What does hot tub removal involve?
Hot tub removal starts after the tub is drained and the power is disconnected at the breaker by an electrician. Our crew then decides whether the spa can leave in one piece or needs to be cut apart. A tub that can reach the truck on a flat path goes out whole on dollies. A tub on a raised deck or behind a narrow gate gets cut into sections with a saw so we can carry the pieces out by hand.
We take the shell, the cabinet, the cover and the steps, and we sweep up the fiberglass dust and foam when we are done. If the deck boards or framing around the tub are rotted, we can pull them and haul them too. That kind of teardown falls under our deck and remodel debris hauling.
When is it time to remove a hot tub?
- The tub leaks or will not heat, and repair quotes are high.
- It has sat unused for years and the cover is waterlogged and falling apart.
- You are selling the house and buyers see it as a liability.
- The deck under it is sagging or rotting.
- You want the space for a patio or a garden.
Why do hot tubs fail and become so hard to move?
Hot tubs fail because pumps and heaters wear out, and freeze damage finishes off many of them. Winters here are mostly mild, but hard freezes do happen, and a tub left full without power can crack its lines in a single cold night. Covers soak up rain and snowmelt until they are too heavy to lift. The tub itself is hard to move because it is a big rigid box of fiberglass and foam that often weighs 500 pounds or more even when empty. On the hilly lots common around town, spas were often set on decks built out over a slope, which leaves no easy path to the street.
What affects the cost of hot tub removal?
- Size. A two-person spa is less work than an eight-person tub with a lounger.
- Access. Gates, stairs, slopes and raised decks decide whether we cut the tub apart.
- Cutting and teardown. Sectioning a tub adds labor and cleanup time.
- Extras. Old deck boards or a gazebo add to the load.
Because access matters so much, we usually give hot tub estimates on site or from several photos showing the path from the tub to the driveway.
Should you repair an old hot tub or remove it?
Repair is worth it when the problem is a single part on a tub that is otherwise sound, like a heater element or a control board. Removal usually makes more sense when the shell is cracked, the cabinet frame has rotted, the foam insulation is soaked, or the tub has not run in years. Once water gets into the foam, the tub loses heat fast and costs more to run every month.
Hot tub removal FAQs
Do I need to drain the hot tub first?
Yes. Please drain the hot tub a day or two before removal and have an electrician disconnect the power. Let the chemicals fade first, then drain onto the lawn away from storm drains so treated water does not run to the creek.
Can you get a hot tub out of a fenced backyard?
Usually, yes. If the spa will not fit through the gate, we cut it into sections and carry the pieces out. Occasionally a fence panel needs to come off, and we will talk that through with you first.
Will you remove the concrete pad under the hot tub?
A concrete pad is a separate job from hot tub removal. Tell us about it when you call, and we will tell you honestly whether we can break it up or whether you need a concrete contractor.
What happens to the hot tub after removal?
We strip out the metal parts, like the pump motor and heater, for scrap recycling. The fiberglass shell and foam go to disposal, since there is no practical way to recycle them.
If the tub sits near other old structures, like a rotten gazebo or a leaning storage building, we can handle old outbuildings in the backyard on the same trip.
Ready to get that dead spa off your deck?
Call (870) 726-4780 for a free hot tub removal estimate, or send photos of the tub and the path to the driveway through the form.