Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

The pink hot tub blues

No crane? No problem.

My old college pal Kathy just bought her first house. “It has everything I want,” she rhapsodized, “and one thing I don’t — a big pink spa in the backyard. I shudder to think.”

“When people buy a house with an unwanted spa,” said Lando Fehrenbach, owner of Spa Removers (858-997-2090; sparemovers.com), “they sometimes think, Oh, I’ll just give it away. But then you tilt it on its side to move it and the old motor falls apart. Or it’s rodent-infested or full of termites or spiders. We’ve dealt with six units just this year where beehives had taken over the inside of the spa. If you buy a house with an old spa and it’s not working, it can cost up to $6000 to repair. People don’t want a hole full of filth just sitting there; they want space in their yards. It’s best just to get rid of it and to use a professional company. And if you do give it away, make sure the other person uses a professional company. I just got called in last week to save the day after some college students tried to move a spa with a skateboard for a dolly.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Spa Removers takes out in-ground and above-ground spas. “In-grounds are hooked up the same as swimming pools, with the same equipment. The shell is usually fiberglass, and we can cut it out of the ground, cut back the piping, and do various things to reverse everything. But we specialize in removal only, so you’ll need another contractor to fill in the hole.”

Some of the bigger above-ground spas were originally craned in, he explained. “Once, I did a job in San Francisco where it had been helicoptered up onto a mountain. They can weigh from 700 to 1100 pounds. You can save a lot of money by not craning it back out. But even if there aren’t access issues, that can be difficult. If it’s old, it can just fall apart while you’re dollying it out. Or it can fall and damage something or someone — it’s just this huge, awkward thing. We’ll cut it into pieces and remove it. Plus, spas are usually hooked directly to 220-volt electrical lines, or even gas lines. You need a licensed professional to disconnect them safely.”

Because he’s been at it for a long time, he sometimes doesn’t even need to cut. “We now have techniques and equipment — special jacks and things — that help us keep mess and fiberglass in the air to a minimum. With in-ground, we’ve cut fiberglass mess 70 to 80 percent. We can usually get your spa out in 45 to 90 minutes, and we pressure-wash the area where the spa was.” Cost varies by job, but Fehrenbach estimated $300–$350 for above-ground spas and $450–$475 for in-ground. “That price includes removal, clean-up, electrical work, and dump fees.”

Amanda at Ace Hauling and Demolition (800-720-4285; acehauling.com) told me her company has been doing “swimming-pool demolition for over ten years. We’re licensed and insured. Above-ground spas cost from $350 to $450 — the higher price is if we have to drain it and cap off electrical, or if access is difficult. Usually, the spas have to be cut up. In-ground spas require us to come out and give an estimate. We can fill the hole with dirt when we’re done, but we don’t do concrete work.”

Avalina at Diaz Service (619-534-8819; diazservice.com), a professional spa-moving company, said, “We move spas as well as disposing of them. If the spa is in good enough condition and there’s easy access, we won’t have to cut it up. If we don’t need to cut it, the removal takes about 30 minutes. If we have to cut, it will take longer. Price depends on size. An 8´x8´ spa that doesn’t need cutting would be $190, and that includes the spa cover and landfill fees. If it does need cutting, the price starts at $240 and goes up, depending on access. Above-ground spas don’t usually have gas lines, but if they do, you’d need to have the utility company disconnect the gas first. As for electrical, we don’t have a licensed electrician, but they do know how to disconnect spas. You just need to turn off the breaker so they can pull the cables.”

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Coyote tracks in frail San Diego avocado grove

Second place winner in Reader neighborhood writing contest

My old college pal Kathy just bought her first house. “It has everything I want,” she rhapsodized, “and one thing I don’t — a big pink spa in the backyard. I shudder to think.”

“When people buy a house with an unwanted spa,” said Lando Fehrenbach, owner of Spa Removers (858-997-2090; sparemovers.com), “they sometimes think, Oh, I’ll just give it away. But then you tilt it on its side to move it and the old motor falls apart. Or it’s rodent-infested or full of termites or spiders. We’ve dealt with six units just this year where beehives had taken over the inside of the spa. If you buy a house with an old spa and it’s not working, it can cost up to $6000 to repair. People don’t want a hole full of filth just sitting there; they want space in their yards. It’s best just to get rid of it and to use a professional company. And if you do give it away, make sure the other person uses a professional company. I just got called in last week to save the day after some college students tried to move a spa with a skateboard for a dolly.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Spa Removers takes out in-ground and above-ground spas. “In-grounds are hooked up the same as swimming pools, with the same equipment. The shell is usually fiberglass, and we can cut it out of the ground, cut back the piping, and do various things to reverse everything. But we specialize in removal only, so you’ll need another contractor to fill in the hole.”

Some of the bigger above-ground spas were originally craned in, he explained. “Once, I did a job in San Francisco where it had been helicoptered up onto a mountain. They can weigh from 700 to 1100 pounds. You can save a lot of money by not craning it back out. But even if there aren’t access issues, that can be difficult. If it’s old, it can just fall apart while you’re dollying it out. Or it can fall and damage something or someone — it’s just this huge, awkward thing. We’ll cut it into pieces and remove it. Plus, spas are usually hooked directly to 220-volt electrical lines, or even gas lines. You need a licensed professional to disconnect them safely.”

Because he’s been at it for a long time, he sometimes doesn’t even need to cut. “We now have techniques and equipment — special jacks and things — that help us keep mess and fiberglass in the air to a minimum. With in-ground, we’ve cut fiberglass mess 70 to 80 percent. We can usually get your spa out in 45 to 90 minutes, and we pressure-wash the area where the spa was.” Cost varies by job, but Fehrenbach estimated $300–$350 for above-ground spas and $450–$475 for in-ground. “That price includes removal, clean-up, electrical work, and dump fees.”

Amanda at Ace Hauling and Demolition (800-720-4285; acehauling.com) told me her company has been doing “swimming-pool demolition for over ten years. We’re licensed and insured. Above-ground spas cost from $350 to $450 — the higher price is if we have to drain it and cap off electrical, or if access is difficult. Usually, the spas have to be cut up. In-ground spas require us to come out and give an estimate. We can fill the hole with dirt when we’re done, but we don’t do concrete work.”

Avalina at Diaz Service (619-534-8819; diazservice.com), a professional spa-moving company, said, “We move spas as well as disposing of them. If the spa is in good enough condition and there’s easy access, we won’t have to cut it up. If we don’t need to cut it, the removal takes about 30 minutes. If we have to cut, it will take longer. Price depends on size. An 8´x8´ spa that doesn’t need cutting would be $190, and that includes the spa cover and landfill fees. If it does need cutting, the price starts at $240 and goes up, depending on access. Above-ground spas don’t usually have gas lines, but if they do, you’d need to have the utility company disconnect the gas first. As for electrical, we don’t have a licensed electrician, but they do know how to disconnect spas. You just need to turn off the breaker so they can pull the cables.”

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Pacific Beach – car thief's paradise

Take photos of your automobile and license plate
Next Article

Tyler Farr, Blue Water Film Festival, Mustache Bash

Events March 21-March 23, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.