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You’ve decided to submeter your mobile home park. Congrats! Now the key to a smooth switch is communication. Clear, steady updates reduce confusion and the number of questions hitting your desk.
This guide gives you a simple, copy-ready plan you can follow week by week. It assumes you are moving from a flat fee or RUBS to usage-based billing with submeters and software that handles leak detection and billing.
Use this guide your way
Treat this as a practical template, not a strict checklist. Adjust timing, channels, and wording to fit your community, staff capacity, and local rules.
If you already text residents, add SMS reminders. If your park is small, combine steps. If compliance requires different notice periods, keep the core message the same: fairness, transparency, conservation.
(This guide is a part of our complete guide to mobile home park water submetering, in case you have more questions about submetering).
Quick note on compliance: submetered water billing is widely allowed (rules vary by state and sometimes city). But before you switch from flat fee or RUBS, confirm your local requirements.
Check city and state rules before you begin. Confirm notice periods, billing format, and any required disclosures. Document what you will send and when.
Success means residents understand the change, billing starts cleanly, and water costs trend down.
What to aim for:
Everything below helps you hit those goals with minimal friction.
You will communicate six times using short, consistent messages. Use one email and one phone number for questions.
Set the tone with fairness, transparency, and conservation.
Send:
Helpful links to include for your residents:
Lower anxiety by showing the meter, the bill, and the timeline. Keep it simple and visual. A 5-minute recorded walkthrough works if a live session is not possible.
Cover in 20 minutes:
Send after the session:
Context you can reference:
Repeat the basics and be specific about when work will occur.
Send:
Installs are quick and tidy, but visibility builds trust.
Do this:
Example update: "Section A complete today. Section B begins tomorrow morning."
This is when learning happens. Residents see usage and fix leaks before billing starts. Many parks find a handful of toilets and irrigation timers cause most mystery consumption.
Send each week:
Two messages make month one clean.
Send 5 to 7 days before billing:
After bills post:
Consider linking a case study like the Oklahoma case study for context.
Subject: Upcoming change to water billing (pay only for what you use)
Dear Residents,
Starting the week of [dates], our community will install individual water submeters. This upgrade makes billing fair and transparent so you pay only for the water you use. Installation happens outside the home with no plumbing changes and no Wi-Fi required. Service will not be interrupted.
After installation, we will have a 30-day onboarding period. During this time you will receive sample usage statements so you can see your water use and address any leaks before real billing starts.
Our first real usage bill will be on [date]. We will send a reminder and a sample invoice so you know exactly how to read it.
Please join us for a short information session on [date and time]. If you have questions, contact [email] or [phone].
Thank you for helping make our community more water smart.
[Your Park Management Team]
Will my bill go up?
It depends on use. Many households pay about the same or less. Heavy users may pay more. The goal is fairness. Submetering also helps the whole park reduce waste by finding leaks early. For third-party context you can share the EPA metering overview and Goleta Water District on savings.
Do I need to do anything for installation?
No. The meter clamps on outside the home. No plumber inside and no Wi-Fi setup.
How will I know if I have a leak?
You will see it in your usage preview. Continuous overnight flow often means a toilet flapper or irrigation timer. The system also flags suspected leaks so the office can follow up.
Is this legal here?
In most places, yes. Rules vary. We follow local requirements for itemized, metered billing. For more information, see the EPA overview.
When does billing start?
After the 30-day onboarding period. You will get a reminder and an example bill first.
This is a best-case playbook for a smooth rollout with clear messages, a clean first bill, and fewer disputes. Use it as a template and adjust to your park.
Keep one point of contact for questions, keep messages short and consistent, and move at a pace your team can support.
Prep (before Week -3)
Week -3
6. Send Announcement 1 with why, what changes, the timeline, and onboarding.
7. Invite to a 20-minute info session.
Week -2
8. Host the session or send a 5-minute video.
9. Send slides, a short FAQ, and leak-check tips.
Week -1
10. Send a simple reminder with dates by street or section.
11. Deliver door hangers to each home.
Install week
12. Post daily status in two short sentences.
13. Thank residents and remind them onboarding begins now.
Onboarding (days 1 to 30)
14. Send weekly usage previews and leak alerts.
15. Share a midpoint update with a quick park-wide progress note.
16. Offer one-on-one help for unusual usage.
Go live
17. Send a billing-starts reminder and a labeled bill example.
18. Review month 1 internally and fix any address or read issues.
19. Share a month 1 wins note with residents.
Submetering does not have to be complicated or stressful for residents. With the right plan and tools, you can move from flat fee or RUBS to fair, accurate, and transparent usage-based billing.
SimpleSUB is built for this kind of rollout. Clamp-on meters install in minutes, automatic leak detection works during onboarding, and itemized statements keep everyone aligned.
If you are planning your transition, we can help you map the process, prepare resident communications, and start saving on your next water bill.
Schedule a demo to see how simple water submetering can be.
We’ll design an affordable, easy-to-install solution for your submetering project, large or small.
