Site Preparation & Installation Guide

Choose the spot

Decide where the spa will sit before anything else; the base, the wiring and the delivery path all follow from it. Check that:

• The cover and cover lifter have room to open fully, especially if the spa sits against a wall, fence or deck.
• The delivery team can reach it (step 5).
• A Covana automated cover, if you are adding one, has its clearance: 176 by 113 inches.
• Your municipality allows it there. Each town sets its own rules on permits, covers, fences and distance from lot lines; many accept a locking cover in place of a fence. The cover that comes with an Arctic Spa is rigid, locks and meets ASTM Standard F1346-91.

Know the footprint and weight

The base has to carry the spa filled with water and people, not the empty shell. A gallon of water weighs roughly 10 pounds. Footprint and filled weight for every current model, from the factory spec sheets:

Prepare the base

Arctic Spas with the Forever Floor® need a flat, compact surface. Customers set them on:

• A flat concrete pad
• Interlocking or patio stones
• Gravel, limestone or crushed stone
• A deck

Whatever you choose, it must be level. If you are building the base from 4×4 timbers, space them no more than 12 inches apart so the whole underside of the spa is supported.

Swim spas are the exception: they need a concrete pad or an engineered deck.

Decks and balconies must be built to code and able to support more than 100 pounds per square foot. If the spa drops into a cut-out in a deck, we need the length, width and depth of the opening.

Arrange the electrical

Have a licensed electrician run the supply before delivery day. From the factory spec sheets:

Every spa needs a GFCI breaker — hot tubs and swim spas alike. Swim spa installations must also meet Section 68 of the Canadian Electrical Code, and some sites need the transformer assessed. Your showroom confirms the exact requirement for the spa you order.

Bring the wire in through the side of the spa. We strongly recommend side entry. If the wiring has to come up through the floor, your electrician must be present at delivery.

Clear the path in

The spa travels on its side from the street to the base. Measure the narrow spots:

• Width: most spas need 44 inches of clearance through gates, between houses and fences, and around corners.
• Height: 10 feet of overhead clearance the whole way. Look for wires, tree branches, eaves and awnings.
• Obstructions: air conditioners, hydro and gas meters, light fixtures and downspouts that narrow the path.
• Steps, slopes and tight turns: count the steps and note their height and width.

You record all of this, with photos, on the Site Check form we email you after you order. If something looks tight, tell us early — it is far easier to plan around than to discover on delivery day.

Replacing an old hot tub?

Our delivery team can remove it on the same visit. It must be fully drained, and an electrician must disconnect the wire beforehand. See trade-in and removal.

If your site is not ready

Tell us. If the base, the electrical or the path will not be ready for your delivery date, get in touch with our team as soon as you know and accommodations can be made.