What hot tub removal costs in Cleveland

The short answer

A standard hot tub or spa is $390 to remove, and a large 6-to-8 person spa is $501. That covers the crew, the removal from your deck or patio, hauling and disposal. You handle two things first: have the electrical disconnected by an electrician, and drain the water. City bulk week is built for curbside items you can carry, and a hot tub is not one of those.

Prices

Clearing the whole back deck at once: hot tub + patio table + four chairs: $390 + $89 + $30 + $30 + $30 + $30 = $599. A hot tub and a barrel sauna: $390 + $293 = $683.

What else comes out with the tub

A hot tub rarely leaves alone. Once it's gone, people look at what was built around it.

• Deck boards and framing. If you tear out the surround yourself, lumber is $41 per bundle. Tub plus three bundles: $390 + $41 + $41 + $41 = $513.
• The concrete pad. If the pad has been broken up, concrete and masonry debris is $219 per 1/4 truck. Tub plus pad: $390 + $219 = $609.
• Steps and cover. Plastic tub steps and the old cover go with the tub.
• The rest of the yard. Above-ground pool, fire pit and a patio umbrella with its base: $145 + $56 + $53 = $254.

Deck and pad demo counts as construction debris, which the City of Cleveland doesn't take in bulk, and neither do Cleveland Heights or Shaker Heights.

Why Cleveland hot tubs fail

Lake-effect winters are hard on outdoor spas. From mid-November until the lake freezes over in late January or early February, the east side and the Snow Belt get repeated heavy snow. A tub that loses power or circulation during a cold snap can freeze, and frozen water cracks pipes and pumps.

Covers take a beating from snow load too. A waterlogged cover on a tub nobody is using is a common sight by spring.

By April, when the snow finally melts, a lot of owners decide the repair quote is not worth it.

Where Cleveland tubs live

Suburban decks. In Westlake, Strongsville, Avon, Solon and Hudson, tubs often sit on a raised deck or a patio pad in a fenced yard. The issue is usually the path out: a gate, a side yard, a set of deck stairs.

City backyards. In Lakewood, Old Brooklyn or Ohio City, lots are narrow and the only way out may be a tight side yard between houses, or the alley behind the garage. Measure the gate and the gap between houses before booking, and tell us in the booking notes.

Snow Belt acreage. Out in Chardon, Chesterland and Bainbridge, the tub may sit well back from the road on a long driveway. Distance doesn't change the price, but a plowed, firm path does make the day go faster.

Prep checklist

1. Kill the power. Shut the breaker. Have an electrician disconnect the wiring at the disconnect box. The crew will not cut live wires.
2. Drain it. Use the drain valve or a submersible pump. Do this a day or two ahead so the shell dries out somewhat. A full tub cannot be moved.
3. Remove the cover if you want to keep it, or leave it on if it is going too.
4. Clear the path. Move patio furniture, open gates, and clear snow from the route if it is winter.
5. Check the deck. If the tub is built into a deck, note any trim or skirting that has to come off.

The do-it-yourself route

Some owners cut a dead tub apart themselves. It can be done, but count the full cost first:

• Tools and time. A reciprocating saw, blades and most of a weekend. The shell is fiberglass and acrylic over a wood or plastic frame, with foam insulation that sheds everywhere.
• A truck. The pieces still fill a pickup bed several times over.
• A place to take it. City of Cleveland residents can use Ridge Road Transfer Station, Monday to Saturday 9 to 3, up to 4 cubic yards per visit. Outside the City, the public transfer stations are Rumpke's in Broadview Heights and on Harvard Road. Tipping fees aren't published, so call ahead.

Against that, the flat $390 includes the crew, the carry and the disposal.

Timing

The best windows in Cleveland are late spring, once the ground has thawed and the yard is not mud, and early fall, before the first lake-effect snow in mid-November. Winter removal is possible, but snowbanks along a side yard make the path harder.

We are open 7 days a week, 8am to midnight, with 2-hour arrival windows. Same-day is available when you book by 4 PM.

Booking

Send two photos: the tub itself and the path from the tub to the street or alley. Upload them to the instant quote. The flat price is shown before you book and only changes if you approve it. No stairs fee for deck stairs, no sales tax line. We recycle whatever we can.

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