Spa and Hot Tub Removal in Tucson: What Is Involved?
It depends on the type. An in-ground spa, the concrete kind built next to a pool or on its own, follows the same rules as an in-ground pool: a demolition permit, capped utilities, drainage holes before fill, compacted fill and an inspection. A portable hot tub that sits on a pad or a deck is a haul-away job plus an electrical disconnect.
In-ground spa: the same rules as a pool
The permit rules around Tucson cover pools and spas together. The City of Tucson requires a permit to demolish, fill in or otherwise remove an existing pool or spa. Oro Valley requires a demolition permit for a residential pool or spa. Pima County, Marana and Sahuarita each issue a demolition permit.
An in-ground spa comes out the same way a pool does:
- The spa is drained
- The heater, blower and other equipment are removed and hauled off
- Plumbing, gas and electrical are removed or capped at the source
- The top of the spa walls is broken out
- Drainage holes are broken all the way through the spa floor and photographed before any fill goes in
- Fill is placed 6 to 9 inches at a time and compacted, then brought to finish grade
- The inspector checks the work before the permit is closed
A spa attached to the pool
When the spa is attached to the pool, it comes out with the pool. It is a second shell with its own floor, its own drainage holes and its own fill, and the shared plumbing and equipment get removed or capped with the rest.
An attached spa is one of the things that moves the price of a pool removal. On a low phone bid it is often a separate charge that shows up later. On an Omni quote it is part of the written price.
Portable hot tub removal
A portable hot tub is a self-contained unit. Removing it is mostly a matter of getting it disconnected, drained and out of the yard.
- Electrical. Many portable hot tubs are hard-wired to their own circuit. That circuit has to be disconnected and made safe by a licensed electrician. Electrical work can need a permit, so check with your jurisdiction
- Draining. The tub is drained before it is moved
- Removal. Depending on access, the tub is moved out whole or cut apart and hauled away
- The pad. The concrete pad or deck it sat on can stay as a patio, or it can be broken out
A portable tub on its own is a small job. When it is part of a larger removal, such as an in-ground pool and a hot tub on the same property, we handle it with the rest of the job.
Gas, electric and plumbing
In-ground spas often have a gas heater and a dedicated electrical circuit for the heater, the pump and the blower. Every one of those lines gets removed or capped at the source, which is one of the things the inspector verifies before the permit is closed. In Oro Valley, the final inspection confirms the utilities are removed.
What happens to the spot
A spa site filled under a partial removal is fine for turf, pavers, gravel or plants. If you plan to build over it, the shell has to come out entirely and the hole has to be filled with approved engineered fill, placed in lifts and tested. Oro Valley requires a geotechnical report from a licensed engineer whenever the area will support a structure. Tell us before we start. Our pool removal page covers partial and full removal and what each one costs.
Get a written quote
Call (520) 222-8503 or send us your address and a photo of the pool and spa. To see what your pool and spa cost you each year, use the TerraSpec, the pool removal cost calculator.
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