Manufactured Home Basics11 min read

28x68 Single Wide Mobile Home 101: Everything You Should Know

Understand 28x68 Single Wide Mobile Home with a clear, practical guide covering costs, steps, common mistakes, and next actions.

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MobileHomeBiz Team

28x68 Single Wide Mobile Home 101: Everything You Should Know article illustration

Measured out, a 28x68 singlewide is roughly 1,904 square feet, which lands it in the mid-size tier where most of the buy decisions hinge on price per foot. The standard plan is 4BR/2BA. Delivered as one section transported whole, it suits small families and long-term renters, the deepest part of the manufactured-housing demand curve.

This guide frames the 28x68 as park-infill inventory: the size you drop onto a vacant lot to convert dead space into a rent-paying home. This guide works the 28x68 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 28x68 singlewide delivers about 1,904 gross square feet (roughly 1,790 sq ft of usable interior).
  • Typical configuration: 4BR/2BA, sized for mid-size-footprint demand.
  • Acquisition band: $30K to $65K depending on era, condition, and market.
  • Full renovation: $10,500 to $18K, scaled to the 1,904 sq ft of flooring, paint, and mechanicals.
  • Post-renovation rent: $800 to $1,175/month in most markets, roughly a 7 percent cash-on-cash return on the all-in basis.

Size and Configuration

A single 28-foot-wide box 68 feet long, delivered and set as one piece. Nominal area is 1,904 square feet; after wall thickness and mechanical chases, usable interior is closer to 1,790 square feet.

The 68-foot length lets a 4BR/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 1,904 square feet across a 4BR/2BA plan, the approximate room sizes a 28x68 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 17
Kitchen 14 x 11

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 28x68 singlewide span $30K to $65K. Use vintage and renovation scope to place a given unit inside that band:

Vintage / Condition Typical Acquisition
Pre-2000, full renovation needed $30K to $39K
2000 to 2010, moderate work $39K to $48K
2011 to 2018, light refresh $48K to $56K
2019 to present, move-in ready $56K to $65K

Condition and lot location move the price far more than vintage alone.

💡 Did You Know? A full renovation on a 28x68 singlewide runs about $10,500 to $18K, scaled to its 1,904 sq ft.

Renovation Budget for a 28x68

Renovation is a square-footage problem, so a singlewide at 1,904 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 (1,904 sq ft) $5,700 to $11,400
Interior paint $1,300 to $2,500
HVAC (sized for 1,904 sq ft) $2,200 to $5,500
2 bath update(s) $1,400 to $2,800
Subfloor, plumbing, exterior $2K to $6K

That lands a full renovation at $10,500 to $18K. Pricing a 1,904 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 28x68 singlewide earns its return. On a 1,904 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 $800 to $1,175 rent and the $87K resale. Spending on cosmetic extras that do not move the rent, by contrast, just inflates the $62K 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 28x68 singlewide:

  • Acquire: $48K
  • Renovate: $14K (all-in $62K)
  • Rent: $1K/month
  • Lot rent: $450/month
  • Operating expenses: $170/month
  • Net: $380/month, about $4,560/year
  • Cash-on-cash: roughly 7.4 percent on the all-in basis

Owner financing changes the math. Sell the same home for $87K with $10,500 down, finance $76,500 at 11 percent over 10 years, and the note pays about $1,055/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 28x68 singlewide is not the number that matters; the number that matters is what survives the monthly carry. On $1K of in-place rent, a realistic operating stack looks like this:

Monthly line item Amount
Lot rent $450
Property tax (on $48K basis) $50
Insurance (1,904 sq ft) $30
Maintenance reserve $80
Vacancy reserve $60
Management $80

That leaves roughly $250/month, about $3K/year, in true net on a $1K rent. The larger the footprint, the more the fixed lines (tax, insurance) climb, which is exactly why a 1,904 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 28x68 holds up.

Transport and Installation

A 28x68 singlewide ships as one 28-foot by 68-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 68-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 28x68 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 $62K, an investor putting 15 percent ($9,500) down finances roughly $52,500. At 11 percent over 10 years that is about $725/month, which the $800 to $1,175 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 68-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 1,904 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 28x68

Before you sign on a 28x68 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 68-foot length with setbacks?
  • Frame and floor: walk the full 68-foot chassis for rust, soft spots, and sag.
  • HVAC: is the system sized for 1,904 sq ft (about 2.5 to 3 ton) with duct reach to every room?
  • Numbers: does the deal pencil at a realistic $1K rent and $62K all-in, not the top-of-band figures?

Clear all five and the 28x68 is a deal worth pursuing.

How the 28x68 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 28x68 sits on the ladder:

Configuration Sq ft Layout Acquisition Rent
28x60 singlewide 1,680 3BR/2BA $42K $875
28x68 singlewide 1,904 4BR/2BA $48K $1K
28x76 singlewide 2,128 4BR/2BA $53K $1,100

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 28x68 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 park infill the binding question is fit, not demand: confirm the lot takes this width and the rest follows, because the tenant pool is already there. A 28x68 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 $800 to $1,175/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 4BR/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.

28x68 Singlewide vs Doublewide

At the same 28x68 label, 28x68 double wide works out to about 3,808 square feet versus 1,904 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 28x68 singlewide at an all-in basis near $62K has three realistic exits: hold and rent for $4,560/year of net, sell outright to a retail buyer near $87K, or owner-finance it and collect $1,055/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 28x68 stays liquid when you want out.

Market Outlook for the 28x68

Demand for the 28x68 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 $62K, which keeps the renovated 28x68 priced competitively and supports both rents and resale through the hold. Infill economics improve as lot rents rise, since the same home on an owned lot compounds both the rent and the pad income.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Pricing renovation off a smaller home; a 1,904 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 68-foot length.
  • Assuming a singlewide this long has no chassis or floor sag without walking it.
  • Underwriting at top-of-band rent ($1,175) when the realistic, in-place number is closer to $1K.
  • Ignoring title status until financing, then discovering the loan product you assumed does not apply.

Common Questions Answered

How many square feet is a 28x68 singlewide?

About 1,904 gross square feet, or roughly 1,790 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 28x68?

A 4-bedroom, 2-bath layout is standard at this size. The 68-foot length is the constraint on bedroom count more than the width, so floor plans at this footprint cluster around 4BR/2BA.

What does a 28x68 singlewide cost to buy and renovate?

Acquisition runs $30K to $65K by vintage and condition, and a full renovation adds $10,500 to $18K. A typical all-in basis is near $62K before you place a tenant.

What rent does a 28x68 support?

Post-renovation rents land between $800 and $1,175/month in most markets, with $1K a reasonable in-place midpoint. On the all-in basis that is roughly a 7 percent cash-on-cash return before appreciation.

What lot width does a 28x68 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 28x68 singlewide a good first investment?

Yes, for many investors this mid-size size is a sensible entry point: the $48K all-in basis is approachable and the 4BR/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 28x68 take to renovate and rent?

A full renovation on 1,904 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 $800 to $1,175 band, faster in markets where the 4-bedroom demand pool runs deep.

🎯 Key Takeaway: At roughly 1,904 sq ft and a 4BR/2BA layout, the 28x68 singlewide targets mid-size-footprint demand with a near-7 percent cash-on-cash profile.

Ready to Grow Your Portfolio?

The 28x68 singlewide is a mid-size-footprint workhorse: the size buys real 4BR/2BA demand, the renovation math is predictable, and at an all-in basis near $62K 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 28x68 deal against your market and capital.

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