Portable hot tubs installed in a concrete vault

[AspenSpas]

A customer has a portable spa, made by Aspen Spas, recessed and installed in a waterproof concrete vault with drainage. All the equipment is accessible for service and the entire spa can be lifted out of the pit if need be. All of the equipment, controls and pumps, are UL listed. County of St. Louis is denying electrical permit, saying entire spa has to be UL listed to be installed in-ground. We have consulted many electricians, pool contractors and other spa manufacturers, no one has encountered this problem, ever. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[augie47]

Is it supplied with a factory cord & plug ?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Listed parts does not mean the unit is a listed product. That would be equivalent to me taking a listed socket and a listed cord and making a light fixture. No good unless the unit is listed

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I see that these tubs are custom made so that may be the issue

 

[zbang]

If the entire spa is enclosed by a separate concrete tub/vault, seems somewhat hard to call it in-ground (any more than you'd call a transformer in an underground vault in-ground). Wouldn't that description be reserved for things in direct contact with the earth?