Tiny homes in Knoxville, Tennessee — zoning and ADU rules, THOW parking options, builder costs, and what you need to know before buying land or building.
Last researched June 2026
Knoxville's appeal for small-footprint living is geographic: South Knoxville's Urban Wilderness puts 50-plus miles of wooded singletrack and quarry lakes ten minutes from downtown, and the Smokies and Dollywood are about an hour out. The historic small-lot neighborhoods — Fourth & Gill, Old North Knoxville, Parkridge — are where by-right backyard ADUs make the most sense, with compact principal homes and alley access in places. Four real seasons come without weather extremes: summers are warm rather than brutal, winters see only occasional snow. Full-time THOW folks mostly land east toward Cherokee Lake, where Lakeland Ridge's $450 lots in Bean Station undercut city rent by a wide margin, and the University of Tennessee keeps the city's food and music cheap and lively.
Knoxville separates tiny homes by foundation. A site-built tiny house on a permanent foundation is a legal single-family dwelling under the city's building requirements — Knoxville has adopted the International Residential Code including Appendix Q, which governs dwellings of 400 square feet or less — while a tiny home on wheels (THOW) is only permitted in recreational-vehicle and mobile home parks. The city's Code of Ordinances also regulates trailers separately under Chapter 25 (Trailers and Portable Buildings), so a THOW parked on a residential lot cannot be occupied as a residence inside city limits as of June 2026.
The backyard-unit pathway is unusually clean for Tennessee: Section 10.3.B of the Knoxville Zoning Code permits one internal, attached, or detached accessory dwelling unit by right with any single-family dwelling, subject to use-specific standards covering building-code conformity, owner occupancy, minimum lot area, setbacks, maximum floor area and bedroom count, appearance, and parking. In 2024, City Council passed an ordinance easing ADU dimensional rules while preserving the owner-occupancy requirement, per WBIR coverage. As of June 2026; the Knoxville Planning Department at (865) 215-3758 handles specifics.
In unincorporated Knox County, building permits are still required to build or place a tiny house, and 2026 county-level guides report THOWs are tolerated in RV parks and on private property — treat the private-property claim as public reporting to confirm with the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission at (865) 215-2500, not settled law. Verify current requirements with your local planning department before purchasing land or beginning construction.
Verify current requirements with your local planning department.
Knoxville permits one accessory dwelling unit — internal, attached, or detached — by right with any single-family dwelling under Section 10.3.B of the Zoning Code. Use-specific standards govern building-code conformity, adequacy of utilities, minimum lot area, setbacks for detached units, maximum floor area and number of bedrooms, neighborhood-compatible appearance, and parking. The owner must live on the property, in either the main house or the ADU; a 2024 City Council ordinance loosened ADU dimensional standards but deliberately preserved that owner-occupancy rule, per WBIR. As of June 2026 — call Knoxville Planning at (865) 215-3758 for the current dimensional table before designing.
Communities, RV parks, and parking options in and near Knoxville.
Inside Knoxville city limits, a THOW can only be lived in at an RV or mobile home park as of June 2026 — Chapter 25 of the city code keeps trailers and portable buildings out of residential occupancy elsewhere. The standout regional option is Lakeland Ridge RV And Tiny Home Community in Bean Station, about 45 miles northeast of Knoxville in rural Grainger County: 52 spaces on 40 acres overlooking Cherokee Lake, year-round tiny-home lots from $450 per month, bring-your-own THOW welcome, and an on-site builder for new builds, per the community's published information, June 2026. Tiny Homes Village in Rock Island, roughly two hours west, offers around 200 THOW lots with rent from about $550 per month. In unincorporated Knox County, public reporting in 2026 indicates THOWs are allowed in RV parks and on private property, but confirm directly with Knoxville-Knox County Planning before siting on raw land.
tiny-home-village
Bean Station, TN (Grainger County, ~45 mi northeast of Knoxville)
52-space community on 40 acres overlooking Cherokee Lake with year-round tiny home lots from $450/month; bring your own THOW or use the on-site builder. Pavilion with commercial kitchen, laundry, community garden, and trails.
tiny-home-village
Rock Island, TN (~2 hrs west of Knoxville)
45-acre community with roughly 200 lots for tiny homes on wheels; lot rent from about $550/month with rent-to-own options.
Nashville, tennessee
Nashville-based luxury tiny home builder founded in 2015 and featured on HGTV, Good Morning America, and Architectural Digest. Builds fully custom THOWs with an in-house design team. The Cornelia model starts at $110,000; the Orchid runs $220,000. Build time is 6–8 weeks.
Service areas: tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee builder specializing in custom-built tiny homes and ADUs for Middle Tennessee homeowners. Licensed, bonded, and insured with 25 years of construction experience and 189 permitted projects on record as of May 2026. Serves Lebanon, Gallatin, Gladeville, and surrounding Wilson County communities.
Service areas: Tennessee
Scottsburg, Indiana
Scottsburg, Indiana retailer and installation company for Amish and Mennonite-built tiny homes, modular cabins, and prefab homes, founded in August 2023. Operating from 677 South Cardinal Lane in Scott County, the company is led by Osi (known as the "Cabin Cowboy") and represents craftsmen across 8 states and 18 Amish and Mennonite communities with more than 250 years of combined building experience. Product offerings include RVIA- certified park model cottages and custom cabin structures, with Indiana- specific pricing pages published on the company website. Amish Built Cabins ships and installs to buyers in all 50 states and manages delivery coordination from its Scottsburg, Indiana base. As of May 2026, the company maintains active product listings, customer reviews, and Indiana-specific pricing pages.
Service areas: Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee
Childersburg, Alabama
Childersburg, Alabama park model home dealer serving six southeastern states, operating adjacent to Atkinson Homes on US Highway 280. Sells Clayton-built park models starting around $80,000, handles permitting and site prep, and delivers to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Active as of May 2026.
Service areas: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi
Guin, Alabama
Guin, Alabama manufacturer of energy-efficient manufactured and modular homes, founded in 2004. Operates a 200,000-square-foot facility and has produced 15,000+ homes across 18 states. Offers a "Cozy Cabins" tiny-home line within its Signature series, built to HUD code or state modular standards. Member of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association. Active as of May 2026.
Service areas: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia
Knoxville, tennessee
Knoxville-based design-build firm offering custom tiny homes on wheels, barndominiums, and timber-frame homes. The team brings a background in high-end residential construction to the tiny home market. Models include the Magnolia and the Maple. Offers free transport and setup to select Tennessee communities. Most projects move from concept to construction planning within 6-12 weeks.
Service areas: tennessee
A comparison between tiny-home living and conventional homeownership in Knoxville.
Tiny home path
Traditional home path
Potential monthly savings
$1,200–$1,900/mo
Source: Redfin median sale price ($320K, three months ending April 2026); Zumper median rent ($1,625/mo, March 2026)
Verified links for planning, permitting, and community connections in Knoxville.
Official
Community
Not on a residential lot — as of June 2026, THOWs are only permitted in RV and mobile home parks inside Knoxville city limits. The closest year-round tiny home community is Lakeland Ridge in Bean Station, about 45 miles northeast, with lots from $450/month.
Yes. Section 10.3.B of the Knoxville Zoning Code allows one internal, attached, or detached ADU by right with any single-family home, as of June 2026. The catch is owner-occupancy: you must live in either the main house or the ADU, a rule City Council preserved when it eased dimensional standards in 2024.
Yes — Knoxville has adopted IRC Appendix Q, which covers dwellings of 400 square feet or less, and city guidance requires tiny houses to be site-built on a permanent foundation. Standard building permits apply, as of June 2026.
Plan around Tennessee state averages of roughly $45,000–$150,000 for a custom build as of 2026. Incredible Tiny Homes in Morristown, about 45 minutes east, is the region's best-known budget builder, and Lakeland Ridge in Bean Station has an on-site builder for community residents.
Yes — Lakeland Ridge RV And Tiny Home Community in Bean Station (45 miles northeast, Grainger County) offers year-round THOW lots from $450/month on Cherokee Lake, as of June 2026. Tiny Homes Village in Rock Island, about two hours west, has roughly 200 lots.
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