Mobile homes and tiny houses have become extremely popular in recent years, thanks mostly to the rising cost of buying a house. On average, they’re cheaper to build and easy to install on a small piece of land. But one of the big costs that often gets overlooked is how much you need to pay in order to get on the grid.
It costs between $500 and $30,000 to hook up electricity to a mobile home. This will depend on access to the grid, the house’s size, additional costs incurred due to the location or region, and labor fees. For example, it will cost far less to hook up a house in a town than a remote or rural area.
This article will provide a rough estimate of electrical installation costs depending on essential factors such as your house’s location. It’ll also give a brief overview of things you can consider in hooking up electricity to your mobile home to avoid potential problems in the future.
Factors That Affect the Cost To Hook Up Electricity to a Mobile Home
Understanding how to hook up electricity to a mobile home is crucial when moving in.
Unless you’re moving to a specific location that’s already equipped with grid access, you’ll need to make arrangements to have your home hooked up by the city.
Unfortunately, that’s not always an easy process, which is why the cost range mentioned above is so extensive.
If you have land in the middle of a suburban street, chances are the costs will be low.
But if you buy a large plot with no neighbors for miles, you’ll likely have to pay extra to have a service pole installed close by.
In addition, some newer mobile homes may come already wired, while others may need all new wiring to be made safe.
That’s an additional cost you should consider.
For example, Salvatore Cutrona, a Licensed Master Electrician, confirms that electrical wiring for your mobile home in 2022 will cost $1,408 on average.
The price begins from $555 and can even reach $30,000 in rare cases.
Let’s take a look at some of the main factors that might increase the cost of hooking a mobile home up to the grid.
Access to Electric Power on the Site
The main factor determining the cost of electricity hook up in your mobile home is its proximity to public utility connections.
Here’s a rule of thumb: the farther your mobile home is from the main utility source, the more you have to pay for electric installation.
If you’re moving to a preexisting mobile home park, connecting electricity will be much easier and cheaper since there are available utilities already.
In this case, it should only cost you $6 to $8 per foot.
On the other hand, if you’re moving onto undeveloped land, Land.com suggests you allot $25 to $50 per foot of wire needed to reach your land.
So, if your mobile home sits a mile away from the nearest access point, you can expect to pay between $125,000 and $250,000.
House Size
Mobile homes’ sizes come in three main categories: single-wides, double-wides, and triple-wides.
Here are the specific measures of each:
| Size | Single Wide Dimensions | Double Wide Dimensions | Triple or Multi Wide Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 12 to 18 ft (3.66 – 5.49m) | 20 to 36 ft (6.10 – 10.97m) | 30 to 54 ft (9.14 – 16.46m) |
| Length | 40 to 80 ft (12.19 – 24.38m) | 32 to 80 ft (9.75 – 24.38m) | 32 to 80 ft (9.75 – 24.38m) |
| Square Footage | 480 to 1,440 ft (146.30 – 438.91m) | 640 to 2,560 sq. ft (59.46 – 237.83 sq.m) | 960 to 3,600+ sq. ft (89.19 – 334.45 sq.m) |
As one can expect, more square footage means higher electric installation costs.
By referring to the table above, if your mobile home is of the single-wide type, which is the most typical kind, you can expect to pay $2880 to $11,520.
That’s if you’re looking to move to a mobile home park.
Your Current Area or Region
Costs to hook up electricity in mobile homes vary by region and ZIP codes, mainly because local prices of electric tools and materials along with labor costs are affected by geographical location.
To get a free estimate, you can input your ZIP code here.
Labor Fees
Some people consider electrical installation a DIY project, but hooking up electricity to your home is a rigorous process that involves high risk, so it’s recommended to leave it to professionals to avoid any crucial errors and potential dangers.
On average, a licensed electrician’s fee ranges from $40 to $100 per hour for labor, depending on factors such as required skill and contractor involvement.
It’s also important to note that as far as work duration goes, it generally takes one week to hook up electricity to a 2,000 sq. ft (18.58 sq. m) home.
Other Factors To Consider
In addition to wiring, labor, and materials, there are a couple of other factors to consider that may affect the cost of hooking up a mobile home to electricity.
Permits
All electrical projects must abide by The National Electric Code, which ensures that all wiring jobs are safe following national standards to ensure people and property are protected from electrical hazards.
Having said this, you need to acquire permits, and your project will undergo an inspection from local authorities to ensure compliance with codes.
Your electrician will usually file this permit for you for an additional charge.
Final Home Clean Up
The final process in electrical installation is deep cleaning your area after the wiring works are finished.
This clean-up includes the interior of your house and the surrounding site.
It’s important to consider this final stage because you might need to shell out additional money to hire a professional cleaning service to guarantee a deep clean post-project.
The average hourly cost for a deep cleaning service is $20 to $50.
Final Thoughts
Hooking up electricity to a mobile home is an expensive, time-consuming, and arduous process.
Still, it’s an essential part of your home that you simply can’t skip.
If you’re planning to move to a mobile home sooner and need your electricity hooked up, it’s advisable to have at least $15,000 ready.
Call a licensed professional now to book an initial inspection and get a quote.
Cheers, tools owners!
