By Dave and Mary

Mobile Home Porches

For Both Comfort and Curb Appeal

Attractive mobile home porches can not only extend your outdoor time but add immense appeal to your home as well. This applies whether you have a prefabricated, modular, or factory, or manufactured home too.

Mary and I are collecting porch ideas for mobile homes that we hope you can use at your residence.

A mobile home porch is just like any other residential front porch except it is not directly attached to the home (exception being the roof in some cases).

That's great news because you have as many design options as well.

mobile home porch with gable roof by Ready Decks

Mobile Home Front Porch by Ready Decks ®

Porch Ideas for Mobile Homes

We are most appreciative to Bonnie for sharing pictures of her mobile home porch. Her porch was designed and built by Kyle Kilgore.

detached mobile home porch example

Bonnie's new detached porch on her mobile home.
There is a metal flashing between home roof and porch roof.

Bonnie's porch is 10 x 20 - a spacious size. She says, "It took almost all last summer to build, due to weather and Kyle built it in his spare time."

He listened to all I wanted and came up with the design. I did not want the pole in the middle, but he insisted due to the amount of snow we get. I'm grateful to him for that after this winters storms!

"For the winter, I have clear vinyl ($2 per yard at Walmart), put up with scrap wood on top, bottom and some sides. It is wonderful to extend the seasons. No wind or rain or snow! My dog and 3 kitties love it as well. I put up a clear shower curtain on spring loaded white shower rods, for a moveable " door". I tried heavy duty velcro as a fastener for doorway, did not hold in wind. I am still experimenting."

mobile home porch with exposed rafters and porch furniture

mobile home porch with exposed rafters and porch furniture

Outdoor curtains, an outdoor rug and a collection of lanterns dress up Bonnie's porch

The porch curtains are from a friend, $1 per pair flea market find! She used recycled expandable shower rods to hang them. Her dog, Scout, loves her porch.

wooden mobile home porch steps

Bonnie's mobile home porch steps

Bonnie is thinking of spraying light blue paint on my porch ceiling for the sky effect and she wants to do the rest in white. With the blizzard winds she has had this winter, she put up a warm blanket at her doorway using inexpensive shower rods.

Want some more ideas for cozying up a typical double wide mobile home by adding a porch?

How Bonnie Winterizes Her Porch

mobile home porch winterizing with vinyl

mobile home porch winterizing with blanket

Using inexpensive materials, Bonnie keeps her mobile home porch warmer with clear vinyl, a clear shower curtain and a warm blanket hung by a tension rod. Looks like it works pretty well.

How About a Freestanding Porch Design?

A freestanding porch is a wonderful idea if you have space for it

Another way to have a porch is to create a freestanding porch design

Even with outdoor curtains! This freestanding porch could be the place for many a happy gathering with friends and family. Just imagine!

Attaching a Front Porch to a Mobile Home

Most local building codes require structures like porches or decks be self-supporting unless approved by a professional structural engineer, an architect, or the manufacturer. We always highly recommend you begin by checking with both your local codes office and your home's manufacturer. Depends upon three main factors:

First consideration: The foundation for your mobile or manufactured home. If it is sitting on a foundation that is not below the frost line for your local area then attaching a structure could cause immense damage to either or both.

Shifting due to frozen ground will cause the structures to move at different rates (and sometimes in different directions). If your home is on footings that are below the frost line you have a better opportunity for attaching a porch (with footings that are also below the frost line) to your home.

What is a footing? A footing is usually concrete and is placed in the ground at least 1 foot below the frost line for your geographical area. (The actual depth of the footing in the ground is normally dictated by your local codes department).

Upon it rests a pier which extends from the footing to above ground to support your porch columns. Footings can be poured concrete or pre-cast for both expediency and convenience.

footing pads by polyvulc

But, if you live in virtually frost free areas you have other options such as using footing pads like the ones depicted at right by PolyVulc.

However, you still must comply with local building codes and your manufacturer's requirements to ensure you maintain your warranty, comply with your insurance company's policies, and comply with any local home owner association or mobile park requirements.

Second consideration: The composition and structural integrity of your home can dictate whether you can attach a structure to it. You home's manufacturer will be able to provide that information. In almost all cases your porch will have to be self-supporting, that is, it cannot be attached directly to your mobile home.
Third consideration: You should consider the overall appeal of the structure. Adding an aesthetically pleasing front porch will possibly add value not only to your home but also add appeal to your neighborhood as well.

Ensure your structure matches the style of your home and the materials complement your surroundings in both quality and construction.

Building Porches for Mobile Homes

Building a porch for a mobile home is like building a deck with a roof (see link to Porch Designs For Mobile Homes below). The critical factor is ensuring the structure can support a roof, meaning the footings and columns (or posts) must be sufficient to carrier the weight of the roof and the porch floor as the deck will not be attached to the home itself.

You will also want to consider adding curb appeal to your porch. Be sure to explore these sections for more ideas you can include in your overall plan.

Share Your Mobile Home Porch Pictures

We would like to see more nice examples of porches on mobile homes. Do you have a mobile home or manufactured home with a porch? Would you like to share your pictures with us?

mobile home porch converted to art studio

Front Porch Converted to Art Studio
(photo courtesy of Poetroy)

Our readers would really appreciate getting more ideas. Send your pics to us at this address. You can right click on the link to copy the e mail address as well.

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Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More

Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.

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