Can my deck hold a hot tub?
Whether your deck can hold a hot tub depends on how the deck was built, and a structural engineer decides. In Nanaimo, the City's deck guide says a structural engineer will be required for the design and field review of deck structures supporting a hot tub.
How do you know if a deck can hold a hot tub?
A deck is built to carry people and furniture. A hot tub is a different load. The One Model holds 345 US gallons of water, and the weight of the tub, the water and the people in it all sit on one patch of deck for as long as the tub is there. You cannot tell by looking whether the posts, the framing and the footings can take that.
A structural engineer can tell you. The engineer looks at how your deck was built, works out what it can carry and puts the answer in writing. Ask for that before you order.
What does Nanaimo require for a deck under a hot tub?
The City of Nanaimo's deck guide has a short section called Hot Tubs on Decks. It says a structural engineer will be required for the design and field review of deck structures supporting a hot tub. It also calls for sealed plans from the engineer and two letters of assurance, one at application and one at completion.
The guide says the building owners are responsible for full compliance, so the planning is yours, and it is worth starting before you order. For any other town on the Island, check with your own municipality or regional district.
How much does the One Model weigh?
Good Hot Tubs has not released the One Model's weight yet. Until it does, you can give the engineer the facts that are known.
- The acrylic shell is 86 by 86 inches and the tub stands 38 inches high.
- The tub holds 345 US gallons, about 1,300 litres.
- The cover is 89 by 89 inches.
- The room needed around the tub is 96 inches side to side and 100 inches front to back.
How does the One Model handle a deck?
Standard delivery wheels the tub to your pad on a dolly and a cart. Getting a tub onto a deck needs a crane. You hire the crane company and pay it directly, and Good Hot Tubs helps you find one and plans the delivery day with the company you choose.
Before you order, the team looks at your yard with you on a video call. That call shows whether your yard needs a crane, so you know about the cost in advance. The crane company sets its own price.
What is the other option if the deck is not right?
The usual base for the One Model is a pad on the ground. The pad needs to be at least 86 by 86 inches with 18 inches clear on every side, and on Vancouver Island a pad usually costs $500 to $1,000.
A pad on the ground avoids the deck engineer, and it avoids the crane a deck needs. A fence, a slope the dolly cannot handle or going over the house can still call for one. Every One Model also needs a dedicated 240V, 50-amp circuit installed by a licensed electrician, which usually costs $1,500 to $2,000 on the Island.
In what order should you do things for a deck?
The order below keeps the steps in a sequence that avoids surprises. Each step needs an answer from the one before it.
- Ask your municipality or regional district what it requires for a hot tub on a deck.
- Ask a structural engineer to look at the deck and give you the limit in writing.
- Book the video call with the Good Hot Tubs team, so they see the yard and the route.
- Book the licensed electrician for the 240V, 50-amp circuit.
- Book the crane company, and tell Good Hot Tubs so the delivery day can be planned around it.
What should you ask before you put a hot tub on a deck?
Make a short list before you call anyone. The answers decide whether the deck works for the One Model or whether a pad is the simpler choice.
- Does my municipality require an engineer for a deck that supports a hot tub?
- Can an engineer look at my deck and put the limit in writing?
- Will a crane be able to reach the deck?
- Is there a gate or an opening at least 42 inches wide and 90 inches clear overhead if the tub is wheeled in?
Questions
Can you put a hot tub on a wooden deck?
It depends on how the deck was built. Nanaimo's deck guide says a structural engineer will be required for the design and field review of deck structures supporting a hot tub, so ask an engineer.
Can you put a hot tub on a raised deck?
A raised deck is still a deck, so the same engineer advice applies. A tub also reaches a deck by crane, and the video call before you order shows whether your yard needs one.
Do you need a permit to put a hot tub on a deck?
Nanaimo's deck guide asks for sealed engineer plans and letters of assurance for a deck that supports a hot tub. For any other address, check with your municipality or regional district.
Does a hot tub on a deck need a crane?
Yes. Getting the One Model onto a deck needs a crane. You hire the crane company and pay it directly, and Good Hot Tubs helps you find one.
Sources
General facts on this page come from these public sources. Facts about the One Model come from Good Hot Tubs.
- Deck Addition Guide with Sample Plans (PDF). City of Nanaimo.
Related answers
Is the One Model right for you?
Ten questions about your home and how you would use a hot tub. You see your result before you give any contact details, and you can ask for a test soak on Vancouver Island when you send it.