How much does a good hot tub cost in 2018? There are many factors that influence the price of a hot tub. In most cases you won’t see pricing on a hot tub manufacturer’s website because they can vary dramatically based on quality, size, and features. The lack of advertised pricing can be frustrating for some but hot tub shopping requires a fair amount of probing and research to understand what you are getting for the money.
Below are the most important factors to consider before purchasing.
1. Hot Tub Size, Shape, and Design – price is driven to some extent by size and shape. As a general rule a smaller hot tub can be less expensive than a larger hot tub. The industry makes some standard sizes and shapes which are 5’x7’, 7’x7’, and 8’x8’. These are the three most common sizes and prices vary based on these respective sizes. There are some other tween sizes available on the market, however, they aren’t as common. Furthermore, unique designs and shapes can also dictate price. Linear shapes like squares and rectangles are most common. Curved shapes with unique design elements can be more expensive because they typically cost more to produce.
2.Engineering & Quality – for the lay person it can be very difficult to discern a good quality hot tub from a bad one because they all look relatively similar at a glance and they all seem to do the same thing with regard to hot water and jets. It takes a deeper look to really start seeing and understanding the quality and engineering difference. A Hyundai Sonata and Lexus IS250 are both four door sedans in the same class, however, there are some major differences under the hood that make one vehicle start at $20,000 and the latter to start at $38,000. At double the price the Lexus affords boasts better engineering and an overall better driving experience. The same can be said for a hot tub. Better engineering results in a quieter hot tub, more energy efficient, more therapeutic, more performance, and more feature rich. All of these things provide a nicer bather experience which means more usage.
Good engineering also goes hand in hand with quality materials and components that will withstand the test of time and the elements since a hot tub is typically placed outdoors during its lifetime. Buying a higher quality, more durable hot tub may cost more upfront but can save money down the road with costly and untimely repairs.
3. Location, Overhead, and Services – freight costs and economic conditions vary from one big city to the next…things like proximity from the dealer to the hot tub manufacturer come in to play or labor costs (wages). Essentially, the same hot tub make and model can have different pricing from one city/state to the next. The other variable driving hot tub prices is dealer overhead. Some hot tub stores are mom and pop type operations with limited hours, staff, and services which allows them to sell the same hot tub for less than another dealer with a larger staff, in-house service and repair department, in-house delivery team, and a larger, more elegant showroom. Additionally, one dealer may offer additional white glove services like installation and first time setup while another dealer (less expensive) might not. This may include delivery to the exact location (versus curbside), installing accessories such as cover lifts, filling up the hot tub, and giving the consumer an orientation on how to operate the hot tub. Some dealers go as far as providing the initial water balancing, larger startup kit, and a chemical maintenance education. There is no right or wrong way to package a hot tub from dealer standpoint as many consumers don’t want to pay for the additional services and some do. It’s important to consider that if you are a buyer who wants the full service experience to ask these questions during the buying process.
For more information visit our hot tub buyer’s guide pages. Also, click on the pink boxes and complete our free local quote form to get competitive prices from local dealers in your area.
