You have a gorgeous new hot tub and you want to keep it looking good. A hot tub and spa care specialist will ensure it stays in peak condition so all you have to do is relax and enjoy. Hot tub maintenance can include cleaning your filter, replacing your filter annually, draining and refilling the hot tub quarterly, cleaning the skimmer basket weekly to ensure proper filter flow, testing chemical levels weekly and adding chemicals as needed, sanitizing the spa, and more as recommended by Unique Pools & Spas in Richmond, Virginia.

Costs for having a happy hot tub can range from fees for weekly service visits, to one-time cleaning costs, to regularly scheduled maintenance calls, to necessary repairs and parts. How often you use your hot tub plus the number of people using it will affect your monthly costs, because you’ll need to maintain balanced, sanitized water to ensure a healthy hot tub experience for guests — not to mention keep it looking pretty. Here are the cost factors of cleaning a hot tub.

Monthly service rates

Hot tub and pool service providers offer monthly rates for weekly home visits. Each week a technician comes to your site to provide chemical testing, water balancing, filter cleaning, skimming and more. The more care you want each week, the higher your monthly fee will likely be. Many services offer testing and balancing, and you can buy the chemicals separately. Here are a few examples of monthly rates for weekly service:

• Weekly chemical check and water balance: $50 per month from East Mesa Pools in Mesa, Arizona.

  • Chemicals are an additional fee.

• Weekly pool and spa service starting at $75 per month from Real Deal Pool Guys in Corona, California.

  • Depending on service, chemicals may be extra.

• Weekly pool and spa service: $99-$120 per month from Jason Thomson of Dolphin Pool Maintenance in Mesa, Arizona.

  • Spa-only weekly service: $80-$85.

  • Spot check to look for problems, clean filters and ensure hot tub is clean: $65.

  • Includes all the chemicals.

    • Dolphin Pool Maintenance services are specifically for in-ground spas.

Maintenance visit fees

A maintenance visit provides more comprehensive preventive care for your hot tub than a weekly service. The technician may check your electrical panels, check the filter, look for leaks or faulty parts, and do other troubleshooting to keep your hot tub running well. Residential maintenance calls are typically less expensive than commercial service as the spas are smaller, fewer people are using them, and there is less wear and tear on the equipment. Here are some examples of cost from Quality Pool & Spa in Grapevine, Texas:

• Residential maintenance visit: $75 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. Includes cleaning, chemical balancing, equipment repairs and more.

• Commercial maintenance visit: $150 per hour with a 2-hour minimum.

Tub draining

How often your tub is used and the number of people using it will dictate how often you should have it drained. Pros drain all the water, clean the tub and its parts, clean the filter, and ensure optimal health. A typical homeowner who uses their hot tub occasionally might drain the tub 2-5 times per year, while someone who is having nightly hot tub parties with 10 or more people in the tub might have to get it drained once a month or more. Draining costs depend on the company, the size of the tub and other factors. Here is one example of cost:

• Hot tub draining: $125 from Dolphin Pool Maintenance.

  • Typically provides a filter cleaning at the same time.

Service calls

If you think you have a repair or parts problem on your hand, your best bet is to schedule a service call with a spa technician. The technician will arrive onsite to diagnose and repair and get you back in working order. Many pros provide this service at an hourly rate; some charge for a minimum number of hours to account for business overhead, transportation, and employee cost to arrive on site with all the necessary tools and equipment. Here are some examples of service call costs:

• $75 for a service call from Spa Doctor in Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • This covers the first hour of labor; additional time costs $65 per hour.

• $85 per hour for service and maintenance work from Steve Rider of Hot Tub Rehab in Austin, Texas.

  • Has a one-hour minimum; additional time is charged in quarter-hour increments.

• $150 for service fee from Robert Coy of Hot Tub Services in Aurora, Illinois.

  • This fee accounts for the pro driving to the location and diagnosing the problem. If the client chooses to do the repair, Coy applies that $150 to the total cost of service. The fee is not refunded if the client decides to replace the tub instead of repairing it.