How Much Space Do I Need for a Hot Tub?

You see your backyard. You know you want a hot tub. It can go in any of five different spots. But which one is best? How much room do you need?

You’re not the first to ask this question: We get it frequently at Hydropool. Here’s the answer:

When determining the space needed for a hot tub, the quick answer is that you require the size of the hot tub plus two to three feet around each side. This is so you leave sufficient room for servicing and accessing the hot tub in the future, so that people can get in and out of the hot tub easily and so that you have space for your hot tub cover.  

So if you’re buying a hot tub that is 8x8, you will want a space that is at least 10x10 and really 11x11 is best.

In this article, we will walk you through the steps about what you need to install a hot tub and offer our best suggestions on what order to do things. You’re smart to start here! Figuring out your space makes the most sense when buying a hot tub, because if you don’t have the space, you’re not getting one are you?

In this article, we will cover:

• What space do you need for a hot tub?
• Where is the best place to put a hot tub?
• What’s the ideal order of steps to buy a hot tub?
• What base you need for a hot tub?
• What electrical you need for a hot tub?
• How to get your hot tub delivered?

Hopefully, by the end you’ll have a good sense of what you need for backyard spacing with your hot tub.

 

 

What Space Do You Need for Your Hot Tub?

You require the size of the hot tub plus at least two to three feet around each side. Hydropool’s bestselling hot tub is the, and it is 80” wide and 80” deep. That means you’ll want at least 104” at an absolute minimum and 116” all the way around would be ideal. 

What is the Best Place to Put a Hot Tub?

Deciding where to locate your hot tub can be one of the most important decisions you need to make before making your purchase. Most commonly, people choose to place a hot tub on a deck, patio, in their backyard or indoors. When considering a location, here are a few key items you need to consider:

• Is there enough space for people to walk around, enter and exit the hot tub?
• Is there adequate space for a technician to be able to access the hot tub’s components to inspect or repair the unit? (Around two to three feet on each side).
• Is there space to place the hot tub cover when not in use?
• Is there sufficient space for any landscaping, seating or side tables you’ll want for items such as towels, glasses or books?

These issues remain in place whether your hot tub is placed inside.

If you decide to have your hot tub in the ground, or surrounded by a deck, you still require a two-to-three-foot area around the hot tub built into your plan. Otherwise, you will have to remove your hot tub every time it requires servicing, which is impractical. This is typically solved by building a concrete box underground that surrounds your hot tub while still allowing appropriate drainage.

Hot tubs in-ground require a concrete wall around them, big enough to allow access on all sides. This can be hidden by decking such as the case with this Hydropool Signature model shown here.

And then you have to deal with location!

Where is the Best Place to Put Your Hot Tub?

Since we’re in Canada, the best place to put it is always going to be the closest spot to an inside door that you can. Using your hot tub in the winter can be a truly wonderful experience but our best advice is that you will still want that last walk inside to remain as short as possible.  

What the Ideal Planning Order When Buying a Hot Tub?

There are several ways to approach buying a hot tub. Space is a very important one. So if you have a small backyard or if the space you have available is at a premium, then space is going to be your first priority.

After that, you want to choose your hot tub. How much room you have matters, and how many people are going to use it is your second criteria. In general, we advise you to buy a hot tub with room for how many people are going to use it most often, plus two more.

After that, you need to decide if you want a lounger or not. You may want to come into a store to try out a lounger.

Then it’s price. Since hot tubs vary on price from $1000 to an inflatable to $20000 for a 10-person acrylic unit, you have a lot of choice here.

Lastly, you need to decide on specific options, such as specific jets or cleaning elements, if those matter to you.

What Base Do You Need With a Hot Tub?

You need a base that is flat, level and will stay that way. That typically means a deck, concrete pad over a pounded gravel base or pavers on top of compacted gravel. You can read more about this here.

What Electrical Do You Need for Your Hot Tub?

That will depend on what hot tub you buy. Plug and play hot tubs require a 110V plug in, which is a standard North American plug-in. They do lack the power though to run the jets and the heater at the same time. That makes them a great buy in the hot desert heat of Houston, but less of a viable option in Saskatoon (at least if you intend to use the hot tub in the winter at all).

Most hot tubs are 220V hot tubs (this is the only kind Hydropool sells). These need to be hardwired by a professional electrician.

How Much Space Do You Need to Get Your Hot Tub Delivered?

Hot tub delivery depends a lot on where you buy your hot tub. If you buy it at a local retailer, delivery is often included if it’s less than an hour away and they will remove the packaging and place the hot tub where you intend to keep it. If you buy from a big box retail store, they often leave them on your front yard, and you have to figure out how to get into the proper location. This is the kind of thing you will want to make sure you understand before you agree to purchase any hot tub.

In terms how much space you need for delivery, you need to ensure you have 40” of space for any hot tub and at eight feet of height, all the way to the delivery area. Any local retailer will offer a site inspection pre-delivery if there are any concerns here.  

If you have special circumstances, such as a condo balcony delivery, that’s the kind of thing always best determined with a local retailer.

How Much Space Do You Need for a Hot Tub?

Here is the summation of our best advice:

• As a general rule you need two to three feet all the way around each side of any hot tub you’re considering.
• You’re going to want to have it placed as close to a door as you can.
• You’re going to need 40” of space and eight feet in height all the way to the hot tub so you can have it delivered.

We hope that helps you figure out what kind of space you need to figure out the size of the hot tub you’re looking for. And we hope we answered all your questions here about hot tub space requirements. But if we missed anything, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here.