Junk Removal Boise: What Hot Tub Removal Actually Takes

Plenty of hot tubs in Boise backyards haven't held water in years. The cover's split, there's a wasp nest under the steps, and the owner has spent a few summers "meaning to deal with it" before finally looking into junk removal in Boise.

That's most of the hot tubs we haul. Nobody gets excited about hot tub removal. The tub just sits there until someone wants the patio back.

So if you've got a dead spa out back, here's what the job looks like from our side.

Why a hot tub isn't like other junk removal in Boise

Most of what we pick up gets carried out. A couch, a mattress, boxes from the garage. We make a few trips and it's done.

A hot tub is a different job. Even empty, a typical acrylic spa is heavy, awkward and wider than most side gates.

The shell sits on a wood frame that's often soaked through. There's also foam insulation packed around the plumbing, and it can hold water for years.

So the question isn't really "will you take it?" We will. The question is how it gets from your backyard to the truck.

Sometimes it goes out whole on dollies. If the gate's wide and the path is clear, that's the fastest way. A tub on a ground-level pad with an open side yard in Kuna or Star usually rolls right out.

Other times we cut it into sections on the patio and carry out the pieces. That's normal for a tub sunk into a deck in Eagle, or one tucked behind a garage in Garden City with a three-foot gate.

Cutting is loud for a bit, and the foam goes everywhere if you're careless. We lay down tarps and clean up as we go. You shouldn't be picking foam out of your lawn the next week.

What you need to do before hot tub removal

Honestly, not much. A few things just make the day go smoother.

Turn off the power at the breaker. Most tubs are hardwired to a disconnect box nearby, and that circuit needs to be off before anyone touches the tub.

Not sure which breaker it is? That's fine, we'll figure it out together. If the wiring needs to be capped or the disconnect pulled, that's a job for a licensed electrician, and it's worth getting done before we show up.

Drain it. A full tub holds a lot of water, and none of it is riding on our truck. Most tubs have a drain spigot near the base.

Run a garden hose out to the lawn and give it time to empty. If it's been sitting green for a year, just tell us. We've seen worse.

Clear the path. Walk the route from the tub to the street. Look at the gate, steps, planters, the grill and the kids' bikes, because anything you move ahead of time saves time on the day.

Heads up: Measure your side gate before you call. If it's narrower than the tub's shortest side, plan on the tub being cut up on site. That's routine, but it helps to know ahead of time so the saw noise doesn't catch you or your neighbors off guard.

If the tub sits on a deck, the deck stays unless you ask us to take it too. Some people want both gone at once. That turns it into more of a small demolition job, which we also do, but it changes the estimate.

How pricing works for hot tub junk removal in Boise

We don't give hot tubs a hard number over the phone, and here's why. Two tubs that look the same in a photo can be completely different jobs once you're standing in the yard.

The work sets the price. How big the tub is, whether it gets cut or carried, how far it has to go, any stairs, and whether the steps or deck are coming along too.

We come out, look at it and give you a firm price before anything gets touched. Say yes and we can often do it the same day.

Say no and there are no hard feelings. Yes, we'd love the work, but we'd rather you know exactly what you're paying first.

There are no surprise fees afterward. We take cash, card or Venmo.

As for timing, spring and early fall are our busiest stretch for hot tubs. People start using the backyard again and suddenly the dead spa is all they can see.

Winter works fine as long as the tub's drained, since ice in the lines adds weight and makes everything harder. Summer works too. We just start early, because nobody wants to be cutting fiberglass on a scorching patio in Meridian in the middle of the afternoon.

Where your old tub ends up

People ask about this more than you'd think.

A working tub in decent shape can sometimes find a second home. If yours still heats and holds water, mention it. We can't promise anything, but we'll try that before it heads to the landfill.

Most dead tubs get taken apart. Metal from the frame, pump and heater goes to recycling, and solid wood steps or cedar skirting sometimes get reused.

What's left, mostly the shell and that waterlogged foam, goes to the Ada County landfill. Or Canyon County's, if we're working out in Nampa or Caldwell. Either way, the sorting happens on our end.

The bottom line

Hot tub removal sounds like a big project, but for a crew that works all over the Treasure Valley, it's a pretty normal day. Turn off the power, drain it and measure the gate.

We handle the rest. How long it takes comes down to the tub's size, the access and whether it has to be cut up, and then you get your patio back.

Got one sitting out back? Give us a call at (208) 248-3629. We'll come take a look and give you a straight price.