The new church in Saltdal was positioned on the west bank of Saltdalselva (the River Saltdal) during the 1860s, where it now lies on a little wooded rise at the head of an otherwise level valley. The church is build of timbers from the Saltdal woods, with interior and exterior panelling. It is a long church with a consequently narrow choir to the east and with sacristies in the corners between the nave and the choir. At the west end there is a high tower with a spire and the main entrance at the foot of the tower.

The church has evident neo-Gothic stylistic features, such as its elevated form and pointed windows. The building’s exterior has a highly thought-through and consistent level of detail in the panelling architecture – panels, windows, frames, cornices and gable boards rising up to form an overall unity. The elevated windows, finished off with a pointed upper edge, and especially their small diagonally-shaped panes, are distinctive.

In spite of restoration works and improvements over the years, the exterior of the building has changed little in its appearance, both as a whole and in detail. There have been greater changes inside, where the light, unpainted panelled walls are estranged from neo-Gothic ideals.