The 28x56 singlewide works out to roughly 1,568 square feet of floor area, which puts it squarely in the mid-size tier of the manufactured-housing market. Built as one section transported whole, it typically lays out as a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home and appeals to small families and long-term renters, the deepest part of the manufactured-housing demand curve.
The lens this guide takes is buy-and-hold rental: acquire below replacement cost, renovate once, and let the 28x56 produce monthly cash flow for years. This guide works the 28x56 singlewide on those terms: what the floor area actually buys you, what it costs to acquire and renovate, the rents and resale it supports, and the placement and inspection details that decide whether a given unit is worth pursuing. National demand for affordable manufactured housing has held steady per Census shipment data, and the mid-size segment is a durable slice of it.
Key Takeaways
- A 28x56 singlewide delivers about 1,568 gross square feet (roughly 1,470 sq ft of usable interior).
- Typical configuration: 3BR/2BA, sized for mid-size-footprint demand.
- Acquisition band: $25K to $53K depending on era, condition, and market.
- Full renovation: $8,500 to $15K, scaled to the 1,568 sq ft of flooring, paint, and mechanicals.
- Post-renovation rent: $650 to $975/month in most markets, roughly a 5 percent cash-on-cash return on the all-in basis.
Size and Configuration
A single 28-foot-wide box 56 feet long, delivered and set as one piece. Nominal area is 1,568 square feet; after wall thickness and mechanical chases, usable interior is closer to 1,470 square feet.
The 56-foot length lets a 3BR/2BA spread out: a primary suite at one end, secondary bedrooms near 11 by 12 feet at the other, and an open living/dining/kitchen in the middle.
Room-by-Room Layout
Spreading 1,568 square feet across a 3BR/2BA plan, the approximate room sizes a 28x56 singlewide supports look like this. Treat them as planning figures; exact dimensions vary by manufacturer and floor plan:
| Space |
Approx. dimensions (ft) |
| Primary bedroom |
15 x 13 |
| Secondary bedroom |
12 x 11 |
| Living area |
18 x 14 |
| Kitchen |
14 x 9 |
At 28 feet of combined width the rooms read close to site-built proportions, which is a big part of why this size rents and resells well.
Acquisition Cost
Asking prices for a 28x56 singlewide span $25K to $53K. Use vintage and renovation scope to place a given unit inside that band:
| Vintage / Condition |
Typical Acquisition |
| Pre-2000, full renovation needed |
$25K to $32K |
| 2000 to 2010, moderate work |
$32K to $39K |
| 2011 to 2018, light refresh |
$39K to $46K |
| 2019 to present, move-in ready |
$46K to $53K |
Condition and lot location move the price far more than vintage alone.
💡 Did You Know? A full renovation on a 28x56 singlewide runs about $8,500 to $15K, scaled to its 1,568 sq ft.
Renovation Budget for a 28x56
Renovation is a square-footage problem, so a singlewide at 1,568 sq ft costs more to turn than a smaller home. Budget against the floor area, not a flat per-home number:
| Line item |
Cost range |
| LVP flooring (1,568 sq ft) |
$4,700 to $9,400 |
| Interior paint |
$1,100 to $2K |
| HVAC (sized for 1,568 sq ft) |
$2,200 to $4,200 |
| 2 bath update(s) |
$1,400 to $2,800 |
| Subfloor, plumbing, exterior |
$2K to $6K |
That lands a full renovation at $8,500 to $15K. Pricing a 1,568 sq ft home off a 14-wide benchmark is the most common way investors underbudget this size.
Upgrades That Pay Back
Not every dollar spent on a 28x56 singlewide earns its return. On a 1,568 sq ft home the upgrades that reliably pay back are the ones tenants and buyers see and use: durable LVP flooring across the full footprint, a clean and functional kitchen, and the 2 bath(s) brought to a modern standard. Those carry the $650 to $975 rent and the $71K resale. Spending on cosmetic extras that do not move the rent, by contrast, just inflates the $51K basis. The discipline on a home this size is to renovate to the rent the mid-size footprint actually commands, then stop.
Return on Investment
A representative rental underwrite on a 28x56 singlewide:
- Acquire: $39K
- Renovate: $12K (all-in $51K)
- Rent: $800/month
- Lot rent: $450/month
- Operating expenses: $135/month
- Net: $215/month, about $2,580/year
- Cash-on-cash: roughly 5.1 percent on the all-in basis
Owner financing changes the math. Sell the same home for $71K with $8,500 down, finance $62,500 at 11 percent over 10 years, and the note pays about $860/month. The down payment alone recovers a large share of the all-in cost in year one, and the interest spread is where this size earns its keep for operators who can carry paper.
Operating Costs and Cash Flow
The headline rent on a 28x56 singlewide is not the number that matters; the number that matters is what survives the monthly carry. On $800 of in-place rent, a realistic operating stack looks like this:
| Monthly line item |
Amount |
| Lot rent |
$450 |
| Property tax (on $39K basis) |
$40 |
| Insurance (1,568 sq ft) |
$25 |
| Maintenance reserve |
$65 |
| Vacancy reserve |
$50 |
| Management |
$65 |
That leaves roughly $105/month, about $1,260/year, in true net on a $800 rent. The larger the footprint, the more the fixed lines (tax, insurance) climb, which is exactly why a 1,568 sq ft home has to clear a higher rent than a starter unit to produce the same margin. Underwrite to this net, not to gross rent, and the 28x56 holds up.
Transport and Installation
A 28x56 singlewide ships as one 28-foot by 56-foot box and is set on its piers and tied down in a single placement. At 28 feet wide it is an overwidth load in most states, so build in permit and possible escort costs. There is no marriage line to seal, which removes the single biggest structural risk a doublewide carries. Budget $3,500 to $8K for transport and set, depending on distance and how much the route fights you.
Lot Requirements
A 28-foot-wide singlewide needs a lot that can actually take it. The bare minimum after setbacks is around 40 feet of width, but 48 to 73 feet is typical for parks that accept this size. Confirm three things before you contract: that the park accepts a 28-foot-wide home, that the lot has utility clearance on both sides, and that the 56-foot length fits the pad and setbacks. Some pre-2000 parks were laid out for narrower homes and cannot take this width at all.
Financing a 28x56 Singlewide
Newer units in this band have broader financing access: most chattel lenders compete for them, and FHA Title I or Title II programs can apply to eligible, permanently affixed homes. On an all-in basis near $51K, an investor putting 15 percent ($7,500) down finances roughly $43,500. At 11 percent over 10 years that is about $600/month, which the $650 to $975 rent comfortably covers. The financing takeaway for this size: verify the title status (real property vs personal property) early, because it decides which lenders and which loan products are even on the table.
Inspection Priorities
On a singlewide the chassis and the 56-foot floor system carry the most risk. Walk the full length checking for soft spots, frame rust, and prior sag between piers before you commit. Then size the HVAC against the 1,568 sq ft: a home this size needs adequate tonnage and duct reach, and an undersized system is a habitability problem you inherit at closing. Finish with the roof, the belly wrap, and the tie-downs. Skipping any of these on a singlewide this large is how a clean-looking deal turns into a five-figure surprise.
Closing Checklist for a 28x56
Before you sign on a 28x56 singlewide, confirm each of these. They are the items that, missed, turn a good basis into a bad one:
- Title status: real property or personal property, and is it clean and transferable?
- Lot fit: does the park accept a 28-foot-wide home, and does the pad take the 56-foot length with setbacks?
- Frame and floor: walk the full 56-foot chassis for rust, soft spots, and sag.
- HVAC: is the system sized for 1,568 sq ft (about 2.5 to 3 ton) with duct reach to every room?
- Numbers: does the deal pencil at a realistic $800 rent and $51K all-in, not the top-of-band figures?
Clear all five and the 28x56 is a deal worth pursuing.
How the 28x56 Compares to Neighboring Sizes
Holding the 28-foot width and singlewide format constant, stepping the length up or down moves square footage, room count, and rent in step. It is the cleanest way to see where the 28x56 sits on the ladder:
| Configuration |
Sq ft |
Layout |
Acquisition |
Rent |
| 28x48 singlewide |
1,344 |
3BR/2BA |
$34K |
$700 |
| 28x56 singlewide |
1,568 |
3BR/2BA |
$39K |
$825 |
| 28x64 singlewide |
1,792 |
3BR/2BA |
$45K |
$925 |
Each added foot of length is mostly bedroom and living space, so the rent gain per foot is real but the acquisition and renovation cost rise with it. The 28x56 is worth choosing over a shorter unit when the local rent spread justifies the extra all-in dollars, and over a longer unit when lot length or budget is the binding constraint.
Tenant Profile and Rental Demand
For a buy-and-hold operator the question is occupancy: this size keeps a unit tenanted because the rent lands where working households can actually pay it. A 28x56 singlewide rents to small families and long-term renters, the deepest part of the manufactured-housing demand curve. That profile sets the rent ceiling at $650 to $975/month and, more importantly, the turnover rate: the deeper the demand pool for the size, the shorter the vacancy between tenants. When you screen inventory through a buying guide, weigh this size against the rent it actually commands in your specific park, not the sticker price alone. A 3BR/2BA at this footprint tends to hold tenants longer than a smaller unit, which is where the real return on a larger home shows up.
28x56 Singlewide vs Doublewide
At the same 28x56 label, 28x56 double wide works out to about 3,136 square feet versus 1,568 for this home. The wider footprint of the doublewide adds rent and broadens the buyer pool but costs more to acquire, needs a wider lot, and carries the marriage-line risk a singlewide avoids. If lot width and capital allow, the larger home usually wins on return per dollar; if the park runs narrow lots or you want the lowest entry price, the smaller one is the cleaner play.
Resale and Exit Strategy
Plan the exit before you buy. A renovated 28x56 singlewide at an all-in basis near $51K has three realistic exits: hold and rent for $2,580/year of net, sell outright to a retail buyer near $71K, or owner-finance it and collect $860/month on the note. The mid-size footprint holds value well because its buyer pool is the broadest in the park. The single biggest driver of resale on this size is not cosmetics; it is whether the home is titled as real or personal property and whether the lot conveys or transfers cleanly. Sort that out at acquisition and the 28x56 stays liquid when you want out.
Market Outlook for the 28x56
Demand for the 28x56 singlewide tracks the broader affordable-housing shortage, which has not eased. The mid-size footprint serves small families and long-term renters, the deepest part of the manufactured-housing demand curve, and that buyer is not going away. Two forces specific to this size are worth watching: park acceptance of 28-foot-wide homes is the gating factor as more communities cap lot widths, and replacement cost. New manufactured homes at this footprint price well above a renovated unit at $51K, which keeps the renovated 28x56 priced competitively and supports both rents and resale through the hold. Rental demand at this size is the most durable case for it; the affordable-rent pool only deepens as site-built rents climb.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Pricing renovation off a smaller home; a 1,568 sq ft floor costs materially more in flooring and HVAC.
- Contracting before confirming the park accepts a 28-foot-wide home on a lot that fits the 56-foot length.
- Assuming a singlewide this long has no chassis or floor sag without walking it.
- Underwriting at top-of-band rent ($975) when the realistic, in-place number is closer to $800.
- Ignoring title status until financing, then discovering the loan product you assumed does not apply.
Common Questions Answered
How many square feet is a 28x56 singlewide?
About 1,568 gross square feet, or roughly 1,470 square feet of usable interior once you account for wall thickness and mechanical chases. That footprint is what places it in the mid-size tier and drives its rent and resale.
How many bedrooms fit in a 28x56?
A 3-bedroom, 2-bath layout is standard at this size. The 56-foot length is the constraint on bedroom count more than the width, so floor plans at this footprint cluster around 3BR/2BA.
What does a 28x56 singlewide cost to buy and renovate?
Acquisition runs $25K to $53K by vintage and condition, and a full renovation adds $8,500 to $15K. A typical all-in basis is near $51K before you place a tenant.
What rent does a 28x56 support?
Post-renovation rents land between $650 and $975/month in most markets, with $800 a reasonable in-place midpoint. On the all-in basis that is roughly a 5 percent cash-on-cash return before appreciation.
What lot width does a 28x56 need?
Plan on at least 40 feet of usable width after setbacks, with 48 to 73 feet typical in parks that accept this size. Confirm the park policy and utility clearance before you contract.
Is a 28x56 singlewide a good first investment?
Yes, for many investors this mid-size size is a sensible entry point: the $39K all-in basis is approachable and the 3BR/2BA demand is steady. Either way, the deciding factor is buying it right and confirming the lot fits a 28-foot-wide home before you commit.
How long does a 28x56 take to renovate and rent?
A full renovation on 1,568 sq ft is typically a 3 to 6 week job once materials are on site, with flooring and the 2 bath update(s) driving the timeline. Budget another two to four weeks to place a tenant in the $650 to $975 band, faster in markets where the 3-bedroom demand pool runs deep.
🎯 Key Takeaway: At roughly 1,568 sq ft and a 3BR/2BA layout, the 28x56 singlewide targets mid-size-footprint demand with a near-5 percent cash-on-cash profile.
Ready to Grow Your Portfolio?
The 28x56 singlewide is a mid-size-footprint workhorse: the size buys real 3BR/2BA demand, the renovation math is predictable, and at an all-in basis near $51K the rent and owner-finance numbers both pencil. Buy it right and place it in a lot that fits, and it earns reliably.
Book a Free Consultation with our team to pressure-test a specific 28x56 deal against your market and capital.
