When purchasing a used hot tub there are a handful of costs outside of just paying for the tub itself. You may want to negotiate some of these costs with the seller so that you don’t have to burden them all yourself. The price estimates below are only a range and can vary depending on where you live.
- Disconnecting Electrical – If the hot tub you are purchasing has a 220-240v electrical hookup (most do) then it requires shutting the hot tub off at the breaker and safely disconnecting the four wires from the control box inside the hot tub. You may also have to remove a fair amount of conduit as well. This step should be done by a licensed electrician for safety and reliability reasons. Most licensed electrician will charge between $150-200 for this service.
- Removal, Transporting, and Delivery – Removing a hot tub from a seller’s backyard can be tricky depending on access and location. Hot tub companies can use three professional hot tub movers, a forklift, specialized dolly, or sometimes a crane truck to get hot tubs in and out of backyards. Once the hot tub is removed then it is placed on a flatbed truck or trailer and transported to the next location for delivery. The delivery process is very similar to the removal process. Fees for these services can range between $300-$1000 depending on the nature of the removal and delivery. Fees are also calculated based on the distance traveled between the pickup location and delivery location.
Note: Although it may be possible to move and transport the hot tub yourself you may risk injury to yourself and damage to the hot tub. Older hot tubs can be very challenging to move because the cabinets and frames can become brittle over time and can fall apart during the moving process. Internal equipment may also shift if dropped or bumped causing unnecessary damage. We would suggest using a professional moving company for that reason. - New Electrical Hookup – Once your hot tub is delivered and placed in the desired location in the yard then it will need an electrical hookup. Most hot tubs require a dedicated 220v/50amp electrical line run by a licensed electrician. Most electricians will charge between $900-$1300 for this service if it is fifty feet or less.
- Buyer’s Inspection – Although buyer’s inspections are not a requirement, we would advocate doing so to help put your mind at ease when purchasing a used hot tub. Having a qualified hot tub service professional come out and do a detailed inspection can uncover any issues going on with the tub or anticipated expenses coming down the road. Buyer’s inspection can run around $200 but can be a nice hedge against a potentially bad purchase.
- Purge & Sanitization – This is another optional but highly recommended expense because using someone else’s hot tub can be like using someone else’s toothbrush. Once you have the used hot tub delivered and the electrical hooked up it is wise to do a purge and sanitization. Basically, you want to fill the hot tub and run a heavy duty purge product through it which you can find at many local hot tub stores. The purge product is designed to run through jets and plumbing lines and remove any hair, oil, or other organic matter referred to as biofilm (biofilm builds up on the walls of the plumbing lines inside the hot tub). Once the purge product has circulated through the spa for the recommended time then tub can be drained and refilled. Depending on the cleanliness of the hot tub it may be wise do several spa purges. We would also recommend doing a sanitization in conjunction with this. A sanitization could be running bleach through the system or running a heavy amount of chlorine through the system and draining the spa. Once the purge and sanitization are complete then you can place brand new filters in the spa and fill it up with fresh water for heating and use. The cost for the purge products is around $100 and the process is something you can do yourself.
