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The demand for modular cabins is doing anything but slowing down and the growing amount of options can cause some real analysis paralysis if you’re in the market for your own. DIY or prefab kit? Custom build or modular? Trailer bed or poured-foundation? The options are seemingly endless.
At the center of it all is newcomer Modular Dwelling, a prefab studio based out of Tennessee. A cross between custom and prefab cabins, their modestly sized units are great for the buyer who wants to get creative (within some limits) but may not have the resources to completely DIY.
While most prefab companies roll-out completed models starting at a base rate, Modular Dwelling starts from the ground up by pricing per square foot, and offers skid, poured, and trailer-bed foundations (similar to the Bivvi A-Frame). Starting at just $90 per square foot, footprints range from as-small-as-you-want to 12’ x 36’ for a cabin on skids, while a wheeled-version limits the width to 8’6” likely due to transportation limitations (it's gotta fit on a flatbed truck, after all).
The starting rate includes interior walls finished with shiplap white pine, foam insulation, lighting and outlets, one standard glass door, one large picture window, and an exterior finished with cedar siding and seam metal.
Add-ons include plumbing, a finished bathroom and kitchen, and additional windows and doors. Trailer foundation costs depend on size and range from $3,000 to $5,000. The cost of delivery starts at about $2 per mile for trailer bed models—based on distance from Modular Dwelling's Tennessee HQ and factory—while a cabin intended for skids can be delivered for between $4 and $6 per mile.
While Modular Dwellings cabins stick to their gabled-roof skeleton akin to that of fellow prefab builder Drop Structures, interior customization is key. Design a cabin (or home office, ancillary guest room, yoga or art studio, etc) unique to you while sidestepping the construction needed for a traditional home build-the best of both worlds.
Published 01-28-2021
