A garden sauna is a small timber building with a heater inside, usually at the end of the garden. Before you buy, decide five things: the shape (barrel or cabin), how many people it needs to seat, an electric or wood-burning heater, the base it will stand on, and whether your plot fits the planning rules. Everything else follows from those.
This guide walks through each decision with real figures from the saunas we sell, which are made in Estonia by Palmako and delivered free to mainland Great Britain by lorry with a crane offload.
The short version
- Shape. Barrels heat quickly and include their roof shingles. Cabins give upright walls, more room and space for a changing area.
- Size. Two or three people can share a 0.9m² barrel. For four, look at 1.3m² or more. For family use or guests, a cabin of 4m² or more.
- Heater. Every sauna is sold without one. An electric heater from £649 needs a dedicated supply fitted by an electrician; a wood-burning set (£2,490) needs no electrics.
- Base. A flat, level, solid base: concrete, paving or a timber frame. Barrels come with their own foundation joists.
- Planning. Most garden saunas fall under permitted development in England if they meet the outbuilding rules. Keep it no more than 2.5m high within 2m of a boundary.
- Budget. Sauna plus heater, roof covering (cabins), base and electrician. Running costs are usually a couple of pounds a session.
1. Barrel, cube or cabin?
Barrel saunas are round, so there is less air to heat and the hot air circulates naturally, rising and rolling down the curved walls. They are quick to warm, compact and include their roof shingles. Our Fjell comes in three sizes from 0.9m², and the oval Skog adds a 3.0m² steam room with a changing room in front.
Cube barrels such as the Lys keep the rounded corners but have flatter walls and a lower profile, just 2.08m high, which suits gardens where height matters.
Cabins and sauna houses have upright walls, windows and room for a changing area, a canopy or a second room. They range from the compact Kota (2.6m²) to the Bastu with three rooms and the Vik, a sauna with a garden room behind sliding glass doors. Roof covering is bought separately for cabins.
We compare the two in more detail in Barrel sauna or cabin sauna?
2. What size do you need?
Sauna sizes are quoted as the floor area of the steam room, sometimes plus a changing area (for example 1.6 + 0.7m²). Palmako gives seating guidance for some models; where it doesn't, we have left it out rather than guess.
| Sauna | Floor area | Seats (Palmako guide) | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fjell barrel | 0.9, 1.3 + 0.7 or 1.6 + 0.7m² | 0.9: 2 to 3. 1.3 and 1.6: up to 4 | £2,390 |
| Lys cube barrel | 1.1, 1.4 or 2.0m² | 1.1 and 1.4: up to 3. 2.0: up to 6 | £2,590 |
| Kota cabin | 2.6 or 4.1m² | Not stated | £2,490 |
| Stille modern cabin | 1.5, 5.3 or 8.2m² | 5.3: up to 4 | £2,690 |
| Hytte log cabin | 4.1m², optional 5.9m² canopy | Up to 4 | £3,990 |
| Tind insulated cabin | 3.5m² | Not stated | £4,250 |
| Skog oval barrel | 3.0 + 1.5m² | Up to 4 | £5,250 |
| Stuga with dressing room | 6.8m², optional canopy | Not stated | £5,490 |
| Lumi with changing area | 3.8 + 2.1m² | Up to 3 | £5,990 |
| Lumi Large insulated | 7.6m² | Not stated | £7,250 |
| Vik sauna and garden room | 12.8m² in total | Not stated | £7,750 |
| Bastu three-room house | 11.5m² in total | Steam room seats 3 | £8,250 |
A changing area is worth it in Britain. In winter you want somewhere dry and sheltered to undress and cool down between rounds. The Fjell 1.3 and 1.6, Skog, Lumi, Stuga, Bastu and Vik all have one built in; Hytte and Stuga offer a covered canopy.
3. Electric or wood-burning heater?
Palmako saunas come without a heater so you can choose. Our sauna heater options are:
| Heater | Type | Suits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narvi Minex 3.6kW | Electric | The smallest saunas, such as the Fjell 0.9m² | £649 |
| Narvi NM 6kW or 9kW | Electric | Most barrels and cabins, sized to the steam room | £649 |
| HUUM Drop 6kW | Electric | Steam rooms of 5 to 10m³; holds 55kg of stones | £1,590 |
| Harvia WKM3 set | Wood-burning | A traditional fire sauna, with chimney and heat shields | £2,490 |
Electric is the easy everyday choice: switch on, wait, and the thermostat holds the temperature. It needs its own circuit from your consumer unit, fitted by a qualified electrician (see section 5). Bigger heaters draw a lot of current: a 9kW heater on a single-phase supply draws about 39 amps, so have your electrician check your supply before you choose.
Wood-burning needs no electrics at all, which is useful at the far end of a big garden, and gives the crackle and smell of a real fire. You need dry, seasoned wood, a chimney (which adds height, see planning) and a little more patience. The wood set is not listed for the Fjell 0.9, Lys 1.1 and 1.4, Stille 1.5, Kota 2.6 or Vik.
We confirm the right heater for your model before ordering, so you don't end up with one that is too small for the room.
4. The base and delivery access
Every sauna needs a flat, level, square base that can take its weight. Palmako accepts a concrete slab, paving, screw piles or a strip or pile foundation. Barrels arrive with their own foundation joists; cabins and sauna houses sit on a timber frame or joists on the base.
- Level matters more than material. A base that is out of level makes doors bind and logs settle unevenly.
- Keep it clear of wet ground. Raise the timber off the soil and let rain drain away from the walls.
- Plan the delivery. Saunas come as flat-packed kits on a lorry with a crane. The longest packs are up to 6.0m and the heaviest close to 2 tonnes, so the lorry needs to get close enough for the crane to reach your drive or front garden.
5. Electrics
An electric sauna heater needs a dedicated circuit, normally run from your consumer unit to the sauna in armoured cable. In England, installing a new circuit is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations, and a room containing a sauna heater is a "special location". In practice that means using a registered electrician who can self-certify the work. Get their quote early: the cable run to the bottom of the garden is often the biggest extra cost.
The SPA hot tubs and the cold plunge chiller also need an outdoor supply, so if you are planning a sauna and a tub, ask the electrician to cover both in one visit.
6. Planning permission and building regulations
In England a garden sauna is treated as an outbuilding. Under permitted development it can usually go up without a planning application if, among other conditions, it is single storey, sits behind the front of the house, is no more than 2.5m high within 2m of a boundary, and together with other buildings covers no more than half the garden. Listed buildings and designated land (conservation areas, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) have tighter rules.
Building regulations normally don't apply to a detached outbuilding under 15m² with no sleeping accommodation. Most of our saunas are 2.5m high or less. The Tind (2.54m) and Bastu (2.61m) are taller, so they need to sit more than 2m from every boundary. A wood heater's chimney adds height. We cover the detail, including Wales and Scotland, in Planning permission for garden saunas and hot tubs.
7. Assembly, roofing and timber care
Palmako saunas are kits: pre-cut timber, fixings, floor, aspen benches and a toughened glass door. Two people who are handy with tools can usually build a barrel or small cabin over one to three days; the sauna houses take longer.
- Roof. Barrels include their shingles. Cabins and sauna houses need a roof covering in felt, SBS or EPDM, in the quantity Palmako specifies for each model.
- Treatment. Untreated and thermowood saunas must be treated outside straight after building, and inside with a product made for saunas. Painted finishes are painted on the outside walls and trims only.
- Glass and doors. Sauna doors and glass walls are toughened glass. Leave room around the sauna to build it and to treat the timber every few years.
8. What it costs in total
Here is what a complete sauna costs with us, before the base and electrician (which depend on your garden).
| Example | Sauna | Heater | Roof covering | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-person barrel: Fjell 0.9m² | £2,390 | £649 (Narvi 3.6kW) | Included | £3,039 |
| Family cabin: Hytte 4.1m² | £3,990 | £649 (Narvi 6 or 9kW) | £78 (felt) | £4,717 |
| With dressing room: Stuga 6.8m² | £5,490 | £649 (Narvi 6 or 9kW) | £78 (felt) | £6,217 |
| Sauna house: Bastu 11.5m² | £8,250 | £2,490 (Harvia wood set) | £195 (felt) | £10,935 |
Delivery to mainland England, Wales and Scotland is included. Islands and Northern Ireland are quoted separately.
9. How much does a garden sauna cost to run?
An electric heater runs at full power while the sauna warms up, then the thermostat switches it on and off to hold the temperature. A reasonable estimate for one session is an hour of warm-up at full power plus an hour of use at about half power.
| Heater | Energy per session (estimate) | Cost at 26.32p per kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 3.6kW | About 5.4kWh | About £1.42 |
| 6kW | About 9kWh | About £2.37 |
| 9kW | About 13.5kWh | About £3.55 |
26.32p per kWh is the average electricity unit rate under Ofgem's price cap for October to December 2026 (direct debit, no VAT). Your cost will be higher on a cold, windy day or if you use the sauna for longer, and lower on a cheaper tariff. A wood-burning heater costs whatever your logs cost: buy dry, Ready to Burn wood.
10. Using your sauna
A traditional Finnish sauna usually runs at around 70 to 100°C. Most people take a few rounds of 10 to 15 minutes, cooling off in between, and throw a ladle of water on the stones for a burst of steam (löyly). Drink plenty of water, don't use a sauna after alcohol, and if you have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure or are pregnant, ask your GP first.
Many people pair a sauna with a cold plunge or a wood-fired hot tub. See our guides to wood-fired hot tubs and cold plunges at home.
Common questions
Do I need planning permission for a garden sauna?
Usually not in England, if it meets the permitted development rules for outbuildings: single storey, not in front of the house, no more than 2.5m high within 2m of a boundary and covering no more than half the garden with other buildings. Listed buildings, flats and designated land have tighter rules, so check with your council if any apply.
How much does it cost to run a garden sauna?
For a 6kW electric heater, roughly £2.40 a session at the October to December 2026 price cap, based on an hour of warm-up and an hour of use. A 9kW heater is about £3.55 and a 3.6kW heater about £1.42.
Do your saunas come with a heater?
No. You choose the heater separately: Narvi electric heaters from £649, the HUUM Drop at £1,590 or the Harvia WKM3 wood-burning set at £2,490. We check the right size for your sauna before ordering.
What base does a garden sauna need?
A flat, level, solid base that can take the weight: a concrete slab, paving, screw piles or a strip or pile foundation. Barrels come with their own foundation joists.
How long does a garden sauna take to heat up?
Most electric saunas reach bathing temperature in roughly 30 to 60 minutes, longer on a cold winter day or in a bigger room. A well-lit wood heater is similar.
Do I need an electrician?
Yes for an electric heater. It needs a dedicated circuit, which is notifiable work under Part P in England, so use a registered electrician who can certify it.
Find your garden sauna
Barrel saunas, cabins and sauna houses, delivered free to mainland Great Britain. Send us a photo of your garden and we'll help you choose the size, heater and base.
