Can a Hot Tub be Transported on its Side?

Hot tubs are amongst the most difficult and awkward items to move. They are extremely heavy and large and often the only way to get a hot tub into its new home is to move it and transport it on its side. So how do you get a hot tub onto its side and how do you go about safely transporting it without damaging it? I decided to do some research and find out:

So, can a hot tub be transported on its side? A hot tub can be transported on its side but it takes thorough planning and specialist equipment to do it safely. You will need strong straps, two large furniture moving dollies, two 4×4 lengths of timber, cardboard and old rugs as well as at least four strong helpers.

So, lifting and transporting a hot tub on its side can be done. However, there are a number of risks involved. Let’s find out how to do it properly.

How do you lift a hot tub on its side?

Planning – Planning a hot tub lift is extremely important. It really isn’t the sort of thing that you can suddenly decide to do. You will need to work out who is going to help you as well as where you are going to get the equipment from. Assuming that you are lifting the hot tub to move it you will also need to plan the route the hot tub will take.

Even small steps, uneven ground, low walls, sheds and fences will all become problematic obstacles. You will need to measure the hot tub carefully and measure the gaps that it needs to pass through to make sure that the route you want to take will work. If not, will you need to move a fence or cut a hedge, shift a garden shed or even hire a crane to lift the hot tub into its new position?

Equipment – First of all you will need at the very least four strong helpers. In fact, six is a much better number so that you can have a person on each corner of the hot tub plus two extra for lifting where needed. It would also be a good idea to have a non-lifting supervisor whose job it is to coordinate everyone.

It can be helpful for all of the helpers to wear strong gloves with a good grip on them as well as strong, preferably steel toe capped, boots.

You will also need two furniture moving dollies for wheeling the hot tub. It will rest on two long 4×4 pieces of timber and it will need to be strapped down by at the very least two strong straps. In addition, you might want to use large sheets of cardboard and old rugs to protect the sides of the hot tub cabinet from scratches.

The lift – First of all you need to make sure that everything is disconnected from the hot tub and that it is completely empty of water. Once you have done this then it’s time to start lifting.

First of all, get your lengths of 4×4 timber ready. The aim is to get the hot tub sitting horizontally on top of these for a start. Work on each corner of the hot tub at a time. Have as many people lift a single corner as possible whilst one person quickly slides the 4×4 timber underneath. Once you have done one corner get everyone to move to the next and so on until the hot tub is standing on the timbers.

The main problem with this part of the lift is getting enough grip on the hot tub without being able to get your fingers underneath it. If you have enough people on a corner you should be able to do it but if you are really struggling try to avoid the temptation to lever it up with a spade or similar. If you do this that chances are that you will damage the hot tub cabinet and probably break the spade.

If you are struggling the solution is going to be more people to lift.

Be extremely careful once the hot tub is suspended and held off the ground as you will probably want to put your fingers underneath to get a better hold. Be very sure that everyone is going to keep the hot tub off the ground whilst you do this. The risk of breaking or crushing fingers is high.

The next step is to lift the hot tub into the vertical position. The plan is to slide it along the timbers so that it is still supported by them one it is vertical and on it’s side.

Start by ensuring that the timber is long enough and then get the strongest lifters on the side that will be going up. As they lift there will be a pushing pressure on the opposite side of the hot tub and you will also need people to push and prevent the hot tub from just sliding away from the lifters. Try to lift in two stages. One to waist height and then again to get the hot tub horizontal. A coordinated effort will work better than everyone randomly lifting so designate a coordinator to get everyone to work together.

This is hazardous work. Bear in mind that the hot tub will be difficult to balance and, particularly before it gets into the horizontal position, the risk of it falling and getting damaged or injuring someone is quite high.

By the end of the lift you should have the hot tub on it’s side on the timbers. You might want to include some cardboard or other padding during the lifting process to try to minimize the chances of the hot tub cabinet being scratched or damaged.

Transportation – The next stage is to get the hot tub onto two strong furniture dollies, possibly get it into a truck and transport it to the new location.

The hot tub can stay on it’s side for the transportation process. First of all lift one side of the hot tub at a time and slide a furniture removal dolly onto each side. It is then vitally important that the hot tub is strapped very firmly to the dollies so that they can’t separate.

You can then begin the tricky process of wheeling the hot tub to it’s new location. You will need to balance the hot tub carefully, aim to keep it in a perfectly vertical plane as much as possible as, if it does overbalance and start to fall, the risk of damage and injury is high.

If you need to transport the tub by road you will need a truck with a tail lift and also the means to strap the hot tub very firmly into place during the journey so that it doesn’t move.

The down – Getting the hot tub back down again is essentially the opposite of the lift. The main problem is that as it comes down from vertical there will be a sudden weight to bear and a risk that the edge that is on the timber slips outwards.

Again, you will need your strongest lifters underneath the hot tub to bear the weight as it descends. You will need a coordinated effort and the people at the bottom edge of the hot tub will need to firmly support the edge as th hot tub comes down.

The last few inches will be the hardest section. There will be a risk of the weight of the hot tub pulling downwards so try to plan for a two-part put-down, one to waist height followed by the final descent to the timbers.

Once the hot tub is horizontal again on the timbers lift each corner in turn and remove the timbers before finally lowering back down to the ground.

Should you move a hot tub yourself?

If you know that the only way to get your hot tub in or out of a space is to put it on it’s side then you have to do some serious thinking about how you go about the project. Moving a hot tub and keeping it horizontal is a big enough project due to the size and weight of a hot tub but, once you have to start lifting it into a vertical position and moving it around and transporting it at the same time then you run into a much higher number of problems and risks.

Firstly, you need to seriously think about the manpower that it will take to get an object of that size off the ground and upright. Do you have enough strong and willing helpers that could do the job with you? Once the hot tub is on it’s side you need to think about the logistics of moving it. It will be at least 6 feet high and most probably balanced on furniture moving dollies. The risk of it unbalancing and toppling over is quite high. You will have similar problems when you want to get the hot tub horizontal again. The risk of accident is quite high and needs some serious thought.

My personal advice would be to very seriously think about getting in and the services of a professional removal company. They will have the equipment and expertise to do the job properly. You won’t get injured in the process and they should be fully insured if there is any damage to the hot tub or your property.

Related Questions:

How difficult is it to move a hot tub? Hot tubs are extremely heavy and awkward to move. You will need specialist equipment and also several strong helpers. If there are obstacles in the way you might need to lift the hot tub or even hire a crane to do the job.

If your hot tub is in warranty it would be, by far the best idea to get the hot tub company to move it. However, if it is not under warranty it is possible to move it yourself. You would need to weigh up the cost of paying a specialist to do it for you against the time and effort it will take to do it yourself.

How heavy is a hot tub? Hot tubs are extremely heavy and, even without water in them, can weigh around 400KG. This is why they are so difficult to transport and why you need to have such a firm foundation for them to stand on.

How do you transport a hot tub? The best plan is to hire in a specialist hot tub moving company to transport a hot tub. However, it can be done if you have several strong helpers, furniture removal dollies and a suitable truck.