Use this calculator to estimate the materials needed and their cost for skirting your mobile home. Skirting protects your home's underbelly from pests, weather, and improves energy efficiency and aesthetics.
This helps determine the correct panel height to purchase, but doesn't directly affect linear footage calculations.
Common panel lengths are 10 or 12 feet.
Accounts for cuts, errors, and damaged pieces.
Understanding Mobile Home Skirting
Mobile home skirting, also known as underpinning, is the material that encloses the space between the bottom of your mobile home and the ground. It's a crucial component for any manufactured home, offering a range of practical and aesthetic benefits.
Why is Skirting Important?
Pest Control: Skirting acts as a barrier, preventing rodents, insects, and other small animals from nesting under your home.
Energy Efficiency: By enclosing the crawl space, skirting helps to insulate the floor of your home, reducing heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. This can lead to significant savings on energy bills.
Protection from Elements: It shields pipes and ductwork located in the crawl space from freezing temperatures, wind, and moisture.
Aesthetics: Skirting significantly improves the appearance of a mobile home, giving it a more finished and permanent look.
Structural Stability: While not directly supporting the home, it can protect the foundation components from environmental damage.
Types of Skirting Materials
There's a wide variety of materials available, each with its own pros and cons regarding cost, durability, and appearance:
Vinyl Skirting: Most common and affordable. Easy to install, lightweight, and comes in various colors. Can be susceptible to damage from impacts or extreme weather.
Metal Skirting (Steel or Aluminum): More durable than vinyl, offering better protection against pests and weather. Can be more expensive and may dent.
Faux Stone/Brick Skirting: Provides a high-end, traditional look. Made from composite materials, these panels are durable but also the most expensive.
Wood Skirting: Offers a natural look but requires regular maintenance (painting, sealing) to prevent rot and pest infestation.
Concrete Skirting: Highly durable and long-lasting, often made from pre-cast panels. Very expensive and difficult to install.
How to Measure for Skirting
Accurate measurements are key to ordering the right amount of material:
Measure Length and Width: Measure the total length and width of your mobile home from outside edge to outside edge. This will give you the perimeter.
Measure Skirting Height: Measure the distance from the bottom of your home's siding to the ground at several points around the perimeter. Use the average or the highest measurement to ensure you purchase panels tall enough to cover the entire gap, accounting for uneven ground. Skirting panels are typically sold in specific heights (e.g., 36″, 48″).
Account for Openings: Note the locations and sizes of any access doors or vents you plan to install.
Additional Components and Considerations
Top and Bottom Tracks: These channels hold the skirting panels in place at the top (attached to the home's frame) and bottom (secured to the ground).
Access Doors: Essential for gaining entry to the crawl space for maintenance, inspections, or repairs.
Ventilation Panels: Crucial for preventing moisture buildup, mold, and mildew in the crawl space. Proper ventilation also helps regulate temperature.
Waste Factor: Always add a percentage (e.g., 5-15%) to your material estimates to account for cuts, errors, and potential damage during installation.
Labor Costs: This calculator focuses on material costs. If you're not doing a DIY installation, remember to factor in professional labor costs, which can vary widely.
Example Calculation (Using Calculator Defaults)
Let's use the default values in the calculator:
Mobile Home Length: 60 feet
Mobile Home Width: 16 feet
Average Skirting Height: 36 inches
Standard Skirting Panel Length: 12 feet
Cost per Skirting Panel: $35
Cost per Linear Foot of Top/Bottom Track: $1.50
Number of Access Doors: 1
Cost per Access Door: $100
Number of Ventilation Panels: 4
Cost per Ventilation Panel: $25
Waste Factor: 10%
Calculations:
Perimeter: 2 * (60 + 16) = 2 * 76 = 152 feet
Number of Skirting Panels: Ceiling(152 feet / 12 feet/panel) = Ceiling(12.67) = 13 panels
Total Skirting Panel Cost: 13 panels * $35/panel = $455
Total Track Linear Feet: 152 feet * 2 (top & bottom) = 304 feet
Total Track Cost: 304 feet * $1.50/foot = $456
Total Access Door Cost: 1 door * $100/door = $100
Total Ventilation Panel Cost: 4 panels * $25/panel = $100