How to Get Rid of an Old Spa or Hot Tub in Melbourne

Last updated 2026-09-17

Most old spas go the same way. The heater dies, or the pump, or nobody has used it since the kids left home, and the cover slowly turns green while it takes up the best corner of the yard.

Getting rid of one is harder than almost anything else in a backyard. A spa is heavy, it rarely fits back out through the gate it came in by, it may be wired straight into your switchboard, and in Victoria it is probably on your council's pool and spa register.

Here's every option in Melbourne, what each one really involves, and the step that catches people out after the spa is gone.

First: is it plugged in, or hardwired?

This decides how the job starts, so check it before anything else.

• Plug-in spa. The power lead ends in a plug in an outdoor power point. Switch it off, unplug it, and that side of the job is done.
• Hardwired spa. The cable runs into conduit, a wall or an isolating switch instead of ending in a plug. Larger spas and swim spas are usually wired this way.

A hardwired spa has to be disconnected by a licensed electrician. In Victoria, electrical wiring work must be done by a licensed electrician, and disconnecting a spa from the switchboard is wiring work. It isn't a job for the owner, a handyman or a removal crew, whatever anyone offers.

Book the electrician first. Once the circuit is isolated and the cabling made safe, the spa is just a very heavy object.

Draining the water

Turn the heater and pump off before you start. Most portable spas have a drain valve near the base, and a submersible pump speeds things up if you have one.

Don't run treated spa water into the stormwater drain or the street gutter. Melbourne's stormwater flows to creeks and the bay without treatment, and chlorine and spa chemicals don't belong there. If you're not sure where your water should go, ask your water retailer: South East Water, Yarra Valley Water or Greater Western Water, depending on where you live.

A typical spa holds well over a thousand litres, which is more than a tonne of water. Let it drain completely before anyone tries to move the shell.

Your options

1. Sell it or give it away (if it still works)

A working spa has a genuine second-hand market. Listed cheaply or free on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, a spa in decent condition will often find someone willing to collect it.

Best for: spas that still heat, pump and hold water, ideally with a cover worth keeping.

Watch for: moving a spa in one piece is specialist work. The buyer usually needs a spa mover with the right trolley, and sometimes a crane to lift it over the house. Make sure they understand that before they turn up with a ute and a mate.

Not worth trying if: the shell is cracked, the pump or heater has failed, the timber cabinet has rotted, or it hasn't run in years. Very few people will collect a spa that needs work.

2. Council hard waste

Worth checking, but rarely the answer for a whole spa.

Hard waste collections come with size limits. The City of Monash, for example, caps a collection at 4 cubic metres, stacked no more than 1 metre wide, 4 metres long and 1 metre high. Most spas are around two metres across, so a whole one won't fit, and it still has to reach the nature strip somehow.

Even if you cut a spa into sections yourself, check your council's rules before putting anything out. What's accepted, and how it has to be presented, varies from one council to the next.

Council by council: Hard rubbish collection Melbourne guide

3. Do it yourself

It can be done, and plenty of handy people do it. It's more work than it looks.

1. Disconnect it. Unplug it, or have a licensed electrician disconnect it if it's hardwired
2. Drain it completely
3. Strip it. Lid, cover, steps, and the timber or synthetic cabinet panels around the sides
4. Take out the equipment. Pump, heater, blower and control box
5. Cut the shell into sections two people can carry, usually with a reciprocating saw
6. Carry it out and load a trailer
7. Take it to a transfer station, where tip fees apply

Safety first: cutting acrylic and fibreglass throws off fine dust and leaves sharp edges. Wear a P2 dust mask, eye protection and heavy gloves. A dry shell alone can weigh 150kg or more, before the frame and cabinet.

The e-waste rule: the pump, heater and control box are electrical equipment. In Victoria anything with a plug, battery or power cord is e-waste, and e-waste is banned from landfill, so keep them out of the general load. More on that: E-waste disposal Melbourne

Be honest about the time. For a first go, this is a full weekend, a trailer, a saw, a helper and at least one trip to the tip. If you have all of those, it's a legitimate way to save money.

4. Pay for removal

A removal crew works through the list above in a few hours: drains what's left, strips the spa, cuts it down on site, carries it out through whatever access you have, and takes each part where it needs to go.

Best for: spas in back corners with narrow side access, spas set into decking, swim spas, and anyone without a trailer, a saw or a spare weekend.

If your spa is hardwired, have your electrician disconnect it before the crew arrives. We work in with that.

Our spa and hot tub removal service gives a fixed price from two photos: one of the spa, and one of the way out.

What affects the price

Spa removal prices vary more than most jobs, because the spa is rarely the hard part. The work around it is. What moves the number:

• Size and type. A small plug-in spa on a concrete slab sits at the easy end. A swim spa needs more crew and more cutting.
• Access. A wide side gate is simple. Steps, a narrow path, a route through the house or a lift over the fence all add time.
• Whether it has to be cut down. Most do, because few spas fit through a standard gate in one piece.
• Decking and surrounds. A spa set into a deck takes longer to free, and the offcuts have to go too.
• What else is going. Adding the rest of the backyard rubbish to the same visit is usually cheaper than booking a second job.

Budget for the electrician separately. If your spa is hardwired, disconnection is a job for a licensed electrician, and it's usually booked and invoiced on its own.

That's why we quote from photos rather than publishing a flat rate. Send a picture of the spa and one of the route out and we'll give you a fixed figure, usually the same day, and we'll beat any comparable written quote by 10%.

For general junk removal prices: How much does junk removal cost in Melbourne?

After it's gone: take it off the council register

This is the step most people miss.

In Victoria, a spa that can hold more than 300mm of water has to be registered with your local council, the same as a swimming pool. Owners must have the safety barrier inspected every four years and lodge a certificate of barrier compliance with council.

Removing the spa doesn't take it off that register on its own. You need to tell your council it has gone. Until you do, the spa stays on their records and the four-yearly barrier certificate is still expected.

How councils handle it varies. Glen Eira, for example, takes a deregistration form online and inspects before removing the spa from its register. Other councils ask for a form and photos instead. Either way:

• Photograph the spa before it goes, and the empty space afterwards
• Search your council's website for "pool and spa deregistration" or "decommission"
• Do it straight away, while you still have the photos and remember the date

What happens to an old spa

A spa isn't one material, which is why tipping it whole is the worst outcome. Taken apart:

• Steel frame and fittings go to scrap metal
• Pump, heater and control box are handled as e-waste
• Timber cabinet panels are separated from the rest of the load
• The acrylic or fibreglass shell and its foam insulation are the parts that genuinely go to disposal

Frequently asked questions

Got an old spa to go? Send us a photo of the spa and one of the way out for a free, fixed quote, usually the same day. Or call 0435 377 111.

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