How to Get Rid of a Hot Tub
Drain it, cut it, or have it carried out in one piece. Here is the real process.
A hot tub is not ordinary household bulk and should not be assumed acceptable for Pittsburgh curbside collection, because the City does not take construction and demolition debris at the curb. Removal means disconnecting power at the breaker, draining several hundred gallons, and either carrying the shell out intact or cutting it into sections. A typical residential spa shell weighs 500 to 900 pounds empty.
Hot tubs are the classic backyard problem. They stopped working years ago, they are full of rainwater and leaves, and they are sitting on a deck that was built around them. Here is how one actually comes out.
Quick Facts
- Empty shell weight
- About 500 to 900 lbs
- Water volume
- Often 300 to 500 gallons
- Curbside bulk
- Do not assume, call 311
- Power
- Disconnect at the breaker first
- People needed
- 3 or more
Your Options, Start to Finish
1.Sell it or give it away working
A spa that still heats and holds water has real buyers, and free listings move quickly when the tub runs.
Be honest about the condition, because a buyer who arrives to find a cracked shell and a dead pump leaves and you have lost two weeks. Non-working tubs almost never sell at any price.
2.Cut it up and take it yourself
Drained and cut into sections with a reciprocating saw, an acrylic and foam shell fits in a pickup across a couple of trips.
The foam insulation makes a mess that blows across the yard, the cut edges are sharp, and the sections are still heavy and awkward. Confirm with the disposal facility first, because a cut-up spa may be handled as construction debris rather than household bulk.
3.Hire a removal crew
Power gets disconnected, the tub gets drained, and the shell either comes out whole on straps or gets cut down on site and carried out. The deck and the yard come through it intact.
Access drives everything: a tub behind a fence with a 30-inch gate or sunk into a deck is a different job from one sitting on a patio slab. Have someone look at it before quoting.
Drain it first, and mind where the water goes
A residential spa holds several hundred gallons, and that water weighs roughly eight pounds a gallon, so nothing moves until it is empty. Kill the power at the breaker before touching anything, then use the drain valve and finish with a submersible pump. Do not dump chemically treated water straight into a storm drain or a neighbor's yard. Let the chlorine or bromine dissipate for several days before draining, and spread the discharge across your own lawn rather than sending it down a slope.
Why it is not a curbside item
The City of Pittsburgh takes two bulk items per week with regular residential refuse collection, but it expressly does not accept construction and demolition waste through ordinary curbside service. A hot tub, whole or in pieces, sits much closer to that category than to a couch. Cutting it up does not automatically make it acceptable. Call Pittsburgh 311 at 412-255-2621 for a determination, and call the transfer station ahead of time if you plan to haul it yourself.
Access is the entire price
What drives a hot tub removal is not the tub. It is whether a crew can get to it. A spa on an open patio with a clear path to the driveway comes out fast. A spa dropped into a deck frame, or behind a fence with a narrow gate, or up a flight of exterior stairs, means either dismantling the deck boards around it or cutting the shell down on site. Anyone quoting a hot tub removal without knowing which of those it is is guessing. Send photos or have someone walk the yard.
How to Get Rid of a Hot Tub FAQs
Can I put a hot tub at the curb in Pittsburgh?
Do not assume so. The City collects two bulk items per week with regular residential refuse pickup, but it does not accept construction and demolition waste curbside, and a hot tub sits closer to that category. Cutting it into pieces does not automatically make it acceptable. Call Pittsburgh 311 at 412-255-2621 before you plan around the curb.
How do I drain a hot tub before removal?
Shut the power off at the breaker first. Stop adding chemicals and let the existing chlorine or bromine dissipate for several days, then open the drain valve and finish the last few inches with a submersible pump. Spread the water across your own lawn rather than sending it into a storm drain or downhill onto a neighbor's property.
How much does a hot tub weigh?
A typical residential spa shell is about 500 to 900 pounds empty, and it holds roughly 300 to 500 gallons of water, which adds several thousand pounds at about eight pounds per gallon. That is why the tub is drained completely before anything is lifted, and why it takes three or more people or an on-site cut-down.
Do you have to take my deck apart to get it out?
Sometimes, and we tell you that before we start rather than after. If the deck was framed around the tub, either a section of decking comes up or the shell gets cut down in place and carried out in pieces. Which one makes sense depends on the deck and on what you want left behind.
Can you remove a hot tub that does not work?
Yes, and most of the ones we take out have not run in years. A dead tub is the normal case. Send a couple of photos of the tub and the path from it to the driveway, or have us walk the yard, and you will get a firm quote before any work starts. Call (412) 226-4500.
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Getting rid of a hot tub in Pittsburgh, PA. A hot tub is not ordinary curbside bulk; the City of Pittsburgh does not accept construction and demolition waste through regular residential collection, so call Pittsburgh 311 at 412-255-2621 before planning around the curb. Removal steps: disconnect power at the breaker, stop chemical treatment and let it dissipate several days, drain 300 to 500 gallons with the drain valve and a submersible pump, then carry the shell out intact or cut it into sections. A typical spa shell weighs 500 to 900 pounds empty. Access determines the difficulty: decks framed around the tub and narrow fence gates require cutting down on site. Steel City Cleanouts removes hot tubs across Pittsburgh. Call (412) 226-4500 for a free quote.
Want the hot tub gone instead?
Same-day service across Pittsburgh, 7 days a week. Free quote before any work starts. Call or text and we will give you an arrival window.