02/10/2025
Hello!
This is an information post about Silver Labels, CSA stickers, and mobile home inspections.
There is a lot of information, and misinformation about what a Silver Label is and why one needs to get one for a mobile home as per the TSBC ( Technical Safety BC)
One of the questions I get asked a lot is, " If my insurance and my bank/ mortgage papers call it a house, why is it still deemed a mobile home?"
To be blunt, the insurance and banking sectors are not linked to the definitions of what constitutes a mobile home like the BC electrical governing body is. Therefor the insurance/bank etc. can call a mobile trailer a home when it has a concrete footing and is no longer "mobile" but TSBC sees a mobile with a house built around it. It doesn't change the electrical inside the mobile home. The TSBC is the one governing body that decides that a mobile home is always a mobile home. In short, the building my be called a home, dwelling or house but this is always referenced to it being a mobile home in your paperwork somewhere and this will affect the buying, selling, insurance and mortgage of these buildings.
Another common question I get is, "I bought this place without a silver Label, why are they now making it mandatory?"
This is an interesting one, because its been the law since the 90's but was not enforced until about 10 years ago.
We can assume many reasons for this pressure to comply but the most obvious one I've come up with (this is opinion , not fact) is the amount of money insurance and banks payout for the shear amount of fires that result in injury or death that happen in mobile homes vs permanent structured buildings.(this is fact).
Regardless of the why, insurance companies will rarely insure mobiles bought in the last couple years without proof of a Silver Label . Realtors can not sell a mobile without one and mortgage brokers cannot lend without said proof.
"is there anyway to avoid a silver label?"
I wouldn't recommend it , but you can sell privately, or you could decommission the mobile.
decommissioning requires the panel to be removed and Hydro disconnected . So you'd be selling the property as is , A.K.A. Land, over paying the money upfront to obtain a Silver Label.
"How much will it cost?"
That is a harder question to answer as it involves many many factors.
We have a CSA checklist we have to satisfy to obtain the SL, and it covers things from " is the oven fed with the right size of wire and the receptacle has the ground facing left or right" to "is every fixture and receptacle grounded" as you could assume things could be fairly quick if there are no additions or outbuildings and no renovations inside the mobile.
If there are renovations, additions or outbuildings we'd have to make sure that all the additions are up to todays code and safe.
I added a quick question and answer sheet that can help you determine whether or not you need a Silver Label.
I hope this helps.
