The Kansas Craftsman Who’d Never Built a Hot Tub (Until He Built One Better Than Most Pros)

When Mark sent us his first email back in April, he had a confession to make.

Sure, he’d built plenty of things. Deck? Check. Workshop? Done. Custom furniture? No problem. But a hot tub? That was different. That was one of those projects where most people just throw up their hands and call a contractor.

Most people aren’t Mark.

The Empty Space That Started It All

Picture this: A plot of Kansas land with a view so perfect it practically demanded something special. The kind of spot where rainbows appear in the background like they’re auditioning for a postcard. Mark stood there, looked at that empty space, and thought: “This is where my hot tub is going.”

Not “This is where I’ll have a hot tub installed.”

“This is where I’m building my hot tub.”

There’s a difference.

You can also find me on my socials;

From Digital Dreams to Concrete Reality

Mark’s journey started the way a lot of great DIY projects do – with curiosity and a design tool. He logged into our design software and started playing around with ideas, throwing concepts at the wall to see what stuck.

But here’s what separated Mark from the dreamers: He didn’t just design. He decided.

He looked at our off-the-shelf plans and realized they matched exactly what he wanted to build. No need to reinvent the wheel. These plans had been tested by over 1,500 DIY hot tub builders before him. They came with everything – structural designs, plumbing layouts, complete parts lists, direct links to order everything online.

A turnkey solution for someone ready to turn that key.

So Mark bought the plans. And then? He got to work.

When the Digger Hits the Dirt

The first swing of the excavator changed everything. What was once just an idea became a very real, very large hole in Mark’s backyard.

Thank goodness for that digger, by the way. Anyone who’s dug one of these by hand (been there, done that, got the backache) knows that machinery isn’t cheating – it’s wisdom.

Once the hole was dug, Mark poured his base with vertical rebar risers jutting up like steel fingers reaching for the sky. These weren’t decorative. They were critical – the connection points that would tie his walls to the foundation when he poured them separately.

Because here’s the thing about hot tubs: trying to pour the base and walls simultaneously is like trying to pat your head and rub your belly while juggling. Possible? Sure. Advisable? Not really. Most smart builders pour the base first, then the walls. Those risers make sure everything locks together with the kind of strength that’ll outlast your mortgage.

The Craftsman’s Touch

Now, some people would buy forms. Not Mark.

Mark made his forms.

In his workshop, he crafted custom shuttering that would become the mold for his concrete walls. But the real secret wasn’t in the wood – it was in the bracing. Loads and loads of bracing. Because when you fill those forms with literal tons of wet concrete, physics isn’t your friend unless you’ve planned for it.

Too little bracing? Your walls bow out. Your beautiful rectangular hot tub becomes a funhouse mirror version of itself.

Mark didn’t have that problem. The man knows his craft.

The Pour That Changes Everything

Watching concrete flow into forms is oddly mesmerizing. But Mark wasn’t just watching – he was working. Vibrating the concrete down, working out the air bubbles, making sure every pocket of trapped air made its way to the surface.

Why does this matter? Two reasons: Strength and waterproofing. Air pockets are weak points. They’re also potential leak points. Get them out, and you’ve got a structure that’ll last decades.

When Mark pulled those forms away, what emerged looked like it belonged there. Clean lines. Solid walls. The blueprint made real.

The Beauty’s in the Details

This is where Mark’s meticulousness really shone.

The plumbing went in with precision – through-wall pipes sealed perfectly into the concrete before it set. No drilling holes later. No crossed fingers hoping for the best. Everything planned, everything placed, everything perfect.

The insulation wrapped around the exterior, protecting those pipes and keeping the heat where it belongs – in the water, not escaping into the Kansas winter.

The Hartford loop by the skimmer – a simple physics hack that protects the blower from water backflow better than any valve ever could. Gravity doesn’t fail. Plastic valves eventually do.

And that control room? Mark built it separately, and he built it big enough. Too many people make their control rooms closets. Then they wonder why they’re swearing at equipment they can barely reach. Mark gave himself room to work, room to service, room to breathe.

Smart man.

From Stone to Masterpiece

But here’s where Mark really showed off.

Those copings – the stone caps that frame the top of the hot tub? Most people order those. Mark had massive slabs of stone delivered to his property, pulled out his tools, and cut his own.

Custom-fit. Custom-cut. Custom everything.

The man is an artist with a circular saw.

The Final Reveal

After the walls came the bench seating. After the bench came the steps. Each poured separately, each given time to cure, each adding another layer to what was becoming something truly special.

Then came the waterproofing. In the US, we recommend Hydroban Cementitious waterproofing membrane. It’s not the cheapest option. It’s not the easiest option. But it’s the right option. The one that works. The one you don’t think about again for decades.

And finally, the interior finish. Mark chose a concrete-style, Pebbletech-inspired look that complemented the natural stone coping beautifully. Not flashy. Not trying too hard. Just… right.

What Mark Proved

Here’s what matters about this build:

Mark had never built a hot tub before. Not once. This was completely outside his comfort zone.

But Mark had built other things. He understood materials. He respected the process. He followed the plan. He measured twice and cut once (except when he was cutting his own coping stones, then he probably measured seventeen times).

The result? A hot tub that looks professionally installed because it was professionally installed – by Mark, a professional craftsman who happened to be building his first hot tub.

The Process in a Nutshell

Let’s strip away the story for a second and look at the actual steps:

• Dig the hole (with machinery if possible – your back will thank you)
• Pour the base with rebar risers
• Build and brace your forms
• Pour your walls
• Install through-wall plumbing while forms are up
• Remove forms and add exterior insulation
• Build your control room (bigger than you think you need)
• Pour bench seating
• Pour steps
• Complete interior plumbing with Hartford loops
• Waterproof everything
• Apply your finishing surface
• Add coping
• Fill it up
• That’s it. That’s the recipe that’s worked for over 1,500 people now.

Your Turn

Somewhere right now, someone is standing in their backyard, looking at an empty space, wondering if they could actually do this.

Mark wondered too.

Then Mark decided.

Then Mark built it.

The question isn’t whether you can build your own hot tub. The plans exist. The parts are available. The process is proven.

The question is whether you will.

Mark in Kansas answered that question with a beautiful hot tub overlooking a rainbow.

What’s your answer?

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Ready to start your own hot tub build? Check out our off-the-shelf plans or experiment with our free design software to see what’s possible.

Need parts for your build?

• 🇺🇸 US customers: Parts4Tubs.com
• 🇬🇧 UK customers: Parts4Tubs.co.uk

Over 1,500 DIY hot tub builders have trusted our plans. Will you be next?

Can I Help You?

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Thanks - Andi

 

Hi, Andi here. I own Buildahottub.com and also write all of the articles and info pages on the site. Some years back now, I built my own hot tub but struggled to find the information I needed. So, once my tub was complete, I started this website to help others in their own pursuit of hot tub and plunge pools DIY building information.

Fast forward to 2025, I've helped over 1400+ DIY customers just like you all over the world build hot tubs and pools. Have a good look around the site, there are lots of resources here. Please do get in touch if I can help you. - Cheers, Andi