How Much Does It Cost To Winterize A Hot Tub

Most hot tub owners expect to have to winterize their hot tub in preparation for the frigid temperatures of the winter. This is essential to maximize the life of your hot tub if you don’t plan to use it. What many wonder, though, is just how much hot tub winterization costs.

It costs several hundred dollars to winterize a hot tub. If the plan is to DIY, it will cost around $400 for materials, including the cost of a hot tub cover. When using a professional hot tub servicer, the cost is a bit higher, at about $500 or more. 

Winterizing a hot tub is a costly undertaking, whether you’re doing it yourself or with a professional’s help. If you want to know more about the costs associated with winterizing your hot tub, along with tips on how to keep costs down, keep on reading. 

This is How Much Hot Tub Winterizing Costs 

Hot tub winterizing can be costly, mainly because you need to purchase the right materials to get the job done right. And it adds up.

DIY Hot Tub Winterization Cost

If you are winterizing your hot tub on your own, it will cost you at least $400. The only costs you need to be concerned with are material costs. 

You’ll need to purchase the following items below if you don’t already have them in your home: 

• Wet vac – A standard wet vac can cost anywhere from $40 to over $100. If you want a professional-quality wet vac, plan to pay closer to $100 or more. 
• Shop-Vac – A shop vac can cost you around the same price as a wet vac. Or you can go all-in and buy a wet/dry vac and have both in one. 
• Hot tub cover – A hot tub cover is a must for your winterization project, as it will protect the interior of your tub from winter damage. Coincidentally, this is the most expensive item you’ll need to purchase. On average, a hot tub cover will cost you more than $300.
• Antifreeze – Antifreeze can cost as little as $3. 
• Sponge/Towels – The lowest cost items you’ll need are sponges and towels. 
• Miscellaneous tools – If you don’t have them, you’ll need to purchase miscellaneous tools like a screwdriver, wrench, and any other small tools to help you access the inner parts of the hot tub. You can get a standard set of tools for as little as $20 at your local hardware store. 

If you already have some of these items at home, you can decrease your hot tub winterization cost quite a bit.

Hot Tub Professional Winterization Cost

If you don’t want to do the winterization yourself, you can enlist the help of a hot tub professional to winterize your hot tub. The cost will depend heavily on the company that will do the winterization. 

On average, hot tub sellers offer winterization services for around $200 to $300.  However, if you need a hot tub cover, tack on an additional $500 to that cost. 

Lakeshore Pools and Tubs prices their winterization service at $225. The cost of the winterization service does not always include the hot tub cover – know this before you hire someone on and agree to a price. 

Why Professional Winterization Costs So Much

To understand the reason why it costs so much to winterize a hot tub, it may be helpful to take a quick glance at what is involved in the winterization process. 

Here is a general overview of the steps for properly winterizing a hot tub: 

• Disconnect all power to the hot tub by turning off the appropriate circuit breaker. 
• Remove the panel from the side of the hot tub. 
• Attach a hose to the hot tub’s drain hose to drain all of the water out of the tub.
• Drain water from the hot tub pumps. 
• Vacuum away any remaining water from the hot tub lines. 
• Add some antifreeze into the hot tub’s pumps.
• Replace the panel back onto the side of the hot tub. 
• Let dry thoroughly.
• Cover up the hot tub with a hot tub cover. 

As you may have realized, the process of winterizing a hot tub is not for the faint of heart- it is an involved process. For this reason, a professional winterizing service is a way to go for many people. This way, you don’t have to deal with the headache of reading up on how to winterize your hot tub and then doing the actual winterizing.

Note: Some professional pool servicing companies may still require you to obtain, or pay for, your own materials. So, before hiring someone, ask them specifically about who is supposed to buy the materials.

Handyman Hot Tub Winterization Cost

If you want to try to save some money on your winterization and still use a professional, you can go the handyman route. This route may be preferred if you have a go-to handyman that seems knowledgeable on the winterization process. 

Handymen are generally paid on a per-hour basis. So, the cost of winterization will vary widely based on how much time your handyman will take to complete the job. In addition, handymen come at different rates. 

For these reasons, there is no way to estimate how much a handyman might cost. However, chances are you may end up paying a bit less than you would if you had gone to a specialized pool servicing company. 

How to Save Money on Your Hot Tub Winterization

If you are looking to save money on your hot tub winterization, there are several things that you can do. The following sections below will help you keep costs low. 

• Go the DIY route. Doing the winterization yourself will cost you the least money in most cases. This is often the case because you only need to purchase the materials for the project and will not be paying yourself. 
• Use a tarp instead of a hot tub cover. If you are really strapped for cash, you can forego the hot rub cover and use a tarp instead. With a price tag of about $20, tarps cost a fraction of what hot tub covers cost. Keep in mind that hot tub covers offer more insulation than tarps, but if you reside in an area with mild winters, a tarp may work perfectly fine. 
• Buy a combo wet/dry vac – If you are DIYing your winterization, you can save $50 or more by shopping around for a combo vac that can vacuum up both wet and dry things. 
• Shop around for low-cost products – To further lower costs, shop around on the internet to find the best price on materials. For instance, the first hot tub cover that you see for sale may not be the most affordable one. Take your time and shop around for the most affordable materials. 

Is Winterization a Necessary Cost?  

There is some debate on whether it makes sense to pay for winterizing your hot tub, whether you pay a professional or do it yourself. 

Just because it gets frigid outside, it does not mean that you need to shut down your hot tub. Many people leave their hot tubs running throughout the winter months and incur negligible energy costs. 

It’s important to know that an average hot tub only cost around $4.00 per month to run. Over the winter months, this will only amount to around $12.00. Consider the fact that you may be better off without winterizing your hot tub. 

Final Thoughts

Now you know how much you can expect to spend on hot tub winterization and why. We hope that this article will serve as a helpful guide for your hot tub winterizing concerns. Also be sure to check out our article on other ways you can use your hot tub during the winter!

Now that you’ve learned the cost of winterizing your hot tub, find out how you can convert your hot tub to salt water here!