How to move a hot tub
Quick answer
Drain it completely, disconnect the power, and remove the cover. Then walk it onto an appliance dolly, tip it onto its side, and move it with four people minimum, using plywood over soft ground and ramps for any step. A filled hot tub weighs thousands of pounds, so it is only ever moved empty.
Moving a hot tub is heavy, awkward work, but it is a job a few strong people can do in an afternoon if the tub is drained and you have a dolly. The dangerous mistakes are trying to move it with water in it, skimping on people, and lifting with your back instead of your legs.
Before you move it
- Kill the power. Switch off the breaker for a wired tub and unplug a plug-in one. Do not skip this even to save a few minutes.
- Drain it fully. Open the drain, and use a submersible pump to clear the footwell. A "drained" tub still holds gallons in the plumbing and footwell, and that weight adds up. Confirm your filled weight with the weight calculator to appreciate why it must be empty.
- Let the plumbing drain and dry. Blow out or let the lines drain so trapped water is not sloshing (or, in winter, freezing) during the move.
- Remove the cover and loose parts. Take off the cover, steps, headrests, and anything that can shift, and move them separately.
Moving it
- Get enough hands. Four adults is the practical minimum for a standard tub; a large tub wants more. This is about control, not just strength.
- Slide a dolly under one side. With people lifting one edge, work an appliance dolly under the tub. Moving straps let two people share and steady the load safely.
- Tip it onto its side. A hot tub travels on its side, not flat, both to fit through gates and doorways and to keep it on the dolly. Measure your hot tub's dimensions against the narrowest gate or doorway on the route before you start. Pad the corners so the cabinet does not scuff or crack.
- Bridge soft ground and steps. Lay plywood sheets across grass or gravel so the dolly rolls, and use sturdy ramps for any step or curb. Never let the tub free-fall down a step.
- Load it on its side. Onto a trailer or truck bed, keep it on its side and strap it down. Do not lay it flat where the shell can flex and crack.
The gear that makes it safe
A heavy-duty appliance dolly and a set of moving straps turn a dangerous lift into a manageable roll. Rent or borrow if you will only do it once.
Get appliance dolly Get lifting and moving straps
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Getting rid of an old hot tub
If the plan is removal, not relocation, you have a few options, roughly cheapest to easiest:
- Sell or give it away. A working tub can find a taker on local classifieds, often on the condition that they haul it. This is the cheapest path and keeps it out of the landfill.
- Cut it up yourself. A drained tub can be broken down with a reciprocating saw into pieces that fit your normal waste or a rental dumpster. Check what your hauler accepts first, and wear eye and lung protection when cutting fiberglass and foam.
- Hire junk removal. A haul-away service will cut it out and take it, typically for somewhere in the low hundreds of dollars depending on access and size. This is the least effort and the most common choice for a dead tub.
Curbside pickup rarely takes a whole hot tub, so confirm with your municipality before you drag one to the curb. Access is the biggest cost driver either way: a tub behind a fence or up a flight of stairs costs more to remove than one beside the driveway.
Common questions
How much does a hot tub weigh to move?
Empty, a typical hard-side hot tub weighs roughly 500 to 900 pounds, which is why it needs a dolly and several people. Full, the same tub can top 3,000 to 6,000 pounds with water and bathers, so it is only ever moved drained. Check your own numbers on the filled weight calculator.
Can you move a hot tub on its side?
Yes, and you usually should. Moving it on its side helps it fit through gates and doorways and keeps it stable on a dolly. Pad the corners, and never lay it flat on a trailer where the shell can flex and crack.
How many people does it take to move a hot tub?
Four adults is the practical minimum for a standard tub, and a large one wants more. It is about control on ramps and corners as much as raw lifting, so do not attempt it shorthanded.
How much does hot tub removal cost?
A junk-removal service typically charges somewhere in the low hundreds of dollars to cut out and haul a dead tub, with price driven mostly by access and size. Cutting it up yourself for regular disposal costs only the blades and your time; giving a working tub away can cost nothing.
Related
- Hot tub sizes and dimensions, to check it clears your access path
- Filled weight calculator, so you know what you are dealing with
- How to drain and refill a hot tub
- Winterizing a hot tub, if it is going into storage