Hot tub removal in Toronto

What happens on the day

A hot tub is a sealed fibreglass or acrylic shell sitting in a wooden or plastic cabinet, with a pump, heater and plumbing underneath. It does not fit through a side gate in one piece, so the job is dismantling it where it sits.

• You send photos of the tub, the path from it to the street and any steps, gates or deck boards in the way. We confirm the price from those photos.
• We arrive in the booked window and check that the tub is drained and that the power is off before we touch it.
• We strip the cover, steps, skirt panels and cabinet, then cut the shell into pieces small enough to carry.
• The pump, heater, jets and the tub's own plumbing come out with the shell. Everything is carried to the street and loaded.
• We confirm the final volume on site, haul everything away and leave the pad or deck clear.

What we take and what we leave

We take the whole tub: shell, cabinet, cover, steps, equipment and the cut-up pieces. If you also have a broken lounge chair, a pile of old patio furniture or a cover that has gone to mush, tell us and we price it with the same visit.

Some things are not part of the job. We do not disconnect hardwired electrical supply, so a tub on a permanent circuit needs the breaker switched off and the wiring made safe by an electrician before we come. We do not take spa chemicals such as chlorine or bromine, and we do not remove in-ground spas or swimming pools. Chemicals are hazardous waste we cannot haul, and the City runs free household hazardous waste drop-off at its depots.

A deck that has to come apart before the tub can be reached is a separate job. Hot tub removal is junk removal, but taking up deck boards is demolition, and we price it from the posted deck rate.

What changes the price

The posted price is from $399 before HST. Where a tub lands above that depends on a short list of things we can see in your photos.

• Size and build. A two-seat plug-in tub and a seven-seat tub with a heavy cabinet are different amounts of cutting and different amounts of material.
• Carry distance. A tub beside the driveway is quick. A tub at the back of a long side yard means every piece is walked a long way.
• Steps, gates and grade. Narrow side gates, stairs from a deck to the lawn and soft or sloped ground slow the carry.
• Concrete pads and hard shells. A thick base under the tub, or a shell reinforced with heavy material, takes longer to cut.
• Weight. Weight over the included allowance is billed at $250 per tonne from the scale ticket, so a tub that is still holding water costs more to move and more to dispose of.
• Timing. Same-day service is plus $50 on top of the job.

What to do before we arrive

A few jobs on your side keep the visit short and the price where the photos put it.

• Switch the power off at the panel, not only at the tub. If the tub is on its own breaker, label it and tell us. If it is hardwired, have an electrician disconnect it first.
• Drain the tub. A filled hot tub holds hundreds of litres, and every litre weighs a kilogram. Use the drain valve or a pump, and run the water onto your own property where it can soak in, away from neighbours, the street and the foundation.
• Take out the cover and any chemicals and keep them aside. Remove towels, toys and anything left in the footwell.
• Clear the route: move planters, grills and furniture, open the gate wide and measure the narrowest point.
• Tell us if the tub sits on a deck, a pad or a built-in frame. We price what we see in the photos.

Toronto rules that apply to a hot tub

The City of Toronto's curbside oversized and metal item collection takes furniture, appliances, sheds and similar goods set out beside your garbage bin on your collection day. A hot tub is not on the list of accepted items. Construction, demolition and renovation waste is also not collected at the curb, and the City points residents to a drop-off depot or a private company for those.

You can take pieces to a City drop-off depot yourself. Garbage and renovation waste there costs $189.86 per tonne, with a $19 minimum that covers the first 100 kg, and a deposit of at least $40 is taken before you unload. The depot pages do not mention hot tubs, a motorized vehicle is required and loads must be secured, and wood longer than 1.2 metres (four feet) is on the prohibited list. Ask 311 before you cut the tub up and drive it over.

If you would rather skip the cutting, the lifting and the drive, we do it for from $399 before HST. For the detail behind that figure, see the hot tub removal cost guide.