How do I prep my land for a mobile home?
The first question that needs to be answered is, do you own land yet? If not, and you’re actively looking for land to put a mobile home on you need to read this!
Septic vs Sewer:
Why do people have septic systems if they can hook their wastewater to public sewer? The answer is money. Right now, the average cost to lay sewer line from private property to a public sewer line is 100 per linear foot. If the nearest public sewer line or pump station is 500 ft away, that is $50,000.00 of additional cost! Septic systems are the obvious answer to this offset this cost with installation ranging from $6,000 – $10,000.
The regulations concerning where a septic system can be placed on land are governed by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC). These are the guidelines for how far away your septic must be from the following structures:
Buildings – 5 feet
Property Line – 5 feet
Private Well – 75 feet
Public Well – 100 feet
Surface Water – 75 feet
Drainage Ditch – 25 feet
Before buying land, consider where your neighbor’s private water well might be. If their well is near your property line, your septic system may not be able to be placed in the area you had planned for it.
You can find a map of all public wells here. In order to find private well data, you may need to reach out to your local SC DHEC representative. You can find a list of SCDHEC offices here.
Water:
If your land is outside city limits, you will most likely have dig a well in order have access to water. SC DHEC requires a Notice of Intent letter to be filled out in order for well digging to begin. Click here to fill out the Notice of Intent for well digging.
Electric:
Average electric hook ups in rural areas depend on how close your land is to the nearest power source. However, the national average to hookup electric to land is around $10,000.00. To get a quote to have power hooked up on your land, contract the local power company servicing your area.
The two main power providers in South Carolina are Dominion and Duke. See the links below to start the request for power on your land!
Dominion Residential Power Application
Duke Residential Power Application
You will also have to acquire a permit from the county in which the land is a part of. Here is an example of an electrical power permit from Berkeley County.
Clearing Your Land:
Sometimes when you buy land, it is still a wooded lot. There are steps that must be followed in order to legally clear the land. See links below for more information!
Land Disturbance for less than 1 Acre
Land Disturbance for in-between 1-2 Acres
Land Disturbance for more than 2 Acres
When can I move my home onto my land?
The answer to this depends on what county the land is in. In general, most counties will not allow you to move a mobile home on your land until the septic system has been installed.