The inspection that depends on whether the home moves
Kentucky's own titling guidance draws the line at relocation. A Fire Marshal inspection is called for when a manufactured home is being moved to a different location; a home that stays where it is instead goes through a Manufactured Housing Affidavit. That single distinction changes the paperwork trail at the county clerk, so decide early whether the home is being sold in place or hauled off the lot.
See the Commonwealth's summary on the DRIVE mobile homes page, then confirm the current procedure with your county clerk — offices differ in what they want to see and in what order.
Oversize-load permits are the mover's job, not yours
A single-wide is wider than a legal traffic lane and a double-wide travels in halves, so every move runs on a special permit. Kentucky issues overweight and overdimensional permits through the Transportation Cabinet's Division of Motor Carriers under KRS 189.270 and 601 KAR 1:018, and the permit fixes the route, the travel hours and the escort requirements.
The practical consequence for a seller is geography. In Pike, Perry, Letcher or Knox County a hollow road with a switchback, a one-lane bridge or a low utility drop can make a routing plan expensive or impossible even when the home itself is sound. In Hardin or Warren County the same home moves on a straightforward run. Nobody can quote a move honestly without seeing the approach.
Permit details: Kentucky overweight / overdimensional permits.
Who is legally allowed to set the home back down
Kentucky does not leave installation to whoever owns a skid steer. Under KRS 227.570 every installation of a manufactured or mobile home must be performed by an installer certified by the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, following the manufacturer's instructions where they exist, and the certified installer applies for an installer seal before doing the work.
The same department certifies installers and licenses retailers. If you are hiring the work yourself rather than selling the home to someone who handles it, verify certification before money changes hands — DHBC modular and manufactured housing.
Utilities, and the part people forget
Electric service has to be disconnected at the meter by the utility, not by the mover. Propane tanks are pulled by the propane supplier. A home on septic needs the tank handled and the lines capped, and a home on a rural water district line needs the meter closed out. Each of those is a separate phone call with its own lead time, and a move day that arrives before the electric disconnect is a wasted trip with a crew standing in the yard.
The destination has its own list: whether the receiving county or city requires a placement permit, whether the lot is zoned for a manufactured home, flood-zone elevation where applicable, and whether the park accepts a home of that age. Kentucky handles planning and zoning locally, so the answer genuinely differs from one county to the next.
When moving it is the wrong answer
For a lot of older Kentucky homes the honest arithmetic is that tear-down, transport, permits, inspection, re-set, blocking, tie-downs and utility reconnection add up to more than the home is worth after it lands. That is not a reason to panic; it is a reason to price the decision before making it. Selling in place, selling the home to a buyer who will move it at their own cost, or negotiating with the park about the home staying are all real alternatives.