A straightforward look at who you’ll need, what they do, and how we help along the way.
One of the biggest misconceptions about buying an outdoor sauna is that you’ll need to become a project manager to get it installed.
Fortunately, that’s rarely the case.
Most homeowners have never installed an outdoor sauna before. They’re not wondering whether sauna is worth it. By the time they’re talking with us, they’re usually wondering something much more practical:
Who do I need to hire?
How much should this cost?
How do I know if a contractor understands what’s required?
And perhaps most importantly, how do I avoid making an expensive mistake?
The good news is that most outdoor sauna projects require just three types of contractors, and in many cases, homeowners already have relationships with some of them.
Our role is to make sure those contractors have the information they need, answer questions as they come up, and help keep the project moving forward. Whether you’re working with your longtime electrician, a local excavation company, or a contractor you’ve never hired before, we’ll provide specifications, review plans, and help ensure everyone is working from the same playbook.
1. Hiring an Electrician
For most Cedar & Stone clients, the electrician is the first contractor they’ll engage.
Approximately 90% of our residential saunas are electric. Homeowners appreciate the convenience of turning on the sauna remotely and having it hot and ready after a workout, before bed, or while finishing dinner.
Let’s take a look at the three contractors most outdoor sauna projects require and what you should know before hiring them.
The electrical requirements are similar to installing an EV charger. Most of our residential electric saunas require 240V and 60 amps of service. Wood-burning saunas typically require a smaller 120V circuit for lighting and auxiliary electrical.
The good news is that this isn’t unusual work for a qualified electrician.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
When speaking with electricians, consider asking:
- Have you installed EV chargers or other 240V circuits?
- Have you run power to detached structures before?
- Are you comfortable trenching and installing conduit outdoors?
- Can you coordinate your work around a scheduled delivery date?
You don’t need to find someone who specializes in saunas. You simply need a qualified electrician who is comfortable with the scope of work.
What Impacts Cost?
We typically recommend collecting at least three quotes.
The biggest variables affecting cost are:
- Distance from the home’s electrical panel
- Whether the existing service panel has capacity
- Soil conditions and trenching requirements
- Geographic location
- Complexity of the route to the sauna
Most clients spend between $1,000 and $5,000 on electrical work, although every property is different.
How Cedar & Stone Helps
We’ll provide your electrician with the exact specifications required for your sauna, including service requirements and rough-in details. If questions come up during the quoting process, we’re happy to answer them directly.
Rather than asking your electrician to figure out what’s needed, we provide a clear scope of work from the beginning.
Looking for more detailed information on electrical requirements, rough-ins, and service specifications? Read our complete Site Preparation Guide:
2. Hiring a Landscaper or Excavator
The second contractor most homeowners need is a landscaper, excavator, or site contractor.
Cedar & Stone saunas are built with solid wood, mass timber walls and substantial thermal mass. Depending on the model, residential saunas typically weigh between 4,000 and 8,000 pounds. That means the foundation underneath the sauna matters.
The contractor’s job is simple: prepare a foundation that properly supports the sauna and performs well in your climate.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
When speaking with contractors, consider asking:
- Have you installed concrete footings before?
- Are you comfortable working from a site plan?
- Have you built foundations for sheds, garages, or other heavy structures?
- Can you coordinate your schedule with an electrician if needed?
Again, they don’t need sauna experience. They simply need to be comfortable building from a provided specification.
What Impacts Cost?
Foundation costs vary based on:
- Soil conditions
- Site accessibility
- Existing grading
- Drainage considerations
- Climate and frost depth requirements
- Local labor rates
Some projects require minimal excavation while others require more extensive site preparation.
How Cedar & Stone Helps
We’ll review your site, determine the appropriate foundation approach, and provide specifications that your contractor can build from. If they have questions about the plans, we’re available to answer them.
3. What About the Crane?
This is often the part of the project that feels most intimidating.
Most homeowners have hired an electrician before.
Many have worked with landscapers.
Very few have hired a crane company.
The good news?
You usually don’t have to.
Determining Whether a Crane Is Needed
Whether a crane is required depends largely on site access.
Some properties have a clear approach path that allows us to transport the sauna across the ground and place it directly onto the foundation using specialized equipment.
Other properties have obstacles that make ground access impossible or impractical. Mature trees, retaining walls, steep slopes, fencing, landscaping features, or limited access between structures may make a crane the safest and most efficient solution.
During the planning process, we’ll review your site and determine the best installation approach for your property.
We Coordinate the Crane Process
If a crane is required, Cedar & Stone coordinates that portion of the project directly.
We’ll work with the crane provider on scheduling, logistics, delivery timing, lift requirements, and installation planning. Most homeowners have enough on their plate already. We don’t expect you to become an expert in crane logistics.
Instead, we work directly with the crane company to ensure everyone involved has the information they need and that installation day runs smoothly.
What Happens During a Crane Site Visit?
Before providing a quote, crane operators will typically conduct a site visit to assess the lift and determine the appropriate equipment for the project.
They’re usually evaluating several factors, including:
- Distance from the road to the sauna location
- Overall lift weight
- Trees, power lines, and other overhead obstructions
- Access for equipment
- Permit requirements
- Road closures or traffic control requirements, if necessary
During this visit, the crane provider may also identify trees or other obstacles that should be removed before installation day.
Based on those findings, they’ll determine the size of crane required and provide a quote for the lift.
What Impacts Crane Costs?
Crane costs vary based on lift distance, crane size, site complexity, permit requirements, local labor rates, and the overall difficulty of the installation.
As a general reference, we commonly see crane cost estimates in the following ranges:
- 0–20′ reach: approximately $2,000
- 20’–50′ reach: approximately $3,000
- 50’–75′ reach: approximately $4,000
- 75’–100′ reach: approximately $5,000
Costs vary by region, crane size, lift complexity, and sauna model, but these ranges provide a useful starting point for planning purposes.
How Cedar & Stone Helps
If a crane is required, we work directly with the crane provider throughout the planning process.
Before installation day, we provide the crane company with your sauna’s dimensions, weight, rigging requirements, delivery schedule, and placement plan. We also coordinate scheduling to ensure the crane, delivery truck, and installation team are all working from the same timeline.
On installation day, a Cedar & Stone team member is either on site or available remotely to support the process from start to finish.
For most homeowners, this is the first time they’ve ever been involved in a crane-assisted installation. For us, it’s simply part of the process. Our goal is to make sure everyone knows their role, every detail has been accounted for, and your sauna arrives exactly where it’s supposed to.
You Don’t Need to Become a Sauna Installation Expert
Most homeowners don’t wake up excited to compare electrical bids, coordinate crane schedules, or research foundation requirements.
They want a sauna.
Our job is to help make sure the right people are involved at the right time, provide them with the information they need, and keep the project moving forward so you can focus on the exciting part.
Actually enjoying your first sauna session at home.
Whether you’re working with contractors you’ve known for years or hiring new ones for the first time, we’ll help guide the process from planning through installation.
That’s how we’ve approached hundreds of projects across North America, and it’s why most clients find the installation process much simpler than they expected.
Ready to Start Planning?
Whether you’re just beginning to explore outdoor sauna ownership or already thinking through site preparation, our team is happy to help.
Schedule a consultation, and we’ll walk you through the process, answer your questions, and help create a plan that fits your property, lifestyle, and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my own contractors?
Absolutely. Many of our clients work with electricians, landscapers, excavators, or builders they’ve trusted for years. We’ll provide specifications and answer questions directly from your contractor if needed.
Do my contractors need sauna experience?
No. Most qualified electricians, landscapers, and excavators already perform work very similar to what’s required for a sauna installation. We provide the sauna-specific details, specifications, and guidance needed to complete the work correctly.
How many contractors will I typically need?
Most outdoor sauna projects require an electrician and a landscaper or excavator. Depending on your property’s access and the final sauna location, a crane may also be needed for installation.
How do I know if a contractor’s quote is reasonable?
Pricing can vary significantly based on geography, site conditions, access, and the complexity of the work. We encourage clients to gather multiple quotes whenever possible. If you have questions about a proposal you’ve received, we’re happy to review it with you and help identify any potential concerns.
Does Cedar & Stone coordinate the crane company?
Yes. If a crane is required, our team works directly with the crane provider to coordinate scheduling, logistics, lift requirements, delivery timing, and installation planning.
What if I don’t know where to start?
That’s completely normal. Most homeowners have never installed a sauna before.
During the planning process, we’ll help you understand who you’ll need, what questions to ask, and what each contractor will be responsible for. Our goal is to make the process feel straightforward and manageable from the beginning.
Where can I learn more about site preparation requirements?
For detailed information about foundations, electrical requirements, access paths, delivery-day logistics, permitting, and site preparation, visit our complete Site Preparation Guide or watch this video.
Is installation included?
For clients located within approximately 150 miles of Superior, Wisconsin, installation may be included at no additional cost when the sauna can be transported and placed over the ground without a crane. If a crane is required or the project is located outside of our service area, additional installation costs may apply.
During the planning process, we’ll review your site and provide clear guidance on the most efficient installation approach and any associated costs.
