How to choose a mobile home mover in Louisiana

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In Louisiana the company that hauls your home and the one that sets it up can be different businesses, and state law licenses them separately. Knowing which one you're hiring tells you what to ask for.

Transporter or installer

Louisiana law defines a transporter as someone who moves a manufactured home but doesn't block or anchor it, apart from blocks under the hitch. Installation is the setup work: positioning the home, blocking, leveling, tying it down and joining the sections of a multi-section home (La. R.S. 51:912.21, definitions). A licensed installer can also do a transporter's work without a second license (La. R.S. 51:912.27, licensing of installers and transporters).

If you're paying for a move plus setup, the company doing the setup needs an installer's license. Only the homeowner or a licensed installer may install a home, whether or not anyone is paid for it, and a park owner whose home is or will be leased doesn't count as the homeowner (La. R.S. 51:912.27, licensing of installers and transporters).

What the license and bond mean

Each installer's or transporter's license costs $125 a year. Installers have to pass a certification course and test before their first license and take a continuing education course every year. Every installer and transporter also posts a $25,000 surety bond, or an irrevocable letter of credit for the same amount, each year (La. R.S. 51:912.27, licensing of installers and transporters). Licensing used to sit with the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission and is now run by the Office of State Fire Marshal (Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal). Ask for the license number and check it before you sign.

The installation sticker

Whoever installs the home, a licensed installer or the homeowner, has to get an installation permit sticker from the state first. The sticker costs $20 and goes on the side of the home where the electrical power connects, within 10 days of delivery unless there's a good reason for delay (La. R.S. 51:912.27, licensing of installers and transporters). Look for it after setup.

Questions to ask every mover

LocalMovers.com's checklist for Lafayette, plus the Louisiana-specific questions (LocalMovers.com, Lafayette mobile home movers (Q1 2026 data)):

• What's your Louisiana installer or transporter license number? If setup is included, who holds the installer's license?
• Do you have an active USDOT number, and how long have you operated under this name? LocalMovers.com suggests five years or more.
• Does your cargo insurance cover a mobile home in transit? Can I see the certificate?
• Do you pull the DOTD trip permit? It's $10 per trip (Louisiana DOTD, Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles and Loads (2026)).
• Is setup included: blocking, leveling, anchoring and, for a double-wide, sealing the marriage line?
• Who disconnects and reconnects the utilities?

Red flags

LocalMovers.com lists these as warning signs (LocalMovers.com, Lafayette mobile home movers (Q1 2026 data)):

• A quote far below the others
• No physical business address
• A demand for full payment up front. It calls a 25% to 50% deposit standard.
• Cash or wire transfer only

Comparing quotes

Ask each mover to break the price into the same lines: transport, setup and anchoring, utilities, skirting, escorts and permits. The cost guide has LocalMovers.com's Lafayette range for each line and an estimator. For a two-section home, the double-wide page covers escorts and the marriage line.

Quick answers

Does a mobile home mover need a license in Louisiana?

Yes. Louisiana licenses both installers and transporters of manufactured and modular homes. Each license costs $125 a year, and every installer and transporter has to post a $25,000 surety bond or letter of credit each year. A licensed installer can also do a transporter's work without a second license.

Can I set up my own mobile home in Louisiana?

Yes, if you're the homeowner. State law makes it unlawful for anyone other than the homeowner or a licensed installer to install a manufactured home, paid or not. A park owner whose home is or will be leased doesn't count as the homeowner. A homeowner doing the setup still needs the state installation permit sticker.

How much deposit should a mobile home mover ask for?

LocalMovers.com says a 25% to 50% deposit is standard, and treats a demand for full payment up front as a red flag. Get the payment terms in writing.

This page is a plain summary, not legal advice. The Office of State Fire Marshal and your local permit office have the final word.

Sources: La. R.S. 51:912.21, definitions; La. R.S. 51:912.27, licensing of installers and transporters; Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal; LocalMovers.com, Lafayette mobile home movers (Q1 2026 data); Louisiana DOTD, Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles and Loads (2026).