Where can you put a hot tub?
The One Model needs a base at least 86 by 86 inches, a way in at least 42 inches wide, 90 inches clear overhead and its own 240V, 50-amp circuit. For a deck, patio stones, pavers, gravel or a garage, raise it on the video call before you order.
What does the One Model need from its spot?
Start with the numbers the tub itself sets. The One Model needs a base at least 86 by 86 inches, with 18 inches clear on every side. It needs room of 96 inches side to side and 100 inches front to back.
It also needs a way in. The gate opening must be at least 42 inches wide, and the route needs 90 inches clear overhead. Good Hot Tubs checks all of this with you on a video call before you order.
- A base at least 86 by 86 inches
- 18 inches clear on every side of the base
- Room of 96 inches side to side and 100 inches front to back
- A gate opening of at least 42 inches
- 90 inches clear overhead
- A dedicated 240V, 50-amp circuit from a licensed electrician
Can you put a hot tub on a deck?
A deck is a structure, and it has to carry the tub. The City of Nanaimo's deck guide requires a structural engineer for a deck that supports a hot tub, with sealed plans and letters of assurance. Check with your own municipality or regional district for the rules where you live.
If your deck already exists, ask your municipality or regional district what it needs before you plan around it. A tub going onto a deck also needs a crane, which you hire and pay for directly.
Can you put a hot tub on patio stones, pavers, gravel or interlock?
It depends on the ground under the surface. Good Hot Tubs has not released a list of accepted surfaces or the tub's weight yet.
The video call before you order looks at what you have. Ask on the call whether your surface can serve as the base or whether you need a new pad, which averages $500 to $1,000 on the Island.
Take photos of the surface from two sides, and note what you know about how it was built. Bring both to the video call. The more the team can see, the sooner you get a clear answer for your yard.
Can you put a hot tub in a garage or indoors?
The tub still needs the same base, the same room and the same dedicated circuit, and it still has to get through the door. If you are thinking of an indoor spot, say so on the video call before you order.
Measure the door width and the height of any doorway on the route, and bring those numbers to the call. They matter because the tub has to get to its spot.
How does the One Model handle the site check?
The video call does the measuring with you. Before you order, the team looks at your yard with you and covers the base, the room around the tub, the way in and the overhead. It also shows whether the tub needs a crane. That is the case if the tub has to go over a fence, up or down a slope the dolly cannot handle, onto a deck or over the house.
Standard delivery wheels the tub to your pad on a dolly and a cart. If a crane is needed, you hire the crane company and pay it directly, and Good Hot Tubs helps you find one and plans the delivery day.
What should you do before you pick a spot?
Walk the route from the gate to the spot, and measure it. Look up, because a branch or an eave can take away your 90 inches. Think about where the circuit will run from your electrical panel, because a licensed electrician installs it, and the work averages $1,500 to $2,000 on Vancouver Island.
Then bring the spot to the video call. A photo and your measurements are enough to start. A sketch of the yard helps too, with the gate, the spot and the electrical panel marked. The team does the rest with you.
Questions
Can you put a hot tub on a deck?
The City of Nanaimo's deck guide requires a structural engineer for a deck that supports a hot tub. A tub going onto a deck also needs a crane, which you hire and pay for directly.
Can you put a hot tub on gravel?
Raise it on the video call before you order, and ask whether gravel can serve as the base or whether you need a new pad.
Can you put a hot tub on patio stones or pavers?
Raise it on the video call before you order, and ask whether your stones or pavers can serve as the base.
Can you put a hot tub in a garage?
Raise it on the video call before you order. The tub still needs the same base, the same room and the same dedicated circuit.
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.