How Close Can a Hot Tub Be to Your House?

Outdoor hot tubs are a great addition to any backyard or outdoor patio, but there's a lot that goes into deciding where to put them. One question that often comes up is this: what's the minimum distance a hot tub should be from your house?

For safety reasons, most building professionals recommend placing a hot tub at least 5 feet away from any building or structure whenever possible. This is mainly to ensure you have access to all sides in the case of repairs.

You also want to make sure you have enough room to comfortably and safely get in and out of your hot tub. Finally, you need to think about where the cover will go when you remove it as well so that it's not in your way—no one wants to deal with climbing on or over a hot tub cover while trying to get in or out of the spa.

Why should I put my hot tub away from my house?

Access for repairs

One of the most important considerations when installing a hot tub is to leave enough space for access. This means that there should be enough room for a technician to comfortably walk around the hot tub, as well as any tools or equipment that may be needed for repairs.

Leaks can happen anywhere, and you don't want to find that a jet seal has perished on the one side you can't access.

Space to walk around

It's important to make sure that there is enough space around a spa for users to walk comfortably. First of all, this helps to prevent accidental slips and falls. Secondly, it ensures that there is plenty of room for people to get in and out of the hot tub without feeling cramped.

So, when planning where to put your hot tub, make sure to leave plenty of space around it for safety and comfort.

Lower risk of flooding issues

Another reason that you might want to put some distance between your home and your hot tub is just in case the tub ever leaks or overflows. Having some significant distance between your hot tub and your home in this type of situation would help prevent flooding issues or water damage to your home.

Keep away from power lines

This is really only applicable if you have overhead power lines at your home, but most electricians recommend that you put a hot tub a minimum of 16 feet away from any power lines.

If you have power lines directly to your house, you may need to consider putting the hot tub on a patio some distance away from your house to avoid this.

Can I put my hot tub on my deck?

A deck seems like a perfect place for a hot tub because it's right outside your house, which makes it easy to get to even on chilly days. You can safely put a hot tub on most decks, but there are some rules and precautions to follow if you choose to do this.

Here are some important things to remember if you want to put a hot tub on your deck:

Decks that are 2 feet or less off the ground

If you have a low deck that is less than 2 feet off the ground, the good news is that you most likely don't have to do anything other than install your hot tub wherever you want.

Decks of low height are built to withstand the weight of a hot tub without any trouble, so you shouldn't have to add any additional support (always check with an engineer to be sure though).

Decks that are higher than 2 feet off the ground

If your deck is on the higher side (2 or more feet off the ground), you will probably need to add additional wooden support posts.

The support posts help the deck properly distribute the weight of a full hot tub and any of its occupants. Check with a contractor to determine proper post placement and how many you will need depending on your hot tub size.

If you're wondering how to actually get your spa into place, I have another post with several methods on how to get a hot tub onto a raised deck.

What if my hot tub is right next to my house?

If you've already installed a hot tub right next to your house, don't worry! If the current setup works and you can easily get in and out, you can keep it that way.

You may just want to be extra mindful of the water level for overflows and excessive splashing to prevent water damage, but generally some light splashing won't damage your home.