How much does a sauna cost? Well, here’s your answer (down to the dollar)

A lot of people ask me “how much does a sauna cost?” or “I’m thinking of building my own sauna, about how much is it going to cost me?”

The usual answer to these questions, unfortunately, is another question, which is usually:

• What size sauna building are you thinking?
• Are you talking inside your house or a free standing backyard sauna?
• Are you going to hire out the labor or do some or all of the work yourself?
• You’re thinking changing room, too, right? (read: Do I really need a changing room?)
• Just checking… no infrared light bulbs, right?

Well, these numbers are fresh off the press and are current as of December 2018.  These numbers relate to a method and model that I particularly recommend for those seeking to realize their authentic sauna dreams.  Below details an 8’x12′ backyard sauna with an 6’x8′ hot room, and similar sized changing room:

Material cost:

• $2,800: Shed company to build 8’x12′ structure, including exterior door, window openings.
• $2,200:  Small Kuuma Stove, window, aluminum side water tank, double heat shield, ash pan.
• $2,400: T&g cedar, insulation, foil vapor, 2 windows, interior framing, durarock, chimney stove components, fixed glass hot room windows.
• $7,400: Total material cost.

Labor cost:

• 100 work hours.

After the shed was outsourced, purchased, and assembled in Steve’s backyard by the shed company, he took over the build.  In my ebook, we call this the “shed build stage.”  From there, it took him about 100 work hours to complete.  I have built more than a few of these same 8’x12′ saunas.  100 work hours is right on.  These 100 hours take into consideration the “amateur builder quotient” meaning that there is about an 80% efficiency rate to these labor hours.  (I can attest to this: with my later sauna builds, I completed building these saunas with about 80 labor hours).

Conclusion:  How much does a sauna cost?  $7.5k plus 100 labor hours.

And keep in mind, for what I think is a reasonable $16,000, you can have a really well built and designed mobile sauna delivered to your backyard, cabin, or driveway.  Click here to learn more.

Closing comments from a new sauna enthusiast.  Enter Steve:

“We have been out there 10 out of the last 11 nights.  After dinner, I’ll go fire up the stove, and then we go for our walk.  After an hour or so, we arrive back home. Then, the sauna is about 140 degrees (f.), I’ll pull the coals forward, toss on another couple logs, and tone down the stove damper.  Then I’ll go inside, make ourselves a martini, slip into our bathrobes, and out back out to the sauna we’ll go.”

Q: Steve, your wife Amy, from 1-10, how into the sauna is she?

A: 11.