hot tub pricing

[Charlie Bob]

the last Hot tub i installed was about 5 or 6 month ago. That particular install took:
- about 2 hours first day ( wnet to look at it, made material list )
- 2 hours (get all the material)
- 6 hours installation ( me and helper)

I think the total came up to $1,290.00, materials and labor.

I have another install coming up, i haven't been able to look at the particular installation yet, but i was wandering if you all have a hot tub fixed rate or ball park figure.
I know i'll be asked and i don't really know what others are charging for that around the area.

Thanks.

[Buck Parrish]

No, some are easy to access the route to the electrical panel, some are not.

[Minuteman]

For a basic install, I get $375 + $5.50 per foot. But like Buck said, some are easier than others. Any digging is extra.

[jjhoward]

Please define what your hot tub is.
Is this a spa thingy outside with heaters, blowers, lights?

Or is this a bubble type tub in a bathroom?

[Charlie Bob]

yeah, that's why i always tell them i can tell them a price till i see it first.
But for all the work involve, is it fair to say, anywhere between $ 1100-1500.?

[Charlie Bob]

Please define what your hot tub is.
Is this a spa thingy outside with heaters, blowers, lights?

Or is this a bubble type tub in a bathroom?

It's not whirpool, it's a spa on a patio. Involving all NEC requirements. (but like i said i don't know the particular details about this one yet, sorry)

[jjhoward]

I have seen some hot tub things (spas) that require 60 amp feeds.
There are few manufactures that offer a 60 amp "spa box".
Don't forget the 120V receptacle required for maintenance.

[jjhoward]

If they have not built the platform yet, ask them if they are pouring concrete.

If there is new concrete you need to get a solid #8 on the re-bar for the equipotential plane.

[brantmacga]

my average hot tub install takes 2.5 man hours and costs $950; that's average. Average material cost is $300. two hours to estimate and two hours to get materials seems like an awfully long time. I would work on my estimating time; knock it down to 30 minutes or less. I'll call in any materials I need so its ready when I get to the supply house; just sign and go.

But I also do more than one every six months so I've got a lot of reps in.

[Charlie Bob]

my average hot tub install takes 2.5 man hours and costs $950; that's average. Average material cost is $300. two hours to estimate and two hours to get materials seems like an awfully long time. I would work on my estimating time; knock it down to 30 minutes or less. I'll call in any materials I need so its ready when I get to the supply house; just sign and go.

But I also do more than one every six months so I've got a lot of reps in.

well the estimating and material time includes travel time.
this is a very small time, and 40 min driving one way to estimate and get materials is not uncommon.
I guess the down side of good ol' country living.:)

[Charlie Bob]

I have seen some hot tub things (spas) that require 60 amp feeds.
There are few manufactures that offer a 60 amp "spa box".
Don't forget the 120V receptacle required for maintenance.


That's why i don't price till i see them.

[jjhoward]

Brantmacga, that sounds very fast and very tight price.
The spa box is over $100, the DP GFI is over $100 and then there are many feet of #6, liquid tight, the DP breaker in the main panel in the house.

We fight with these things. Often it is two trips since we may run the liquid tight before the decking or concrete is put in place.

We recently installed a unit that was totally full of foam between the tub and the sides.

No room at all for the wiring. They had installed a run of PVC from one side of the unit to the control panel. Unfortunately it was on the wrong side of the unit for us.:mad:

[brantmacga]

Brantmacga, that sounds very fast and very tight price.
The spa box is over $100, the DP GFI is over $100 and then there are many feet of #6, liquid tight, the DP breaker in the main panel in the house.

We fight with these things. Often it is two trips since we may run the liquid tight before the decking or concrete is put in place.

We recently installed a unit that was totally full of foam between the tub and the sides.

No room at all for the wiring. They had installed a run of PVC from one side of the unit to the control panel. Unfortunately it was on the wrong side of the unit for us.:mad:

Sqd spa combo w/ GFI is $110; anyhow like i said, that's the average.

and yes we do them fast. nothing to a spa after you've done a hundred.

[Minuteman]

Hot Springs Spas provide us a box with a 2P20 a 2P30 installed, and two extra spaces. (Latley they are CH but they used be GE.) From the box to the pool we install 10's and 12's in the whip.

[Ken9876]

But, the sales man said it would only be a few hundred to wire it.

[Teaspoon]

That's why i don't price till i see them.

I never price any job till I see it.
The details given by a home owner are seldom accurate enough to estimate from.

[hillbilly1]

I had an install where the homeowner decided he wanted one in his finished basement, sheetrock ceiling throughout, panel on opposite end of basement flush in a finished wall. Luckily the plumber had cut in an access hole in the ceiling near the panel, since the floor joist were 18" trusss, I paid the plumbers 14 year old son to drag a 6-3 through the ceiling to the other end of the basement where I was able to drop down to the tub. Told him the humidity would ruin his sheetrock, but he didn't care he wanted it there.

[Charlie Bob]

I had an install where the homeowner decided he wanted one in his finished basement, sheetrock ceiling throughout, panel on opposite end of basement flush in a finished wall. Luckily the plumber had cut in an access hole in the ceiling near the panel, since the floor joist were 18" trusss, I paid the plumbers 14 year old son to drag a 6-3 through the ceiling to the other end of the basement where I was able to drop down to the tub. Told him the humidity would ruin his sheetrock, but he didn't care he wanted it there.

that reminds me of one i did. HO wanted it in a 2 car garage.
There was no other way to persuade him, he was hell bent to get it in his garage.

[brantmacga]

Hot Springs Spas provide us a box with a 2P20 a 2P30 installed, and two extra spaces. (Latley they are CH but they used be GE.) From the box to the pool we install 10's and 12's in the whip.

90% of what i install are the hot springs w/ their own panel. i haven't seen one w/ a 6sp yet though. all the ones we get are 4sp panels.

[Minuteman]

90% of what i install are the hot springs w/ their own panel. i haven't seen one w/ a 6sp yet though. all the ones we get are 4sp panels.

hmmmm? GE or CH? :confused:

[Riograndeelectric]

But, the sales man said it would only be a few hundred to wire it.


I know this saying.

have had many a customer say sales person said electrical cost $200.00-$300.00 oh and not required to have a permit also told to customer.

I think Hot Tub sales person are like used car sales man they tell you just want you want to hear and lie to you.

[brantmacga]

hmmmm? GE or CH? :confused:

Hmmm maybe GE; the gfi's have a big red test button. Seems like those are GE cb's. Had a few CH panels that were 4sp with only the center two spaces being opposite buss. Outer spaces are for sp cb's only.


As for the salespeople lying on cost, if you're going to do a lot of spas get to be friends with the guys selling them. Mine know what the average cost is so they're not setting me up for an argument with the HO. But most of the time, surprisingly, that conversation doesn't even come up during the sale.

[Greg1707]

Hot tub installs can be very involved from my experience. The last tub I installed in a back yard included the following:
rerouting A/C circuit in buried RMC conduit.
Install disconnect to outside of house.
Install branch circuit conductors for tub in buried RMC.
Demo a portion of the concreted patio surrounding the area to connect #6 solid copper ground to existing reinforcing mesh for equopotential common bonding.
Demo portion of nearby stoop and stairs for same purpose.
Bond water spigot, metal window surround.
Install GFCI protection for nearby back door light.
The customer had a very small back yard (town house) and all of these things had to be done to accommodate the tub install.
This all came to about $3,000.

BTW, the company that sold him the tub gave him the following instructions for the electrical: "just have an electrician run a 50 AMP circuit outside."

[RESI]

An inspector in my area, VA, had the homeowner tear up a concrete pad because they did not install a equipotential bonding grid under/in it.

[LarryFine]

I never price any job till I see it.Absolutely! (With rare, predictable exception. I may give a range.)


. . . not required to have a permit also told to customer.
I was waiting from the OP to see if anyone mentioned permit and inspection, as I was ready to. One can do a safe and functional installation for much less cost than one that will be inspected.

This has been proven out by the sheer amount of discussions we've had in the "how and where can we get around or avoid the insulated-neutral requirements?" pool and hot-tub electrical-supply threads.

A completely-compliant, permitted and inspected hot-tub installation can cost twice as much to do as one that was done with even UF all the way, and I've seen much worse than that, like NM and no GFCI.

Nonetheless, there's no way to price a job over the phone. At the very least, you have to see the length, routing, and tub requirements. Then there's the service size and headroom, and breaker space.

You may have an outdoor panel 20 feet away, or you may have a 100' run under or around the house, or to a detached building. There's the aforementioned earth/pad equipotential issues, service receptacle, etc.



However, Charlie Bob, having said all that, the previous job you mentioned in your opening post is probably the best ruler of all for you to use as a comparison yardstick for materials and labor. Oh, and permit/inspection. ;)

[mkgrady]

Nonetheless, there's no way to price a job over the phone. At the very least, you have to see the length, routing, and tub requirements. Then there's the service size and headroom, and breaker space.

Larry, what is meant by headroom?

[LarryFine]

Larry, what is meant by headroom?
Difference between service ampacity and existing load demand.

[mkgrady]

Difference between service ampacity and existing load demand.

Gutcha....thanks

[aline]

two hours to estimate and two hours to get materials seems like an awfully long time. I would work on my estimating time; knock it down to 30 minutes or less.
The 30 minutes is ok if they have you do the job while you're there.

Often times when I do estimates for these, the hot tub hasn't been delivered or they need the pad poured for it first, etc.

This means I make a trip out just for the estimate.
I can't seem to drive anywhere in less than a half hour anymore with all the congestion and road construction going on. That means a half hour drive there, a half hour to do the estimate and then a half hour to drive back. Minimum 1 to 1-1/2 hours for the estimate. Sometimes the half hour drive there of back can be split up with other estimates or jobs and sometimes it can't. During rush hour it can take me anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to drive one way to estimate a job.

Then you have to factor in for the time spent giving estimates for the ones that you didn't get. Unless you get every job you estimate this time is all part of that one job you do get.

Then If I get the job I have to drive to the city offices and fill out their form for the permit.

[WinZip]

So here we are , we all know a hot tub can cost to wire 1200-3000 if done properly , then you give the customer the quote an they stand there an look at you like your from outer space , been there before an if they don't take my price I just say best of luck with who ever does the work.

[N844AA]

I like it when customers say "but that's more than my tub costs!" as if there's some law that dictates that installations can't cost more than the appliance itself.

Last year I gave a price to install a sub panel and wire a hot tub, customer became indignant and offended over the price. Decided I'd install the sub panel and they'd do the tub themselves. I installed the panel and watched in amazement as they scratched a little 4" deep trench 60 feet from the panel to the tub and laid 8-3 NM-B Romex in the trench and kicked dirt back over it. The connection at the tub was the typical wirenuts wrapped with electrical tape.

They would occasionally glance over at me with a smug, self satisfied look at how much money they were saving.

[aline]

I installed the panel and watched in amazement as they scratched a little 4" deep trench 60 feet from the panel to the tub and laid 8-3 NM-B Romex in the trench and kicked dirt back over it. They would occasionally glance over at me with a smug, self satisfied look at how much money they were saving.
I had a guy that didn't like my price for digging 25 feet of trench to the hot tub.

This was some very rocky soil (more rock than soil) and there was a tree right next to the trench so I had to dig under the roots.

He said he would dig the trench himself.
I said fine I'll be back tomorrow to install the wiring for the tub.

Show up the next day to find about 2ft of trench dug about 6 inches deep.
His wife said he changed his mind and decided that I could dig the trench. :)

[LarryFine]

Often times when I do estimates for these, the hot tub hasn't been delivered or they need the pad poured for it first, etc.

This means I make a trip out just for the estimate.

Prematurely. Next time, have them call you when the tub, or at least all of its documentation, is on site, then go.

[LarryFine]

I like it when customers say "but that's more than my tub costs!" as if there's some law that dictates that installations can't cost more than the appliance itself.I had a similar response from a GC who hired me to install line-voltage outdoor lighting and receptacle circuits. When I gave him my price, he said "That's more than half of the price I gave the homeowner!"

Well, yeah! It's an electrical job. :roll: (We did the job, by the way. The homeowners loved us, but hated the GC.)

They would occasionally glance over at me with a smug, self satisfied look at how much money they were saving.Which you lovingly returned when your work was inspected, and theirs was casually mentioned, I hope?