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Tennessee is a true-to-form example of a 'southern state' that has many big-city amenities and yet also provides abundant opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. In Tennessee, the culture is rich, the natural beauty is awe-inspiring, and the economic opportunity is empowering. These factors and more drive many people to move inside the borders of Tennessee.
Tennessee has a great central location in the middle of the eastern half of the United States. It’s bordered by North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi, putting you close to a wide variety of other locations.
The state is known for its natural beauty as well. In the eastern part of the state, you'll find the Appalachian Mountains, including well-known sub-ranges like the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Towards the west, things flatten out slightly into a variety of ridges, plateaus, and valleys. Eventually, you end up at the state's western border at the Mississippi River.
Along the way, you'll pass through some fascinating scenery and geology, part of what makes Tennesee so beautiful and unique. For instance, did you Tennessee has more caves than any other US state (more than 11,000!), and the tallest sheer-drop waterfall east of the Mississippi River (Fall Creek Falls)?
Tennesee's four largest cities are each well-known in their own right: Nashville for country and Americana music, Memphis for blues and rock 'n roll music and BBQ, Knoxville for the University of Tennesee, and Chattanooga for its Civil War history and world-class internet speeds.
One reason many people are drawn to Tennessee is taxes. While the state has the 2nd highest sales tax rate, it actually has the 2nd lowest overall tax burden of any US state. A lot of that is helped by Tennessee famously not having a personal income tax.
And the economy of Tennesee is very healthy as well, which helps to grow the tax base. Tennessee has three huge automotive plants, the massive energy and infrastructure projects of the Tennesee Valley Authority, and world-renowned Department of Energy research centers, just for starters.
So yes, Tennessee is exactly the kind of state where you can get a good job, live a good life, and have a good time. It's no wonder the state attracts so many visitors and residents alike. And whether you want to build it up in the forested mountains or in the middle of a thriving city, Tennessee is a great place to build a shipping container home as well.
Yes, there are shipping container houses in Tennessee, legally built in a variety of areas. The state doesn't have any regulations that specifically prohibit container construction.
Nevertheless, just like with any other kind of construction project, you'll likely need to get government permission and comply with applicable rules and guidelines in order to build your dream container home in Tennessee.
And remember that large container homes are usually a bit easier to build than smaller homes, as building rules often affect smaller buildings more. Things like minimum room sizes, the minimum number of exits, or minimum square footage could become issues to work around.
In Tennesee, building code regulations are governed by the State Fire Marshall's Office within the Tennesee Department of Commerce & Insurance. The state's involvement in construction matters is fairly new historically speaking, leading to a slightly confusing set of possibilities for you as a landowner.
Essentially there are three options for how building codes are enforced:
The distinction between options 1 and 2 is small: either way, building codes will apply. And in both cases, the codes will still be based on the model codes from the ICC, although code versions and amendments might be slightly different. The main difference is whether a local or state official will be your point of contact regarding enforcement.
Option 3 is unique in that no building codes will apply at all in that county or municipal area. This is a less-common scenario and requires the local government to renew their opt-out with the state every 180 days, otherwise, state codes and enforcement will be in effect.
To summarize all that information, there's a small chance, especially in more rural areas, that you won't have any building code enforcement to deal with at all in Tennesee. But the more likely outcome is that you'll face the same type of International Residential Code (IRC) regulations that most people in other states face.
The good news is that people around the US are having success designing and building container homes that are fully compliant with the IRC. Whether you have building codes and other rules to deal with or not, we recommend speaking with your local government officials to learn more about the specific requirements in your local area.
Being fairly inland and in the southern part of the United States, Tennesee has a pretty mild climate. Comparatively speaking, it doesn't have many severe weather events to think about, like earthquakes, hurricanes, or blizzards.
Therefore, the cost of building a container home in Tennesee is pretty similar to what it would cost in other non-extreme parts of the United States. But what does that mean, numbers-wise?
Well, it's difficult to give a precise range of Tennessee container home prices for the same reason it's difficult to give those costs in other locations. There are just so many variables related to the size and type of design you use, your building site, etc. For instance, the choice to build with used shipping containers will certainly affect your project cost.
However, all is not lost. Instead of giving you a price range here that would likely be inaccurate, we have an incredible free tool that will allow you to calculate a container home price range that incorporates several important metrics related to your container project. To get started, visit our free Container Home Calculator and get an estimated container home price range based on the specifics of your project.
Below are some of our favorite Tennessee shipping container homes, restaurants, apartments, offices, and other container projects.