Four cities at a glance
| Rule | Des Moines, IA | Wichita, KS | Oklahoma City, OK | Indianapolis, IN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accessory building exempt up to | 120 sq ft, rear yard, 5 ft from side and rear lines, 3 ft from house, 17 ft tall, anchored | 200 sq ft if no utilities, with a $50 location permit; anchor if over 25 sq ft | No published figure found; ask 405-297-2525 | 120 sq ft, under 15 ft, no permanent foundation, no utilities; 121 to 200 sq ft needs structural and drainage permits |
| Sauna heater circuit | Permit before any electrical work (Sec. 26-401) | MABCD electrical permit item; homeowner exam or licensed electrician | Electrical permit; code questions 405-297-2371 | Permit pulled by a licensed contractor |
| Chiller | Not addressed; ask | No mechanical permit if self contained with 10 lb refrigerant or less, or 1 hp or less | Not addressed; ask | Refrigeration work needs a permit, narrow exceptions; ask about plug in units |
| Is the tub a pool? | 2018 ISPSC adopted for on ground spas and hot tubs; ask about plunges | Prefab pools under 24 in deep, up to 5,000 gal, above ground: exempt | $75 pool and hot tub permit; checklist asks depth and heating | 30 in deep or less and 15 ft or less: no structural permit; 18 in or less: no location permit |
| Draining | Chlorine under 0.1 mg/L, pH 6.5 to 8.5; house drain or 15 ft of grass at about 12 gpm | KDHE: sanitary sewer if allowed, else stop sanitizer 3 to 4 days and spread slowly | Stand untreated 7 to 10 days, test; grass or sanitary sewer; $200 to $1,000 a day fines | No city drain guidance found; keep it on your property and out of storm drains |
| Statewide average power price | 17.06 cents/kWh | 15.47 cents/kWh | 14.82 cents/kWh | 17.02 cents/kWh |
Sources: Des Moines residential shed handout; Des Moines Chapter 26; Des Moines Ordinance 15861; Des Moines Public Works, Water; Wichita Sedgwick County Unified Building and Trade Code; Wichita Ordinance 50-833; MABCD electrical permit application; MABCD, Do I Need a Permit?; KDHE pool draining procedure; Oklahoma City Ordinance 27,602; Oklahoma City residential pool checklist; Oklahoma City pool draining notice; Indianapolis homeowner permit guide; indy.gov, Residential Development Permits; EIA state electricity profiles. Checked October 24 and 25, 2026.
Saunas: the shed exemption is not the whole answer
Kit saunas are small. Almost Heaven lists the Weston barrel at about 82.5 by 82 inches assembled, roughly 47 square feet, under every threshold above. The catch is that two of the four cities write their exemption for buildings without utilities. Wichita's code exempts accessory buildings up to 200 square feet only if they have no utilities and get a location permit, and Indianapolis's homeowner guide exempts sheds of 120 square feet or less only if they have no utilities and no permanent foundation. A sauna's heater circuit is a utility. Neither city says what happens to a small heated building, so ask before you order, with the footprint, foundation and heater rating in hand.
Des Moines's handout does not mention utilities. It sets 120 square feet, rear yard only, 5 feet from side and rear lot lines, 3 feet from the house, 17 feet maximum height, all accessory buildings together under 20 percent of the rear yard, and anchoring to the ground or a slab. Pouring a slab or footing triggers a permit and pre pour inspection even when the building is exempt, which is a reason to use a gravel pad with anchors.
Oklahoma City is the gap. We did not find a shed size exemption on the city's own pages, and we will not repeat a figure from an unofficial site. Call Development Services at 405-297-2525.
The heater circuit, city by city
The Weston's 8 kW heater needs a 240 volt, 40 amp circuit; the Blackwater mini cube needs a 30 amp hardwired heater circuit plus a 120 volt, 15 amp lighting circuit, per Almost Heaven. Des Moines requires a permit before any electrical work. Wichita's MABCD lists saunas and hot tubs as electrical permit items, and a homeowner may do the work only after filing a Homeowner Declaration Form and passing the trade exam. Indianapolis says electrical permits are pulled by a licensed contractor; it exempts a single phase circuit up to 60 amps for heating, cooling or water heating equipment when a building permit has been issued, but do not assume a sauna heater counts as heating equipment without asking.
Cold plunges: chillers, depth and drains
Wichita is the clearest city here for plunge owners. Ordinance 50-833 exempts self contained refrigeration with 10 pounds of refrigerant or less, or motors of 1 horsepower or less, from a mechanical permit; The Cold Life Pro Curve chiller is listed at 3/4 horsepower and 450 watts. It also exempts prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep, up to 5,000 gallons, entirely above ground.
Indianapolis writes its lines in depth: above ground pools or hot tubs 30 inches deep or less and 15 feet or less across need no structural permit, and 18 inches or less also skip the improvement location permit. Tubs may not sit in a front yard, inside the side setback or within 5 feet of the rear lot line, and need a safety cover meeting 675 IAC 20-4-27(c) or a fence with a self closing, self latching gate. The city requires permits for refrigeration work with narrow exceptions, so ask about the chiller.
Des Moines adopted the 2018 ISPSC for in ground, above ground and on ground pools, spas and hot tubs, and Oklahoma City lists hot tubs with pools on a $75 permit line. Neither names cold plunges. Ask with the tub's depth and volume.
Draining rules are specific in three cities and absent in one. Des Moines wants chlorine below 0.1 mg/L and pH 6.5 to 8.5, then a house drain or at least 15 feet of flat grass at about 12 gallons a minute, with salt water to the sanitary sewer. Kansas's KDHE puts the sanitary sewer first if the treatment plant allows it, otherwise irrigating without runoff, or stopping sanitizer for 3 to 4 days and spreading the water slowly over a lawn. Oklahoma City says let the water stand untreated 7 to 10 days, test it, then drain to grass without runoff or to the sanitary sewer, with fines of $200 to $1,000 a day for illegal drainage. We found no Indianapolis drain guidance on the city's permit pages.
Worked example: a barrel sauna and a 95 gallon plunge
Take an 8 kW barrel sauna of about 47 square feet on a gravel pad, and a 95 gallon plug in plunge with a 450 watt chiller, like the Penguin Chillers Premium Acrylic, running six hours a day. Energy at statewide EIA averages, before any local rate plan:
| City | Sauna, 96 kWh a month | Chiller, 81 kWh a month | Permits to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | $16.38 | $13.82 | Electrical permit for the heater; ask about the plunge under the ISPSC |
| Wichita | $14.85 | $12.53 | Electrical permit and location permit; ask whether the heated building needs a building permit; chiller exempt |
| Oklahoma City | $14.23 | $12.00 | Electrical permit; ask about the building and whether the plunge falls under the $75 pool permit |
| Indianapolis | $16.34 | $13.79 | Electrical permit by a licensed contractor; ask about the building; plunge likely under the 30 inch line; ask about the chiller |
The sauna figure assumes twelve one hour sessions with the heater at full draw, an upper bound. The chiller figure will roughly double in a hot July, especially in Oklahoma City and Wichita, where 1991 to 2020 NOAA normals put average July highs at 92.9°F and 92.5°F, and drop toward zero in a Des Moines January, which averages 22.7°F.
Checklist
- Get the sauna's footprint, height, foundation plan and heater rating, and the plunge's water depth, volume and chiller horsepower and refrigerant charge, from the spec sheets.
- Call the city with those numbers: Des Moines (515) 283-4200, MABCD for Wichita, Oklahoma City 405-297-2525, Indianapolis 317.327.8700.
- Book the electrician and confirm who pulls the permit.
- Plan the drain route before the first water change.
Related guides
- Backyard sauna permits and the 200 square foot rule by city
- Backyard sauna permits in Little Rock, Portland ME, Sioux Falls, Billings, Omaha and more
- Hot tub and cold plunge permits in Columbus, Milwaukee, Louisville and Kansas City
- Cold plunge chiller size: 1/2 HP vs 1 HP
- Sauna heater breaker and wire size
- Indianapolis hot tub permits: the 30 inch and 15 foot rule
Frequently asked questions
Is a backyard sauna exempt from a building permit in Des Moines?
The city's shed handout exempts sheds up to 120 square feet, in the rear yard only, 5 feet from side and rear lot lines and 3 feet from the house, anchored to the ground or a slab. The heater circuit still needs an electrical permit under Section 26-401, and a poured slab needs a permit and pre pour inspection.
Does Wichita's 200 square foot shed exemption cover a sauna?
Not cleanly. The Unified Building and Trade Code exempts accessory buildings up to 200 square feet in Wichita only if they have no utilities and get a location permit. An electric sauna has a heater circuit, so ask MABCD whether the building needs a permit as well as the electrical permit.
Does a cold plunge chiller need a mechanical permit in Wichita?
Not if it is self contained with 10 pounds of refrigerant or less, or driven by a motor of 1 horsepower or less, under Wichita's amended R105.2 in Ordinance 50-833.
What size tub is exempt from a structural permit in Indianapolis?
An above ground pool or hot tub 30 inches deep or less and 15 feet or less at its widest point. At 18 inches deep or less it also skips the improvement location permit. The city does not name cold plunges, so confirm at 317.327.8700.
Who can wire a sauna in Indianapolis?
The city's homeowner permit guide says electrical permits are pulled by a licensed contractor. In Wichita, a homeowner may do the work after filing a Homeowner Declaration Form and passing the MABCD homeowner exam.
How do I drain a cold plunge in Des Moines, Wichita or Oklahoma City?
Des Moines: chlorine below 0.1 mg/L and pH 6.5 to 8.5, then a house drain or at least 15 feet of grass at about 12 gallons a minute. Wichita, under KDHE guidance: sanitary sewer if allowed, otherwise stop sanitizer 3 to 4 days and spread slowly on a lawn. Oklahoma City: let it stand untreated 7 to 10 days, test, then grass or sanitary sewer; storm drain fines run $200 to $1,000 a day.
What does an 8 kW sauna cost to run in these cities?
At statewide EIA averages, twelve one hour sessions a month at full heater draw (96 kWh) cost up to about $16.38 in Iowa, $14.85 in Kansas, $14.23 in Oklahoma and $16.34 in Indiana. Real use is lower once the heater cycles.
Keep reading
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