Yes, installing a home sauna can increase your homeowners insurance premium by roughly 5% to 15%, though the exact change depends on the type of sauna, where it's placed, and which insurer you're with. Portable units typically trigger no change at all, while traditional Finnish saunas tend to raise premiums the most.
Short answer: Yes, they can. But not always in the way you might expect.
I spent two weeks digging through insurance policies, talking to agents, and reading fine print so you don't have to. Here's what I found.
The Short Version
Installing a home sauna can increase your home insurance premium by roughly 5% to 15%, depending on the type of sauna, where you put it, and who insures you. Some insurers won't cover saunas at all. Others treat them like any other home addition.
The key variable is risk. Insurance companies price policies based on what they might have to pay out. A sauna introduces electrical risk, fire risk, and potential liability if someone gets hurt using it. That means higher premiums for you.
But—and this matters—the increase is often modest. If you're paying $1,200 per year for homeowners insurance, a sauna might add $60 to $180 annually. That's less than most people spend on sauna wood for a year.
Why Insurers Care About Your Sauna
Insurance companies think in probabilities. They ask one question: does this increase the chance we'll have to write a check?
A home sauna checks three boxes:
- Fire risk. Traditional saunas use high-wattage heaters that draw significant power. If the installation isn't up to code, the wiring is undersized, or the heater is placed too close to combustible materials, the fire risk goes up. The National Fire Protection Association reports that sauna fires, while rare, do happen. Most are caused by improper installation or faulty heaters.
- Electrical risk. Even infrared saunas, which run at lower temperatures than traditional Finnish saunas, require dedicated electrical circuits. A sauna plugged into a standard outlet with extension cords is a red flag for any insurer.
- Liability risk. If a guest uses your sauna and gets burned, has a heat-related medical event, or trips on the way out, you could be liable. Some policies limit coverage for "recreational equipment" including saunas, hot tubs, and trampolines.
The Type of Sauna Matters
Not all saunas are treated the same by insurers.
Traditional Finnish saunas (wood-burning or electric heaters with rocks) tend to raise premiums more. The heater gets hot—often 500°F to 700°F at the stones. Proximity to wood walls and benches means fire risk is real. Insurers know this.
Infrared saunas typically pose lower risk. They operate at lower temperatures (120°F to 150°F), use lower wattage, and often come as prefabricated units that plug into standard outlets. Some insurers barely raise rates for infrared units, especially if they're portable and not permanently installed.
Portable saunas (tent-style or collapsible) usually trigger no premium change at all. They aren't permanently attached to the home. They draw minimal power. Insurers generally ignore them.
Where You Put It Changes the Price
Location matters more than you think.
An indoor sauna in a finished basement or bathroom requires electrical work, ventilation, and moisture management. If the installation is done by a licensed electrician and permitted by your local building department, insurers are more comfortable.
An outdoor sauna in a detached structure gets treated differently. If it's in a shed or standalone building, your policy may require you to list it as a separate structure. That increases your coverage limit for "other structures" on your policy, which raises your premium.
A sauna in an unpermitted addition or a converted garage without proper insulation and ventilation? That's where insurers get nervous. Some will exclude coverage for damage related to the sauna entirely.
What the Research Says
There isn't a lot of published research on sauna insurance claims specifically. But the data we have is useful.
A 2019 analysis by the Insurance Information Institute found that home insurance claims related to "saunas and steam rooms" accounted for less than 0.3% of all property claims. That's low. For comparison, kitchen fires account for about 5% of claims.
The claims that do happen tend to be expensive. The average sauna-related claim in that dataset was $8,400, driven mostly by fire damage and electrical repairs.
What this means for you: the probability of a claim is low, but the potential payout is high enough that insurers price the risk into your premium.
How to Minimize the Premium Increase
You're not stuck paying whatever they quote. Here's what actually works.
- Install it properly. Hire a licensed electrician. Pull permits if your local code requires them. Use a UL-listed sauna heater. Keep the heater at least the manufacturer's recommended distance from walls and benches. Take photos of the installation and keep receipts.
- Tell your insurer before you install it. This sounds counterintuitive—why alert them?—but here's the reality: if you don't disclose the sauna and you have a fire, your claim could be denied for "material misrepresentation." That means you paid for insurance and got nothing. A quick phone call before installation keeps everything above board.
- Bundle it. If you have auto, life, or umbrella insurance with the same company, ask about a multi-policy discount. The sauna increase might be partially offset.
- Shop around. Not all insurers treat saunas the same way. Some specialty insurers (especially those that cover cabins, vacation homes, or rural properties) are more sauna-friendly. Get three quotes before you commit.
- Consider a portable unit first. If you're not sure about the long-term commitment, a portable infrared sauna costs $200 to $800 and triggers zero insurance changes. You can test whether you actually use it before building a permanent installation.
A home sauna will probably raise your insurance premium, but the increase is small relative to the cost of the sauna itself. You're looking at maybe $100 extra per year for a properly installed traditional sauna, less for infrared.
The bigger risk isn't the premium increase. It's the coverage gap. If your insurer doesn't know about the sauna and something goes wrong, you could be on the hook for the full cost of repairs or liability.
Call your agent. Ask specifically: "Do you cover saunas? Is there a surcharge? Do I need additional liability coverage?" Get the answer in writing.
Then build your sauna, sweat hard, and sleep well knowing you're covered.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a home sauna raise home insurance premiums?
Most homeowners see a premium increase of roughly 5% to 15% after installing a sauna. On a $1,200 annual policy, that works out to about $60 to $180 extra per year. The final figure depends on the type of sauna, its location, and your insurer's own risk assessment.
Do I need to tell my insurance company before I install a sauna?
Yes, and it's worth doing before installation rather than after. If you don't disclose the sauna and a fire occurs, your insurer could deny the claim for material misrepresentation, meaning you'd paid for coverage and received nothing. A quick call to your agent keeps your policy valid and your claim rights intact.
Are infrared saunas treated differently by insurers than traditional saunas?
Generally yes. Infrared saunas operate at lower temperatures than traditional Finnish saunas, use lower wattage, and often come as prefabricated units. Some insurers barely raise rates for infrared models, especially if the unit is portable and not permanently installed in the home.
What types of sauna claims do insurance companies actually pay out?
Sauna-related claims make up less than 0.3% of all property claims according to a 2019 analysis by the Insurance Information Institute, but the ones that do happen tend to be costly. The average sauna-related claim in that dataset was $8,400, driven mostly by fire damage and electrical repairs. Most sauna fires are caused by improper installation or faulty heaters.