Garden saunas
Heat, at the end of the garden.
A proper sauna a few steps from the back door: insulated, timber-lined and ready when you are.
Why a garden sauna
The warmest room you own, twenty steps from the house.
- 01
Ready when you are
An electric heater on a timer or an app means the hot room is waiting when you finish work. No booking, no drive, no closing time.
- 02
Built for the heat
Foil-backed insulation, a sealed vapour barrier and timber that stays comfortable against the skin. A sauna is a demanding room, and we build it as one.
- 03
Hot, then cold
An outdoor shower or a plunge tub right outside the door, and somewhere to sit while you steam in the evening air.
- 04
Part of the garden
A window onto the planting, cladding that weathers with the fence and the trees, and a path you'll enjoy walking in a towel.
The ritual
Three steps. Repeat as needed.
- 01
Heat
Somewhere between 70 and 90 degrees, with a ladle of water on the stones when you want steam.
- 02
Cool
Step outside. A cold shower, a plunge tub, or simply the evening air.
- 03
Rest
A bench, a towel and something to drink. Then go round again.
Designing yours
Three decisions.
Most of a sauna follows from these. We'll talk each one through with the site in front of us.
- 01
The heater
- Electric
- On a timer or an app, no flue, and usually hot within 30 to 45 minutes.
- Wood-fired
- A real fire and a softer heat, where a flue is practical.
- 02
The layout
- Hot room only
- The most compact option, for a garden that already has somewhere to change.
- Hot room and lobby
- Space to undress, hang a towel and cool down, with a shower if you'd like one.
- 03
The timber
- Pale
- Aspen or alder: light, smooth and free of resin.
- Dark
- Thermally modified timber: richer in colour, and very stable in the heat.
Layouts
A cabin, or a cabin and a lounge.
Both drawn to the same scale. The hot room stays compact so it heats quickly; the rest is for cooling down.
Sauna cabin
2.4 × 3 mA hot room for three or four, with a lobby to change in and a bench by the door.
Sauna and lounge
3 × 4 mA larger hot room, a shower, and somewhere to sit with the doors open between rounds.
Specified for heat
A hot room is its own kind of building.
- Heater
- Electric, 6 to 9 kW, with timer and app control; wood-fired where a flue is practical
- Lining
- Aspen, alder or thermally modified timber, with rounded bench edges
- Insulation
- Mineral wool with a sealed foil vapour barrier behind the lining
- Ventilation
- Low-level intake and high-level extract, sized to the hot room
- Door and glass
- Toughened glass door, with fixed glazing to the view
- Electrics
- A dedicated circuit, installed and certified by a qualified electrician
- Guide price
- Sauna fit-out from £7,500, on top of the room
Two things we check first.
A sauna heater needs its own electrical circuit, and larger heaters can ask more of your supply than a garden office would. We look at your consumer unit at the site visit.
Planning requirements depend on the property and the proposed building, and a flue, a shower or drainage can each change the picture. We advise you on the next steps before you commit to anything.
Questions
Garden saunas, answered.
Electric or wood-fired?
Electric suits most gardens: it runs from a timer or an app, needs no flue and is ready when you are. Wood-fired gives you a real fire and a softer heat, and makes sense where a flue is practical and you enjoy the ritual. We'll help you choose once we've seen the site.
How long does a garden sauna take to heat up?
With an electric heater sized to the room, usually 30 to 45 minutes. Good insulation and a foil vapour barrier matter as much as the heater: a well-built hot room reaches temperature faster and holds it for less.
What does a sauna cost to run?
A home sauna heater is typically 6 to 9 kW, so an hour with the heater on uses roughly 6 to 9 units of electricity. Multiply that by your unit rate for the cost of a session.
How much does a garden sauna cost?
The sauna fit-out, meaning the heater, benches, timber lining and controls, starts from around £7,500 on top of the room itself. A compact 2.4 × 3 m sauna cabin therefore starts at about £25,450. The configurator will price your own combination.
Does a sauna need a special electrical supply?
Yes. A sauna heater needs its own circuit, and larger heaters may need more capacity than a standard garden-room supply. We check your consumer unit at the site visit and include any upgrade in the quote.
Won't the heat and steam damage the building?
Not if the hot room is built for it. We line it in timber that stays stable in the heat, put a sealed foil vapour barrier behind the lining and ventilate it properly, so moisture leaves the room instead of the structure.
Do I need planning permission for a garden sauna?
Planning requirements depend on the property and the proposed building. A flue, a shower or drainage can each change the picture. We look at your situation at the start and advise you on the next steps.
Price a sauna in five minutes.
Choose Sauna in the configurator, pick a size and a cladding, and see an indicative price with the fit-out included.