3285.802), which is written for new homes, covers these points at each joint. The manufacturer's instructions govern.
- A mating gasket provides the seal between sections.
- Gaps of up to one inch are allowed only if closed before close-up, with the sections in contact; each is shimmed with dimensional lumber and longer fasteners (24 CFR 3285.802).
- Structural connections are made inside and outside the seam, and Alabama requires multi-section homes to be lagged and sealed together (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.07).
- Exterior close-up covers transit plastic, roof holes and weatherproof seams (24 CFR 3285.801).
- Crossovers are the heating and cooling ducts, electrical circuits, water pipes, drain plumbing and gas lines that cross the seam (24 CFR 3285.5).
AMHC's rule says a multi-section home may not be trimmed out until an inspector has inspected the marriage line from inside and outside, and the rule's words are singular. Ask the company and AMHC whether every joint of a triple wide is inspected before trim-out. A home also may not be skirted until the set-up is inspected. If the Commission has not inspected within ten days of notice, skirting may go ahead, but the rule does not release the marriage-line hold. An installer has 30 days to correct a failed inspection (AMHC rules 535-X-12-.07 and 535-X-13-.11).
Site and setup for three sections
Setup is the certified installer's job, and the mobile home setup page covers every step. Three points matter for a triple wide. First, extra piers sit under the marriage walls: at each end of the home, at openings 48 inches or wider and under each ridge-beam column (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.06). Second, Mobile and Baldwin counties are an AMHC Hurricane Zone, so the Wind Zone II tie table applies. It sets 5 vertical and 5 diagonal ties per side up to 40 feet long, 7 and 7 from 41 to 60 feet and 9 and 9 from 61 to 90 feet, with the length measured without the draw bar. Ask the installer how the manual counts the seam side. A Wind Zone I home may not be set in Zone II (AMHC rule 535-X-13-.07). Third, a relocated home must meet the tie-down law immediately on the new site (Code of Alabama 24-5-32). The tie-downs page covers anchors and soil classes.
"Site" in AMHC rules means the area under the home plus a 5-foot perimeter, and it must be graded so water does not stand or run under the home. Who prepares it is set in a written contract; inside a park, it is the park owner's job. We found no source on the setting order for three sections or on the use of positioning machines, so ask the installer and the manufacturer's manual. In Mobile County, power is released after the county checklist is met, and Alabama Power then needs about 24 hours.
Modular and other multi-section homes
A modular home is a different kind of home. AMHC certifies HUD-home installers and modular installers as separate classes (140 and 62 at September 30, 2023), so a company certified for one is not automatically certified for the other. Say plainly which type you own, and send a photo of each section's HUD label and the home's data plate.
Triple-wide moving questions
Can a triple wide be moved?
Yes, as three separate loads after the sections are prepared and separated by a party Alabama allows. A home built before June 15, 1976 needs an AMHC letter of exception, so ask AMHC before you pay a deposit.
How much does it cost to move a triple wide?
Nationally, $12,000 to $25,000 for a full-service move, with a table average of $18,500 (HomeAdvisor, June 2026). Mobile permits add about $71.25 if ALDOT issues one permit per section and all are over 12 feet wide (confirm with the ALDOT Permit Office).
How many permits and pilot cars does a triple wide need?
One county permit per home, valid 14 days per module, plus an ALDOT single-trip permit for each load. Escorts depend on each section's width; ALDOT may require more than the minimums. Confirm the plan with the ALDOT Permit Office.
Does each marriage line get inspected?
AMHC's rule requires inspection of the marriage line inside and out before trim-out and uses the singular. Ask AMHC and the installer whether every joint between sections is inspected.
Who may split and rejoin three sections?
Splitting a used home is preparation work for an AMHC licensed manufacturer or retailer or a certified installer. Joining, lagging and sealing belong to a certified installer.
Is a triple wide the same as a modular home?
No. AMHC treats HUD homes and modular homes under separate installer classes, so confirm what you own.
How long does a triple-wide move take?
No sourced duration exists. Road travel is daylight only, and permits, notices, weather and inspections set the pace.
Do the three sections travel the same day?
Possibly, but the half-mile rule, daylight, weather and permit windows can split the trip over several days.
Can a triple wide go from Mobile to Baldwin County?
Yes, under the same rules, with a copy of the county permit sent to the destination county. Ask both probate and license offices who issues it, and have the company confirm the permitted route with ALDOT.