Better Backyard Store — Shipping Policy

Better Backyard Store is an authorized dealer for the sauna, steam, and cold plunge brands we carry. Every unit ships factory-direct from the manufacturer or their US distribution center. Because saunas, heaters, plunge tubs, and hot tubs are large, heavy, and almost always shipped by freight carrier on a pallet, please read this Shipping Policy carefully before placing your order.

By placing an order on BetterBackyardStore.com, you acknowledge and agree to the terms outlined below.

Order Confirmation

Once your order is placed, you will receive an automated confirmation email verifying that your order has been received and your payment method has been pre-authorized.

After your order is placed, we contact the manufacturer or distributor to verify product availability and readiness for shipment.

If your item is in stock, your payment method will be charged and your order will be submitted for fulfillment, typically within 1–3 business days.

If your item is out of stock, backordered, discontinued, or otherwise unavailable, we will notify you by email. Your pre-authorization will be voided or refunded in full, and we may provide alternative product options when available.

Order Fulfillment & Shipment

Better Backyard Store works with manufacturers and their authorized distribution centers across the United States to ship sauna and wellness equipment directly to you.

Most in-stock orders ship within 3–5 business days after confirmed payment. Made-to-order saunas, custom-configured rooms, cut-to-size kits, and specialty items may require additional production time. Product-specific lead times, when available, will be listed on the product page or provided by our customer support team.

Once your order ships, you will receive a shipment notification email with the carrier name, tracking number, and available carrier contact information within 24 hours of your order leaving the warehouse.

If you have not received tracking information within 7 business days of placing your order, please contact us at info@betterbackyardstore.com.

Shipping Coverage

We currently ship within the contiguous United States only.

We do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, PO boxes, APO/FPO addresses, or international addresses at this time.

Some products may have additional delivery restrictions based on size, weight, carrier limitations, manufacturer policies, or delivery location. If your address may be outside a standard delivery area, please contact us before placing your order to confirm eligibility.

If our checkout system allows an address outside our standard shipping area to be entered, this does not guarantee that delivery is available. We reserve the right to cancel and refund any order that cannot be shipped to the address provided.

Shipping Methods & Cost

Standard curbside freight delivery is free on most orders unless otherwise stated on the product page.

Smaller items such as accessories, sauna stones, buckets and ladles, thermometers, aroma oils, and controls typically ship via UPS Ground, FedEx Ground, or a similar parcel carrier.

Larger items, including barrel and cabin saunas, indoor sauna kits and rooms, infrared cabins, electric sauna heaters, wood-burning sauna stoves, chimney and flue kits, cold plunge tubs, steam pods, and hot tubs, ship via LTL common carrier freight on a pallet.

Optional freight services, when available, may include:

Delivery Type	Cost	Notes
Curbside / Curb Drop	Free	Standard delivery method for most large items
Liftgate Service	Additional fee unless included	Required if no loading dock or forklift is available
Inside Delivery	Additional fee	Must be requested and approved before shipment

Estimated delivery time after shipment is typically 5–15 business days, depending on your location, the product, the manufacturer, and the freight carrier.

Site Readiness Before Delivery

Saunas and plunge tubs are equipment, not furniture. Before your delivery date, please confirm the following, because none of it is included with your shipment:

• The pad, deck, or floor at the installation site is level, well drained, and rated for the unit's weight. For cold plunge tubs and hot tubs, use the filled weight, not the dry weight.
• Any required electrical work has been quoted or scheduled with a licensed electrician. Most traditional electric sauna heaters require a dedicated 240V hardwired circuit sized to the heater's kW rating.
• Any required permits, inspections, or HOA approvals are in hand, particularly for outdoor structures, wood-burning appliances, and new electrical circuits.
• For wood-burning sauna stoves, the chimney or flue path and clearances to combustibles meet local code.
• You have the people and equipment on site to move the shipment from the curb to the installation location.

Better Backyard Store does not provide installation, assembly, electrical work, plumbing, foundation work, permitting, or contractor services. Delays, added costs, or delivery problems caused by an unprepared site are the customer's responsibility.

Freight & Residential Deliveries

Due to the size and weight of many of our products, most large orders ship via full-size freight truck, which may be up to a 42-foot semi-truck.

Please review the following before ordering:

Freight delivery is curbside by default. This means the carrier will deliver the order to the curb or end of your driveway. The driver is not required to bring items into your driveway, garage, backyard, home, or business.

Curbside delivery does not include unpacking, assembly, installation, electrical connection, debris removal, or moving the product away from the delivery point.

If your delivery address has limited access, including narrow roads, low-clearance areas, steep driveways, gated communities, dead-end streets, rural roads, islands, or areas where a large truck cannot safely enter or turn around, you must notify us at the time of order.

Any re-delivery fees, storage fees, limited access fees, address change fees, or additional carrier charges resulting from access issues, missed appointments, or incorrect delivery information may be the customer's responsibility.

For residential freight deliveries, the freight carrier will typically contact you to schedule a delivery appointment. Someone must be present to receive and inspect the shipment. We strongly recommend contacting the carrier to confirm your delivery appointment the day before your scheduled delivery.

For business deliveries with a loading dock, the receiving party should contact the carrier directly to coordinate delivery timing. The receiving party must be present when the truck arrives to avoid re-delivery charges.

Liftgate Service

Liftgate service may be included or available for an additional fee depending on the product, manufacturer, and carrier.

A liftgate lowers the item from the truck to the ground at the curb. Liftgate service does not include moving the product into your driveway, garage, backyard, home, or business.

If you do not have a loading dock or forklift, liftgate service may be required for large freight deliveries. If liftgate service is needed but was not selected, included, or paid for at the time of order, any additional carrier fees may be the customer's responsibility.

Delivery Timing Disclaimer

All shipping and delivery timeframes listed on our website, product pages, order confirmations, emails, or other communications are estimates only.

Better Backyard Store cannot guarantee specific shipping dates, delivery dates, or delivery time windows. Delivery times may vary due to carrier delays, weather, manufacturer production delays, high order volume, inventory changes, supply chain disruptions, holidays, remote delivery locations, or other circumstances outside our control.

For time-sensitive orders, including scheduled installations, contractor bookings, or remodeling projects, please order well in advance and contact us before purchasing to discuss product availability and estimated delivery timing.

Shipping Delays

If we cannot ship your order within the stated timeframe, we will contact you with an updated estimated shipping date.

You may choose to accept the delay or cancel your order for a full refund before the order has shipped.

Once an order has shipped, it cannot be canceled in transit unless approved in writing by Better Backyard Store. Any cancellation, refusal, return freight, or re-routing fees may be the customer's responsibility.

Inspecting Your Delivery — Very Important

All freight deliveries must be inspected at the time of delivery before the driver leaves.

Please complete the following steps before signing the Delivery Receipt or Bill of Lading:

1. Count all packages, boxes, crates, or pallets and verify them against the packing slip or delivery paperwork. Sauna kits frequently ship in multiple cartons, and the heater or stove is often a separate package.
2. Inspect the packaging for dents, punctures, crushed corners, tears, water damage, or signs of mishandling.
3. Remove protective wrapping when possible to check for visible product damage, particularly glass doors and panels.
4. Note any visible damage, missing items, or shortage directly on the Delivery Receipt or Bill of Lading.
5. Ask the driver to acknowledge or sign the damage notation when possible.
6. Take clear photos of the shipment, packaging, labels, pallet, and any damage before and after unloading.

Failure to note visible damage or shortages on the Delivery Receipt may limit our ability to file a freight claim or provide free replacement parts. Please inspect thoroughly before signing.

If Your Item Arrives Damaged

Do not refuse delivery unless the shipment is severely damaged, unsafe to unload, or we instruct you to do so.

If damage is present:

1. Accept the delivery and clearly note all damage on the Delivery Receipt or Bill of Lading.
2. Take detailed photos and video of the damage, packaging, shipping labels, and pallet.
3. Email info@betterbackyardstore.com within 48 hours of delivery.
4. Include your order number, photos, video if available, a description of the damage, and a copy or photo of the noted Delivery Receipt.
5. Keep the damaged product and packaging for up to 60 days, as the freight carrier may need to inspect or recover the item during the claims process.

Better Backyard Store will file a freight damage claim on your behalf and work with the manufacturer and carrier to arrange replacement parts, a replacement product, repair support, or another appropriate resolution.

Only one damage claim can typically be filed per shipment, so all damage, missing items, or delivery issues must be documented during the initial inspection.

Concealed Damage

Concealed damage is damage that is discovered after delivery and was not visible during the initial delivery inspection.

If concealed damage is discovered, please contact us at info@betterbackyardstore.com within 48 hours of delivery.

Your email should include:

• Your order number
• Photos of the damaged item
• Photos of the packaging
• Photos of the shipping labels
• A description of the issue

Concealed damage claims are time-sensitive and may be denied by the carrier or manufacturer if reported late. Please unpack and inspect your order as soon as possible after delivery, even if you do not plan to install immediately.

Missing Items or Shortages

If your shipment is missing boxes, panels, benches, heater components, hardware, stones, or other items, please note the shortage on the Delivery Receipt before signing.

Contact us at info@betterbackyardstore.com within 48 hours of delivery with your order number, photos of what was received, photos of the packaging and labels, and a description of the missing item or part.

We will work with the manufacturer to verify the shortage and arrange replacement parts or another appropriate resolution.

Delivery Refusal Policy

If you refuse a delivery for reasons not related to severe shipping damage or not agreed upon in writing by Better Backyard Store before delivery, you may be responsible for:

• Original outbound shipping costs
• Return freight charges
• Re-delivery fees
• Storage fees
• Carrier accessorial fees
• Any applicable restocking fees, up to 25% of the product value

Freight deliveries are curbside unless otherwise stated in writing. Refusing a shipment because the carrier will not deliver into a driveway, garage, backyard, home, or business does not qualify as an approved refusal.

We strongly encourage you to contact us at info@betterbackyardstore.com before refusing any shipment so we can assist you.

Missed Delivery Appointments

For freight deliveries requiring an appointment, the customer is responsible for being available during the scheduled delivery window.

If the carrier attempts delivery and no one is available to receive the shipment, or if the delivery cannot be completed due to incorrect information or access issues, any re-delivery fees, storage fees, or additional carrier charges may be the customer's responsibility.

Address Changes After Shipment

If you need to change your shipping address after placing an order, contact us immediately at info@betterbackyardstore.com.

Address changes cannot be guaranteed once an order has been submitted for fulfillment or shipped. If a carrier allows an address change after shipment, any re-routing fees, delay fees, or additional freight charges may be the customer's responsibility.

Lost Freight

In the rare event that a shipment is lost or misdirected by the carrier, the freight company may require up to 10 business days to locate the shipment before a formal loss claim can be filed.

Better Backyard Store will manage this process with the carrier and manufacturer on your behalf. Once the shipment is confirmed lost, we will work with the manufacturer to arrange a replacement, refund, or other appropriate resolution.

Customer Responsibilities

To help ensure a smooth delivery, customers are responsible for:

• Providing a complete and accurate shipping address
• Providing a valid phone number and email address for delivery coordination
• Notifying us of any limited access concerns before shipment
• Confirming that the installation site, electrical service, and any required permits are ready before delivery
• Being available for scheduled freight delivery appointments
• Inspecting the shipment before signing the Delivery Receipt
• Reporting damage, concealed damage, missing items, or shortages within 48 hours of delivery
• Keeping all packaging and damaged items during the claims process

Questions?

We're here to help.

For shipping questions, delivery concerns, damage reports, or order updates, please contact us at:

info@betterbackyardstore.com

(888) 739-3321

Monday – Sunday, 8am – 7pm PT. Our team will respond within 1 business day.