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Location and foundation: the basis for your garden sauna
The right spot determines how often you'll use your sauna – and whether there'll be trouble with neighbours or authorities. And without a solid foundation, no sauna lasts long.
Updated: September 2026 · independent guide, sources linked
The right location
📏 Boundary distance
How close the sauna may be to the property line is set by your municipality's building and zoning regulations. With the neighbour's written consent, a shorter distance is often possible.
🏡 Close to the house
Short walks in winter, a shorter power line, easy access to shower and toilet – but not so close that smoke or heat become a problem.
💨 Smoke and neighbours
With a wood stove, consider the prevailing wind and your neighbours' windows. Good relations help avoid objections.
👀 Privacy
A hedge, privacy screen or the orientation of the door provide privacy – especially when cooling off outdoors.
💧 Water
Shower, cold plunge or bucket shower? Think about a water supply and where the water will drain.
🚚 Access
Assembled barrel saunas are delivered in one piece – with narrow access, a crane is needed.
Renting or owning a flat? If you rent, you need your landlord's written consent before putting a sauna in the garden. In a condominium (Stockwerkeigentum), the owners' association usually has to agree as well – even if you have exclusive use of the garden.
The right foundation
| Foundation | Suits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete pads | barrel sauna, light cabins | little digging, on load-bearing ground |
| Ground screws | barrel sauna, cabin | quick, no concrete, removable |
| Strip foundation | sauna cabin | supports the walls continuously |
| Concrete slab | larger cabins | most stable, but more work |
| Gravel or paving bed | small barrel sauna on cradles | only as specified by the manufacturer |
Every foundation must be level, load-bearing and built so that water can drain and the wood doesn't sit in the wet. Follow the manufacturer's specifications – they are often a condition of the warranty.
Power and cables
An electric heater usually needs a 400 V connection. The cable is normally laid underground – plan for trenching and its cost. The installation is done by an electrician.
Before you build: location and distances also matter for the permit. The rules for your canton: building permit by canton.
Permit rules for garden saunas differ from canton to canton, for example Uri, Zurich and Aargau. All 26 cantons compared: Building permit.
History & background
Where does this sauna come from, and how did it develop? Find out in our section Sauna types & cultures:
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