Landscaping Around a Hot Tub: Base, Paths, Planting and Privacy

Good landscaping around a hot tub starts underfoot and works outward: a level base rated for the filled weight, a dry path to the steps, somewhere for drained water to go, then planting, privacy and light. Keep the cedar clear of soil and plants, keep a wood fired tub's chimney clear of anything that could catch, and site it for the view.

This guide is about the ground around the tub. If yours is going on or into a deck, the deck ideas post covers that. For the whole decision, start with preparing for delivery.

Start with the view, and the wind

Before choosing materials, sit where the tub will go at the time of day you will use it. Owners almost always say the same thing afterwards: site it for the view and the stars, and think about where smoke and wind will go. Joanne McSporran's advice from Read Island is the best we have heard, and her story is worth reading before you dig anything.

The base

Everything else depends on this. The base must be flat, level and able to carry the filled weight: about 3,200 lbs (1,450 kg) on a 5 ft tub, 5,000 lbs (2,270 kg) on a 6 ft and 7,000 lbs (3,175 kg) on a 7 ft. Three options cover most gardens:

• Concrete pad. The most permanent and the easiest to keep level.
• Compacted gravel with pavers. Drains well, looks softer, and can be extended into a patio.
• Deck. Needs engineering for the load; Beaver Valley Cabin explains why filled weight is the number that matters.

Under an AlumiTub, lay 3.5 inches of rigid insulation on the base. It is part of what keeps the heat in.

Paths and the approach

Most use happens in the dark, in bare feet, often in cold weather. A short, level path of pavers, flagstone or decking, with no loose gravel right at the steps, saves a lot of grit in the water. Leave room beside the steps for a towel hook or a bench, and a spot for the lid when it is off.

Drainage

Water needs somewhere to go twice: rain, and the day you drain the tub. Grade the surrounding ground so it falls away from the base, and plan a downhill route for drained water that stays clear of the house and foundations. The drain kit makes it easy to run water where you want it. Where drained water can go, and when, is covered in draining and refilling.

Planting

Choose low, tidy, evergreen plants that do not drop much: ornamental grasses, ferns, low shrubs, groundcovers and herbs that like a sunny edge. Keep trees that shed needles, berries or sap from overhanging the water.

Leave a clear, dry strip between beds and the cedar so the wood can breathe, and do not let irrigation spray onto it. Avoid copper treated lumber for raised beds and edging near the tub; cedar care explains why.

Privacy

Work out which windows actually look at the tub, then screen only those sightlines. A slatted cedar screen, a hedge or tall grasses on one or two sides usually does it and leaves the view open. With a wood fired tub, keep screens, pergolas and overhanging branches clear of the chimney: it needs about 10 ft (3 m) of vertical clearance above the cap and no flammable material close by.

Lighting

Low and warm is best: path lights at ankle height, a light on the steps, and nothing shining across the water. The fewer lights you add, the more stars you get. A dark sky is one of the best things a hot tub can give you.

Firewood and storage

For a wood fired tub, a covered woodpile within easy reach makes the difference between lighting it on a whim and not bothering. Keep it a little away from the cladding. The best firewood covers what to stack. For an Electric or Hybrid, plan the circuit route with your electrician before landscaping goes in, and leave the cedar equipment steps easy to reach.

Pulling it together

The best gardens around a hot tub feel as though the tub was always there. That is easier with a tub that looks at home outdoors to begin with. For more ideas, browse the landscaping posts or the Knowledge Centre.

Common questions

What do you put under an outdoor hot tub?

A flat, level base rated for the filled weight: a concrete pad, compacted gravel with pavers, or a deck engineered for the load. Filled weights run from about 3,200 lbs (1,450 kg) on a 5 ft tub to 7,000 lbs (3,175 kg) on a 7 ft. Under an AlumiTub, lay 3.5 inches of rigid insulation on that base as well.

What plants are best around a hot tub?

Low, tidy, evergreen planting that does not drop much: ornamental grasses, ferns, low shrubs and groundcovers. Keep trees that shed needles, berries or sap from overhanging the tub. Leave a clear strip between plants and the cedar so the wood can dry, and keep everything well away from a wood fired tub's chimney.

How do you add privacy around a hot tub?

Use planting, a slatted screen or the house itself, placed where neighbors' windows actually look. A screen on one or two sides is usually enough and keeps the view open elsewhere. With a wood fired tub, keep screens and pergolas clear of the chimney and away from where smoke drifts.

Where should water drain from a hot tub?

Downhill and away from the tub's base, the house and any foundations. Plan the route before the tub arrives. Many owners run drained water to a lawn or garden bed once it is within range and the sanitizer has dissipated, following any local rules on draining.

Can you put a hot tub on grass?

Not directly. Grass and soil settle unevenly under a filled tub. Remove the turf, compact a gravel base and set pavers or a pad on top, or pour concrete. The base needs to stay flat and level for the life of the tub.