Your showroom cheat sheet
Everything from the course on one page: what to decide before you go, what to ask, what to check in person, what the quote should list and how to make an offer. Print it, or keep it open on your phone.
Decide before you go
- How many people on a normal night
- The largest footprint your spot can take, with room for steps and the cover
- The narrowest point on the path in: gate, side yard, stairs
- What it will sit on: a concrete pad, a deck rated for the weight, or pavers if the maker accepts them
- 120V plug-in or a 240V circuit, and who will wire it
- Your budget: the tub, getting it in, and the monthly bill
Ask how it's built
- Is the shell self-supporting, or does it lean on posts and foam?
- Full-foam or perimeter insulation?
- Are the hoses glued and clamped onto the fittings?
- Does each group of jets get its own line from a manifold?
- Are the pumps, heater and controls standard parts any tech can buy?
- Where is it built?
Ask about the warranty and service
- How long on the shell, the equipment, the plumbing, and the labor?
- After year one, who pays for the technician's travel and time?
- Who services it, and how far away are they?
- Is this the current model year, or a floor or show model?
- How long until delivery in the color and cabinet you want?
- Does the warranty move to the next owner if I sell?
- How long does a replacement part take to arrive?
- If you stopped carrying this brand, who would come to my house?
Check it in person
- Sit in the seats you'll actually use. Dry is fine
- In the lounger: do your feet reach the end?
- Ask where the water line would sit on you
- On a running display tub, feel the jets with the back of your hand. Can you turn them down?
- Listen to the pumps with the jets on high
- Lift the cover, or try the lifter
- Step in and out the way you will at home
The written quote should list
- The tub, with its shell and cabinet colors
- Cover, cover lifter and steps
- Delivery, and a crane if the path needs one
- Start-up chemicals and a first water test
- The electrical work and the base, or who provides them
- Tax, and one total out the door
Making the offer
Lesson 9, from our time on showroom floors
- Know the tub and the brand as well as the salesperson does
- Let them quote you normally first: the out-the-door price, in writing. Don't ask for their best price yet
- Then ask for their best price, starting with 10 to 15 percent off that quote
- Say you'll sign today if they get there
- Be flexible where it costs you nothing: a stock color, a floor model, their delivery week
- Expect less room on a price that's already a show or season sale
- If the price won't move, ask about a floor model or what they can include
Before delivery day
- The base is level and rated for the full weight
- The circuit is run and inspected, or the outlet is ready for a plug-in
- The path is at least as wide as the tub is tall, or a crane is booked
- First fill: fill, balance the water, then add sanitizer
Common questions
What should I ask when buying a hot tub?
How the shell is supported, how it's insulated, whether the hoses are glued and clamped, whether the jets are fed by a manifold, whether the parts are standard, what the warranty covers after year one including labor and travel, and who services it near you.
What should a hot tub quote include?
The tub with its colors, the cover, lifter and steps, delivery and any crane, start-up chemicals, the electrical work and the base or who provides them, tax, and one total out the door.
What should I check on a hot tub in the showroom?
Sit in the seats you'll use, dry is fine, and lie back in the lounger to see if your feet reach the end. On a running display tub, feel the jets with the back of your hand and listen to the pumps. Then lift the cover and try the steps.