# $'s to hook up a hot tub ?



## Fred Bear (Jan 20, 2000)

I have a used hot tub that the wife wanted to get hooked up before Christmas. I had an electrician come over today and give me an estimate. It's about 40 feet of wire and needs a GFI and a cut off. He mentioned some kind of piggy back breaker. His quote was $600 in parts and $400 in labor. I thought $1000 was quite a bit. Can anyone tell me if that is too much?


----------



## CaseBones (Jan 28, 2010)

The long term costs of keeping heated through a winter and chemicals are greater. I know from my parents owning one in the past, we used it FAR less that we initially thought we would. A LOT of maintenance. The install cost, to have it done correctly so that nobody is electrocuted, really is the smallest investment.


----------



## rollin stone (Dec 31, 2011)

Sounds fair. Be sure to use a licensed electrician. If you don't know him him personally I would pay a little extra and have him pull a permit and have it inspected. For your piece of mind but more so for safety. Remember your sitting in water controlled by 240 vac. And at least 50 amps.


----------



## marinski (Mar 25, 2007)

That sounds high. I work with a master electrician that does alot of hot tub installs. But if you want to pull permits or you need a sub panel that will raise the costs, etc. We would do them for around 600-700. I dont know where you live but If youre local I can give you his number.


----------



## adjusted3 (Feb 3, 2003)

Not knowing the electrical system you have now, it seems a bit much. 

I actually wired my own, 220, with a GFI sub panel, a cut off 6 feet away from the tub, (the cut off has to be at least 6 feet away per code, so you cannot put a foot in the tub and a hand on the cutoff) and buried the cable. My tub is 55 foot from the garage feed. 

All parts were about $100. GFI, Cut off, underground wire, conections ect. I dug the trench, ran all the wires, mounted the GFI, mounted the Cut off box, and left the connections open. Then I hired the electrician. 

All he had to do was make the connections and certify it. $150.00 service call. Once done I filled in the trench and enjoyed the tub. 


That was the cheap part. Cost to run my 8 person tub over the winter is about 40.00 a month. Chemicals are another issue. 

I can give you some advise on the chems, just PM me. 

Mark


----------



## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

We're getting a little older and creaky. Use ours 4-5 times a week. All winter, even in the summer. Just turn the heat down for summertime. Chems aren't all that much. Cost depends on the heat setting (ours drops 20° when not in use), insulation, and the cover. Maybe 30$ / mo. Beer and wine is more than that!!
I did all the work myself for around 150$. Wire, conduit, GFCI, 50 amp breakers, disconnect. 1K seems pricey. Putting the pieces together isn't hard. Getting an electrician to hook it up isn't a bad idea. A good project for a side-job for someone.


----------



## Huntmich (Sep 4, 2008)

You need a hot tub disconnect. It comes with a 50 amp GFI breaker. A 50 amp breaker for your house panel. Depending on if your panel is full, then you may need piggybacks to make room. Some #6 SER, then you'll either want to pipe it outta the disconnect to the hot tub with PVC or seal tite. Some places the inspector wants a ground rod drove as well and ran right to the hot tub. $1000 is pretty high. If you can't do it yourself call someone else.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## thebrewha (Sep 17, 2010)

Might be that, who wants to hook up a hot tub that someone waited to winter to install, my price would be higher too!!!! maybe you can find someone that isn't busy, but that can bite ya in the butt to.


----------



## jakeo (Sep 14, 2004)

adjusted3 said:


> Not knowing the electrical system you have now, it seems a bit much.
> 
> I actually wired my own, 220, with a GFI sub panel, a cut off 6 feet away from the tub, (the cut off has to be at least 6 feet away per code, so you cannot put a foot in the tub and a hand on the cutoff) and buried the cable. My tub is 55 foot from the garage feed.
> 
> ...


I am sorry but NO WAY you could buy NEW wire, gfi disconnect, 50a GFI breaker, conduit,ground rods, ground and bonding wire, WP Disconnect "switch" for less then $250.00......and I get wholesale price. Please let me know where you got it and I will PAY 4 IT!
Im sorry but I dont like people giving out bad advice when I do it daily.


----------



## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

jakeo said:


> I am sorry but NO WAY you could buy NEW wire, gfi disconnect, 50a GFI breaker, conduit,ground rods, ground and bonding wire, WP Disconnect "switch" for less then $250.00......and I get wholesale price. Please let me know where you got it and I will PAY 4 IT!
> Im sorry but I dont like people giving out bad advice when I do it daily.


Could not agree more specially at today's prices


----------



## jakeo (Sep 14, 2004)

N M Mechanical said:


> Could not agree more specially at today's prices


Exactly......unless you bought it from a garage sale, the wire alone would be double that and bare bonding conductors?
Actually at that distance, I would increase the size of conductors.
Please just have a Licensed, Insured Elecrician do the job.
Plumbing only leaks, Electricity kills.
I only am trying to help people when I see posts like this.
HAGD


----------



## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

I did mine about 8 yrs ago..Guess I didn't allow for inflation. I didn't have far to go with the #6 wire, had the ground rod and most of the conduit, disco's weren't much, breakers were pricey. Materials today would be quite a bit more. The pro's know what they're doing, but I did power for 35+ years. Not a big deal for me to do it myself. If you need help, get someone qualified to give you a hand.


----------



## Wendy (Oct 6, 2008)

we just did ours and it was about 600, we had to run the wire the full length of the house, ouside, underground and through a poured cement retaining wall. Wire isn't cheap anymore...


----------

