Decoding Steam Room Installation Costs: Factors that Influence Price

If you're a wellness enthusiast, or someone who's simply interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the idea of having a steam room in your home might have crossed your mind. 

And you're not alone in planning a residential steam sauna, as almost everyone envisages one such solution for personal well-being in their homes. 

However, when it comes to actually building or installing a residential steam room, there's one constraint, and that's the price. You see, oftentimes, we are told that a steam sauna bath needs a significant investment upfront, and, as such, it can be an expensive affair. 

But what if we told you that a home steam shower, or even a sauna for that matter, is way more affordable than you think it is? 

Yes, that's right. 

While it's true that installing a commercial steam room or sauna can cost you a premium, that's not the case with a home steam bath. That's because commercial steam shower  facilities need large-sized and more powerful boilers like Amerec AI Series 24 KW Commercial Steam Bath Generator, whereas their residential counterparts work pretty well on smaller steam generators. 

In fact, the cost of installing a steam shower in your home is even lower than a bathroom remodeling project. And if figures from ​Forbes magazine are any suggestion, you can have a prefabricated residential steam shower for as less as $1000. 

That's quite a bargain, isn't it? 

Nonetheless, you can't apply a one-size-fits-all approach, as steam sauna installation costs will differ for different homes. That's exactly the reason why we have compiled everything that goes into estimating the cost of steam bath installation and more, so let's dive in. 

What determines the price of a home steam room? 
When it comes to deciding the price of a steam sauna installation in your home, there are multiple factors that come into play. 

Generally speaking, the size of your shower enclosure will decide the quantity of materials and the amount of time you need to build/install a steam room. That means the cost of materials and installation labor are the main determinants of a home steam shower's price. 

Here's an example for a better understanding: 

If your home has a small shower space with non-porous walls made of porcelain, ceramic tiles, etc., you can complete your home steam room project for around $1500. 

At the same time, if your shower is large-sized or isn't enclosed with non-porous materials, you'll need to buy a bigger steam bath generator. And since a larger cubic foot area calls for a more powerful generator, that'll inevitably result in a higher cost of purchase and installation. 

Are there other factors too that decide the steam room installation price for your home? 
Apart from the material quantity and installation time, there are indeed a host of other factors that influence the price of a home steam shower. 

​Let's have a look at these factors and how they determine the overall pricing.
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#1. The material type (porous or non-porous)
The type of materials with which your shower enclosure is built has a significant impact on the amount you will pay for a steam room installation in your home. 

For example, the impact of non-porous or porous materials definitely shows up during the cubic feet calculation, thus influencing your choice of the steam generator. 

And in case you're wondering how here are there instances for a better understanding: 
First, if your shower space is made of non-porous materials like glass tiles and ceramic, among others, you need not make any price addition to your present cubic feet calculation. 

Second, if your shower walls are made of natural stone materials like granite, marble, concrete, shale, etc., you'll have to add 50 percent to your total cubic feet calculation. That's because these are porous materials lacking natural insulation, which necessitates a larger steam bath generator. 

Third, a shower enclosure featuring walls made from acrylic materials will reduce up to 40 percent cost from your total cubic feet calculation. You see, acrylic materials have the best thermal insulation, and that means even a small steam generator will be apt for your needs. 

#2. Enclosing the space 
When building a steam room in your regular home shower, there is always the possibility the space isn't enclosed well enough. 

In this case, you'll have to enclose the shower area by ensuring that the shower doors and walls are all well sealed. This includes extending the height of your shower door up to the ceiling since most regular shower doors are shorter in size. 

Now, the process of enclosing the space will add up the cost of steam shower installation. And if you have a shower area with a ceiling height above 8 feet, sealing and enclosing will add up to 15 percent to your total cubic feet cost calculation.
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#3. Steam room control panels 

Another factor that influences the total amount you spend on a home steam room installation is your choice of control panels. 

Since steam room controls are necessary for the very functioning of vital steam shower
components like the generator, you'll have to buy one. And talking about the price of one such control panel, you can expect to pay anywhere from under $200 to upward of $1000.

At its very basic, a home steam room control is meant to turn on/off the steam generator. So a control panel with such elementary functions will not cost you more than $200. 

However, over time steam shower controls have advanced to a great extent. So much so that they now offer you the features of any smart device. 

Take, for instance, control panels like the Steamist 250/450/550 controls that feature a touch screen, wifi connectivity, music streaming systems like Spotify, and more. Also, these smart steam shower controls allow you to pre-program and control the functioning of your steam room right from your smartphone. 

​If you're looking to add one such control panel to your steam shower, it will cost you $1000 on average. 
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#4. Steam head choice

​Steam head, different from a regular home shower head, is an essential component for a steam room. That's because, unlike the shower head, a steam head is designed to pump the steam in the bath/shower enclosure. 

As such, no matter whether you are bringing your steam room from scratch or repurposing your shower space for a steam bath, a steam head is a prerequisite. 

​And even though the cost of a steam head is mostly included in the per square feet price calculator of steam shower installation, labor costs do vary for different shower heads. For example, if you choose to install a linear steam head, you're likely to spend more on labor compared to an aroma glass steam head. 
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#5. Additional steam room amenities
Once you're done with the steam room essentials, there are add-on steam shower amenities that you'll have to figure out. 

For instance, you may choose to install additional steam bath utilities like chroma therapy, aromasense, etc. Towards that end, you can expect to pay between $600 and $800 for every extra amenity. 
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#6. Local rates for the installation labor

​Installation labor which includes electricians, plumbers, tile installers, etc., is something you'll have to hire when building a home steam room. And as the rates of every service differ for different regions, your local labor cost is something that invariably influences the overall steam shower cost. 

Overall, the cost of labor contributes 25 to 25 percent to the total cost of a residential steam bath installation.
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How much does it cost to build a home steam room from scratch?
Building a steam room in your home from scratch can be quite expensive when compared to repurposing your shower or installing a prefabricated steam shower. 

Nevertheless, if you can afford the upfront investment, you should definitely go for it.

That's because a steam shower built from scratch carries an excellent return on investment. And since realtors see it as a luxury add-on, your property value too can increase up to 30 percent. 

Coming to the total cost of building a steam shower from scratch, it's very similar to building or remodeling a regular shower. For instance, if you remodel a regular 120 square foot shower space, it will cost you $24,000 on average. Similarly, building a steam room with all the amenities of your liking will cost you around $30,000. 

What are the steps involved in building/installing a steam room in your home? 
A steam room installation project for your home may seem daunting at the outset, but it involves pretty basic steps from start to finish. 

Here are the steps for steam shower installation: 

1. Measure the size (length, width, and height) of your shower enclosure or the area you intend to build your steam bath accurately. 
2. Choose your steam generator capacity and type depending on the size of your shower area or building materials. So the larger the size of your steam room and the more amount of porous materials used, the higher the generator capacity you should go for. 
3. Since an optimum steam shower requires proper sealing of the enclosure, you should install shower doors and walls apt for the purpose. 
4. Replace your regular shower head with a steam head, and place the steam head away from the sitting area. That's because a steam head placed right above or in front of the seats can make the steam bath session uncomfortable. 
5. Choose steam bath control panels. We suggest you go for the smart steam controls from market leaders kike Steamist, Amerec, etc., as they allow you to optimize the steam session precisely to your liking. 
6. Select the type of seating for your steam shower based on the room size and your comfort. 
7. Equip your steam room with additional accessories like aroma therapy. 

Wondering what's more to steam room installation? 
You can go through our blog: A Complete Guide To Build A DIY Steam Room. 

​Final words 
As you might be aware, a home steam room brings along endless health and wellness benefits. And not to forget, a steam shower creates a personal spa right in your home, so you can unwind and relax in such a space any time of the day.

As such, installing a steam bath facility in your home is worth every penny you spend. 
Moreover, a residential steam shower doesn't cost a fortune, given that one can avail of a basic steam bath for between $1000 and $1500.
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​You may like to read Sauna or Steam Room: Which One Should You Choose?

Impressive, right? 

Looking to install one such steam sauna bath in your home? 
You can reach out to us! 

​At Steam & Sauna Experts, we have the most extensive inventory of steam room and sauna essentials from industry-leading manufacturers. So whatever is your steam sauna requirement, we've got you covered.