8 Best Places to Buy a Yurt Kit


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Many people are considering yurts as a budget-friendly way to add extra sleeping space to an existing cabin or even for full-time living.  Yurts are popular for those seeking a minimalist lifestyle that is environmentally friendly.  With their minimalist design, they leave a smaller footprint on the environment and connect you to nature for an escape from our busy modern world.

The motivation to live in a yurt has increased with the high cost of owning a home.  Yurts provide shelter for a fraction of the cost of a traditional home – making them ideal if you are just starting out, need to add space, or are ready to downsize.

If you’ve never slept in a yurt, and want to experience it first hand, sites like Airbnb and Glamping Hub provide plenty of opportunities to rent one for a weekend getaway (or longer).

If you are ready to build or buy a yurt, check out the best companies offering an easier way to erect a yurt on your property with a kit that allows you to build a yurt within days.

Yurt Site

Of course, before you buy a yurt, you will need the site for it.  You could build a yurt on land you already own or lease as they’re relatively easy to move.  Unless they’re built on a foundation, yurts are generally considered temporary.  But you’ll want to check building codes in your area which can vary.

Things you’ll want to consider before building a yurt.  For the site of the yurt, it could be erected wherever there is enough space and ideally on a flat piece of land.   But you’ll also want to consider other factors including –

  • Permits – Check your local building codes to see whether you need planning permission to build a yurt. Codes vary by state and county so check first before planning.
  • Use – yurts can be used as an artists studio, meditation space, warming hut, guest house, or full-time home.  Consider how you’ll use the yurt in the long term so you build according to your needs.
  • Budget – there are many additional features you can add to a yurt – bathroom, kitchen, decks, lofts, and more.  Consider all the amenities you want for your total budget.
  • Access – Do you need access to the yurt year-round or just in summer.  If you’ll want access in the winter, is the road accessible?
  • Power/ Water– Does the site have access to water and power sources or will you have to bring that into the yurt.  Or are you planning to live off-grid?
  • Climate – depending on your location, the climate will dictate how you build your yurt in terms of heating and cooling, insulation, snow load, and wind resistance.
  • Sun/ Shade – you’ll want to consider how much sun and shade will hit the yurt. While solar heat is great for yurts, if they are in full sun they might just overheat.  Too much shade can result in it being too cold so ideally, a sun/shade mix will help keep the yurt the most comfortable.
  • Heat – if you need heat in the yurt, you have several options on how to heat including an electric space heater, wood, or propane stove.

Yurt Kits

If you have the site for your yurt and you’re ready to build, check out these companies that make it easy and affordable to build your very own yurt.


Colorado Yurt Company makes yurts from 16 to 30 feet in diameter.  All yurts come engineered for snow and wind.  Choose a basic package and then you can calculate total costs by adding your picks for insulation, dome, doors, windows, and fabric to customize your yurt.

 

Shelter Designs delivers hand-crafted yurts made in Montana and shipped to all 50 states.  They feature two models.  The Big Sky Yurt provides excellent quality at a reasonable price.  These large custom yurts range from 12’ all the way up to the epic 40’.  They come with plenty of standard features and many additional custom options to fit your needs.  The other model is the Eco-Yurt which is a unique handcrafted yurt that features lodgepole pine for the rafters and snow and wind legs, giving this sustainable yurt a rustic, log cabin feel.

Pacific Yurts, Inc. is the first modern yurt manufacturer in North American, making yurts since 1978. They are committed to sustainable practices, with a guarantee that at least 25% of the electricity they use comes from renewable wind power.  They use timber from companies certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

Blue Ridge Yurts is the leading supplier of yurts east of Mississippi and is a woman-owned business.  Each yurt can be customized to fit your needs with additions including high walls for lofted spaces.

Yurtz By Design is Canada’s number one yurt manufacturer that makes yurts perfect for year-round living.

 

Smiling Woods Yurts specialize in manufacturing round home kits that are custom-made to individual specifications.  Their focus is on the quality craftsmanship of their round homes that are designed with year-round living in mind.

Freedom Yurts are designed as one unit from the ground up including the yurt platform.  With their built-in platform system and simple, bolt-together design, 3-4 people can go from kit to Yurt in 3-5 days.

Rainier Outdoor established in 1896 specializes in selling handcrafted high-quality yurts.