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Driftwood Saunas
The Sauna Architects
Custom Indoor Sauna Installation
Custom indoor saunas are permanent, built-in installations designed around the specific dimensions and layout of a space inside your home. They're ideal if you want a sauna you can step into barefoot on a Tuesday night without ever leaving the house in total privacy. This approach also comes with certain inherent cost efficiencies in regards to energy consumption and scope compared to outdoor sauna builds.
The Download on Custom Indoor Saunas
Driftwood Custom Saunas designs and builds custom indoor saunas for homeowners across Columbus and Central Ohio. Spare closet, basement corner, or dedicated wellness room—we handle everything from first sketch to the first heat session.
What’s Included
Every project starts with a free in-home consultation. During this, we discuss:
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Structural framing, insulation, and vapor barrier
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Interior paneling and finish carpentry
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Heater selection, placement, lighting, and ventilation
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Electrical requirements
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Ventilation system
The result: a sauna that looks and feels like it was always part of your home.
Materials We Use
The wood you choose defines the look, scent, and feel of your sauna. We work with three species:
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Western Red Cedar — Moisture-resistant, aromatic, rich reddish tone. The classic choice.
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Hemlock — Light, uniform, minimal knots. Clean and modern. Traditional choice in Scandanavia.
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Spruce — Bright natural finish, excellent value, solid heat performance.
We bring samples of cedar, hemlock, and spruce to your consultation so you can compare in person.
Our Process & Timeline
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Consult — Free in-home visit. We measure, listen, and plan with you.
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Design & Estimate — Layout drawings, material selections, and a transparent all-in quote.
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Build — All construction handled and facilitated by Driftwood.
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Handoff — We clean up, walk you through operation and care, and you’re ready to go.
FAQs
How much space do I need?
A sauna for one to two people fits in as little as 4’ x 4’. For three to four people, plan on roughly 5’ x 7’. We’ll help you find the right size and bench layout that fits your space during the consultation.
Traditional heater or infrared?
Traditional electric heaters produce far higher temperatures and let you add steam with water over stones. Infrared panels heat your body directly at a lower temperature and use less energy, but it is uncertain / unproven if infrared saunas have comparable health effects to traditional saunas. It is possible to combine both types of heat supply to create "hybrid" saunas.
What is typical for all-in project cost?
These projects vary dramatically in terms of material selection, scope, size, etc. We find that custom indoor saunas start out around $15,000 for a very simple, no-frills sauna that has seating capacity for 1-2 people. A mid-tier price point, which may include additional seating and features such as Wi-Fi app heater controls, integrated Bluetooth audio system, premium clear grade wood for benches or wall cladding, high end accessories, etc will cost between $20,000 - $35,000. Commercial indoor saunas typically will exceed $35,000 in total project cost. For more information, please see our Price Guide.
