How to Build a Yurt Platform: A Step-by-Step Guide
A yurt is only as good as the floor it stands on. The platform carries the weight of the structure, the furniture and the snow on the roof, keeps the floor dry, and gives the wall fabric a clean edge to drain over. Our yurts do not come with a platform, so this guide explains how one is built, what to plan before you start and the mistakes to avoid. Use it alongside our free platform plans for the 16', 20', 24' and 30' models.
Platform vs Deck: What's the Difference?
A yurt platform looks like a deck, but it works more like the floor of a house. A deck has gaps between the boards so water drains through. A platform has a tight surface, usually tongue-and-groove boards or plywood, because it is the interior floor of your yurt. It is also round, cut to the exact diameter of the yurt, so the wall fabric can hang just past the edge and shed rain to the ground. If you want a porch, build it as a separate deck a few inches lower than the platform, so it never traps water against the wall.
Before You Build
Check the rules
In many towns the yurt itself may be treated differently from a permanent building, but the platform is a structure and often needs approval. Call your building or zoning office before you buy lumber. Our permit and zoning guide lists the questions to ask.
Choose and prepare the site
Pick a spot that is as level as possible, drains well and has room around the yurt for snow to slide off the roof. Clear brush, roots and debris from the footprint plus a few feet beyond. Our guide to choosing a yurt site covers sun, wind and access in detail.
Decide on the height
A low platform close to the ground is simpler and uses less material. A higher platform, around 18 to 24 inches, gives you room to run plumbing and wiring underneath, keeps the floor away from ground moisture and makes it easier to insulate. On a sloping site, one side will naturally be higher than the other.
Materials and Tools
The exact list depends on your model and plan, but most platforms use:
- Footings: concrete piers, precast pier blocks or helical piles, sized for your soil and frost depth.
- Pressure-treated posts and beams for the substructure.
- Joists, typically 2x6 or 2x8 lumber depending on span.
- Decking: tongue-and-groove boards or exterior-grade plywood.
- Rigid foam insulation and a vapor barrier if you plan to use the yurt in winter.
- Structural fasteners, joist hangers and construction adhesive.
- A string line, stakes, a long level or laser level, a circular saw and a jigsaw.
Step-by-Step: Building the Platform
Step 1: Lay out the footings
Drive a center stake, then use a string the length of the platform radius to mark the circle on the ground. Lay out the footing locations from your plan, usually in a grid under the beams. Double-check all measurements; footings in the wrong place are hard to fix later.
Step 2: Install the footings
For year-round use in New England, footings should extend below the local frost line so the platform does not heave in winter. Your building department can tell you the required depth. Set each footing and bring the tops to the correct height so the beams will be level.
Step 3: Set posts and beams
Attach posts and beams to the footings with proper connectors. Check level along every beam and across the whole grid. A platform that is out of level makes the yurt wall uneven and can stress the door frame.
Step 4: Frame the joists
Lay joists across the beams at the spacing your plan specifies, then add blocking around the perimeter so there is solid wood under the edge of the circle. The perimeter is where the lattice wall sits, so it must be well supported all the way around.
Step 5: Insulate (optional but recommended)
If you will use the yurt in cold weather, fit rigid foam between the joists before the decking goes on, and seal it against air movement. A cold floor is one of the most common winter complaints in yurts, and it is much easier to solve now than later.
Step 6: Install the decking
Fasten the tongue-and-groove boards or plywood over the joists, letting the boards run past the circle for now. Stagger the joints and keep the surface flat and tight.
Step 7: Cut the circle
Return to your center point, screw a pivot to it and use a string or a stick with a pencil to scribe the exact diameter of your yurt. Cut along the line with a jigsaw or circular saw. Take your time: the circle must match the yurt diameter precisely so the wall and fabric fit correctly.
Step 8: Seal the edge
Protect the cut edge of the decking from weather. Many builders add a strip of flashing or a membrane around the perimeter so water running down the wall fabric drips clear of the platform rather than wicking into the edge.
Simple vs Oversized Platforms
Our plans come in two versions. A simple platform is just the circle. An oversized platform extends past the yurt on one side to create a porch or landing at the door. If you choose the oversized option, remember to keep the deck surface lower than the yurt floor and leave a gap so water can drain. You can see examples on our platform plans page.
Plan Utilities Before the Decking Goes On
Decide where the kitchen, bathroom, stove and outlets will go before you close up the floor. Mark where pipes and wires will come up through the platform, and keep them away from the perimeter where the lattice wall sits. If you plan a wood stove, mark its location so you can order the stove pipe outlet in the right place.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Building the platform a different diameter than the yurt. Measure twice against your model's specifications.
- Skipping frost-depth footings on a year-round yurt, which can lead to a heaving, uneven floor.
- Weak perimeter framing where the wall sits.
- Attaching a deck at the same height as the floor, which traps water at the base of the wall.
- Forgetting insulation until after the yurt is up.
Inspection Before Raising Day
Before we raise a yurt on a platform built without our help, the platform needs to pass an inspection. That protects you: a well-built floor means the wall, rafters and fabric sit exactly as designed. If you would like help planning or building your platform, contact us.
Conclusion
A solid, level, well-drained platform is the foundation of a yurt that lasts for decades. Start with the right site and permits, build footings for your climate, frame a strong perimeter, insulate if you will stay through the winter, and cut the circle to the exact diameter. Download the platform plans for your model, and when the floor is ready, it is time to raise your yurt.
Plan Your Yurt with White Mountain Yurts
Every White Mountain Yurt is hand-built in New Hampshire. Compare our 16' to 30' yurt models, see the standard and optional features, or price your yurt in the online calculators.