You got two “mobile home setup quotes”—and the numbers aren’t even in the same universe. One looks like a deal, the other feels like a shake-down… but the truth is usually simpler: the quotes may not be bidding the same work.

When homeowners compare totals without comparing scope, it’s easy to accidentally choose a quote that’s missing key steps. That’s how “cheap” turns into delays, re-trips, change orders, or a scramble to find another contractor mid-project. This guide is designed for the Georgia homeowner who wants a calm, practical way to compare quotes apples-to-apples—without guessing what’s included.

The real reason your setup quotes don’t match: they’re bidding different scopes

A mobile home setup quote is rarely just a “price for setup.” It’s a contractor’s best attempt to price a set of assumptions:

• What the site is like (access, slope, drainage, soil conditions)
• What the home is like (size, number of sections, how it needs to be aligned)
• What foundation and support work is expected (piers, footings, pier height)
• What stabilization is included (anchoring/tie-downs, leveling)
• What coordination is included (timing, travel, and sometimes utilities coordination)
• What documentation or hand-off is expected

When two quotes are far apart, it usually means at least one of these categories is being treated differently—either priced as included, priced as optional, or left vague.

The two most common quote problems are:

1. Missing steps
   One quote looks lower because it excludes work you assumed was part of “setup.” That exclusion may be buried in small print or not mentioned at all.
2. Unclear assumptions
   Both quotes use similar words (setup, blocking, anchors), but neither defines what that means for your property. When assumptions aren’t written down, you can’t truly compare them.

If you take nothing else from this article, take this: you don’t want the “best price.” You want the clearest scope for your site and home.

Step 1: Put both quotes into the same bucket list (your apples-to-apples template)

Before you negotiate, ask for revisions, or choose a contractor, normalize both quotes using the same checklist. This turns a confusing comparison into a clear one.

Copy/paste this into an email to both contractors and ask them to answer each item as Included / Excluded / Optional, with a short description of what they assume.

Apples-to-apples quote comparison map (copy/paste)

1) Site + access assumptions

• Included site evaluation or not?
• Assumptions about driveway/turn radius/clearance
• Assumptions about slope, soft ground, or tight lot access
• Drainage or under-home moisture conditions addressed or excluded
• Any grading or site prep included or excluded (TBD specifics based on your site)

2) Home size/sections assumptions

• Single-section or multi-section assumption stated
• Home size assumptions (length/width or general classification)
• Any alignment/marriage work included (for multi-section), and what it covers

3) Foundation / pier / footing scope assumptions

• Piers and footings included or excluded
• Pier height assumptions (what height range is included, if any)
• Materials and layout assumptions (how it’s specified, even generally)
• What triggers an “add-on” for foundation changes

4) Anchoring / tie-down scope assumptions

• Anchoring included or excluded
• What anchoring system is assumed (describe in plain terms)
• What conditions trigger changes (soil/site conditions, home type, etc.)

5) Leveling / re-leveling scope assumptions

• Leveling included or excluded
• Whether re-leveling later is included or separate
• What “leveling” means in their scope hookup: initial set vs adjustments

6) Utility coordination assumptions

• Any coordination with utility hookup timing included or excluded
• Any trenching, connections, or third-party coordination excluded (if applicable)

7) Travel, scheduling, and re-trip policies

• Travel distance assumed
• Included number of trips to the site
• Re-trip fees or reschedule policies (what triggers them)
• Scheduling assumptions (delivery coordination, waiting time, etc.)

8) Documentation / hand-off expectations

• What the contractor provides at completion (photos, scope sign-off, etc.) (TBD)
• Any inspection-related support included or excluded (without guarantees)
• Any lender/transaction documentation support included or excluded (TBD)

Once you get these answers back, you’re usually not comparing “two prices” anymore. You’re comparing two scopes—one of which may be more realistic for your site.

A quick reality check: if one contractor won’t clarify scope in writing, that’s useful information.

Step 2: Site conditions that silently increase scope (and why contractors price them differently)

Most homeowners think the home itself is the main driver. In practice, the land often decides how predictable the job will be.

Here are the site conditions that commonly change the amount of work involved—and why one contractor might price them up front while another waits to address them later.

Access limits: the job starts before the home ever touches the site

Access constraints aren’t just inconvenience. They affect how crews and equipment can safely work.

Examples that can change scope:

• Tight turns or narrow approaches that limit equipment positioning
• Soft ground that can’t support heavy loads without planning
• Steep slope that requires extra steps to stabilize work areas
• Limited clearance (trees, overhead obstacles) that complicate movement and staging

If a contractor assumes “normal access” and your site isn’t normal, the quote may look low—but it may also be fragile.

Drainage and under-home conditions: what you can’t see can still matter

Water and unstable ground create two kinds of risk:

• The home may not stay stable and level without addressing the conditions
• The crew may have to slow down or adjust methods to work safely

When contractors price drainage and under-home realities differently, it usually comes down to how they handle uncertainty:

• One contractor builds in contingency because they’ve seen the “surprise” before
• Another keeps the quote lean and addresses issues later as add-ons

Here’s the misconception reversal most homeowners don’t expect: the higher quote may be the more honest quote when the site is complex. Not because the contractor “charges more,” but because they’re pricing what it will actually take to finish the job as described.

Unknowns: contingency pricing vs change-order pricing

There are two legitimate ways contractors handle unknown site conditions:

• Contingency pricing: the quote accounts for potential complexity upfront, reducing surprise costs later.
• Change-order pricing: the quote stays narrow, and anything outside the initial assumptions becomes an add-on.

Neither approach is “right” by default. The key is knowing which approach you’re buying—because it changes how you should compare totals.

If you want fewer surprises, you generally want clearer written assumptions and clearer triggers for add-ons.

Step 3: Home size and sections—what changes when it’s bigger or multi-section

Homeowners often assume setup is setup: the crew shows up, does the work, and leaves. But “same service” is not the same workload across different homes.

Why size matters even when the site is the same

Bigger homes can change:

• How long placement and alignment takes
• How much support work is required to stabilize the structure
• How many adjustments are needed to get everything sitting correctly

Even without going deep into technical detail, the practical point is simple: a quote that doesn’t clearly reflect your home’s size and type may be a generic number, not a scoped plan.

Multi-section homes: more coordination, more alignment points

If your home is multi-section, the setup process often includes more steps related to:

• Coordinating placement and alignment between sections
• Ensuring the connection between sections is handled correctly during setup
• Additional time and checks to confirm everything sits and stays as intended

This is one of the easiest places for quotes to diverge without the homeowner noticing. One contractor may treat multi-section alignment as part of setup; another may treat it as a separate scope item, or assume a simpler condition than what you actually have.

What details the contractor needs to price accurately (without you guessing)

You don’t have to be an expert. But you can provide basic clarity so the quote reflects reality:

• Whether the home is single- or multi-section
• Any known constraints about delivery or placement on the lot
• Any relevant timing pressures (closing, delivery dates) that could affect scheduling assumptions

If the quote doesn’t clearly match your home type, ask them to restate what they assumed in writing.

Step 4: Pier height / foundation details—how “small differences” become big labor

This is where sticker shock often has a real cause: foundation and support requirements can shift the workload quickly.

A quote may say “piers included” or “blocking included,” but those words can hide major differences.

Why pier height can change the scope dramatically

Pier height (and related foundation requirements) can change:

• The amount of material involved
• The time and labor to install supports correctly
• The complexity of achieving and maintaining a stable, level setup

You don’t need to argue about the technicalities. You just need the quote to specify what is being assumed.

What should be specified in writing (not just implied)

Ask each contractor to clarify:

• What pier height range they assumed (or how they determine it)
• Whether footings are included or excluded, and under what conditions
• What triggers a foundation scope change (for example, if the site or requirements differ from initial assumptions)

The most common failure mode here is simple: the quote says foundation work is included, but it doesn’t define how much or what configuration is included. That’s how you end up with a base quote that looks reasonable and a “foundation add-on” that arrives later.

If you’re comparing two quotes and one includes a foundation/pier scope with clear assumptions while the other stays vague, the vague one is harder to trust—even if it’s lower.

Step 5: Travel + scheduling—why the calendar can change the number

This category doesn’t feel like “setup,” but it can meaningfully affect the real project cost and experience.

Distance and mobilization: the cost of getting the right crew to the right place

Travel and mobilization can show up as:

• A built-in assumption in the total
• A separate line item
• A policy (distance included up to X, then additional charges)

If one quote assumes fewer trips and your project requires more coordination, that difference can show up later as re-trip fees or rescheduling costs.

Scheduling realities: delivery, utilities, inspections, and weather

Setup projects often depend on timing factors outside anyone’s full control:

• Delivery scheduling
• Utility readiness and coordination
• Inspections and third-party timelines
• Weather and site conditions changing

A trustworthy quote doesn’t promise perfect timing. It sets expectations:

• What’s included if the crew has to wait
• What happens if the schedule shifts
• What triggers an additional trip

What to clarify up front (so you don’t pay for misunderstandings)

Ask each contractor:

• How many trips are included in the quote
• What triggers a re-trip or reschedule cost
• How they coordinate timing when multiple parties are involved

This isn’t about catching anyone. It’s about avoiding “we thought you meant…” situations that lead to friction and added cost.

The 10 questions to ask any installer before you accept a setup quote

If you ask the right questions, quote comparisons get easier fast. You’re not trying to interrogate anyone—you’re trying to make sure you’re buying the same scope from each contractor.

Here are 10 questions that force clarity.

1. Can you mark each of these categories as Included / Excluded / Optional?
   (Use the apples-to-apples map from Step 1.)
2. What site conditions are you assuming?
   (Access, slope, drainage—ask them to state assumptions plainly.)
3. What exactly does “setup” include in your quote?
   (Ask for a short written description, not just a label.)
4. Is the home type and configuration reflected correctly in the quote?
   (Single vs multi-section; ask them to restate what they assumed.)
5. What foundation/pier/footing work is included—and what triggers a change?
   (Get written assumptions. Avoid vague “included” language.)
6. Is anchoring/tie-down included? If yes, what’s assumed?
   (Ask what conditions could change it.)
7. What does leveling include, and what doesn’t it include?
   (Initial leveling vs additional adjustments later.)
8. How many trips are included, and what triggers re-trip or rescheduling costs?
   (This is where “cheap” often becomes “expensive.”)
9. What do you need from me to reduce surprises in the scope?
   (Site photos, access notes, home details—ask what helps them price accurately.)
10. What will you provide at completion as proof of scope and completion?
    (Photos, a scope sign-off, or other documentation—TBD based on your contractor’s standard process.)

How to ask (a simple email script)

Here’s a straightforward way to send this without sounding confrontational:

“Hi [Name]—I’m comparing two setup quotes and I want to be sure I’m comparing scope, not just price. Can you reply to the checklist below marking each category Included / Excluded / Optional, plus any assumptions you’re making about my site and home? I’m not asking for a new price yet—just clarity so I can make an informed decision. Thank you.”

What a “good answer” looks like

A good answer isn’t necessarily long. It’s specific:

• It states assumptions (site access, home type, foundation approach) plainly
• It identifies what’s included and what’s excluded
• It explains what would trigger add-ons

A red flag is an answer that avoids specifics, or relies entirely on “we’ll see when we get there.”

Also, avoid the common mistake: don’t start with “can you match the other quote?” Start with “are you including the same scope?”

Proof posture: how to verify you’re buying the right scope (not just a number)

You don’t need a perfect plan to move forward. But you do need enough verification to reduce avoidable surprises.

What to request in writing

Ask for:

• A clear scope list with assumptions stated
• A list of exclusions (what’s not included)
• A list of add-on triggers (what would change the price and why)

This isn’t about mistrust. It’s standard decision hygiene when you’re choosing between quotes that don’t match.

What photos/info to share to reduce surprises

If you want fewer unknowns, help the contractor see what they’re pricing. You can offer:

• Photos of the driveway/approach and where the home will sit
• Notes about obstacles or tight turns
• Any known slope or drainage issues
• Basic home details (single vs multi-section, general size)

If you’re not sure what to capture, ask the contractor what they want (TBD specifics based on your installer’s intake process).

When to pause and do a site evaluation instead of guessing

If your site has clear complexity—tight access, slope, drainage concerns, or anything that makes you think “this is not a normal job”—it may be worth pausing to get a more grounded evaluation before you choose.

That doesn’t mean you’ll pay more. It means you’ll reduce the odds of choosing a quote that only works if everything goes perfectly.

Choose the quote you can actually execute (and avoid change-order traps)

Once you’ve normalized scope, your decision gets simpler.

Use this practical decision logic:

• If one quote is lower but vague or missing categories, assume you’re not seeing the full scope yet.
• If one quote is higher but clearly defines assumptions and add-on triggers, it may be closer to the real project.
• If both quotes are clear, compare based on how well each matches your actual site and timeline—not just the total.

The goal is not to eliminate surprises entirely. The goal is to eliminate avoidable surprises—the kind that come from assumptions nobody wrote down.

If you’re comparing two quotes and feel stuck, a low-friction next step is to have someone help you map scope differences so you can make a clean decision.

If you’re staring at two very different setup quotes, you don’t need a “better price” first—you need scope clarity.
Send us the two quotes (even screenshots) plus a few site photos and basic home details.
We’ll help you identify what’s included, what’s missing, and what questions to ask so you can choose confidently.

Call or request a quote review—low pressure, scope-first.

FAQ

What affects the cost of mobile home setup the most?

In many cases, the biggest drivers are scope differences and site realities: access constraints, slope/drainage conditions, home configuration (single vs multi-section), foundation/pier assumptions, and what the quote includes for anchoring, leveling, and scheduling. Two quotes can look wildly different simply because they’re not pricing the same work.

Why is my mobile home setup quote so much higher than another one?

Often, the higher quote is accounting for site complexity, clearer foundation assumptions, additional coordination, or a more complete scope. The lower quote may be excluding steps, assuming ideal site conditions, or leaving key items vague so they become add-ons later. The fastest way to know is to normalize both quotes using a category checklist and ask each contractor to mark Included/Excluded/Optional.

Does pier height affect setup cost? What should be specified?

Pier height and foundation requirements can change the amount of material, labor, and complexity involved. Instead of debating technical details, ask the contractor to specify their assumptions in writing: what pier height range they’re pricing for (or how it will be determined), whether footings are included, and what triggers a scope change.

What site conditions increase setup scope (and why)?

Common scope drivers include tight access, narrow turn radius, soft ground, steep slope, drainage or under-home moisture issues, and anything that makes staging equipment more difficult. Contractors price these differently depending on whether they build in contingency up front or treat unknowns as change-order items later.

What’s the best way to compare two setup quotes apples-to-apples?

Put both quotes into the same “bucket list” and require written clarity: site/access assumptions, home size/sections assumptions, foundation/pier/footing scope, anchoring, leveling, utility coordination expectations, travel/scheduling policies, and documentation/hand-off. Ask each contractor to reply Included/Excluded/Optional for every category.

What questions should I ask before I sign a mobile home setup contract?

Ask for written scope assumptions, exclusions, and add-on triggers. Specifically: what “setup” includes, what foundation/pier/footing work is assumed, whether anchoring and leveling are included, how many trips are included, what triggers re-trip or rescheduling costs, and what proof of completion they provide at hand-off.

If you’re staring at two very different setup quotes, you don’t need a “better price” first—you need scope clarity.
Send us the two quotes (even screenshots) plus a few site photos and basic home details.
We’ll help you identify what’s included, what’s missing, and what questions to ask so you can choose confidently.

Call or request a quote review—low pressure, scope-first.

RELATED LINKS

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development