I think your electrician is not a general contractor.

No doubt the insulation needs to be removed and a good full inspection made. But not replacing the insulation makes your home not conform to the Federal HUD building code, and probably not the state or local building code either, assuming there is one. I suspect this electrician does not pull the permits he ought to be pulling when he does serious rewiring jobs like this, and can do non-code work knowing no inspector will need to approve it. His convenience is his major concern, it seems.

One of the questions you ought to be asking is how the vermin got inside your foundation in the first place. All entry points need to be found and closed off before rewiring, or else a new invasion of vermin is inevitable, and the new wiring is at risk of being chewed again. You also need to be finding out what happened to the protective belly panel that should have kept the vermin out of your home's wiring, plumbing and insulation. Two defensive layers failed you. Fix those.

Hi, newsomer! Here it is a year later and I'm curious as to how your rat/electrical problem worked out.

I would like to make a couple of comments, even though the post is a little over a year old, just in case someone out there runs into a similar situation. First, cathyyg was right. All manufactured homes built after 1976 are required to meet HUD building codes as a MINIMUM. Most states and localities have stricter codes that must be met. There is not a manufactured home in this country that didn't come with floor insulation and a vapor barrier, because that is a HUD minimum standard. It simply is not true that they are not necessary in some locations.

They are there for good reason. Water (any form of moisture) is the deadly enemy of the MH. If you think rats are bad, try black mold, a rotted subfloor, or a water borne illness. If you take out the insulation without replacing it, prepare to at least double your winter energy bill, even in a mild climate.

I have no idea whether removing the vapor barrier and/or the insulation is necessary to correct your electrical issue. What I do know is this:

1. MH owners are very loathe to remove the barrier or even cut a slit in them. Repairing a slit or tear in one is a pain, and you have to use a special tape to do it right, according to some people. Putting one completely back on would be a major undertaking. And a barrier on the ground is NOT the same thing! It will not give you the moisture protection you need.

2. The place where MHs lose the most energy in their MH is not through the roof, as most people would guess, but through the floor. If you take out the insulation and don't put it back (and upgrading it while you're at it might be a good idea), you might as well just start throwing cash down the heat vents. And wear a sweater while you're doing it because you will be COLD!

3. Plumbers and electricians and other skilled workers HATE crawling under MHs. Some won't work on MHs for that reason alone. Others, like your guy, will do as little as possible under there.

4. Cathy is also right about your electrician not pulling a permit. There's not an honest inspector in the world who would allow the insulation and barrier to not be replaced. He's just trying to avoid being underneath the house as much as possible, in my personal opinion. He's also trying, in my opinion, and as Cathy suggested, to cut corners, such as letting you do most of the work unsupervised and, ultimately, un-inspected.

He may be a very nice guy who's just trying to help you out on a limited budget. He may also be a very good electrician. But he has given you some very poor advice. You should insist that the work be inspected, and that new insulation and the vapor barrier be properly replaced. As far as the rat problem, what Cathy said. Get it taken care of now, and for good.

I hope this is helpful for someone out there!! :-)