Mobile Home Skirting Cost: Vinyl, Metal, Faux Stone, and Masonry Compared
Set a skirting allowance before you order listing photos. This guide compares typical installed costs for a single-wide and double-wide, shows a sample budget, and explains the federal crawlspace-ventilation rule that skirting cannot cover over.
This is general information, not legal, engineering, or installation advice. Requirements vary by state and locality; confirm the applicable rules with the local authority and, where relevant, the park.
Typical installed skirting costs
The figures below are typical planning ranges, not bids or official data. HomeGuide's 2026 U.S. guide says its material figures include materials and professional installation. MobileHomeBiz's commercial guide, published April 22, 2026 and updated May 15, 2026, labels its galvanized-steel figures as installed costs but does not state geography or exclusions. Measure the actual perimeter, height, vents, access opening, trim, and removal work before treating a range as a budget.
| Material | Single-wide | Double-wide |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $1,000-$1,500 | $1,400-$3,000 |
| Galvanized steel | $500-$1,200 | $900-$2,000 |
| Faux stone | $1,500-$2,500 | $2,000-$4,000 |
| Masonry* | $2,000-$4,000 | $3,500-$6,000 |
| Insulated vinyl | $1,500-$3,000 | $2,500-$4,500 |
*HomeGuide calls masonry “real brick/concrete.” HomeGuide calls its figures 2026 U.S. typical costs and includes materials plus professional installation. MobileHomeBiz labels its steel figures as installed costs, but does not state geography or exclusions. Treat the steel row as a published dollar-denominated planning range, not a national figure or a quote. Ask a local supplier and installer for quotes using the same measured perimeter, height, vents, access panel, trim, and removal/disposal scope.
Vinyl versus masonry: the budget gap
For a single-wide, HomeGuide's typical installed vinyl range is $1,000-$1,500 ; its real brick/concrete range is $2,000-$4,000 . For a double-wide, the two ranges are $1,400-$3,000 and $3,500-$6,000 , respectively. In this guide, “masonry” is shorthand for HomeGuide's real brick/concrete label; it is not the faux-stone row.
The published steel range is lower than the other rows, but the two commercial guides do not establish a like-for-like material comparison: MobileHomeBiz does not state its geography or exclusions. Whatever material you choose, leave room in the scope for required vents and crawlspace access rather than treating skirting as a sealed cosmetic finish.
Example: one single-wide, three budget choices
This is a hypothetical planning example, not a contractor bid, a real property, or a deal result.
HomeGuide's 2026 typical installed ranges put vinyl at $1,000-$1,500, insulated vinyl at $1,500-$3,000, and real brick/concrete at $2,000-$4,000 for a single-wide. Using each range's midpoint produces these planning allowances:
| Choice | Midpoint calculation | Planning allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | ($1,000 + $1,500) / 2 | $1,250 |
| Insulated vinyl | ($1,500 + $3,000) / 2 | $2,250 |
| Masonry | ($2,000 + $4,000) / 2 | $3,000 |
In this example, insulated vinyl adds $1,000 over the vinyl midpoint. Masonry adds $1,750 over the vinyl midpoint. These are planning comparisons, not contractor bids; get site-specific quotes before committing to the flip.
The ventilation rule skirting cannot cover over
For the initial installation of a new manufactured home, the current U.S. federal Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards, checked October 21, 2026, say a crawlspace with skirting needs at least 1 square foot of net ventilation opening for every 150 square feet of home floor area. The openings must be as high as practical above the ground and on at least two opposite sides for cross-ventilation.
The same current federal rule allows 1 square foot per 1,500 square feet if a uniform 6-mil polyethylene sheet or other acceptable vapor retarder covers the entire area under the home in the required manner. It also requires corrosion- and weather-resistant, rodent-excluding covers; in freezing areas, those covers must be adjustable. Crawlspace access opening(s) must be at least 18 inches wide, 24 inches high, and 3 square feet in area.
Ventilation calculation for a 1,500-square-foot example
This is a hypothetical calculation, not an installation determination.
- Under the standard ratio, 1,500 / 150 = 10 square feet of net ventilation opening.
- If the stated qualifying full-ground vapor-retarder condition is met, 1,500 / 1,500 = 1 square foot of net ventilation opening.
The federal rule is not proof that an existing or moved home faces only this rule. State, local, park, and used-home relocation requirements can differ or add requirements. See HUD Wind Zones: Can This Mobile Home Legally Go Where You Want to Put It? before treating a skirting choice as the whole installation review.
Is DIY vinyl worth the labour saved on a flip?
Do not assume a fixed saving. HomeGuide's figures combine materials and professional installation, so they do not isolate a DIY labour amount. A better decision is to compare two written quotes for the same scope:
- Get a material-only vinyl-kit quote and an installed quote using the same measured perimeter, height, trim, vents, access panel, and removal/disposal scope.
- Subtract the material-only total from the installed total to identify the job-specific labour and overhead amount.
- Choose DIY only if your crew can complete the work without delaying resale and can preserve the required vents, access, and utility penetrations.
- If the home is in a park or subject to local permitting, obtain written requirements before ordering material.
Keep the final quote, installation records, and any permit records that apply. Also keep the home-identification records explained in The HUD Tag: How to Verify a Manufactured Home Before You Buy It.
Skirting is not a permanent foundation
Skirting does not by itself establish a permanent foundation or mortgage eligibility. If financing is part of the resale plan, read What “Permanent Foundation” Actually Means for Financing a Manufactured Home before you describe the home to buyers. Confirm the actual foundation, title, land, and lender requirements for that property.