A hot tub that no longer gets used is a heavy, awkward object sitting in the backyard. The cover is rotting, the shell is cracked or leaking, or the pump has quit and the repair costs more than a replacement. Removing one is a day’s work done properly, but it is not a job for a pickup truck and two friends: a full tub can weigh several hundred pounds and the power and water both need to be dealt with first.
Toronto side yards and laneways have their own page: hot tub removal in Toronto.
Hot tub removal cost in Toronto and York Region
When the tub can be carried out whole, hot tub removal usually costs $400–$800. If access is tight, say a narrow side gate, steps, or no clear path to the driveway, and the tub has to be cut up first, it typically runs $700–$1,200. A tub that is built into a deck, where the deck has to come down as well, runs about $1,000–$2,500.
The things that change the price: the tub’s size and weight, the width of the gate, how far it is to the truck, whether the tub is on a pad or sunk into a deck, and how much deck material has to come out. Photos of the tub and the route out of the yard are usually enough for a written quote.
Whole or in pieces: how it gets out
Where we can, we take the tub out whole. The cover and steps are removed, the tub is tipped and moved onto a dolly or sled, and it goes out through the gate or across the lawn to the truck. This is the fastest and cheapest way.
When the gate is too narrow or the path has stairs, the tub is cut apart where it sits. The shell is acrylic or fibreglass, so it is cut into sections with a saw, and the cabinet and frame are taken apart. This takes longer, which is why the price is higher.
Either way, the pieces are loaded and hauled away the same visit, and the spot is left clear.
Electrical and water first
Two things have to be dealt with before the tub moves.
The electrical. Most hot tubs are wired directly, on a 240-volt circuit. A licensed electrician has to disconnect that circuit and cap it before we begin. We do not do electrical work, but we coordinate the timing with your electrician so the power is already off when we arrive.
The water. A full tub holds hundreds of gallons. It is drained slowly first, onto your own lawn or to the sanitary sewer, depending on the volume and the water chemistry. We plan it with you at the quote. It never goes onto the street, into a storm drain or onto a neighbour’s property.
Only after both are done do the pump, heater and plumbing come out.
Built-in hot tubs and decks
A lot of hot tubs are sunk into a deck or surrounded by a platform. In that case the tub cannot come out until some of the deck does. We take the deck apart around it, lift the tub out, and either clear the entire deck or leave the remaining framing, depending on what you want. If the whole deck is going, see our deck and fence removal page for how that job works.
If the hot tub is the only thing you want gone, say so. Sometimes the cheapest answer is to take out the tub and patch the deck, and we will tell you straight if that is the case.
If you also have an above-ground pool in the yard, we can quote both together. See our above-ground pool removal page.
Hot tub removal across Toronto and York Region
We take on hot tub removal across Toronto and York Region from our Thornhill base. Send photos of the tub and the way out of the yard and we will quote from those.