Electrical quote for 220v 50amp circuit and ~90ft distance

[norcalhottub]

Hello all,

I know this is primarily an electrician based question but seeing this work often coincides w/ new hot tub purchases I was hoping members can possibly chime in.  I've gotten the following estimate from my hot tub dealer's go-to electrician.  I am somewhat familiar w/ this type of equipment but am not so familiar when it comes to extent of labor.  Not sure if this is on the high side:

$1935 for the following work:

30' Electrical work including 1 GFCI breaker
Purchase of main breaker
Install 50amp circuit for spa
Install sub panel
Install GFCI breaker
Install secondary branch circuit from sub panel to spa
Install necessary conduit, bodies/fittings
Install Romex and/or THIN wires as needed
All terminal connections including spa control box
Fill up spa, test jets, heater, and GFCI breaker
Includes 1 hour meeting w/ landscaper
5 year warranty, 1 year for breakers/GFCI
60ft additional linear foot charge for 50amp circuit
Install of one circuit, conduit, wires, breakers, GFCI duplex outlet including waterproof cover within 3ft from sub panel

[bud16415]

I did my own electrical install and because I bought a Caldera tub it took a special GFCI setup and they include that with the tub purchase. The job took me working alone most of the day and I wasn’t digging and burying conduit. #6 wire is expensive as are the other parts listed. The description of the sub-panel and then the GFCI enclosure and the types of wire etc being used all sounds correct. I like that he is adding in a duplex GFCI outlet also. If he is planning to add that at the sub-panel how far will that be from the tub. I might ask him to install one at the GFCI panel as well. You will need power at the tub to run a wet shop vac and such when you drain it. At least it is handy to have one for blowing out the jets and sucking up the last of the water. Some people also buy a small 120V pump to speed the draining of the tub.

Cost doesn’t sound excessive depending on where you live that can fluctuate a lot. This guy sounds like it will all be properly done to code. You could hire a handyman and save a little or you could negotiate with this guy and do some of the work yourself maybe like digging or roughing in the wires.

What are you doing for a pad?

[norcalhottub]

Thanks for the feedback, yes this company seems to deal primarily with hot tub installs and are known to be very good.  But with that type of reputation stemmed my assumption of $$$.

As far as the pad goes, I am completely landscaping my backyard and will have an 8x8 or so cement pad poured to accomodate a Caldera Vanto.

[Spatech_tuo]

Electricians who routinely wire hot tubs for a specific dealer get it right pretty much every time so as long as it seems reasonable...

[bud16415]

Thanks for the feedback, yes this company seems to deal primarily with hot tub installs and are known to be very good.  But with that type of reputation stemmed my assumption of $$$.

As far as the pad goes, I am completely landscaping my backyard and will have an 8x8 or so cement pad poured to accomodate a Caldera Vanto.

Not sure where you live but guessing Northern Ca by your name. Like all things luxury I think you get charged the luxury price for everything that goes along with them installation being one. I would guess there is also permits to be pulled and inspections etc out there. So it all adds up and is regional as well.

We love our Caldera Geneva and have had it for about 5 years now. Good brand IMO. Around here I recommend people keep the tub close to the house because of winter weather and we have ours under a roof for rain and snow. For a few months we had it out in the open and loved star gazing but we missed out on using it too much that way. Think about the seating and the views and what side the stairs will be on and also what view you will block with the cover open. Also don’t skimp on the size of the pad it is nice to have a little space off the tub for the steps and a little table or someplace for towels and stuff. It is also nice to have a source for water close to the tub and then a short hose for adding water.

Enjoy 

[norcalhottub]

Thanks for the feedback, yes this company seems to deal primarily with hot tub installs and are known to be very good.  But with that type of reputation stemmed my assumption of $$$.

As far as the pad goes, I am completely landscaping my backyard and will have an 8x8 or so cement pad poured to accomodate a Caldera Vanto.

Not sure where you live but guessing Northern Ca by your name. Like all things luxury I think you get charged the luxury price for everything that goes along with them installation being one. I would guess there is also permits to be pulled and inspections etc out there. So it all adds up and is regional as well.

We love our Caldera Geneva and have had it for about 5 years now. Good brand IMO. Around here I recommend people keep the tub close to the house because of winter weather and we have ours under a roof for rain and snow. For a few months we had it out in the open and loved star gazing but we missed out on using it too much that way. Think about the seating and the views and what side the stairs will be on and also what view you will block with the cover open. Also don’t skimp on the size of the pad it is nice to have a little space off the tub for the steps and a little table or someplace for towels and stuff. It is also nice to have a source for water close to the tub and then a short hose for adding water.

Enjoy 

Great advice, thank you.  And yes you're correct, Norther CA, Bay Area resident.  I plan to have a pergola built around/over the hot tub so the pad may extend out even a bit further.  Along w/ the pergola, possibly a shelf/seating built into it as well. 

[bud16415]

Thanks for the feedback, yes this company seems to deal primarily with hot tub installs and are known to be very good.  But with that type of reputation stemmed my assumption of $$$.

As far as the pad goes, I am completely landscaping my backyard and will have an 8x8 or so cement pad poured to accomodate a Caldera Vanto.

Sounds nice. Mine is a pergola I built as well and I covered it with metal roofing black on the bottom side. It isn’t to bad looking when in it at night. Kind of like a night sky above. I’m protected weather and view on two sides by the house and the other two sides I made fabric wind curtains I can open and close. Makes a huge difference in our winters if the winds are high. They are also nice for privacy when needed.

Ours is on an elevated wooden deck and the deck is much larger than the tub. As you say seating around the tub is nice as people can sit and talk one in the tub the other out.

All the ways tubs are used is different person to person. Take your time and make it just the way it looks in your mind.

On a practical note digging a ditch for a power wire it wont cost much more to run a water line in there. Concrete is something that goes down in price when you buy more because of trucking. Getting a machine in to haul it to the back yard costs money so going larger now is the time to do it if you think you might want it later. If you might want pole lights or something else done the time to do it is when the men and machines are on site. 


Not sure where you live but guessing Northern Ca by your name. Like all things luxury I think you get charged the luxury price for everything that goes along with them installation being one. I would guess there is also permits to be pulled and inspections etc out there. So it all adds up and is regional as well.

We love our Caldera Geneva and have had it for about 5 years now. Good brand IMO. Around here I recommend people keep the tub close to the house because of winter weather and we have ours under a roof for rain and snow. For a few months we had it out in the open and loved star gazing but we missed out on using it too much that way. Think about the seating and the views and what side the stairs will be on and also what view you will block with the cover open. Also don’t skimp on the size of the pad it is nice to have a little space off the tub for the steps and a little table or someplace for towels and stuff. It is also nice to have a source for water close to the tub and then a short hose for adding water.

Enjoy 

Great advice, thank you.  And yes you're correct, Norther CA, Bay Area resident.  I plan to have a pergola built around/over the hot tub so the pad may extend out even a bit further.  Along w/ the pergola, possibly a shelf/seating built into it as well.

[CanadianSpaTech]

Electricians are a dime a dozen. At 2K I would get at least 2 more quotes. Many ways to run the wire and types of coverings to protect it. Usually the main panel is at the front of the house and spa at the back. If you can run through the basement to get to the back of the house you don't need to protect the wire until you go through the back wall. In this case just run unprotected 6-3 stove wire through the back wall and directly into the back of the sub panel and then from there use the more expensive protected Tech90 wire, conduit or flex wire out to the spa.
If you have to go through the wall right at the main panel and run it all the way back to the spa on the outside of the house that needs to be protected there are several different options and will quote differently. Ridgid Conduit...An electricians best friend but looks kinda shitty running along side the house with lots of elbows and glue joints.  Non-Metallic Liquid Tight Flexible Conduit...looks a little better and is flexable. TECK90 ARMOURED CABLE...metal encased in polyethylene...expensive but provides the most protection and can be buried or not. Not will perhaps offset the wire cost.

In short many ways to do the same job. Get them to quote the different options. Make sure the GFCI sub panel is more than 5' from the spa (code might be different in your area) Good Luck

   

[swilly1000]

Price seems a tad on the high end but not crazy.  Sounds like he knows what he's doing and is fairly quoting as long as he executes the quote well.

What is your plan for running the wire into the tub?  I hope it includes a stealth install where you run a conduit up from from the concrete pad into the bottom of the tub.  Requires a precise entry point which is not rocket science but needless to say extremely important when trenching and pouring the pad.