The base: gravel pad, piers, pavers or a slab
An outdoor sauna needs a level, well-drained base that will not move with the frost. For most projects that is a compacted gravel pad with concrete piers set below it. Pavers and concrete slabs work too, and some sites call for one over the other.
We can install the base as part of the project. If you would rather do it yourself or use your own landscaper, we give you a foundation guide for your model with the dimensions and what the base needs to do.
- Gravel pad installation
- Concrete piers (Sonotubes)
- Pavers or a concrete foundation
Power: the trench and the hookup
Every sauna is wired, finished and tested in our shop before it leaves, and the electrical inspections for the sauna build itself are included. What is left is getting power from your house to the sauna: the feeder run, the trench, any panel work, the disconnect and the final connection.
We can handle the trenching and the hookup, or coordinate with your electrician. An electric heater needs a 240-volt circuit sized to the heater. A wood-burning sauna needs no electrical service for heat, though most owners still run power for lights.
Delivery and placement
A shop-built sauna rides in on a trailer. Before we build, we look at how it gets from the street to the base: gate widths, side yards, slopes, trees, overhead lines and soft ground. Then we plan the placement around what we find, so the building lands where it belongs and the yard is left the way we found it.
On-site construction when access is limited
Some back yards will not take a finished building. The gate is too narrow, the grade is too steep, or the best spot is behind the house at the bottom of a hill. In those cases we build the sauna on site, and the result is the same sauna.
We have built in place under a deck, two steps from a walkout door, and cleaned up every evening before we left. If on-site construction is the right call for your property, we will know after the site visit.
What gets quoted separately
The price of a model covers the sauna itself, finished and wired. The parts that change from one property to the next are listed as their own lines in your proposal, so nothing is buried and nothing is a surprise.
- Delivery and placement at your site
- Site preparation: gravel pad, piers, excavation and access work
- Site electrical: the feeder run, trenching, panel work and final connection
- Upgrades: larger or custom windows, alternate woods, specialty siding or roofing, showers, custom steel
- Sales tax where it applies
Not sure which heat is right for you? Read wood-fired vs. electric sauna stoves, or see the whole process from the first visit on.
FAQ
Site work and installation questions
Do you do the site prep, or do I?
Either. We can install the gravel pad, concrete piers, pavers or a slab as part of the project, and many customers have us do it so they deal with one company. If you would rather prepare the base yourself, we give you a foundation guide for your model.
What kind of foundation does an outdoor sauna need?
A level, well-drained base. For most projects that is a compacted gravel pad with concrete piers. Pavers or a concrete slab also work. We look at your soil, slope and drainage at the site visit and recommend the base that suits the spot.
Can you handle the electrical for a sauna?
Yes. The sauna is wired and tested in our shop. On site, we can trench from the house and handle the hookup, or coordinate with your own electrician. An electric heater needs a 240-volt circuit sized to the heater. Site electrical is quoted as its own line.
What if a finished sauna cannot get into my backyard?
Then we build it on site. Narrow gates, steep grades and tight lake lots are common, and on-site construction is available for the Kota, Tuli, Superior and custom builds. We decide at the site visit whether delivery or an on-site build makes more sense.
How soon can I use the sauna after delivery?
Usually the same day. Once the sauna is placed on its base and the heater is connected, we walk you through running it. With a wood-burning stove, your first fire can be that evening.
Where we deliver
From our shop in St. Bonifacius we deliver across St. Bonifacius, Minnetrista, Mound, Orono, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Excelsior, Deephaven and the rest of the west metro, and to cabins and lake places well beyond it. The project map shows where our saunas have gone.
