Garden sauna without building permit: how big can it be? Does an outdoor sauna need a building permit? We explain the building law definitions and what needs to be considered:
There are many different statements circulating on the Internet about “building permit garden sauna”.
As a sauna builder, we have already clarified building law issues with numerous building authorities. The results were often inconsistent, because:
Decisions on building law are the responsibility of the local building authorities.
Therefore, contact your municipality at an early stage to clarify how the building authority classifies your planned garden sauna and what requirements apply. Ideally, your outdoor sauna will be classified as a procedure-free outbuilding:
Garden sauna as a “process-free outbuilding”
Whether a building permit is necessary or whether your garden sauna can be built without permission as a so-called “process-free outbuilding” depends above all on the size. Depending on the federal state, different regulations apply: in some federal states the floor area (= square meters) is decisive, in other countries the converted space (= cubic meters). A detailed overview for all federal states can be found on the graph.
It is important to consider whether your property is located within a built-up area or outside of built-up areas in the outer area. In outdoor areas, sauna projects without a building permit are only possible in Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Schleswig-Holstein.
Development plan, boundary distance, etc.
Regardless of whether a building permit is required or not, the following points must always be considered:
- Building Lines
- Boundary Development/Boundary Distance
- If applicable, local restrictions (e.g. in allotment garden colonies)
The development lines of your property can be found in the local development plan. You can view it at the building regulations office, the municipal administration or the city planning office. In many municipalities, these plans are now also available online.
By default, structures such as sauna houses must maintain a minimum distance of 3 meters from the neighboring property. If you fall below this distance, it is a so-called boundary development, which is only permitted under certain conditions. The respective regulations can be found in the state building regulations, the neighbourhood law and the development plans already mentioned.
If a development is planned on the property boundary, the conversation with the neighbour should be sought in any case: because in the event of a complaint, the building authority must react accordingly and examine the construction project. You should have your neighbour’s consent confirmed in writing.
Outdoor sauna projects – directly from the sauna builder:
Procedure-free outbuilding
If you want to build your sauna house without a permit, the classification as a so-called procedure-free outbuilding is decisive. Unfortunately, the classification of the building authorities is not uniform, so this question must be clarified with your local building authority. Important: Your project may be subject to approval if you install a toilet/heater (although a sauna heater is usually not considered residential heating), as the sauna house is then no longer classified as an outbuilding.
Garden sauna with or without building permit
In many cases, we have been able to implement sauna projects for our customers without permits. Please inform us at the time of your enquiry if you would like to plan your outdoor sauna without permission and thus within the specified outbuilding size limits. Then we take this into account when planning. Your advantage: we plan the project in custom-made order and can design the floor plan individually according to your wishes and specifications.
Planning with corso support
Don’t let the bureaucracy stop you when it comes to the realization of your garden sauna: we support you in the complete planning. If a building permit is required, we will provide you with the dimensioned plans/drawings for the building application.
The content of this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice on building law. The information provided is provided without guarantee, liability is excluded. If you have any questions regarding building law, please contact the building authority responsible for your place of residence. .
Sauna with wood-burning stove
If you would like to equip your outdoor sauna with a wood-burning stove, you must always consult your local district chimney sweep in advance. The wood-burning stove is subject to special legal regulations and must be approved in advance as a fireplace. In addition, minimum distances between the chimney and the neighbour must be observed. In most cases, however, sauna houses in the garden are equipped with an electric sauna heater, so this point is then omitted.
Since we have our corso sauna, I am much more relaxed.
Result
Taking a sauna in your own garden sauna – surrounded by greenery – is simply fantastic! If you want to fulfill your dream, don’t let (supposed) bureaucratic hurdles stop you. Contact the local building authority for an initial assessment. Step by step, all the important points can be clarified to realize your garden sauna – depending on the situation, with or without a building permit. – We are happy to support you in planning your garden sauna!
More interesting information about sauna:
How do I plan an outdoor sauna?
How do I plan an indoor sauna?
What are the health effects of sauna?
Who is not allowed in the sauna?
What is toughened safety glass?
In addition, we were looking for these questions on the topic:
Can I build a sauna in the garden?
Where to place an outdoor sauna?
What should be taken into account when planning the outdoor sauna?
Can you install a sauna in a garden shed?
List by federal states: permit-free sizes for “procedure-free outbuildings”:
- Baden-Württemberg: 40 m3 in built-up areas, 20m3 outdoors
- Bavaria: 75m3 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Berlin: 10m2 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Brandenburg: 75m3 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Bremen: 10 m2 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Hamburg: 30m3 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Hesse: 30m3 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: 10m2 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Lower Saxony: 40 m3 in built-up areas, 20m3 outdoors
- North Rhine-Westphalia: 75m3 in built-up areas, outdoors only for agriculture/forestry
- Rhineland-Palatinate: 50 m3 in built-up areas, 10m3 outdoors
- Saarland: 10m2 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Saxony: 10m2 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Saxony-Anhalt: 10m2 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission
- Schleswig-Holstein: 30 m3 in built-up areas, 10m3 outdoors
- Thuringia: 10 m2 in built-up areas, outdoors only with permission