What it costs to move a mobile home
Transport for a single-wide mobile home costs about $2,505 for a 272-mile move and $7,045 for 841 miles in our pricing engine (October 2026), including escorts, permits and fuel. A double-wide costs about twice as much, and setup at the new site is extra.
A mobile home move is priced like any other oversize load: by the section, by the mile, by the number of escort vehicles the states require and by the permits issued along the route. The numbers in this guide come from our own online pricing engine, so they are the same prices you would see in the calculator for those routes. They cover transport only.
What sets the price
Number of sections
Each section of a manufactured home is a separate load. A double-wide needs two trucks, one per section, and each truck needs its own escorts and permits. That is why our 272-mile double-wide example comes to $5,011, against $2,505 for a single-wide on the same route.
Width, which sets the escort count
Escort vehicles (pilot cars) are the second-largest line on most quotes. States decide when a wide load needs one, and the thresholds differ from state to state. North Dakota is a useful example of how the rules are written: a load over 14 ft 6 in wide gets one lead car on two-lane highways, and a load over 16 ft wide gets a lead car and a follow car. Other states use different widths and road rules.
On the same 272-mile route, a 16 ft wide single section is priced at $3,049 in our engine, against $2,505 for a standard single-wide. Almost all of the difference is the second escort: $1,088 for escorts instead of $544.
Miles
The truck is priced per mile for each section, and short moves cost more per mile because loading, hitching and permit work take the same time whatever the distance. In our examples the linehaul works out to $11.00 a mile on the 83-mile move and $6.33 a mile on the 272-mile move.
States crossed
Every state on the route issues its own permit for each section, with its own fee and travel hours. Texas, for example, has a separate permit type for manufactured housing. Our engine adds a permit allowance for each state and each section: the 841-mile run from Houston, TX to Atlanta, GA carries $270 for permits, against $90 for a move inside Texas.
Fuel surcharge
Fuel is charged as a separate line tied to the U.S. Department of Energy weekly diesel average, which the Energy Information Administration publishes every Monday. These examples use $6.199 a gallon. When diesel moves, the fuel line moves with it, and the week used is printed on your quote.
Example prices
| Load | Route | Miles | Price | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-wide, Houston to Brenham | Houston, TX → Brenham, TX | 83 | $1,549 | $1,317 to $1,936 |
| Linehaul (83 mi × 1 section): $913 · Escort vehicles (1 per section × 1 section): $500 · Permit allowance (est. 1 state × 1 section): $90 · Fuel surcharge (DOE $6.199/gal, week of Oct 5): $46 | ||||
| Single-wide, Houston to Dallas | Houston, TX → Dallas, TX | 272 | $2,505 | $2,130 to $3,132 |
| Linehaul (272 mi × 1 section): $1,720 · Escort vehicles (1 per section × 1 section): $544 · Permit allowance (est. 1 state × 1 section): $90 · Fuel surcharge (DOE $6.199/gal, week of Oct 5): $151 | ||||
| Single-wide, Houston to Atlanta | Houston, TX → Atlanta, GA | 841 | $7,045 | $5,988 to $8,806 |
| Linehaul (841 mi × 1 section): $4,626 · Escort vehicles (1 per section × 1 section): $1,682 · Permit allowance (est. 3 states × 1 section): $270 · Fuel surcharge (DOE $6.199/gal, week of Oct 5): $467 | ||||
| Double-wide, Houston to Dallas | Houston, TX → Dallas, TX | 272 | $5,011 | $4,259 to $6,264 |
| Linehaul (272 mi × 2 sections): $3,441 · Escort vehicles (1 per section × 2 sections): $1,088 · Permit allowance (est. 1 state × 2 sections): $180 · Fuel surcharge (DOE $6.199/gal, week of Oct 5): $302 | ||||
| Double-wide, Houston to Atlanta | Houston, TX → Atlanta, GA | 841 | $14,089 | $11,976 to $17,612 |
| Linehaul (841 mi × 2 sections): $9,251 · Escort vehicles (1 per section × 2 sections): $3,364 · Permit allowance (est. 3 states × 2 sections): $540 · Fuel surcharge (DOE $6.199/gal, week of Oct 5): $934 | ||||
| 16 ft wide single-wide, Houston to Dallas | Houston, TX → Dallas, TX | 272 | $3,049 | $2,592 to $3,812 |
| Linehaul (272 mi × 1 section): $1,720 · Escort vehicles (2 per section × 1 section): $1,088 · Permit allowance (est. 1 state × 1 section): $90 · Fuel surcharge (DOE $6.199/gal, week of Oct 5): $151 | ||||
The range next to each price is there because no two homes are the same. Exact width with eaves, the route the permit office assigns and the escort rules in each state can move the final number up or down.
What transport does not include
A transport price moves the home from one site to the other. The work at each end is separate, and is often quoted by someone else:
- Teardown at the old site: removing skirting, steps, decks and anything attached to the home
- Disconnecting and reconnecting water, sewer, gas and electric
- Blocking, leveling and anchoring at the new site
- Joining the sections of a multi-section home and sealing the marriage line
- Site preparation: the pad or foundation, the driveway and clearing a path for the truck
Installation is regulated. In Texas, only a licensed, bonded installer may install a manufactured home, and the installer files a report with the state within 7 working days. Book your installer early and give us their name, so we can line up the delivery with their schedule.
Paperwork to have ready before the move
We cannot apply for permits until the documents are in. Have these ready when you book:
- The HUD label (certification label) number and the serial number for each section
- Proof of ownership, such as the title or statement of ownership
- A tax certificate or tax clearance, if your county or state requires one before a home can move
- The name and license number of the installer at the new site
Texas: the owner has 60 days to update the ownership record
In Texas, the company moving the home gets the moving permit from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. After the move, the owner must file an application for a new Statement of Ownership with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, with a copy of that permit, within 60 days of the relocation. TDHCA refers moves without a permit to TxDMV enforcement. Ask us for a copy of the permit when the home is delivered.
Texas has also tied the permit to property taxes: a 2001 bill required a statement that no taxes were owed on the home before a permit could be issued. Ask your county tax office what applies today, and we confirm the current requirement when you book.
Other states have their own permit, title and tax rules for manufactured homes. We check the rules for your origin and destination states at booking and tell you exactly which documents we need.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Send the documents early. Permits are ordered after the paperwork is complete, so missing documents push the move back.
- Get the running gear checked. Axles, tires and the hitch need to be roadworthy. Fixing them before pickup is cheaper than a failed pickup.
- Clear the path at both ends. Trim branches, move vehicles and fences, and make sure the ground is firm. Waiting time is charged at the rate on your quote.
- Measure carefully. Width with eaves sets the escort count, and a home that measures wider at pickup than the booking said is re-rated.
- Compare transport with transport. Ask for setup and transport as separate prices, so you can compare quotes line by line.
For your own route, the Ryecroft Freight calculator prices the move in under a minute with every line shown. For the rules behind permits and escorts, see our guide to oversize permits and escorts.
Common questions
Why does a double-wide cost about twice as much as a single-wide?
A double-wide is two sections, and each section travels as its own oversize load on its own truck, with its own escorts and its own permits. Almost every line on the quote doubles.
Is the online price final?
Mobile home prices are shown with a range, because the final route, escort count and permits depend on the exact measurements and the states crossed. If the home turns out larger or heavier than the details you entered, the move is re-rated and we tell you before we continue.
Can you move a home without axles or tires?
Tell us when you book. Running gear that is missing or not roadworthy has to be reviewed before we can schedule the move, and it can add cost.
Do you set up the home at the new site?
No. We handle transport. Blocking, leveling, anchoring and joining sections is done by a licensed installer, and we coordinate the delivery time with them.
My home is wider than 16 ft. Can you move it?
Sections up to 16 ft wide are priced online. Wider sections are reviewed case by case, because they can need extra escorts, route checks and special permits.
Sources
- TDHCA Manufactured Housing Division: Statement of Ownership FAQ
- TDHCA Manufactured Housing Division bulletin (PDF)
- Texas House bill analysis, HB 468, 77th Legislature (2001)
- TxDMV: General single-trip oversize/overweight permits
- North Dakota Highway Patrol: Pilot Car Policy (PDF)
- LocalMovers: How much does it cost to move a mobile home
- PLS Logistics: How to calculate a fuel surcharge
- U.S. EIA: Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Rules and prices change; your online quote shows the current price for your load.