how thick concrete base for hot tub

You need 4 pieces of timber 150mm deep and 25mm thick to create a form, or mold, for the concrete. Now the equipment package I supply can run between $3000 to $5000 depending on the extras and upgrades. Mine was 3500 PSI. The area where the spa sits must support the weight of the spa, the water, and those who use it. The most common base is a concrete foundation. The process of creating a concrete base is very similar to that of a gravel base: you’ll need to start with an excavated area that’s big enough for the bottom of your hot tub, though you won’t need to dig as deep — four inches … Concrete hot tub base. It can be made to the size of the hot tub, but it may be you want a larger area to walk around the hot tub … Here I show block wall construction, and also a poured concrete pad the hot tub will be constructed on. Again, you can’t do this without skills, you will need help and you need to be able bodied, I know, I’ve done this type of work myself. I would get a truck to deliver the concrete, not mixed in bags. A 6" thick concrete slab (use 4000 psi) reinforced with wire mesh or rebar on top of at least 2" of styrofoam. It will need to be on a hardcore or rubble base to give a good foundation. Here are couple of pictures of what that will look like. We’ll give the electrician $350, (likely it would be a little less). You can do this! So were at $5000 for a custom built hot tub, lightly outfitted and up and running. The last thing you want to run into is sewer lines, a septic system, water lines or underground electrical service or maybe gas service lines going to the house. The last resort on this is to buy a bunch of ready to mix concrete bags, mix and place the concrete in the frame work yourself. He searched the internet for more information on this and that’s when he found me. You’re going to need a certain amount of room for your hot tub and that will be dictated by how big you want it and how many people will be using it. Above you see the Gunite construction process. Low side you’re at about $4200. Not only can you do it, you can build the entire hot tub yourself without anybody else’s help. A concrete slab is the most durable, stable and most recommended foundation for a spa. I can show you how to build Spas, Hot Tubs, Swim Spas, Plunge Pools, Cocktail Pools or Exercise Pools at incredibly affordable prices! It might need a shallow bed of sand to fill the spaces and shapes on the bottom of the tub. Hi I need to make a base for a fairly large hot tub. A spa needs a solid level foundation. I’m going to guess that you’ve thought about building a hot tub or spa from time to time but weren’t sure you had the skills to do this type of project. The commercially built hot tub may not use the base we do because they may be using the “gunite” method of hot tub construction, not a DIY Hot Tub … CONCRETE A concrete surface is an excellent base for your hot tub as this material is extremely sturdy and long-lasting. Often, a concrete slab approximately 6” thick is … Can you imagine saving up to as much as $45,000 on a project like this? After all you wouldn’t take off on a trip unless you have a destination where you wanted to go, would you? Remember, my Mission is to help you, as my customer, build a beautiful hot tub of your own! This step is essentially creating a structure around the tub itself. It butts up to the house on one side, lawn on the other, and on either end, it butts into cement retaining walls. I am currently building a base for my new hot tub and using the gravel idea. The labor will be all you, materials cost should be around $750. I believe it's 4 inches thick. First, site work and preparation. And those units start losing value the day they are installed. If you have ever done any shopping for one of those portable hot tubs, you would have seen that a decent quality unit starts around $7500 on up to as much as  $15000 for a top of line hot tub. All acceptable ways to do the base construction, but check building codes for your area. Then fix them together, on the ground where you are placing the base and put the concrete … And years back pools were built the way we do hot tubs. I will teach and help you with everything you need to know about building your own spa, hot tub or swimspa yourself, regardless of what your DIY skill levels are and at a cost YOU determine YOU can afford. Need to find out how to pour a concrete slab? My friends, DIY Hot Tub Construction is not all that difficult! For outdoor hot tubs, it’s common to place hot tubs on surfaces such as decks and patios made out of both concrete or brick. Go to https://www.custombuiltspas.com/get-instant-access/. The finish would be a tile nothing fancy. The best way to form this base is to use a 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 wood frame that is about 6″ – 12″ larger than the … A foundation that is not level can void a manufacturer’s warranty and cause damage to the hot tub. Absolutely outrageous isn’t! Install stand offs, the orange thingies, (center picture-right), then ½” steel rebar, crisscrossed and spaced 12” apart. I’m talking thousands of dollars, not just a few hundred here and there as you’ll see below. If you have an existing patio made of concrete bricks, make sure it’s in good condition and is level (not angled for drainage). It’s a comprehensive info package showing you just how to build anyone of these projects yourself. | All Content Copyright 1999-2021 Custom Built Spas, https://www.custombuiltspas.com/get-instant-access/. The redi-mix concrete from a concrete company is strong enough to support a filled hot tub … So what is the beginning you ask, well fortunately Custom Built Spas has put together a comprehensive and highly detailed spa and hot tub building manual that will coach you through the very first step right up to the last step of this type of project, no details left out. These sound like obvious common-sense factors to consider, but over the years I’ve found that common sense is not so common. In our first conversation he stated that a short time ago he got a quote of $58,000 to complete a 10’ by 12’ rectangular gunite hot tub with 30 jets, gas heat, blower, LED lights and retractable cover. The DIY spa or hot tub is always going to have concrete base pad installed prior to the water vessel construction. I’m only going cover spas and hot tubs in this blog even though pools can use our DIY Hot Tub Construction methods as well. I’m going to add another $1000. Using the proper materials for your hot tub base as well as using a professional contractor to ensure the design is up to proper safety standards is a must. The slab thickness should be 6", use 4000 psi concrete, you do not need … So, what are you waiting for? So, are you’re ready to let me help you build your project? The biggest difference in DIY Hot Tub Construction methods and commercial built units is COST! Maybe it takes you a day, so what. Just saying… I see this all the time my friends. You can do this yourself or hire and electrician. Of course you want the forms for the slab level and squared, I cover how to do all that in detail in both my spa building books and my video, which is also part of my information package. The concrete should be fully cured prior to … Remember, my Mission is to help you, as my customer, build a beautiful hot tub of your own! You’ll use about 200 blocks, around 25 bags of mortar mix and some PVC piping. Then what are you waiting for, let’s do this! Or how to lay concrete? Line the bottom of the excavated area with landscape cloth, cutting it to size with scissors. The base of reinforced concrete should be about 4 inches thick and be able to withstand a weight of at least 115 pounds per square foot, especially for larger spas. and topped by 24"x24" concrete pavers with the tub on top. What’s over or overhanging the area where you will be doing your hot tub construction? DIY Hot Tub Construction may sound a little intimidating at first, and that’s understood. Here is what works for us. A good gravel base of at least 18" and make sure the landscaping around the pad pitches away from the pad to keep water from collecting around and under the concrete. On top of the foam board or ground if you don’t put down foam board, put down a wire mesh layer. You may even want to prepare the surface with a compacted gravel base. I can show you how to build Spas, Hot Tubs, Swim Spas, Plunge Pools, Cocktail Pools or Exercise Pools at incredibly affordable prices! A customized poured concrete … As my customer I’ll work with you at your own pace until your project is done and comes to life! A spa cannot be set on the grass! Look at any of my customer testimonials and you see that. At some point you will likely still need a cover and let’s say we ran over on a few of the costs. An existing patio would also be a sufficient base to place your hot tub. As my customer I’ll work with you at your own pace until your project is done and comes to life! You will also need to connect a bond wire to the rebar grid that will connect to electrical grounding. Another obvious factor is available space and the last factor I look at but find is the most over looked factor is what is in the ground, if anything, under where you want to put your hot tub. Expect to spend around $250 for PVC pipe and fittings and around another $450 for waterproof coatings finish and the epoxy wall finish paint. Ideally, the concrete should be 6 inches thick and reinforced with rebar. Can you see why he got pretty excited when I broke the costs down for him like I did here for you. My customer is a contractor himself and just couldn’t believe a custom hot tub would cost that much. Once you become familiar with our construction methods and see how they differ from what the commercial pool and spa construction industry does you’ll realize that this is something you can do you will see how we can save you a ton of money! Just this week I started working with a new customer in upstate NY. I’m going to group some of the steps and costs a little, so you will be able to see how you can save so much money on a DIY hot tub or spa. Visit my website, www.custombuiltspas.com, look over what I offer in my books and a video. All you’re doing is making a bigger water vessel without jets or an air blower. A large hot tub full of water can weigh upwards of 2 tonnes, so a suitable level base is vital. Fix a 50 x 50mm timber to the back of them, horizontally, to geive the boards strength and stop them bowing. If the foundation is inadequate, it may … Paver Patio Installation. While it is the most expensive of the four options shown here it is by no means unaffordable. On one of them, there are actually stacked 8x8s that further retain a bit of the earth out towards the lawn. Sure, it’s always better to have a helper, but it is not mandatory. The preciseness at which concrete pads can be laid makes them very attractive bases for swim spas. Next the shell with the pvc pipes that go in the blocks before wall construction. Concrete Base Pad. He quickly realized by following my plan he could easily save himself at least $40,000, maybe even more. However, you may want to consider an even larger pad to accommodate steps or a walkway around your hot tub. Never build over any of these lines period! Once the concrete slab is cured, give it a couple of days, you’ll be ready to go on to the next step of your hot tub construction project, building the walls. A couple ready to pour, a few just poured, some in ground, partially inground and on the ground. Let’s talk about the basic slab a hot tub would be built on, it’s the most important part of your spa or hot tub construction project. (no it won’t cause the … I prefer to avoid a concrete slab for the hot tub as that will require jumping. We do slabs for hot tubs all the time. For over 20 years now I’ve been helping people just like you, build their own hot tubs, spas and swimspa projects. The DIY spa or hot tub is always going to have concrete base pad installed prior to the water vessel construction. The money I can save you can easily be hundreds of times more than the cost of my information package. With any type of project whether it’s done through a professional contractor or if you are planning to do the building yourself, the first stage is always about the planning, Hot Tub Construction is no different. You can make them any size or depth you want so that you’re not sitting half out the water like what happens in most all portable spas unless you are a child. At least a 6” thick concrete slab using 3000lb or 3500lb concrete. Let’s go back to my new customer in NY. Unless your putting your hot tub inground with only about 6” showing, you should be able to do the digging yourself. At least a 6” thick concrete slab using 3000lb or 3500lb concrete. I will teach and help you with everything you need to know about building your own spa, hot tub or swimspa yourself, regardless of what your DIY skill levels are and at a cost YOU determine YOU can afford. Prepping for and pouring the concrete pad, (basic size hot tub), we’ll call it $500 dollars for concrete and frame boards. See some of the many projects my customers have done using my information and FREE help. Or call me if you have a question, I’m here to help. You at $4650 now, so what’s left? While it might seem like it’s a simple process of throwing down a slab and building a hot tub on it, there’s a little more to those first steps than that. He was putting this custom hot tub in fairly expensive home, he was going to have pay workers for their labor etc… and being a bigger unit with a few more bells and whistles let’s say his cost for what he wanted to build was $13,000. Visit, www.custombuiltspas.com. You may be digging down some to put your hot tub in. But, do not place your hot tub … The details are these. In cold climate areas lay down a 1” or 2” layer of closed cell foam board under the hot tub area of the slab. If you choose this, it is an excellent base for your hot tub. Common sense right, yes but I’ve seen people do it, potentially very dangerous situation. One of the more popular hot tub bases is of course a concrete base. But if you want to go the post and … It will be worth your back and time to get it delivered. I can, and I have built complete hot tubs start to finish by myself with no help at all and you can do it too. In fact, hot tubs can be placed on any uniform, solid, level surface. Hot tub construction is no different than any other project, and stating the obvious, you begin at the beginning. I am putting a hot tub … Then what are you waiting for, let’s do this! So, its intended use will be one factor that determines size. It acts as … Custom Built Spas has been helping the DIY (do it yourself) enthusiast and small contractors for over 18 years perfecting their skills on how to build spas, hot tubs, swimspas, plunge pools and more. As we do a lot of paver patio installation we have recently been doing a few … (no it won’t cause the slab to crack). The concrete slab for the hot tub would need to be a minimum of 4 inches or 10cm's thick, ideally 6” or 15cm. Patio Pavers. There is no information source or package that is as comprehensive as what is offered by Custom Built Spas. Hope you got a lot out of the information in this blog and I hope you can see that this part of the hot tub construction process, the most important part, is not that difficult to do. Next, look up! Backfilling with Concrete. 2 things concrete will do.. cure and crack Remember your tub … Although I was not a bit surprised to hear numbers like that, he said he almost fell off his chair. Let’s make 2018 the year of your hot tub project! Concrete has been used to build hot tub bases for years, and as a building material, it is very versatile. So now that I’ve eliminated the fears on the construct side of this project by making it simple enough for just about anyone to do, let’s go through the cost of a DIY Hot Tub Construction project. Make the slab 6" larger, all the way around, than the hot tub. The best way to form this base is to use a 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 wood frame that is about 6″ – 12″ larger than the size of your hot tub. My customers come from all different skill levels, so I know you can do this type of project. | All Content Copyright 1999-2021 Custom Built Spas. Electrical hook up. In each of the pictures shown above you see various pads for hot tub construction. Putting Concrete Blocks Under a Hot Tub. The main factor to consider is raised pavers which can cause problems at the base and put stress on the hot tub … I hear numbers like this all the time. It is easy to make level and will out-live your hot tub if built … In cold climate areas lay down a 1” or 2” layer of closed cell foam board under the hot tub area of the slab. Bet nobody told you that. It's a good idea to reinforce the concrete with some rebar and layer the foundation … Everything you need to know is outlined in my series of easy to follow books and videos that cover a simple, step by step processes that I’ve developed and refined over the years. Another day for that blog or you can get all the rest of the information right here, right now delivered digitally, “instant access”. If you’re near trees that if they were to fall would they damage your hot tub? If pouring a new pad or slab then the recommended thickness … Think about the size of the pad also. You definitely don’t want to be building under any power lines. Often, we come across new swim spa owners who already have a stone patio laid in their backyard. Pavers can be an attractive option for a hot tub, but there are a few disclaimers you should consider. However, your advantage will be that you’ll have me helping you all through your project until it’s done, and my personal coaching help is FREE! But let’s take a few moments and look at what is going to be involved in a hot tub construction project. A permanently installed masonry type custom built hot tub can add equity value to your home in most all areas of our country. This kind of base pad … Once your concrete base is complete, you won’t have to think about it again for a long, long time. Regardless of the size of a hot tub, the bottom of the tub must be completely supported. Sitting a Hot Tub on Pavers. Concrete – A concrete pad is the most common type of foundation for a hot tub. If you … Everything you need to know is outlined in my series of easy to follow books and videos that cover a simple, step by step processes that I’ve developed and refined over the years. It can be … It’s not my intention to give you the entire outline of the hot tub construction process in this blog, however, I do want to give you enough information so that you can evaluate whether building a hot tub on your property is feasible. Something you should know is that a custom built hot tub is way more comfortable then those portable spas. The commercially built hot tub may not use the base we do because they may be using the “gunite” method of hot tub construction, not a DIY Hot Tub Construction process. The three types of water vessel construction are, “gunite”, “poured concrete walls” and “block construction”, the construction type we use for all our DIY spas, hot tubs, swim spas, plunge pools etc… Here are example pictures of each. One final consideration as to location is accessibility. If the conditions are right, these can make an effective base … Trust me you can’t do this yourself, you can’t do it without skills and you can’t do unless you’re able bodied, it’s ball busting work. Build a Solid Deck Base to Support The Hot Tub Weight When it comes to structural support, the safest bet is a solid base independent of the deck. Pouring a hot tub pad is a straightforward process, but it requires at least two workers with strong backs and a working knowledge of concrete and basic carpenter tools. Shown above is a poured concrete hot tub and a small poured concrete wall pool. manufacturer who stated that the tub can be put on a crushed gravel base without any. I want to put a hot tub … If you are going to pour a concrete slab, does a cement delivery truck have access to get close enough to do the pour or will you have to use wheel barrows to get the concrete to the slab frame. For over 20 years now I’ve been helping people just like you, build their own hot tubs, spas and swimspa projects. The concrete foundation should be about six inches … Site selection is the first step I look at before any type of hot tub construction can be considered and here’s why. Build the forms for the footings by placing the 2-by-10 lumber around the outside of the trench and … A little tedious but can be done, good exercise though. Now some of these things are very basic but sometimes it’s easy to over look the obvious and make assumptions that could get you in trouble later. How about that, you have the shell done on the pad and you’ve only spent around $1250 dollars. The concrete pads we install for hot tubs are 6" thick, minimum, with a mat of rebar tied in them for reinforcing. Concrete Foundation If your hot tub is going to be situated outside in a specially built enclosure, it could sit on a concrete foundation. It happens, so put some thought in your plan before choosing a location falling trees could be an issue. So, are you’re ready to let me help you build your project? The size is 2.4M x 2.4M and I'm aiming for a 100mm base thickness. Concrete Pad One of the more popular hot tub bases is of course a concrete base.