Hot tub removal in Fort Lauderdale, cut up and hauled from the patio

01

Why a hot tub doesn't fit Fort Lauderdale's bulk routine

Fort Lauderdale's bulk service is built around a pile at the curb: once a month on your service day, out by 7 a.m., no more than 24 hours early, and no bigger than 10 cubic yards. A hardshell spa sitting behind the house is the opposite of that. Before it can be a pile, someone has to drain it, disconnect it, cut it into pieces and drag a heavy shell, frame and cabinet through a side gate.

Self-hauling is not much easier. Fort Lauderdale is not on Broward County's list of participating cities for the county's bulk drop-off centers, so there is no free place to take it. And the half-used jugs of spa chemicals in the cabinet are hazardous liquids, which the city's bulk service does not accept. Those go to one of the city's free Saturday household hazardous waste events.

Rapid Haul does the cutting, carrying, loading and hauling in one visit, so the tub goes from the patio to disposal without a stop at the curb.

02

Before the crew comes: power and water

Most hot tubs are hardwired. Rapid Haul does no electrical work, so as the owner you need an electrician to shut off the circuit and disconnect the tub before removal day. If you are not sure how yours is wired, text Dany a photo of the equipment panel and he will tell you what to ask the electrician for.

Drain the tub the day before. A full spa holds hundreds of gallons, and the crew cannot cut or carry it until it is empty. If it has sat full and unused for a long time, tell Dany, because a waterlogged cover and old water add weight.

or call (754) 249-1015

03

Patios, decks and canal-side yards

Fort Lauderdale has about 165 miles of inland waterways. If your tub sits on a patio or deck facing the water, the whole house is between it and the street. That carry is what the price turns on. Photograph the tub, any gate it has to pass through, steps or a raised deck along the way, and where a truck can park.

If the tub is sunk into a wood deck and you want the deck gone too, that is deck tear-out, and Dany can price both as one job. Otherwise the crew removes the tub and leaves the pad, and the disconnect your electrician made, in place.

04

What removal includes

One flat price covers the whole job:

• The spa shell, cabinet, frame and cover
• Steps and loose surround panels
• Pumps, heaters and the parts inside the cabinet
• Cutting on site when the tub won't fit through the gate in one piece
• Loading, hauling, disposal and a sweep of the pad

or call (754) 249-1015

05

How Dany prices a Fort Lauderdale hot tub

There is no single sticker price for hot tubs because the job changes from yard to yard. A two-person tub on a ground-level patio with a wide gate is quick. A large family spa set into a raised deck at the back of a waterfront lot is not. Dany looks at your photos and sends one flat price that includes labor, any cutting, loading, hauling and disposal.

Hot tub removal is paid after the job. If the total reaches $1,000 or more, for example with a deck tear-out added, Dany may ask for a 50% deposit and tells you with the quote. Rapid Haul is based in Hollywood, just south of the city, and serves every Fort Lauderdale neighborhood, from Rio Vista and Harbor Beach to Coral Ridge and Imperial Point. Text (754) 249-1015, Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 7 PM.