I love it when a plan comes together

“I love it when a plan comes together”. Anyone spot the 1980s popular TV culture reference to the A-Team? Probably my favourite TV program as a child. Perhaps, dare I say it how I got into the whole “DIY thing”. I always marvelled at the inventions the A Team cobbled together. I loved making things as a kid. I still love making and creating “things” today. I remember vividly playing “A-Team” with my younger brother – I was always Hannibal Smith – the “man with a plan“.

Perhaps some things don’t change…I’m still the “man with the plans” – just Hot Tub ones….

Anyway, enough about my childhood and my DIY inspirations – in this article, we are going to take a look at Rob from the USA and his DIY Hot Tub build.

Every single time this happens, I still have a huge smile on my face. This is the moment when I get a text, WhatsApp or email showing me a completed tub. A tub that started out on my computer and a bunch of lines in CAD gets turned into reality by a happy DIYer on the other end of the message. “You made it possible!” it read – a huge sense of pride every time I read something like this as another Hot Tub DIYer leaves the proverbial nest. That feeling will never get old.

I guess my A-Team reference came in when Rob sent me a pic of him and a big cigar at the end of the project in his tub. Very Hannibal Smith esq. I could almost hear those famous words…..but, like all great projects, this one very much started out with a plan.

Background

Rob got in touch through the website and he had a clear idea of what he wanted. My off the shelf designs were not going to fit the space and the vision that he had for his hot tub so he me create a custom design for him. The “plan”.

If you would like to read more about what that entails and how I can help you with your build, take a look at this page here.

Here is a sample of some of my off the shelf plans that you can find in the online store.

As you can see from a couple of the images below, the idea was for “L Shape” seating and jets only on one side. This was because of the path on the other side – there was not the space. He was also very clear that he had a view. And yes, when you take a look at the images further down the article he does indeed have a view to frame and that hot tub certainly does that.

The Design

As with any of my custom projects, the design goes back and forth until you the customer is happy. We got there pretty quickly with Rob as he had a clear vision of what he wanted. Next step, get the plumbing in place, then onto the parts supply.

Parts Supply

I also supplied Rob the parts that he needed for the build. Like must of my customers, he just added his own pipe. It is much cheaper to source locally than ship pipe and the pipe cement the carries wont take as it is a chemical. The key to a good DIY Hot Tub project is the right plan and the right parts to fit. Knowing that you have the right parts and just have to put them together “in the right order” makes life so much easier.

Knowing that if the parts are put in the right order they are going to work, not that they MIGHT work, they ARE going to work for us DIYers is a big comfort.

The Build

The stages of Rob’s build are no different really from any of the other case studies or my own build that you will find lots of information about on the website.

If you are block building like Rob, you dig a hole, lay a slab, block walls, core some holes, fit your plumbing, add some tiles, fill and enjoy! Wow, sounds easy doesn’t it. It is of course a lot more involved at each stage, but essentially this is the journey that all DIY Hot tubs take. We can see this below.

Now do you understand the A Team reference?

Waterproofing and then Tiles

Once you have your plumbing in place and your block work complete, you are going to need to waterproof the structure. There are many different ways you can do this, rob has used a paint on sealant which works really well. Available for good hardware stores and relatively inexpensive.

The tiles can be a challenge depending on the type that you go for. I went for large ones on my own build so had a similar issue to Rob with cutting holes for the pipes. Can’t remember how many tiles I cracked – I know it was quite a few. I am loving the cutting rig that Rob has put together. It keeps the tiles in place whilst he uses a pilar drill to core a perfect hole. Genius!

The End Result

Simply stunning. What a fantastic build and Rob, you have done a superb job.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Can I help you with your project?

Please do get in touch on the form below if I can help you with your project – just like I did with Rob. From plans to completion, I am there every step pf the way and on hand if you need any help.

Happy Hot Tubbin’

Can I Help You?

If I can help you in any way I would love to hear from you. You can get in touch using the form below.

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