Prefab Homes in Tennessee 2026: Smokies Cabins and Makers

If you want a prefab home on a Tennessee lot with the interior finished in the price, price Summertown Metals first. The company is based in Summertown, Tennessee, and offers its turnkey homes throughout the state. The 3-bedroom Brookside is $179,440 turnkey and $69,190 as an exterior shell, both plus tax and shipping. That shell is the lowest published price in the table.

Host Camp’s single-wide trailer case in the Smokies shows the used-home alternative. The owner bought a single-wide on 1.75 acres near Pigeon Forge for $195,000 and spent about $160,000 on renovation and design, for roughly $355,000 all in. The makers below sell a new unit instead.

The table lists 7 models from 6 makers that publish a price and a delivery area that includes Tennessee, sorted by published price, lowest first. Where a maker does not publish a figure, the cell says “Not published.”

The Tennessee Table

Wind River’s smaller Rogue Mini starts at $86,000 for 180 square feet, with a studio sleeping and living area, a coffee bar, and a 4-foot front porch. Amish Built Cabins lists the Lake Tahoe at a regular price of $124,900 and gives no end date for the $114,900 sale price, so ask which price applies.

What Summertown’s 3 Prices Buy

Summertown sells each model at 3 levels, and it says pricing varies by region.

• Exterior shell. The Brookside shell is $69,190. Summertown says it includes materials and construction of the exterior shell, plus framing of the interior walls, by an independent contractor.
• Shell +. This adds electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling rough-in, insulation, and drywall. On the Brookside, it is $60,000 above the shell.
• Turnkey. The interior is finished by a licensed and insured contractor. On the Brookside, it is $50,250 above Shell +.

Summertown offers all 3 levels throughout Tennessee and within 200 miles of its branches in Summertown, Tennessee, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Hayden, Alabama. Ask Summertown in writing whether your lot is inside that area before you pay a deposit.

The Rest of the List Delivers a Unit

The other 5 makers deliver a unit or a kit, and you hire the foundation and site work. Next Modular sells home-only east of the Mississippi and says it serves certain areas of the Southeast on a turnkey basis. Its home page names Indiana and Michigan as the states it covers anywhere for turnkey work, so ask whether your Tennessee lot qualifies.

Conestoga says delivery takes about 4 to 6 months once full sealed plans are approved. Studio Home says its plan set takes 3 to 4 weeks, permitting ranges from a day to several months, the unit is ready to ship about 4 weeks after the permit, and installation takes 2 to 3 weeks. For the cost layers after the unit, see what a prefab home costs, layer by layer.

How Tennessee Regulates Modular and Manufactured Homes

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance regulates both, under separate programs in its Division of Fire Prevention.

• Modular buildings. The Modular Building Program operates under Tennessee Code Annotated 68-126-301. The Tennessee Modular Buildings Act was established in 1985 to set building construction standards for factory-built structures that are transported to building sites to be installed. Manufactured (mobile) homes are excluded from it.
• Manufactured homes. The Manufactured Housing and Modular Buildings Section licenses manufacturers, retailers, and installers of homes labeled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It also performs installation inspections under the Tennessee Manufactured Home Installation Act.

Ask the maker which program covers your unit, then ask the county which permits it needs.

Short-Term Rental Rules in 2 Smokies Places

Each Tennessee city or county sets its own rental rules. These 2 examples come from each government’s own page.

• City of Gatlinburg. A Tourist Residency Permit allows overnight rentals within the city limits, provided the property is zoned properly. The application fee is $200 for a unit with 2 bedrooms or fewer, plus $75 for each bedroom over 2, and it pays for a fire and building inspection.
• Sevier County, outside city limits. The county’s Short-Term Rental Unit Permit Program went into effect on January 1, 2024. The permit is $250 a year for a unit that sleeps 12 or fewer, and $250 plus $25 for each additional occupant for a unit that sleeps 13 or more. An annual inspection covers smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, escape routes, and electrical safety.

For other addresses, use the zoning rules guide before you buy land.

Where to Start

Price Summertown’s turnkey first if you want the interior finished. It is the only maker here that publishes a turnkey price for Tennessee. The Brookside is $179,440 turnkey, which is $110,250 above its exterior shell.

Compare what each price covers. The Brookside shell is a steel exterior built on your lot, and the Lake Tahoe is a finished cabin that still needs a foundation and delivery.

Count bedrooms against the permit fee. In Gatlinburg, a 3-bedroom unit such as the Brookside pays $275 to apply, and a 2-bedroom unit pays $200.

Before You Order

Run these 3 checks before a deposit, in order.

1. Price the site work. Run the lot through the site-prep cost estimator. Summertown’s prices include construction by a contractor, and every other price leaves the foundation and site work to you.
2. Confirm the loan. Start with the lender locator. Ask the lender whether it finances a steel shell, a modular home, or a kit.
3. Confirm the permit. Ask the city or county whether the lot is zoned for overnight rentals. Gatlinburg requires a Tourist Residency Permit, and Sevier County requires an annual permit outside city limits.

Finished units are rated in the 8 best prefab cabins, rated. For related comparisons, see prefab homes in North Carolina and prefab log cabins.

Planning a Smokies rental? Book a free strategy call.

Host Camp is not a licensed tax, legal, or financial adviser. Confirm figures for your situation with a professional.

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