Blog · Kitchener
How to get rid of an old hot tub in Kitchener, step by step
A hot tub is one of the few things in a Kitchener backyard that cannot go to the curb in any form. Getting rid of one is a short sequence: drain it properly, have the power disconnected, then cut it up and haul it out.
Last updated September 25, 2026 · Reviewed by the Kitchener Junk Removal team
Why a hot tub is its own job
A typical acrylic hot tub is too big for bulky collection and far over the Region's 200-pound limit for a single bulky item. It will not fit through most side gates in one piece, and it is a mix of materials: an acrylic or plastic shell reinforced with fibreglass, a wood or composite cabinet, foam insulation, pumps, a heater and wiring. Each part goes somewhere different, which is why removal usually means cutting the tub into sections on site.
Step 1: Drain the water the way the Region asks
The Region of Waterloo publishes rules for emptying pools and hot tubs, and they apply across Kitchener. Start by confirming the water is free of debris and testing it for chlorine. If chlorine is present, dechlorinate it first.
- Chlorinated or bromine-treated water: the preferred option is to let it soak into a permeable surface on your own property, such as the lawn, without it running onto a neighbour's yard. If that is not possible, dechlorinated, debris-free water can go to the storm sewer, but not on a rainy day and not in a way that floods the road or sidewalk. A third option is the sanitary sewer through an indoor drain.
- Salt water: do not send it to the storm sewer. The Region's preferred route is a waste hauler approved by the Ministry of the Environment, with an indoor sanitary drain as the alternative.
The Region is direct about the stakes: discharging these chemicals to a storm sewer or a waterway is treated as an environmental spill, and the person responsible can be held accountable.
A practical tip: a submersible pump and a garden hose run to the lawn empties a tub in a few hours. Drain it a day or two before the removal so the shell is dry and lighter to handle.
Step 2: Get the power disconnected by an electrician
Most hot tubs run on a dedicated circuit fed from the house panel through an outdoor disconnect. Before anyone cuts or lifts the tub, a licensed electrician should shut off and remove that supply and make the circuit safe. Leaving a live cable in the yard is not a finish anyone wants. Book it before the removal date, since the crew cannot start until the tub is dead.
Step 3: Check the access
How the tub comes out depends on where it sits and how the crew reaches it:
- On a pad beside a driveway, common in Huron Park and newer subdivisions, it can often be tipped and cut quickly with the truck close by.
- Behind a house with a narrow side gate, typical of Forest Heights and Stanley Park lots, it is cut into sections that fit the gate width and carried out.
- Sunk into a deck, part of the deck usually has to come apart around it. Say so when asking for a price, because it adds time.
- On a rural lot around Breslau, distance from the tub to where the truck can park is the main factor.
Photos of the tub, the path to the street and any gate help get an accurate number. The hot tub and shed removal page explains what the crew does on site.
Step 4: Cut, sort and haul
Once the tub is empty and dead, the crew cuts it into manageable pieces, carries them to the truck and cleans up the pad. Sorting happens here, and it matters for where things end up:
- Pumps, heater and metal frame parts go with scrap metal, which the Region's drop-off sites accept at a lower rate than garbage.
- The shell, foam and cabinet are mixed materials with no recycling stream, so they go to the landfill as garbage.
- A hard cover is foam in vinyl and also ends up as garbage.
At the Region's sites, a mixed load is charged at the highest rate that applies to anything in it, which is why separating metal from the rest is worth doing. The pad itself, concrete or patio stone, normally stays unless you ask for it to go; heavy material like that is priced by weight.
If the tub still works
A working tub that is only a few years old can sometimes be sold or given away, but the buyer has to arrange the move, the electrical work at both ends and a trailer. Most people find it takes longer than expected. If it is not gone within a few weeks, removal is the usual route.
Doing the whole backyard at once
Hot tub removals often come with other things: an old shed, a rotted gazebo, a play structure or the leftovers of a deck. Grouping them into one visit is usually cheaper than separate trips, because the truck is already there and the load is priced on how much space it takes. The Kitchener junk removal cost guide shows how hot tubs and sheds fit into the pricing, and you can send photos for a price before anything is booked.