Custom Saunas in Glen Ellen

Wood-fired and electric saunas for Glen Ellen creek flats, hillside ranches and homes rebuilt after the 2017 Nuns fire.

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Footings, flues and creek setbacks in Glen Ellen

Before we sketch anything in Glen Ellen we pull the parcel map, because the creeks decide more than the owner does. Lots along Sonoma Creek and Calabazas Creek can carry riparian setbacks, and on the lower flats the ground stays soft well into April. There we set the building on concrete piers over a gravel bed, so winter water runs under the floor instead of sitting against the sill.

Up the slopes toward Jack London State Historic Park the problem flips. Soil gets shallow and rocky, the drive is long gravel, and a full lumber truck may not make the last switchback. We stage material at the road, bring it up on a compact track loader, and cut most of the wall panels on flat ground before they travel uphill.

Plenty of houses here were rebuilt after the Nuns fire to the ember-resistant standard, and a sauna beside one of them gets the same details: Class A roofing, eighth-inch metal mesh on every vent and a closed-in underside on any deck. A wood stove suits most of these parcels once the chimney clears the oak canopy. Expect three to five weeks on site after the permit is issued.

Permit Sonoma, wells and septic in Glen Ellen

Glen Ellen is unincorporated, so building and electrical permits go through Permit Sonoma in Santa Rosa, and the City of Sonoma has no say. Parcels inside a mapped high fire hazard area get a closer look at any stovepipe, and creekside lots may need a setback review before the pad location is final. We ask the county what applies to your parcel before we price anything.

Most rural lots here run on a well and septic. The leach field cannot be driven over or trenched through, and the well pump often shares a panel with the house. We find both on the first visit, check the panel load with the pump running, and route the heater circuit well clear of the septic lines.

Three builds that fit Glen Ellen ground

A stove-heated cabin under the oaks

On a parcel with room to spare, a cedar cabin with a firebox keeps working through a PG&E shutoff, which is the first thing many owners here ask about. Chimney height, spark arrestor and the cleared ground around it are all part of a firebox-heated cedar room.

A soaking tub near the creek

Where a building would crowd the setback line, a round tub on a small gravel pad fits the space and still gives you hot water on a frosty night. Our wood-fired soaking tub work covers the pad, the heater and a fitted lid.

Saving a room that survived the fire

Some properties kept their sauna through 2017 but it still smells of smoke. We strip the lining, check framing and heater, and re-line in fresh cedar as part of our smoke-damage sauna rebuilds.

Budget ranges we see around Glen Ellen

Most outdoor rooms in Glen Ellen land between $18,000 and $40,000 with a wood stove, and nearer $14,000 for a compact electric cabin on easy ground. The site drives the spread more than the sauna does.

Glen Ellen questions we hear

Can we run a wood stove on a lot that burned in 2017?
Usually, yes. The stove has to meet its listed clearances, the chimney needs a spark arrestor, and the building should follow the same ember details as the rebuilt house. We check the hazard mapping for your parcel and keep the flue away from overhanging branches before committing to wood.

Our drive is steep gravel. Can you still get a sauna up there?
Yes. We split the order into smaller loads, use a compact loader for the last stretch and prefabricate wall panels where we can. The extra handling gets priced on a separate line, which shows you exactly what the steep drive adds.

Our services around Glen Ellen

Free estimates in Glen Ellen

Ring 707-744-3951 or use the form and we will set a time to look at your site.