A hot tub that no longer heats, leaks, or just takes up the patio can sit unused for years, because getting rid of it looks harder than it is. The job has three parts: making it safe to move, getting it out of the yard, and hauling it away. The first part is yours, or your electrician's. The other two are what a junk removal crew does.
Step one: drain it and cut the power
Before anyone can move a hot tub, it has to be empty and disconnected. Draining can take hours, using the tub's own drain valve or a submersible pump; the owner's manual usually shows where the valve is. Do not dump spa chemicals with the water. Keep the chemical bottles aside, because they are hazardous materials and do not go on a junk truck.
The power has to be shut off and the tub disconnected from its circuit. A hot tub is often on its own circuit, and disconnecting it belongs to you or a licensed electrician, not to the removal crew. We do not touch the wiring or the breaker, and the job cannot start until it is done.
Step two: whole or in pieces
Whether a hot tub leaves in one piece depends on the path from the tub to the driveway. If there is a gate wide enough for the tub on its side and no tight turn, the crew tips it on edge and carries it out whole.
Many backyards do not allow that. A fence gate too narrow, a set of deck stairs, a side yard between the house and a neighbor's fence: then the tub is cut into sections that fit through, and each section is carried out separately. Cutting does not matter, since the tub is being hauled away anyway, and it saves taking down a fence.
The cover, the cover lifter and the steps go on the same trip. The deck or concrete pad the tub sat on stays where it is; removing a pad or taking apart a deck is a separate job we do not do.
What decides the cost of hot tub removal
Three things set the price. Size: a two-person tub and an eight-person spa are very different weights. Access: a tub on a ground-level patio by the driveway is far simpler than one on a raised deck behind a narrow gate. Method: whether it can go whole or has to be cut. That is why hot tub removal is priced from photos, not from a general range.
The photos that matter are the tub itself, with the cover open if possible, and the whole route from the tub to the street: the gate, any steps, the side yard, the driveway. Add a line saying whether the power is already disconnected.
Can you sell it or give it away instead?
Sometimes. A tub that still works, with a good shell and cabinet, may find a buyer or someone willing to take it for free, though they will need to arrange moving it themselves. A tub that leaks, has a cracked shell or has not run in years is usually only worth removing. Be honest with yourself about which one you have before spending weeks on listings.
When to do it
If you are selling the house, take the tub out before the listing photos, so the patio reads as space rather than a project for the buyer. If you are replacing the tub, remove the old one first so the new delivery has a clear pad and a clear path. And if the tub has simply stopped working, there is no reason to wait: an unused tub only collects water and leaves under its cover.
Getting it done
Once the tub is drained and disconnected, send photos of it and of the way out, and you get a price before anything moves. On the day, the crew takes the tub, cover, lifter and steps, and leaves the pad or deck clear.