How to build a sauna with a ready-made structure comes down to five steps: brief and configuration, technical design, manufacture, site preparation, and delivery with assembly and commissioning. From payment of the deposit to delivery takes 4 to 12 weeks. We take care of the structure, delivery and free commissioning (connection to the mains, heater connection, testing and a handover of operation). You prepare a firm, level base and an electrical supply. Dimensions, layout, timber, glazing and roof can all be adapted. The sauna heater is not included in the price of the sauna – it is configured and added by type. Compact models can also be ordered flat-packed for self-assembly.
LUXURELAX does not manufacture saunas – we sell, install and service them. The process below therefore describes building a sauna as it works in practice when a ready-made structure is delivered.
How to build a sauna step by step
1. Brief and configuration
Three pieces of information come first: how many people will use the sauna at the same time, how often, and where it will stand. They determine the capacity, the type of structure and whether a changing room or a shower makes sense. We prepare the configuration on request: send us these details via the contact form and we will return a specification with a price. If a catalogue model does not suit your plot or your business, add the dimensions of the area and your idea of the layout.
2. Technical design
The design sets parameters that are not visible at first glance, yet decide how the sauna functions:
- Heater output matched to cabin volume. The electric Harvia heaters in our models have an output of 6 to 9 kW. An undersized heater warms up slowly and never reaches a stable temperature. An oversized one places an unnecessary load on the supply.
- Ventilation. An air inlet near the floor and an outlet near the ceiling keep the temperature even across the full height of the cabin and remove moisture from the timber after each session.
- Heater type and supply. The heater is not included in the price of the sauna. It is chosen in the configuration and added to the price by type – an electric Harvia heater or a wood-burning heater, with output matched to the cabin volume. An electric heater needs a 230 V or 380–400 V supply depending on the model. A wood-burning heater needs no power supply but requires a flue.
3. Manufacture
Once the configuration is approved and the deposit paid, the sauna is manufactured to order. The delivery time is 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the model and the extent of modifications. Use this time to prepare the site.
4. Site preparation
This is the only part of building a sauna that the customer arranges:
- The base must be firm and level across the whole footprint. A concrete slab, paving or compacted gravel with timber bearers is suitable. Any unevenness shows in the tightness of the joints.
- Ventilation under the sauna. Leave space beneath the structure so that its lower part can dry out after rain.
- An electrical supply to the installation point, with circuit protection sized for the chosen heater. The connection is made by a qualified electrician.
- Vehicle access. The sauna arrives either as a finished unit or flat-packed on a pallet. Where the access route is narrow, flat-packed delivery is the only option.
Building and planning rules for garden structures depend on your country and municipality. Before ordering, check the requirements for your specific plot with the local building authority.
5. Delivery, assembly and commissioning
The price of the sauna includes delivery to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, and free commissioning (connection to the mains, heater connection, testing and a handover of operation). Assembly of the sauna, meaning putting the structure together, costs €390 on models where the product page states it. The warranty is 2 years, and our sauna servicing covers 4 years.
What can be customised when building a sauna
A catalogue model is the starting point. Most parameters are chosen in the configuration; more extensive modifications are assessed individually by the technical team.
| Parameter | Options available |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 2 to 8 people |
| Type of structure | barrel, cube, igloo, cabin, panoramic, modular |
| Wall | solid 44 mm timber or an insulated frame with PAROC 10 cm insulation |
| Exterior timber | spruce or thermowood; metal cladding on some models |
| Interior and benches | lime or aspen; single-level, two-level or L-shaped benches |
| Layout | stand-alone cabin, changing room, covered terrace, shower zone |
| Heater (not included in the price of the sauna, added by type) | electric Harvia 6–9 kW or wood-burning heater |
| Roof | bitumen shingles, torch-on bitumen or metal roofing |
| Glazing | toughened-glass doors and windows, panoramic glazed wall |
Modifications beyond the catalogue are assessed individually by the technical team, based on the dimensions of the area and the way the sauna will be used. An overview of the models and their options is available in the saunas category.
Building a sauna yourself: what you can do on your own
Building a sauna entirely from scratch means solving the insulation, vapour barrier, ventilation and heater sizing yourself. These are precisely the points where most defects originate – and they only show after several seasons, as condensation in the wall, slow heating or uneven temperature.
A realistic alternative is self-assembly of a ready-made structure. The compact range (for example Nordic Pod) is delivered flat-packed in an OSB crate with detailed PDF assembly documentation that shows every step in a diagram. The Nordic Pod package measures 241.3 × 116.8 × 76.2 cm, weighs 590 kg and travels by pallet freight. Flat-packed delivery costs less and also reaches plots with a narrow access route. If you decide not to assemble it yourself, assembly by our team costs €390 for these models and is selected in the configuration.
Even with self-assembly, the electrical installation and the heater connection are carried out by a qualified electrician.
Building a sauna for a holiday rental or guesthouse
In commercial use, the main change is frequency – the sauna is heated more often and used by more people in succession. This leads to four recommendations:
- A larger cabin and a changing room. Guests take turns; the changing room is used for getting changed and separates the sauna from the outside.
- A shower zone within the sauna. The Arctic Shade model has a shower with an instantaneous water heater in its changing room, so the full cycle of heating and cooling takes place without entering the main building.
- An insulated structure and thermowood. With frequent heating, insulation shortens the warm-up time, and thermowood holds its dimensions better through alternating wet and dry conditions.
- An electric heater with a timer. The sauna is heated in time for guests’ arrival without anyone having to feed a fire.
If you are also planning a water element beside the sauna, the comparison of a sauna vs hot tub helps decide the order of investment.
Common mistakes when building a sauna
- Appearance before engineering. A sauna without a correctly sized heater and ventilation will not create a stable environment, however good it looks.
- A base without ventilation. The lower part of a structure that does not dry out after rain ages fastest.
- The electrical supply left until after delivery. The heater type and the available voltage need to be matched during configuration.
- Underestimated capacity. A sauna cannot be enlarged later.
- The same design for occasional and daily use. A sauna for a guesthouse needs a different structural approach from one used for weekend sessions.
How individual decisions translate into price is covered in the article how much does a sauna cost. How to compare the construction offered by different sellers is explained in the article on sauna construction quality.
Next step
The technical parameters of every model are listed in the outdoor saunas category. We prepare the configuration on request – for a specific model, an irregular plot or a commercial property, send us the dimensions via the contact form.
You may also be interested in
- How much does a sauna cost in 2026: what determines the price and what is included
- Sauna quality and lifespan: wood, insulation, heater and care
- Outdoor sauna in winter: operation and energy use
