John from Kentucky – 8 x 8 DIY Hot Tub

Hey there, DIY hot tub enthusiasts! Grab a seat (preferably not a wet one… yet) and let me tell you about our buddy John’s wild ride into the world of homemade hot tubs. Trust me, it’s been quite the splash!

Today, I’m excited to share an incredible DIY hot tub project with you. John, from Kentucky, is building an 8×8, 14-jet hot tub in his backyard using one of my pre-designed plans. Let’s dive into the details!

While many of my case studies focus on custom-designed hot tubs, today we’re taking a look at a more straight forward project. John from Kentucky has chosen to build an 8×8 hot tub using one of my pre-designed plans.

This approach offers a great starting point for DIY enthusiasts looking to create a relaxing oasis without the complexity of a custom design. Let’s follow John’s journey as he brings this off-the-shelf plan to life.

 

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Digging In: The Hole 

First order of business for John? Digging a giant hole. John’s out there like a modern-day prospector, but instead of gold, he’s after relaxation!

Yes, everyone’s journey starts with digging a hole and John’s journey is no different. If you are building an in-ground hot tub, there is no other option.

Walls: Building the Great Barrier Reef (Okay, Not Really)

With the hole sorted, John moves on to the walls. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think ‘hot tub’, I don’t immediately think ‘concrete blocks’. But John? He’s got vision! He’s stacking these CMU blocks like he’s playing the world’s heaviest game of Jenga. And get this – he’s even throwing in some vertical rebar for good measure. It’s like he’s building a fortress, but for bubbles!

The Interior: Where Comfort Meets Concrete

Now we’re getting to the good stuff. John’s crafting the inside of this bad boy, and let me tell you, he’s not messing around. He’s building steps and seats out of more blocks (this guy really loves his blocks), and then he goes and covers everything in insulation on the outside – he is doing a dual wall. cavity build. It’s like he’s building a cozy cocoon, but one that’s filled with water. Genius!

Plumbing and Electrical: The Veins and Nerves of the Operation

Alright, here’s where things get technical. John’s installing skimmers and drains like he’s suddenly become a pool shark. And don’t even get me started on the electrical work. He’s running conduit for lights, making sure everything’s above the waterline. Safety first, am I right? We don’t want any shocking developments in this tub!

Concrete Dreams and Waterproof Schemes

So, what’s next for our intrepid hot tub hero? Well, he’s about to pour the final layer of concrete. It’s like the icing on a very heavy, very wet cake. After that dries, it’s waterproofing time. Because let’s face it, a leaky hot tub is just a very expensive puddle.

I’ve got to hand it to John – he’s really diving in headfirst (figuratively, of course – safety first in hot tubs!). I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see the finished product. Will it be a bubbly paradise? A warm water wonderland? Only time will tell!

Stay tuned, folks. This hot tub tale is just heating up! 🛀💦🔥

The Adventure Continues…

We’re back to John from Kentucky with an update on his progress. Last time, in July, we left John forming the seats with the CMU blocks and pouring in the concrete. The structural part was complete. 

Fast-forward to today. The walls and plumbing are now complete. The picture below shows the current state of play for John’s build. 

In the picture, the loop you see is the Harford loop. This stops the water from flowing back to the control room when the air and water mix. Otherwise, your control room would flood, causing an expensive mess!

While you can choose a thirty-dollar plastic valve, I like to rely on gravity to ensure the water stays in the tub. 

Finishing Already?

John has also started work on finishing the exterior and interior of his DIY hot tub. 

Exterior

John has also started working on the exterior skin. He is going with a CMU block with cavity construction, which means that his plumbing and piping will go through the blocks’ cavities. 

This is necessary since it is an above-ground hot tub. His tub will have an interior wall, a cavity with the plumbing, and an exterior wall to cover it up. This will ensure his tub looks good and has no exposed plumbing. 

Interior

Obviously, with the CMU blocks and mortar, the hot tub interior will be uneven and need to be rendered. John did a great job at the rendering, as you can see in the picture below.

The next thing John needed for the interior was waterproofing. If you are a regular follower, I recommend the Hydroban Cementitious waterproofing membrane for the States. Alternatively, I recommend the Ardex S7 for those in Europe.

The last thing left for the interior is painting or tiling. John is going with both. He’ll add tiles to the top side and paint the bottom half. You can see the tiles on the waterline of John’s hot tub. 

I always recommend tiled waterlines. They make cleaning up easier. You can scrub a tile, but you’ll probably scrape a painted surface!

Control Room 

John has also made progress in his control room. It is close to the tub (only a few feet away). The closer, the better since it retains the appropriate pressure and flow to your jets.

Alternatively, if you’re going for a longer distance, you’ll need to do some calculations regarding the size of the pipes and pumps to ensure you’re getting enough flow to make your jets work properly.  

Then it’s onto the parts. He first dry-fits all the parts to ensure they all fit together and puts them in the correct order. If you recall, PVC cements are unforgiving, so if you make an error, your only choice is to cut it out. There are no redos with them!

From Start to Finish

And we’re back! For those of you who know me, you know there’s nothing I enjoy more than seeing a hot tub project come to life. Today, I’m thrilled to share an overall recap of John’s incredible DIY hot tub build.

It all began in May 2024 when John purchased my most popular model—the 8×8 hot tub. With the detailed plans, designs, instructions, and a few helpful videos in hand, he was ready to get started. Meanwhile, he filed for the necessary permit, which was successfully approved—a crucial first step.

John sourced all his parts directly from my website, parts4tubs.com, and got to work. By June 2024, the foundation blocks and plumbing were almost complete, and his project was well underway. 

Fast forward to September, and John had made significant progress. He applied a skin coat and carefully rounded off the seats, bringing the tub closer to completion.

Now, here we are in November 2024, and John’s hot tub is finally finished—and it looks absolutely stunning!

Looking at it now, it’s hard to believe this is the same build we saw at the start of this journey. And the best part? John achieved all of this using a ready-made setup, eliminating the need for custom designs. Check them out at shop.buildahottub.com!

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.

Today, I've helped over 1000 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