Adding a Hot Tub under your deck can enhance your outdoor space and be a great place for entertainment. However, Hot Tubs are costly, so there is a lot to consider before purchasing one. Factors like preparation, installation, maintenance, and design inspiration all need to be considered. Coming from the experts, we will give our tips and design ideas to help with your home improvement addition.

Designing your outdoor space is a personal decision, boiling down to your own preferences and style choices. We aren’t here to tell you how to decorate, but we would like to offer you inspiration for when it’s time to furnish. Below, find 20 Deck Ideas for designing your ideal under-deck area.

Idea 1: Add a Fire Pit

Your outdoor space is an extension of your home, so adding a fire pit near your hot tub mixes the best of both worlds on your deck space. This creates a seamless transition from one space to another, positioning your fire pit as a focal point between the two spaces.

Idea 2: Place a Pergola over your Hot Tub

When the seasons start to change, a Pergola gives your hot tub protection from temperamental weather while also helping you extend the amount of time you can spend outdoors. Not to mention, it gives a visually appealing aspect to your backyard space.

Idea 3: Go serene and create your own outdoor Spa

Hot Tubs are synonymous with relaxation, with scientific studies supporting this claim. You can amplify the serenity by designing your backyard space with a Spa ambiance. Add some candles, string lights, and dim lighting to ease your body and mind after a long day.

Idea 4: Decorate with wood

Elevate your outdoor space with wood, which provides a sleek aesthetic and rich texture from the wood grain. Not to mention, wood blends easily with the landscape by matching any trees or other greenery in your backyard.

Idea 5:  Mix textures like wood and stone

Play up the dimension of your deck by blending a multitude of textures. Textures, such as wood and stone or concrete with wood, creates visual impact and help the design flow. This can easily emphasize different sections in your backyard that you would like to play up or detract from.

Idea 6: Add a bar area around your Hot Tub

A bar area is a focal point for gathering in any space, like in restaurants, bars, or even within your home. Adding a bar area near your Hot Tub, which offers plenty of opportunity for socialization, solidifies your backyard as a central area for entertainment.

Idea 7: Create an entertainment space

As stated earlier, Hot Tubs are great spaces for socialization. You can amp up your deck by providing more spaces for socialization, like adding a separate adjacent area with lounge chairs and a fire pit. This enhances your entertainment space to keep the party going.

Idea 8: Add an outdoor kitchen

For cooking aficionados, consider installing an outdoor kitchen to your patio area, complete with a grill, to eat around your Hot Tub. This allows you to cook without being separated from your company and keeps your indoor kitchen clean.

Idea 9: Give your space some privacy with a decorative screen

Create a little privacy between your Hot Tub and your deck space by screening your under-deck area. This can be used as a part of your backyard design or be used as a separator to keep the Hot Tub divided from your deck or neighbors in your backyard. Check out more screened porch ideas here.

Idea 10: Bring the heat with wood and a fireplace

Like a fire pit, a fireplace is another great heating option to place near your Hot Tub. It gives continual warmth from one location to the next and comes in different styles, adding more of a decorative edge compared to a fire pit.

Idea 11: Add dimension with a Sunken Hot Tub

Install a Sunken Hot Tub under your deck, giving you an unobstructed view of your backyard. This type of installation helps blend your Hot Tub into your backyard area seamlessly while also being the best choice for accessibility.

Idea 12: Go green with some greenery

Add some greenery around your Hot Tub to blend in with your landscape design. Decorate with flowers, natural wood, trees, and other shrubbery. Interested in taking your landscape and under-deck area to the next level? It might also be interesting to check our article on under-deck landscaping ideas.

Idea 13: Embrace Minimalism

Minimalism is all about the principle of less is more. This can be done through minimal decorations or letting one piece be the centerpiece. Opt to not overcomplicate your backyard design by placing your Hot Tub in your ideal location and letting it take center stage.

Idea 14: Add a Gazebo over your Hot Tub

Gazebos are great staples in your outdoor space. They can be decorated in a variety of ways: as a standout piece, elevate through decorations, play up the textures, or simply paint in a color that will best match your patio.

Idea 15: Set the mood with String Lights

Take your Hot Tub to the next level by stringing a garland, or two, of string lights. These can be used to create an ethereal ambiance or provide additional lighting in your backyard.

Idea 16: Create a Poolside Escape

Placing a Hot Tub next to your pool gives your deck space a luxurious feeling and ups the property value. This design has the added benefit of easier installation and water chemistry from using the same water.

 

Idea 17: Make it a tiered space

Add steps leading up or going down to add visual impact in your backyard space. This creates separateness between your Hot Tub area and the rest of your deck and gives plenty of space for your guests to enjoy themselves on the deck both in and out of the water.

Idea 18: Add a Waterfall

The sound of waterfalls emits a soothing effect that works well in tandem with Hot Tubs. Adding another water element directly on your Hot Tub or around it gives it this serene effect and elevated look.

Idea 19: Put a Hot Tub on the ground level

Blend your deck space with your Hot Tub by installing it in-ground. This gives you the opportunity to add pavers, fencing, and other deck add-ons.

Idea 20: Make it round

With small spaces, opt for a round Hot Tub to open up the space. These are ideal because they can easily fit into nooks and crannies found on smaller decks while still maintaining space for socialization. They are quite cozy, so there will be plenty of opportunities to chat closely with your guests.

Things to Consider Before Installing a Hot Tub On your Deck

As with any DIY project, you must create a plan for installing and decorating your outdoor living space. As homeowners, it’s important to consider the following:

• Installation Costs
• Maintenance and upkeep costs
• Decor and Accessories
• Deck and backyard space

In addition, it’s important to ask yourself some long-term questions about Hot Tubs, such as how long will it last? Is the hot tub a good fit for my outdoor space? Does it come with a cover included? How much water does a hot tub hold? Asking yourself these questions, and knowing the answers, are crucial for long-term planning.

Pros and Cons of Having a Hot Tub on your Deck?

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons before moving forward with big purchases and decisions. According to the pros, hot tubs are great for relaxation. Studies have shown that hot tubs relieve sore muscles and aching joints, lower stress levels, and improve sleep. Additionally, they are great spaces to socialize, as they offer a space for people to gather and mingle.

On the con side, owning a hot tub means general maintenance and initial costs. Hot tubs may have a hefty price tag, ranging on average from $3,000 to $16,000. After the initial purchase, the upkeep (electric bills, chemical costs, and overall maintenance) are additional costs. That is why you should be sure of purchasing a hot tub before buying one.

What Are The Requirements to Install a Hot Tub on our Deck?

Before installation, make sure you are aware of the requirements for installation. Requirements include, but are not limited to:

•    Size and Space: Ensuring you have enough deck space for the hot tub you are installing.
•    Preparing your Deck: Preparing your deck with proper sealants or waterproofing to prevent water damage or drainage problems.
•    Access to Electricity: Ensure you can place your hot tub safely near an electrical outlet.
•    Filling and Draining: After initial installation, it’s essential to drain and refill the water 1-3 times per year.

These requirements are consistent for all hot tub installations and are paramount for considering how and where to install your hot tub.

How Much does it Cost to Install?

The costs for installation vary depending on your Hot Tub model, your deck space, its location, and labor costs. Different Hot Tub models come with different prices for purchasing and installation. A standard hot tub model, which includes multiple jets and seating for roughly four people, costs around $3,000-$5,000. A model up, which gets more seating space and higher quality exteriors and jets, can cost up to $9,000. Splashing out on a premium model, containing all the bells and whistles, can go all the way up to $16,000. Depending on the model purchased, you can expect labor costs to be in the ballpark of  $150-$5,000, with installation between $300-$16,000.

How to Protect a Deck From a Hot Tub?

Make sure to protect and prepare your deck for a Hot Tub before jumping into the installation. An ill-prepared deck could mean trouble in the long run. Water retention, stains, water damage, and the sheer weight of the Hot Tub could cause long-term damage. However, you can take preventative measures such as sealing your deck with special paints that can protect your deck’s board from water damage and scuffing. You can also set up a proper drainage system to ensure no trapped water retention to damage your deck.