How Do You Get a Hot Tub Into Your Backyard?
You know where you want your hot tub to go. You have the budget figured out, and you even know the brand and model.
The catch is: How do I get this thing in my backyard?
We can help with that. Solving backyard deliveries is part of our regular work here at Hydropool, where we oversee delivering thousands of hot tubs each year. We know what can be done, what can’t and what you will need to get your hot tub where you want it to be.
Here’s the quickest answer we can give you: In most cases, hot tubs can be turned on their side and wheeled into place on a trolley. If you have a clear path to the final location of the hot tub that is 40” wide, deliveries can generally be made.
Chances are your particular situation has some sort of obstacle, or you wouldn’t be reading this article. We will go over the parameters of when we can make a delivery and what the various options are. So in this article, we will cover:
- How do you get a hot tub into your backyard?
- How much to install a hot tub in your backyard?
- Where to put a hot tub in your backyard?
- How to get privacy in your hot tub in your backyard?
Hopefully, by the end, you’ll have a solid sense of what you need to do to get the hot tub you want into your backyard so you can use it!
How Do You Get a Hot Tub Into Your Backyard?
In most cases, delivery is possible:
- as long as there is a clear path that is 40” wide. 40” is the magic number because the hot tubs are wrapped with about 2” of material and you still need space for hands and fingers while moving the hot tub.
- Note that a clear path is needed, not just a single 40” gap through a gate. 40” is required from the road to the backyard.
What happens if you don’t have a 40” clear path? In many cases various elements can get in the way such as:
- an AC unit
- a bay window
- a window well
- a gas meter
- a side exhaust
- flower beds
- steps
- overhangs
In almost all cases these situations can be overcome. The following solutions exist:
- Taking down part of a fence
- Going through the neighbour’s yard
- Going through an alley or other part of the yard than the driveway
- In some cases, ramps made out of 2x10’s can be quickly built and taken down to get over ground obstacles. This is tricky and situational though, as in most cases a hot tub needs to be balanced and supported – due to its weight, putting it on any kind of angle is dangerous, even for experienced delivery crews.
The last resort is a crane, which works in the most difficult situations. But even in Toronto, less than 1 in 100 deliveries use a crane – it’s quite rare.
What’s Our Best Tip to Have a Successful Hot Tub Delivery?
The best advice we can give you is to tell the delivery person everything you can before they show up. Obstacles can be overcome, but your delivery team needs to know before they show what the issues are if they are going to be most effective. Being honest and upfront is your best approach and let the experts take it from there: It’s what you’re paying them for, right?
How Much to Install a Hot Tub in Your Backyard?
This cost will fluctuate on circumstances, so it’s actually difficult to ballpark. A hot tub delivery can cost $500 Cdn, depending on where you live. There’s potentially a cost for travel time if you live more than an hour away from the delivery service, with rates varying across the country. If you buy from a local retailer, delivery is often negotiated into a sale price.
To install a hot tub requires an electrician in most cases. To see a full breakdown of the total cost of buying a hot tub, including installation, we encourage you to read this article.
Where to Put a Hot Tub in Your Backyard?
While one of the major advantages of portable hot tubs is that they can be located almost anywhere, it is often recommended that they are placed close to an entrance of your home. There are a number of reasons why this makes sense, a major one being that in winter weather, not many people want to trek across a snowy yard to take a soak.
Having your hot tub close to your home has a few advantages. On snowy, freezing days, bathers don’t need to be exposed to the harsh elements walking to and from the hot tub. Winter aside, a short walk can be much easier after dark.
On a more practical note, having your hot tub close to your home is convenient for the electrical and water source requirements. Chances are, you have a water outlet or garden hose near one of the entrances to your home, making it a perfect spot for your hot tub.
A few feet away from your home and a few feet away from your walkway is typically the ideal combination. Garden hoses can easily reach to fill with water and come time to drain, the water can be directed away from the foundation of your home.
How to Get Privacy in Your Hot Tub in Your Backyard?
You have several options to boost the privacy and seclusion level for your hot tub. Here are our backyard hot tub ideas:
- Temporary structures: This includes curtains, umbrellas, screens, or partitions. These are moveable elements that you can use to give you privacy and block the sun in some cases.
- Permanent structures: Gazebos, pergolas, fences, outdoor blinds or shades, or extensive rock water features would fit into this category and can all give you privacy.
- Plant structures: Trees, shrubs or hedges can all be planted around your hot tub.
Another advantage of these elements is that they will help protect your hot tub as well.
How Do You Get a Hot Tub Into Your Backyard?
After having been involved with thousands of hot tub deliveries at Hydropool, we can assure you that this is the golden rule: In most cases, a hot tub can be placed in a backyard if there is a 40” clear path to the desired location for the hot tub.
If you have that, chances are you’re in great shape.
If you have an element in your house or yard that makes that an issue, then there are still many options available to you.
We’d encourage you to speak directly to a local retailer, who can come out and asses the situation and give you advice. You can find the one closest to you here.
