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Tennessee is a state of local rules. The statewide residential code is still the 2018 edition, Nashville has jumped ahead to 2024, and Memphis and unincorporated Hamilton County each address containers in their own way, while Chattanooga has its own ADU ordinance. A county resolution for unincorporated Hamilton County would bar shipping containers as ADUs, but we could not confirm it was adopted. Memphis, on the other hand, has a use category called a container home.
This page collects what we could confirm from state sources and from city and county codes. For costs, layouts and the build itself, see our guide to shipping container homes, and for the comparison with other states see which states allow shipping container homes.
The State Fire Marshal’s adoption table, updated April 17, 2025, lists the 2021 International Building Code with Tennessee amendments for commercial buildings and the 2018 International Residential Code with Tennessee amendments for one and two family homes. The energy code follows the same split: the 2018 IECC for one and two family dwellings and townhomes, and the 2021 IECC for commercial buildings. The published amendments to the 2021 IBC do not mention Section 3115 on intermodal shipping containers or shipping containers at all.
Who enforces the code is local. A Tennessee city can exempt one and two family dwellings from the statewide building standards, but only by a two-thirds vote of its governing body, and the exemption expires 180 days after the next general municipal election unless it is renewed. A city that runs its own program for one and two family homes must adopt the ICC residential code. The State Fire Marshal enforces the statewide codes where a municipality has not adopted and enforced its own. The Fire Marshal also publishes a list of 44 exempt jurisdictions that run their own commercial plan review, including Nashville and Davidson County, Memphis, Shelby County, Knoxville, Knox County, Chattanooga and Sevier County.
| Place | What we found |
|---|---|
| Metro Nashville and Davidson County | 2024 International codes and the 2023 NEC with local amendments, for plans submitted after July 16, 2025. |
| Memphis and Shelby County | Container home is its own use in the Unified Development Code. As an ADU it needs a Conditional Use Permit. |
| Unincorporated Hamilton County | Resolution 1224-33 would bar shipping containers as ADUs and ADUs on lots with individual septic tanks. We could not confirm adoption. |
| Chattanooga | ADU capped at 800 square feet, permanent foundation required. |
| Knoxville | ADUs are a permitted use in residential zoning districts, with owner occupancy. |
| Williamson County | Runs its own sewage disposal department with county regulations. |
Metro Nashville adopted the 2024 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing and Energy Conservation Codes and the 2023 NEC, with local amendments, by ordinance BL2025-898, effective July 16, 2025. It applies to plans and applications submitted after that date. Metro allowed a 180 day grace period for projects whose preliminary designs followed the 2018 building code, which has since ended.
A detached accessory dwelling in Nashville is limited to 700 square feet of living space on lots under 10,000 square feet and 850 on larger lots, with one per parcel. The eave height is 10 feet for one story and 17 feet for two stories, with a ridge no higher than 27 feet. It must be of similar style, design and material color as the principal house, which in practice means a container ADU needs an exterior finish that matches the house. Ask Metro’s zoning staff how this applies to containers. A property owner cannot self-permit a detached ADU, since a registered contractor must apply, and one of the two dwellings must be owner-occupied. These units are only allowed where the zoning district permits them with conditions and the parcel is in the Urban Services District, a detached ADU overlay or a specific plan with ADU standards. The Metro page on detached ADUs does not mention shipping containers, and we did not review the full zoning code.
The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code defines a container home as any dwelling unit that is wholly or partially located within a shipping container, and it lists the container home as a separate residential use in the use table in Section 2.5.2. A container home can serve as an accessory dwelling only with a Conditional Use Permit, and the general ADU standards also apply. A Conditional Use Permit cannot allow a container home in a zoning district that does not allow that housing type. The copy of the code we read includes amendments through September 2021, so confirm with the Office of Planning and Development which districts allow the use today.
Storage containers are treated differently. A 2022 Board of Adjustment staff report quotes the code as not permitting shipping containers, semi-trailers or storage pods as accessory structures except in the industrial zoning districts, and a container building, meaning a structure used for something other than a dwelling, needs a building permit.
Resolution 1224-33, dated December 2024, would set ADU rules for unincorporated Hamilton County. We could not confirm that the county commission adopted it, and the copy we read carries a deferred label, so ask the county before you rely on it. The text states that shipping containers cannot be used as an ADU in unincorporated Hamilton County. It also caps an ADU at 800 gross square feet, require the owner to live in one of the two dwellings, bar short-term rental of the ADU, require a permanent foundation, and allow ADUs only on lots served by public sanitary sewer. ADUs are allowed in zoning districts that permit single-family detached homes, except the A-1 Agricultural district.
The City of Chattanooga has its own ADU ordinance, adopted in May 2022 and amended in 2024. An ADU may not exceed 800 square feet measured by exterior dimensions, and one of 701 to 800 square feet needs a second means of egress. It requires a permanent foundation and does not allow tiny houses on wheels. The planning agency page does not mention shipping containers, but we did not read the full ordinance text, so ask the planning agency before you design.
Knoxville made its ADU rules easier in an ordinance approved by City Council in February and March 2024. ADUs are a permitted use in residential zoning districts, the lot-area-based floor area limits were removed, and owner occupancy stays in all land use areas.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issues the construction permit for a septic system under rule chapter 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems. Some counties add their own rules. Williamson County runs a Department of Sewage Disposal Management with county regulations, last amended in March 2025. Before you plan an ADU on a rural lot, ask the county health department whether the lot can carry a second dwelling.
The Modular Building Program of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, under T.C.A. 68-126-301, covers residential and commercial factory-built buildings but not HUD manufactured homes. It uses unit plan submittal, approved design review and inspection agencies, and certification labels. The program page does not mention shipping containers and does not state whether local governments must accept state-certified units, so confirm the local rule first. Our build guide covers the order of work and the foundation guide covers site preparation.
These are median depot prices from our October 2026 price index. Each metro has at least three independent suppliers. Delivery is not included, and transport cost depends on distance from the depot.
| Metro | Used 20ft | Used 40ft high cube | New 20ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $1,890 | $2,426 | $3,014 |
| Memphis | $1,500 | $1,850 | $2,400 |
Listings
Most container homes start with high cube containers, new or in premium used condition. Starting prices come from current inventory at US depots. Pick a container and vetted local suppliers send delivered quotes for your ZIP code.
Depot prices updated October 2026As-new high cube with clean paint and floors. The first choice for container homes, offices and long term use.
One foot taller inside. The usual base for tiny homes, workshops and tall equipment.
Higher grade used high cube with fewer dents. A smart pick for conversions on a budget.
Extra foot of height for racking and bulky goods, at used container prices.
Starting prices at the depot, based on current inventory at major US container depots. Delivery, sales tax and local fees are extra and depend on your ZIP code. Your supplier confirms the final price in your quote.
See all containers and pricesListing prices above are US-wide depot prices from our supplier network. For Tennessee metros, use the median table further up.
Planning a build in another state? See our guides for Georgia, North Carolina and Florida.
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FAQs
We found no Tennessee statewide rule that bans container homes, but the answer changes by place. Memphis and Shelby County define a container home as its own use and regulate it by zoning district. A county resolution would bar shipping containers as ADUs in unincorporated Hamilton County, but we could not confirm it was adopted. Metro Nashville requires a detached ADU to be similar to the main house in style, design and color. Always check zoning first, then the building code.
The State Fire Marshal lists the 2021 International Building Code with Tennessee amendments for commercial buildings and the 2018 International Residential Code with Tennessee amendments for one and two family homes. Metro Nashville has adopted the 2024 codes, which is newer than the state baseline. A city can exempt one and two family dwellings from the statewide standards by a two-thirds vote of its governing body.
Tennessee cities and counties set their own ADU rules. A 2024 report by the state commission on intergovernmental relations lists allowing ADUs only as a sample local reform, and we did not find a statewide ADU requirement. Nashville allows a detached ADU of 700 to 850 square feet. Chattanooga and Hamilton County cap an ADU at 800 square feet. Memphis allows a container home as an ADU only with a Conditional Use Permit. A Hamilton County resolution for unincorporated areas would ban containers as ADUs, but we could not confirm adoption.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issues construction permits for subsurface sewage disposal systems under rule chapter 0400-48-01. Some counties, such as Williamson County, run their own sewage disposal department with local regulations on top. Ask the county health department whether a lot on septic can carry a second dwelling.
The State Fire Marshal runs a Modular Building Program for factory-built residential and commercial buildings, with approved design review and inspection agencies and certification labels. Its page does not mention shipping containers and does not say whether local governments must accept certified units, so ask the local building department before you order.
In the October 2026 price index, a used 20ft container had a median depot price of $1,890 in Nashville and $1,500 in Memphis. A new 20ft was $3,014 in Nashville and $2,400 in Memphis. Delivery is extra.
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Andreas Atrott is the founder of CUBX - shipping-containers.com and its sister sites shipping-containers.com.au in Australia and containerbasis.de in Germany. He has spent more than 15 years in the container industry, across sales, modifications, and custom builds, and shares what he has learned on his YouTube channel, Andy Knows Containers. That practical experience shapes how the platform helps US buyers match the right container to their project.
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