Custom Saunas, Ice Baths & Cold Plunge Rooms in Adelaide

A sauna is a building, not an appliance. The kits sold online treat it as furniture: a box that arrives on a pallet and sits wherever there is room. That is where the problems start, because a sauna needs a level slab, a dedicated electrical circuit, ventilation, and a roof and cladding that will survive Adelaide summers and winter rain. We design and build each sauna to fit the yard, run the power and drainage properly, and hand it over ready to switch on.

 

What does a custom sauna cost in Adelaide?

Our saunas start from $14,500 for a two to three person cabin, installed with power connected. Larger cabins, a change room or shower, a full contrast suite with an ice bath and cold room, and premium cladding push the price up. Ice plunge tubs start from $9,800 and walk-in cold rooms from $28,000. Every quote is fixed and includes the site work, so you are not chasing a concreter and an electrician separately.

 

Is a kit sauna cheaper?

The sticker price is, but by the time you have paid for a slab, a licensed electrician to run a circuit, a roof to keep the weather off and someone to assemble it, most people are within a few thousand dollars of a custom build and own a lighter, thinner-walled box. If you already have a kit and want it installed properly, we do that too.

 

Do I need council approval for a sauna?

In South Australia a small detached outbuilding can often go in without approval if it stays within the size and height limits and sits the required distance from boundaries. Larger builds, anything with plumbing, or anything close to a boundary may need a development application. We check your block against the rules before we quote and handle the application if one is needed.

 

What power does a sauna need?

A traditional electric heater for a family sauna is typically 6 to 9 kW and needs its own circuit from the switchboard. Older Adelaide homes sometimes need a switchboard upgrade to carry it, which we identify at the site visit rather than on install day. Infrared cabins draw less but do not heat the same way. Wood-fired heaters avoid the electrical question entirely and suit Hills properties.

 

Traditional, infrared or wood-fired?

Traditional electric gives the 80 to 100 degree heat and steam over the rocks that most people picture when they say sauna. Infrared runs at 45 to 65 degrees, heats the body directly and suits people who want a milder session. Wood-fired is the most authentic experience and the most work. We build all three and will tell you which suits how you actually plan to use it.

 

What timber is used?

Western red cedar, hemlock, spruce and thermally modified aspen are the common interior timbers. Cedar smells the best and resists moisture; aspen is the choice if anyone in the house is sensitive to resins. The exterior cladding is chosen to match your house and cope with the sun.

 

How do ice baths and cold rooms work?

A plunge tub with a chiller holds water at 3 to 10 degrees year round, which matters in an Adelaide summer when a tub of tap water sits at 25. Walk-in cold rooms take it further for people who want a dry cold. Both need a drain, a power outlet and a level base. The most popular build is the contrast suite: sauna, ice bath and an outdoor shower in one line, so you can move between them without going inside.

 

How long does it take?

From signed quote, a standard outdoor sauna is usually four to eight weeks including slab curing, longer for full suites or if a council application is needed. The build itself is one to two weeks on site.

 

Where we work

Metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Mount Barker, Norwood, Unley, Glenelg, Golden Grove and surrounding suburbs. Owner-built, fully insured, one fixed price. Call 0411 555 359 to book a free site visit.