Why don't hot tub dealers list their prices?

Because one number would be wrong for most buyers. Hot Spring says hot tub prices aren't secret but depend on several things, and that the same model can cost more in one town than another because of freight, the dealer's overhead and what each dealer includes. Sundance says brands show a price band or a starting price so you'll talk to a local dealer, and that the dealer may beat it. A trade-press survey found the same: makers generally don't post prices, apart from some plug-and-play models.

The result: 262 of the 390 hot tubs we track have no price on the maker's site, so the dealer sets the number. That is also why the price is negotiable. See the prices that are published.

Usually, though no maker we checked publishes a color upcharge. A color or cabinet the dealer doesn't stock has to be built to order. Hot Spring and Caldera say how soon you get a tub depends on dealer stock, colors and options, and Master Spas says a customized tub takes 6 to 8 weeks to build and ship.

From the sales floor: a tub sitting in stock is the one a dealer wants to move, so that is where the discount is. A one-off build gives the dealer nothing to clear, so expect less off the price.

It narrows your choice to what's already on the lot, and that leaves you less room to bargain. A tub that has to be built takes weeks, and in busy seasons longer. A buyer who lets the dealer pick the delivery week, or takes a floor model, helps the dealer's schedule and is in a better spot to ask for a lower price. Jacuzzi suggests asking whether floor models are discounted.

Bullfrog points to the end and start of the year, Memorial Day and Labor Day, and state-fair sales where dealers would rather sell what they brought than haul it back. Hot Spring says dealers discount existing stock in the fall to make room for new models. Jacuzzi puts seasonal sales at $1,000 to $3,000 off and end-of-model-year clearance at up to $5,000, by its own estimate. More in when to buy a hot tub.

Yes. You will pay more. From our years on showroom floors: a dealer thinks in time. Every extra showroom visit, call and email is time a salesperson isn't spending on the next sale, and a quote reflects how much work the dealer expects. A non-standard cabinet, an unusual shell color, a rush delivery, five visits and twenty emails about small questions: that buyer gets the highest price in the building.

Hydropool, a maker, puts the same trade-off politely: it's hard to get both the exact tub you want and the lowest price.

Usually, at a local dealer. Hydropool says local stores, tent sales and home shows will usually negotiate, big-box and online sellers usually won't, and paying cash often gets a better rate. Federal law lets a seller offer a discount for cash. Bullfrog adds that large dealers keep standard prices, and the room is in promotions, options and floor models.

From our experience: walk in knowing as much about the tub and the brand as the salesperson, and let them price it normally. Once the quote is in writing, ask for their best price, starting at 10 to 15 percent under it, and tell them you'll buy right now if they get there. Most dealers will gladly make a little less on an easy customer they'll only see again for filters and chemicals. Expect less room on a price that already includes a show, holiday or end-of-season discount.

1. Know the tub as well as the salesperson does. Read the model's specs, how the brand builds its tubs and what owners say before you walk in. A buyer who already knows the answers takes less of a dealer's time. Start with what to look for in a hot tub.
2. Decide before you go. Settle the size and seats, and pick from the colors the dealer stocks. Every custom choice is a reason for the price to go up.
3. Know the published price, if there is one. Some makers post list prices. Where they do, it is your starting point; where they don't, the dealer's number is. Published hot tub prices.
4. Get one number, in writing, out the door. Let the dealer price it normally first: delivery, steps, cover, start-up chemicals, the electrical work and tax listed line by line, so two quotes compare item for item. Don't ask for their best price yet.
5. Then ask for their best price, ready to sign. Once the quote is in writing, ask for their best price, and start by asking for 10 to 15 percent off it. Say you will buy today if they get there. Many dealers would rather make a little less on an easy sale.
6. Be flexible where it costs you nothing. A stock color, a floor or show model, or a delivery week that suits the dealer can all lower the price.
7. Be easy to sell to. One visit to decide, questions in one email, and a decision when you said you would make it.