Sauna kits: outdoor saunas delivered flat-packed for self-build

What is in an outdoor sauna kit?

Our sauna kits are the same saunas as the factory-built versions: the same timber, benches, door, ventilation and the included heater you choose on the product page. The difference is how they arrive. Instead of one finished unit that needs a crane or forklift to unload, the kit comes as numbered parts that two people can move by hand.

• Nordic Pod Custom and Pod Porch: pod-shaped saunas, the Porch with a covered entrance and side benches.
• Nordic Barrel Classic: the traditional barrel sauna in several lengths.
• Nordic Tower: an upright barrel sauna for a small footprint.

The insulation and interior panelling upgrade is recommended for factory-assembled saunas for technical reasons, so if a fully insulated room matters to you, discuss it before choosing the kit.

When a sauna kit makes sense

The main reason to choose a kit is access. A finished barrel or pod sauna has to reach the base in one piece. If the only route is a narrow side passage, steps, a terrace above the road or a garden with no room for a lorry and lifting equipment, flat-packed delivery may be the practical answer.

A kit can also suit owners who are confident with timber work, or who have a local joiner. It is not a shortcut for an unprepared site: the base still needs to be level, firm and well drained before the parts arrive.

Building a sauna from a kit

Plan the job as a small building project. Prepare the base first, following the base preparation guide. Check the parts against the list when they arrive and keep them flat, dry and off the ground until you start.

1. Set the cradles or floor frame level on the base.
2. Build the walls or barrel staves in sequence, keeping the joints tight.
3. Fit the end walls, door and ventilation.
4. Install the benches and the heater guard.
5. Fit the roof covering and, for a wood-burning stove, the chimney through the roof.
6. Have any electric heater connected and certified by a qualified electrician.

We recommend a professional builds the sauna on site, particularly the roof and chimney. A careful self-builder can complete most of it, but the heater installation must follow its manual.

Choosing the right kit

Pick the shape first. A barrel sauna gives a compact, efficient hot room; a sauna pod has more upright space and a flatter floor; the Tower suits the smallest gardens. Then choose the length or size for the number of people who will regularly use it, and the heater: see the sauna heater guide. For the whole range, including factory-built models, visit our outdoor sauna page.

Outdoor sauna kit or indoor sauna kit?

Many sauna kits sold in the UK are indoor cabins meant for a spare room or a bathroom. An outdoor kit is a different product: thicker timber, a weatherproof roof covering, a raised floor frame and a chimney route for a wood-burning stove. Every kit we sell is an outdoor sauna built to stand in the garden all year.

Time, tools and helpers

Build time depends on the model, the weather and your experience, so plan for a few days rather than an afternoon. You will need at least two people, a spirit level, cordless drill and driver, rubber mallet, step ladders and the tools listed in the manual. Work in dry weather and keep parts covered overnight. If you are not confident with roofing or with fitting a flue through a roof, hand those stages to a local joiner or roofer.

What to budget for besides the kit

• the base: concrete pad, paving slabs or a timber frame on pads, see preparing the base;
• a builder or joiner, if you are not building it yourself;
• a qualified electrician for an electric heater and lighting;
• delivery, quoted from your postcode;
• bucket, ladle, thermometer and outdoor lighting.

Starting prices for each model, inc. VAT, are on outdoor sauna prices.

How a sauna kit is delivered

The kit is made to order and arrives by lorry as numbered parts on pallets. Unloading is the customer’s responsibility, but unlike an assembled sauna it can be done by hand. Check the parts against the list on the day and note any visible damage on the delivery note. The delivery page explains the day, and the purchase process covers payment and lead time.

After the build: weatherproofing and winter

Treat the outside timber as the manual recommends, check the roof covering and chimney seal after the first winter, and keep the vents clear. In cold weather air the sauna after use so the benches and walls dry out. Finished kit saunas in customers’ gardens are on the reviews and project map page.

Sauna kit questions