Mountain View DIY Hot Tub Build in Utah, USA (Case Study)

Last updated: September 2026

It’s time for a brand-new DIY hot tub case study. This time we’re heading to Utah, where Mike, a homeowner with a breathtaking mountain view, got in touch for help with his hot tub while he was building his dream home.

Mike wanted to add a hot tub to his property and hired me to help with the plumbing and parts. This build stands out not only for its location but also for its unusual approach to design and function. Let’s dive in.

Planning ahead: pipes laid with the house

Because Mike was building his house from scratch, he’d already planned ahead for the hot tub. By the time I joined the project, he’d laid several pipes running towards the hot tub area, as you can see below.

The pipes ran to the hot tub site and came up at the exact spot where the tub would go. Mike wasn’t entirely sure what configuration he’d need, so he played it safe and ran multiple lines to give himself flexibility. Here’s a closer look.

And here’s a view of the project from a distance.

The control room

Mike had already built an indoor control room with the plumbing pre-installed. He came to me for help sourcing the parts, configuring the control room and sorting out the plumbing inside the tub. It was an interesting challenge. Most builds start with a blank slate for the plumbing, but this one meant adapting to pipes that were already in the ground. For more on this, see where to put your control room and hot tub control room design considerations.

As always, I supplied Mike with all the parts for the build, which you’ll find at parts4tubs.com.

Building the tub

The first step was pouring the base. Mike then moved on to building the forms for the tub’s walls. What set his approach apart was building the seating directly into the wall forms. That let him do a single pour for both the walls and the seats, which is a pretty cool move, I must say. If you’re weighing up how to build your walls, see DIY hot tub construction: block, ICF or poured concrete? and my rebar guide.

Plumbing: inside the walls or outside?

With the base and walls in place, Mike started planning the plumbing. That brings me to a question I’m asked a lot: should the plumbing go inside the walls, or stay outside where you can get at it? Both have pros and cons.

Approach	Pros	Cons
Inside the walls	A clean, sleek finish	Future changes are harder
Outside the walls	Easy access for repairs	Can spoil the look

What I don’t recommend is a hybrid of the two. I made that mistake with one of my own setups, and it’s incredibly inconvenient when some pipes are easy to get to and others are hidden.

Mike chose to keep all the plumbing inside the walls for a streamlined look. Whichever you pick, pressure test everything before it disappears behind concrete. Here’s the finished plumbing before the next step of adding the external walls and filling them with concrete. For more on pipework, see DIY hot tub plumbing and hot tub pipe sizes and types.

Where the build is up to

At the last update, Mike’s hot tub was shaping up beautifully, with the next steps being to finish the external walls and pour the concrete.

The tub’s location, overlooking a stunning Utah mountain range, is simply breathtaking. Once it’s finished, it’ll be a very special hot tub experience. Here’s a snapshot of the progress.

Utah winters are cold, so if you’re building somewhere similar, have a read of winterizing a hot tub and DIY hot tub insulation while you’re still at the planning stage.

If you enjoyed this case study, you’ll love Jeff’s DIY pool and hot tub build in Mexico and Reem’s DIY hot tub in Michigan.

Building a new house with a hot tub?

Mike did the smart thing and planned the hot tub while the house was going up. If you’re at that stage, getting the plumbing designed before the pipes go in the ground saves a lot of adapting later. My hot tub plumbing consultancy covers exactly that, and if you want the whole tub drawn up, I can turn your idea into architectural CAD and a 3D plumbing design. If one of the standard sizes fits, my DIY hot tub plans have everything worked out for you.

What do you think of Mike’s build? Let me know in the comments below, especially if you’re planning something similar. I read them all.

Cheers,
Andi

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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