What is the HUD data plate and where do I find it?

The HUD data plate is a paper label inside the home, and it is a different document from the red HUD tag on the outside — the two are constantly confused and lenders need both. The data plate is most often found inside a kitchen cabinet door, in a bedroom closet, or near the electrical panel. It lists the manufacturer, the serial number, the model, the date of manufacture, the certification labels issued for the home, and — the part that matters most in this region — the Wind Zone, Roof Load Zone and Thermal Zone the home was designed for. The HUD Certification Label, the "HUD tag," is the other document: a red metal plate permanently affixed to the exterior of each transportable section, near the rear, carrying a unique number. One label per section, so a double-wide has two and a triple-wide has three. On older homes labels are commonly missing — painted over, lost during siding replacement, or removed — and they are not simply reissued; obtaining a label verification letter is a separate process, so confirm the current procedure with your lender before assuming it can be resolved quickly. Between them these two documents establish what the home legally is. Fannie Mae's guidelines define a manufactured home as a dwelling built on a permanent chassis attached to a permanent foundation system and evidenced by a HUD Data Plate or HUD Certification Labels for each section, so their absence is a financing problem and not a paperwork nuisance. Locating and photographing both is a routine part of a manufactured home inspection, and we read the zones on the data plate against the region rather than just transcribing them. If neither document can be found, that itself goes in the report, because your lender will ask.