What it costs to install a hot tub

About $1,500 to $6,000 on top of the tub, by Jacuzzi's guide. The spread comes from the site. A 120 V tub set on an existing patio next to an existing outlet costs little beyond delivery. A 240 V tub on a new slab, with a long wire run from the panel and a crane over the house, lands at the top of the range or above it.

The tub's own price is a separate question, on what a hot tub costs. What it costs to keep running each month is on hot tub running cost.

$600 to $2,200 or more by Jacuzzi's guide, and $1,900 to $4,200 by HomeAdvisor's. Two things move the price: how far the tub is from the main panel, at about $100 to $300 for each extra 25 ft of wire in Jacuzzi's figures, and whether the job needs a subpanel, $400 to $1,800 by HomeAdvisor's.

Which breakerBreakerThe switch in your electrical panel that protects a circuit. The tub's spec sheet sets its size in amps; most need 50.In the glossary → and wire your model needs is on hot tub electrical requirements. A licensed electrician sizes the circuit; Jacuzzi's wiring guide notes the permit is often part of the electrician's quote.

A 4 in reinforced concrete slabConcrete padA flat slab of reinforced concrete, at least 4 inches thick. It is the base makers' instructions recommend.In the glossary → runs $600 to $2,000 or more in Jacuzzi's guide. HomeAdvisor prices a pad at $2 to $6 per sq ft and Fixr at $5 to $25, so get a local quote rather than multiplying. Cheaper bases exist: a prefab spa pad on gravel at $200 to $600, or pavers on a compacted base at $800 to $2,500 or more, both from Jacuzzi's guide.

Not every maker accepts every base, and the warranty can depend on it. Which ones each maker allows, and what a deck has to carry, is on what to put a hot tub on.

HomeAdvisor says standard delivery is often included in the tub's price, and the crane usually is not. When delivery isn't included, Jacuzzi and HomeAdvisor both put it at $200 to $500, and a crane at $800 to $1,500 or more.

Whether you need the crane depends on the path. Jacuzzi says the path must be at least as wide as the tub is tall, because it travels on its side. The median hot tub we track is 36 in tall, and the tallest is 42 in. Check your model's height against every gate and corner on the way to the pad.

Less. Jacuzzi's guide says a 120 V tub can often use an existing GFCI-protected outdoor outlet on a dedicated 15 to 20 amp circuit, with little or no electrician cost. This Old House notes that if the outlet is beyond the tub's 10 to 15 ft cord, the tub has to be hard-wired to a 15 or 20 amp circuit instead. The models are listed on plug-and-play hot tubs.