Hot Tub Removal: What It Takes and What It Fills

A hot tub is one of the most common single-item removals we get asked about, and one of the most underestimated. It is not the weight — it is the size, the shell, and the fact that it has to be cut down before it goes anywhere.

The steps

1. 1**Disconnect the power.** A hot tub is hardwired to a dedicated circuit with a disconnect. This is electrical work and it should be done properly and safely — shut off the breaker at minimum, and have an electrician disconnect it if you are not certain.
2. 2**Drain it.** A typical tub holds several hundred gallons. Use the drain valve and a hose, and direct it somewhere that can take the volume without flooding a neighbor or a garden bed. This takes hours, so start early.
3. 3**Remove the cover** and set it aside — it goes in the trailer separately and it is bulkier than it looks.
4. 4**Strip the cabinet.** The wood or synthetic skirt panels come off and stack flat.
5. 5**Remove the equipment.** Pump, heater, blower and plumbing. Much of this is metal and worth separating for scrap.
6. 6**Cut the shell.** This is the part people do not anticipate. An acrylic shell with a fiberglass backing has to be cut into sections with a reciprocating saw to be movable and loadable.

Cutting the shell

Practical notes:

• Wear eye protection, a dust mask and gloves. Cutting fiberglass produces sharp dust and splinters that get into everything.
• Long-sleeved clothing you do not care about.
• Cut from the top down into manageable panels — quarters or smaller.
• Support the sections so they do not pinch the blade or drop on you.
• Expect it to take longer than you think and to make a mess of the surrounding area.

How much of a trailer it uses

Cut into sections and stacked, a typical residential hot tub uses roughly a third to a half of a 10-yard trailer, including the cover, cabinet panels and equipment.

That means there is usually room for the rest of a yard or patio cleanout in the same load, which is how most people do it — the tub plus the deck it was sitting on, plus whatever else has accumulated.

A larger swim spa is a different proposition and will use most or all of a trailer on its own.

What comes with it

A hot tub removal usually turns out to be a patio project:

• The deck or platform it sat on
• Surrounding pavers or concrete, which is heavy material — keep it shallow
• Screening, privacy panels or landscaping around it
• The old electrical run, if it is being removed

What cannot go in

Nothing about a hot tub is prohibited once it is drained and cut down. The one thing to keep out is any chemical — chlorine, bromine, shock, pH adjusters and cleaning products all count as household hazardous waste and need a proper drop-off. Our guides cover the alternatives.

If you would rather not

Cutting up a hot tub is a genuinely unpleasant Saturday. We also do junk removal at an hourly rate with a four-hour minimum, and single-item pickups at a flat rate — call (727) 779-8919 and we will tell you which makes more sense for your situation.