Built by a crew, not shipped in a box
A kit is a pallet of parts and a weekend you will not get back. What we build is a small, insulated building: framed, wrapped with a vapor barrier, sided, roofed and lined in cedar by people who build saunas for a living.
That matters most in January. A sauna that has to reach temperature when it is below zero outside needs real walls and a heater sized to the room. Ours are built for that, because that is when Minnesotans use them.
- Cedar on the walls, ceiling and benches
- Insulated walls and roof with a vapor barrier
- Full-glass doors and windows sized for the view
- IKI wood-fired stoves or IKI electric heaters
Wood-fired or electric
We build both, and neither is the wrong answer.
A wood-fired sauna needs no electrical service for heat. You light it, feed it and wait, and that hour is part of the evening. It suits cabins, acreage and anyone who wants the fire. Our wood-fired builds run IKI stoves, from the Mini Wood in Ham Lake to the Original in Monticello.
An electric sauna needs a 240-volt circuit run by a licensed electrician. In return you get heat at the press of a button. The IKI Pillar heaters in our Mound and Chanhassen builds have WiFi controls, so the room is warming while you finish dinner. On a city lot with neighbors close by, electric is usually the easier fit.
More on the trade-offs: wood-fired vs. electric sauna stoves.
Shop-built, or built on site
Most of our saunas are built in the shop and arrive on a trailer, finished, wired and tested. We set the building on its base, connect the heater, and you can use it that day.
Some sites will not take a finished building. When backyard access is limited we build on site instead, and we have done that for a sauna tucked under a deck two steps from a walkout door. We sort out which approach your property needs at the site visit, before anything is drawn.
Either way we can take on the site work too: the gravel pad or concrete piers, the electrical trench and hookup, delivery and placement.
See how site work, delivery and installation go and our process from site visit to first fire.
Lake lots and tight yards
A lake lot is where a sauna belongs and where it is hardest to put one. The view decides where the window goes, the slope decides where the building sits, and the trees decide how it gets there. We have set saunas beside Island Lake near Sturgeon Lake, above Lower Eau Claire Lake in Wisconsin and by Clearwater Lake, and each one was laid out from the top bench outward.
Shoreland and accessory-building rules vary by city and county. Ask your local planning office what applies to your lot early, and we will design within it.
What a custom outdoor sauna costs
Typical Kota projects run $20,000 to $30,000, Tuli projects $30,000 to $40,000 and Superior projects $50,000 to $60,000 and up. Fully custom builds run from $35,000 to $65,000 and up. Layout, the heater, glass, finishes, site preparation, electrical and delivery are what move the number.
The full breakdown is on our pricing page.
When we would talk you out of it
- If you want the cheapest way into a hot room, a kit costs less. We do not sell them, and we will say so before you spend an hour with us.
- If you rent, or expect to move within a year, a building set on a permanent base is hard to take with you. A mobile sauna may suit you better.
- If the only place for it is against a property line or right at the water, your city or county may not allow it there. Check first, and we will help you find a spot that works.
FAQ
Outdoor sauna questions, answered straight
How much does a custom outdoor sauna cost in Minnesota?
Typical projects run $20,000 to $30,000 for the 6x8 Kota, $30,000 to $40,000 for the 8x12 Tuli and $50,000 to $60,000 and up for the 8x16 Superior. Fully custom builds run $35,000 to $65,000 and up. Heater, glass, finishes, site preparation, electrical and delivery set the final price, and every proposal is itemized.
Are your saunas built for Minnesota winters?
Yes. Each one is an insulated building with a vapor barrier, cedar interior and a heater sized to the room, so it reaches temperature in subzero weather. Most of the photos on this site were taken in the snow, because winter is when our customers use their saunas most.
Do you deliver the sauna finished?
Most of the time. We build the sauna in our shop, wire and test it, deliver it on a trailer and set it on its base. Where a site cannot take a finished building, we build on site. The site visit tells us which approach your property needs.
Can you handle the site prep and electrical too?
Yes. We can take on the whole project: the gravel pad, concrete piers, pavers or a slab, the electrical trench and hookup, delivery and placement. Customers tell us that is a big part of why they chose us. Site work is quoted separately from the sauna, so you see what each part costs.
Can I see one of your saunas in person first?
Yes. A Northern Steam Tuli with an IKI electric heater is the sauna at Nordic Escape in St. Michael. Nordic Escape is a separate business that books sauna sessions, so you can reserve a session and sit in one of our builds before you commit to anything.
Do I need a permit for an outdoor sauna?
It depends on where you live. Rules for accessory buildings, electrical work and shoreland lots vary by city and county, so ask your local planning or building office before you settle on a size and a spot. Tell us what they say and we will design to it.
Where we build and deliver
Our shop is in St. Bonifacius, and most of our saunas go to the lake towns and suburbs around it: St. Bonifacius, Minnetrista, Mound, Orono, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Excelsior, Deephaven, Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Medina, Edina, Eden Prairie, Plymouth and Maple Grove. We also deliver well outside that circle. See the full service area and the project map.
