Frequently Asked Questions

Cabin Builds

All of our prefab cabins are built in our factory. We do not build on-site. The advantage of factory built is less time to build with our streamlined factory-built cabin process and a neutral carbon footprint. This does have some disadvantages to site built as far as the overall design and footprint of your home. We have boundaries of what is transportable with a prefab cabin.

  • God Matters – we are good stewards of resources and time. Lelands Cabins is the only prefab cabin builder that is currently giving back more than we consume in lumber by our tree planting initiative, and have been doing this since we started building cabins. We also conduct our business as a lean manufacturing business, to minimize waste, and our carbon footprint.
  • People Matter – We care about you and our employees. We are currently the ONLY PREFAB CABIN COMPANY that is CERTIFIED MODULAR in the State of Texas. We build to code, and back that with state certifications. We are currently certified in 20 states, and if your state is not on that list, we know how to make that happen so you can enjoy a certified modular cabin from Lelands.
  • Radical Candor – We are straight with you. As a company, we do not play games with pricing where we have a advertised ‘MSRP’ price that is high and always have some ‘fantastic’ discount to offer – we price with slim margins, and give you the value you deserve, with a quality prefab cabin without having to play games with us to get the best price possible. When we are able to offer any type of discount due to vendor reductions and such, we are very quick to let you know! All of the quotes we give have a 7 day price guarantee.
  • Own It – At Lelands, we own the building segment that prefab cabins fall in. You will not find us trying to claim to be something that we are not. With a little research, you can always find what housing types are with each state for legal, residential structures. We own that! Residential state codes are clear, if you are a factory built, prefab house/cabin, and will be on a permanent foundation, then the legal form of housing is a certified modular home. We do not insult your intelligence by claiming to be ‘stick built’ when building codes clearly define that as site built, not factory built. We are proud to be a factory built cabin builder, and own the responsibility of being certified.
  • Learning Environment – It is important to always have the posture of learning. We foster a learning environment for our employees, and are constantly learning from our employees and clients. Some of our best cabin changes have come from client suggestions! We also are always following code changes, and are an advocate for cabins, tiny living, and smart size living.

Great question! The smallest tiny home / ADU cabin we build is 240 sq feet, and the largest we have built is 2,376 square feet. It is possible to go up to 3,240 square feet with our prefab cabins.

We have one of the best warranties in the prefab cabin industry – 1 year craftsmanship, and 10 year structural warranty. The warranty is on the cabin, and yes, it is transferable if you sell your cabin to a new owner.

A full copy of our warranty is available from your sales expert, and we do provide a Home Warranty Binder for all cabins, that includes the Leland’s Cabin warranty, and all other warranties that are in effect with your cabin on items that were installed by a certified contractor or manufactured by someone else. Examples would be your flooring, windows and HVAC systems installed by licensed contractors, and your plumbing and electrical which is installed by a licensed contractor.

We are also upfront, and honest with you in regards to the warranty, and spell out what is and is not covered. We understand that in manufacturing and then transporting a structure, service issues will arise, and we own that, and address all service issues under our warranty. In the same manner, we let you own the site prep process, and are again, upfront on what is needed to prevent issues, as a majority of the calls we do get in regards to service relate to the lack of quality of pad which causes major leveling, flooring and plumbing issues – all of which are preventable. Unfortunately, on any prefab cabin, leveling issues and issues caused by leveling are not under the builder warranty. We highly recommend you obtain an engineered foundation plan, and use a licensed contractor to prepare your cabin pad to prevent these issues.

There is not a charge for using our cabin floor plans for your Leland’s Cabin. If you require a certified modular home for your property, we do have some design changes that we can do to the plans at no additional charge. Complete design changes and custom floorplans do have an engineering fee of $2500, as these plans are custom to your specifications. Check with your sales expert to check out our optimized prefab cabin plans and certified modular plans. Chances are, we have a plan that will match your vision of your prefab cabin layout.

Our prefab cabins are not built on a chassis, our cabins are true prefab modular cabins. We build off of a wood foundational frame. Chassis are on mobile (manufactured) homes and RV builds, such as a RVIA Tiny Home on wheels or Park Model RV. Prefab cabins, true prefab modular cabins and mobile homes are all built for full time, permanent living RV builds, such as RVIA Tiny Home on wheels and Park Model RV’s are not designed for permanent living, according to the RV Industry Association.

Our cabin process is well defined and easy for you!

  • Step 1 – Find your Plan – Find a cabin floor plan that fits your needs with our design specialists.. We offer a variety of sizes and styles with our prefab cabins.
  • Step 2 – Pick your Choices -Customized cabin options are available for your flooring, countertops, cabinets, insulation, exterior colors, AC/Heating units, exterior siding, and MORE.
  • Step 3 – Purchase your Cabin – Next, it’s time to secure your cabin by finalizing your choices and contract. Our sales team will provide you with details to guide you through the site prep.
  • Step 4 – We build your Cabin -While you’re preparing your cabin site, we’ll be busy for the next 14-18 weeks building your cabin. Our 101 Inspection Checklist will ensure a worry-free build process. During this process, our Customer Care team will reach out just to stay in touch, and let you know how the timing of your cabin build is going, and if we are ahead of schedule, on schedule, or behind schedule – timing your site prep to the cabin completion date is important, and we are here to guide you through this process.
  • Step 5 – Delivery of your Cabin – Once your prefab cabin is near completion, our Customer Care team will contact you to verify your site is ready, coordinate delivery and final payment. Once we receive your final payment and your site is ready, we will deliver your new cabin to your property!

Our current build time is 14-18 weeks from the time you sign your contract and pay the 50% deposit, until the cabin is completed at one of our factories and ready to schedule delivery to your property.  From the time the cabin is completed to delivery, averages about 2 weeks, depending on weather conditions and your site conditions.

Super important question, we totally understand that properties can be zoned for specific types of housing and lenders have preferences on what type of housing they will offer loans on!  We are a prefab modular cabin builder.  We also build tiny homes.

Prefab is an all encompassing definition that means built in a factory – the cabin is prefabricated off site, in a factory and delivered to your property.  Prefab cabin builders are all over the place, check with their certification status to see if they are to code, and something you can have on your land. 

Modular  cabins are prefab cabins that HAVE A MODULAR CERTIFICATION Issued from a state or states.  Modular certified is a prefab cabin in either one or more sections that is built in a factory to IRC codes for your area and delivered to your property.  Most lenders, state and local governments require a modular certification for any factory built home as assurance that these are built and inspected to code.  The only way to 100% assure this, is to be certified, hence the requirement for most lenders and to be in compliance with building codes.   Leland’s Cabins is currently the only Certified Modular Cabin company in the state of Texas.  We also have multiple state certifications, so chances are, we can build and deliver to your state!

Mobile / Manufactured Housing are homes built in a factory, so prefab, and are built to HUD codes, not IRC codes and are placed on a trailer chassis. Manufactured homes are not considered real property, but personal property.  Because they are personal property, manufactured homes are usually more expensive to finance. Personal property loans, sometimes called “chattel loans,” usually come with higher interest rates and shorter terms than a mortgage loan. Another consideration is personal property does not appreciate the same way that ‘real’ property does.  Modular cabins, once on your property, are ‘real’ property and handled the same way as a site built for insurance, loan and resale value. 

Stick Built – this one is clear with state building codes. Stick built is a SITE BUILT home, built to IRC Codes.  Just because a prefab cabin company uses ‘sticks’ aka. Lumber, to build your cabin,  that does not classify them as stick built, even if they advertise that way!  Check your local building codes, they are easy to navigate for definitions.  We will not claim to be stick built, we respect building codes.  

Tiny Homes – A Tiny home is built to residential codes that are spelled out in Appendix Q of most state building codes.  Tiny homes  are prefab homes or cabins built to residential codes and do fall under modular cabins regulations in the majority of states.   Tiny Homes on wheels are different, these are on a recreational vehicle chassis and built to RVIA(Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) codes, and are not certified  modular cabins or homes.  Click Here for more information on Tiny homes and Tiny Homes on Wheels.  

It is always important to do your research to ensure you are purchasing the right type of cabin or home for your property that your zoning will allow.  If you have any questions, please let us know, we are happy to help and can let you know if we are a good fit for you based upon what your property or loan will or will not allow. While we would love to sell everyone a fantastic Leland’s Cabin, we understand that we are not a fit for all properties and property restrictions.  Buying a cabin is a large purchase and we want to ensure that you get the right fit for you.  When you work with Leland’s cabins, one of the first questions we will ask is if your property has any restrictions,  and what type of housing is allowed on your property. 

 
 
Styles & Options

Absolutely!  With our variety of options in exterior and interior finishes, you can create the perfect prefab cabin with a modern style or farmhouse cabin.  For farmhouse cabins, the most popular exterior is our Board and Batten exterior.  Combine that with a farmhouse sink, airstone accent wall, painted handcrafted cabinets, and a gunstock oak flooring to create a fantastic farmhouse cabin!  For a modern prefab cabin, check out our Ridgewood mono slope series that have large windows and a dynamic roofline that is modern and sleek.

 

With our prefab cabins, we do use ponderosa pine for our interior walls.  Pine walls can be finished with a water based clear coat, whitewashed or painted.  We do not install sheetrock in our prefab cabins since we are transporting them, lifting them up, setting them on foundations, and there is a chance that sheetrock could crack during this process.  There are many advantages to pine walls, such as the durability; pine is not easily damaged when an object hits it, unlike sheetrock. 

There is the option to purchase a prefab cabin shell from Lelands and finish it out yourself with sheetrock!  All of our floor plans are available as a cabin shell as well as a factory finished cabin. You have multiple options with Leland’s as your cabin builder.

We have a great selection of options for your cabin.  If you have certain fixtures you are wanting to mail to us to install, we can do that, within reason. There are a few notes to clarify on this. We are not responsible for how the item arrives to us. In the past, we have had some deliveries arrive that looked like they went through a war zone, so please purchase insurance for any packages you send to us.  We will gladly send you a photo of the condition the item arrives in.  We also can not guarantee the workability of the item you send, we have had light fixtures and appliances mailed to us that were not operational, since we were not the original purchaser, we could not help with anytype of exchange, so there is a small risk.

We are very particular about what options we use and are constantly researching the best options. If you would like more details please feel free to Contact Us for a complete Cabins Option Catalog.

 

All Leland’s prefab Cabins are insulated per your local building code.  If you purchase a prefab cabin shell, we do not insulate.  That would be part of your finish out process on site. 

Appliances are not included in the price of your prefab cabin.  We do offer appliance packages for certain delivery areas.  Check with your sales expert to see if we can offer an appliance package in your area.

Site Prep & Delivery

Buying a prefab cabin and putting it on your property does require some preparation.  Click Here for our site prep guide that goes over the type of clearance we need to get the cabin delivery truck in and out of your property as well as foundation suggestions.  

With your foundation, most certified modular cabins will need an engineered foundation to support the cabin.  These are easy to obtain by working with a local engineer familiar with foundation requirements for your area. 

If your property does not require an engineered foundation, there are options such as a full concrete pad or a road base foundation pad depending on the size of the cabin and your ground conditions.  It is always best to check with a local engineer or contractor that is familiar with your ground conditions.  

For your property,  other things to consider would be putting in a well if you are not connected to co-op water or city water and ensuring that you have electricity to your property.  This would also apply to sewer – a septic system is needed if you are not hooking into city septic systems.  

Contact your sales expert for a checklist of items to consider when developing your property to accommodate a prefab cabin.  This process is not hard to navigate, and we are here to help! 

Pretty much all towns and cities allow certified modular cabins per city codes!  These are handled the same way as site built homes, since they are built to residential codes.  You do need to check your property with your city to see what restrictions are on your property.  It is VERY important to also check with your Homeowners Association or Property Owners Association as sometimes they will have additional restrictions that will need to be adhered to in addition to city building codes.  Generally there is a size minimum requirement for your certified modular cabin in city limits.

At this time, we do not sell land.  We are great at being a cabin builder, and not so great at land selling.  We leave that to professional real estate agents and land developers.  From time to time, we do have an occasional Land/cabin package, where we purchase a piece of land, develop, place a cabin and sell it as a package. When we do have that available, we reach out to our contacts and will advertise that in our Ready Now section on our website.

 

We can deliver anywhere a semi truck can access transporting your cabin in the United States. With two manufacturing facilities (Grandview, TX and Munfordville, KY) we have a network of delivery companies that can transport to just about any state.  (We have not figured out Hawaii yet, and are currently working on arrangements to barge cabins up to Alaska.) We will work with you to determine the appropriate factory to build and deliver your cabin from.  At Leland’s Cabins, we will look at your location via google earth with our transportation teams, as well as gather information from you, the property owner, on access and getting photos to determine accessibility.

You can, but it won’t necessarily be easy.  Our smaller cabins are easier to un-anchor or detach from your foundation, and locate a house or cabin hauler to move the cabin.  On larger cabins and cabins that are in multiple sections, it becomes a more labor intensive and expensive endeavor.  Once your property, if you have a permanent foundation, it is a permanent cabin – but like other pier and beam homes, if there is a will, there is a way.  This way would include removing interior and exterior finishes at connection points, undoing how the cabins are bolted together, and detaching from your foundation.  If you do decide to move your cabin, contact us for cabin haulers to recommend looking at the feasibility and give you a quote if it is possible.

 
 
Finance

We do not have a rent to own program for our cabins, or in-house financing. We are good at building prefab cabins, not so well versed in being a financial institution.  With our certified modular cabins, you can get a regular construction loan on our cabins. There are quite a few reputable lenders that offer VA, FHA, and conventional loans for our cabins, most of these loans are for our cabins over 950 square feet.  On smaller cabins, if you need financing, there are some short term finance options available on approved credit.  Check with your cabin specialist for more information and possible lenders that work in your area. 

Absolutely. There are several lenders we can refer you to, that are independent, meaning there is no affiliation with Leland’s Cabins, there are not special interests or kickbacks paid for referring you to a lender.  We do check to ensure any lender we refer is listed in favorable standing with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) as well as check with the state’s attorney general to make sure  that the lender is registered with the proper state government agencies.  Contact your cabin specialist for more information on certified modular cabin lenders that we can refer you to.  As a special note…. The size of your cabin as well as your foundation type will play into what type of loan would work best and which lender can offer a loan to you, as well as your property.  With most loans, you will need to be the property owner and have a credit standing to qualify for a mortgage loan.

To order a cabin, we need a deposit of 50% down, and the balance is due when your cabin is complete, and ready to schedule delivery.  Once we receive your final payment, then we schedule your delivery.  If you are working with a lender, then we work out the draw schedule with your lender.

Special Interest

If you live in an area where bears are prevalent, it is important to take precautions to prevent and deter bear ‘break-ins’.  That is one unwelcome visitor!  There are some things you can do to make it harder for a bear to break in.   For starters, exterior doors should open out, not in, that makes it harder for a bear to enter via your exterior door.  According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, another good deterrent is installing shutters over doors and windows if you are in a remote area.  The recommendation is at least ¾ inch plywood shutters mounted as flush to the wall as possible so bears can not pry them off.  Use a fully threaded hanger bolt screw vs. nails – nails are easy for bears to pry off.   You can also add a chain or bar on your door that would prevent the door from being pushed in by a bear.  You can also use removable metal grates over the windows.  The goal is to think as creatively as possible.  Brian Okenek, with the Talkeetna Bear Necessities Coalition, says to “keep it simple, so barriers are easy to install and remove. Try to think like a bear would and then try to outsmart the bear.”

All of our prefab cabins are either cash purchases or you finance through your lender, or one of our preferred lenders.  We are not a finance company to offer loans on our prefab cabins, so we never have any cabins to repossess and offer for resale.  We do have a few immediate sale prefab cabins that are available if you are looking for a move-in-fast option! Check out our Ready Now cabins on our website.

Not that we are aware of.  On our pine interior walls, we use a water based clear coat finish, and on our interior paints, we also use water based paints.  Birds are much more sensitive to paint fumes than humans, so this is a very valid question.  A freshly painted room according to birdgap.com is safe for pet birds approximately one week after the paint is applied.  With our cabin process, there is at least a 3-4 week time gap from when we complete interior painting until we deliver to your property.  

You can order decking, skirting and deck kits at the time you purchase your cabin.  For cabins being constructed in our Kentucky factory, we offer deck kits that we will ship with your cabin to your property, ready for you to install, or your onsite contractor to install.  On our cabins sold in the state of Texas and Oklahoma, we do have a decking company that will install on-site decks and skirting to your Leland’s Cabin.  Check with your sales expert at the time of your cabin purchase to see what options are available for your area.

All cabins need some sort of foundation for the cabin to sit on.  Your foundation is a key part of your cabin project, as it has to support the weight of your cabin for the lifetime of your cabin!  One of the more popular choices is concrete dry stacked blocks. This is not your only option.  We do not sit the cabins directly on the ground, as all of your plumbing will need to be under the cabin, and you will need future access to your plumbing.  Click Here for a quick set up recommendation sheet.

We do not sell plan packages that are complete engineer sets or CAD sets for you to build from.  All of our plans are copyrighted plans, designed for how we build in our factory.  Many of our competitors ‘borrow’ the floorplans due to their popularity and optimization of space that we have with each of our plans.  You are welcome to use the floorplan as your inspiration if you are wanting to build your own, we take that as a compliment! We do ask that you do not take our exact plan and go to another prefab builder, if their plans are not optimized, our question to you would be then why would you trust them to build your cabin?

Leland’s Cabins does not sell prefab cabin kits. All of our prefab cabins are built to order and delivered to your property. We can build you a prefab cabin shell, and you can finish out the interior on your own, this allows you to use your talents, but saves on the framing time so you can go right to finishing out your prefab cabin. 

Residential Cabins

MORE FOR HOW YOU LIVE

Our residential cabins offer options from efficiencies to 5 bedroom cabins! Our Amish made cabins in Kentucky and our Mennonite prefab cabins in Texas are built with craftsmanship just for you!​

Commercial Cabins

MORE FOR HOW YOU WORK

Our commercial cabins can range in size and functionality. So, whether you are looking to set up a vacation rental, housing development, school, mancamp or campground; our design experts are here to make it happen.

MORE OF WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

Using Style and Functionality to Make Your Life More Enjoyable.

Residential Cabins

MORE FOR HOW YOU LIVE

Our residential cabins offer options from efficiencies to 5 bedroom cabins! Our Amish made cabins in Kentucky and our Mennonite prefab cabins in Texas are built with craftsmanship just for you!​

Commercial Cabins

MORE FOR HOW YOU WORK

Our commercial cabins can range in size and functionality. So, whether you are looking to set up a vacation rental, housing development, school, mancamp or campground; our design experts are here to make it happen.

Cabin Shells

MORE FOR HOW YOU CREATE

Our prefab cabin shells are built to residential codes, so you can have peace of mind that you are starting your finish out project with a structure worthwhile of your time, and talents! Our cabin specialists will help you order the perfect sized cabin shell.

Tiny Homes / ADU’s

MORE FOR HOW YOU PLAY

Our tiny home and Accessory Dwelling Unit cabins are built tiny with a big personality! Our functional floor plan options offer even more personalization. These prefab cabins have each square foot optimized. Our tiny home collection may be small on square footage, but big on style and functionality!

 

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