Ground breaking today

[Tatooed_Lady]

It's about bloody well time we do something other than TALK!!! I got a bug in my shorts today because it was so NICE out (about 40, I think?), and grabbed the shovel...We need to dig an area around 13' x 13' for the platform we're installing the tub on. Yes, it WAS going to be a concrete slab, BUT...I've changed my mind 400 times before this, I'm tired of alternate ideas and plans...needed to nail something SOLID down for a change, and I'm laid off until April 1st.....I need SOMETHING to keep me out of trouble!
Anyhow...I had our "little excavation helper" outside with me (he's in the picture, lower right hand corner), keeping an eye on things, just in case.  The area I dug (ok, I STARTED it, got about halfway through by the time the hubby got home and helped to finish the digging) is just off to the side of our existing deck (15" high), and was turning to all mud from the dogs and the weather...
Anyhow...the tree roots are causing some headache, but considering this is NOT going to be a 4' dig, that shouldn't be a major issue....So it's dig a little way down, then fill and level with pea gravel, and the "deck" that's being built is more of a frame with a top to hold more pea gravel and give support to the finished product, I think we'll be ok. There's going to be a LOT of me being anal and double/triple checking our work, but I'm SO happy there's SOMETHING to show for the nice day!
Electrician quoted us $650 to run the electric for the tub, and in about a month, we're upgrading to 200amp service.
WOO-FREAKIN' HOO!
(Hubby just yelled across the house "I hope the BUG'S OUTTA HER ARSE!".....I love that he thinks of me!!)


Edit: Well, my son interrupted my post, and I forgot to show a quickie pic of our little helper and the beginnings of spatopia.....

[Snyper]

Electrician quoted us $650 to run the electric for the tub

Dang that seems awful high. I was quote less than $300 for a 43 foot run. Perhaps it is just based in the area of the country you live in?

Anyway, good to see you get started on the tub prep.

Like the monkey who got his tail cut off said, "it won't be long now!"

[blakley33]

I was just quoted $625 for about a 75ft run.

[Viper_Dude]

Here's the quote I received that made me decide to run my own electric:

Yep, you read that right $2,386.51!   However if I provided all materials and dug all the trenching then they would only charge me $856.60 to hook up the electric.

[Tatooed_Lady]

UGH!!!!!!!!!!! Well, I won't argue with the $650......the guy knows what he's doing, has done MANY installs for hot tubs, the dealer I'm buying from knows him and his work, etc. HIGHLY recommended......sure beats the guy we WERE going to have do it....."once I'm done, hire a certified electrician to check the work and pull a permit...." he was supposed to be certified...What the.......?
Plus, we couldn't get him to even ESTIMATE how much it'd cost.......forget that......Pay the extra to have someone do it right, don't blow the tub up when ya turn power on......it's all good.

[Snowbird]

What's that "Membership Plan $89.95" stuff?  

It's the digging that electricians don't like.  I always hated it.  

When I did my service entrance I went to Lowes and bought everything then asked friends about a good electrician who works weekends for himself.

I paid him and his helper $300 to install the new service entrance so the whole thing cost me about $600 give or take a little.

I did the same with my spa hook up.  I bought everything and paid $150 to a guy who teaches electrical code at the local Vo-Tech.   But I didn't have any digging  and only a short run or armored cable.

Doesn't sound like $650 is too bad if that includes everything.

[Viper_Dude]

What's that "Membership Plan $89.95" stuff?  

lol, well the two guys from Mr. Electric informed me I could get special member pricing if I became a Mr. Electric Club Member. Basically I think it just means they cut you a rate then split the $90 between themselves.

I ended up doing all the grunt work (digging trenches, runnings the lines, etc) and then had an electrician friend hook it up for $200.

[Tatooed_Lady]

that includes everything but the permit.....and THAT is because we'll be upgrading to 200 amp service in about a month (give or take), and he feels that it'll be easier all the way around to get a permit at that time, and group it all at the time of upgrade install. For now he told us just not to run all the big appliances while using the tub, we should be fine.
I figure it's more expensive to boot, because it's around a 35-40' run that's ALL gotta be encased in conduit, even though it's going to run inside the basement.... we've got poured concrete over concrete block flooring on the ground level, so he's gotta keep it insulated...he also said that's the shortest possible run for us, that's after I ran a few thoughts past him.
I'm guessing that in the long run, the cost of electrical will fade, along with this darned backache I've got from shoveling..  

Edit: I DID call the local college and leave a message, but I never got a reply, and I'm not patient enough to wait long term or keep playing phone tag. KISS.

[Tatooed_Lady]

Today we filed papers with the electrician, and were told that the work should tenatively be able to be done within the next 2 weeks. YAY!
If the weather holds out, we should also be able to have the deck ready and waiting well before that. (I'm hoping to level more tomorrow, then start framing)...DOUBLE YAY!
We went into the HS dealership today also, to find out where we stand on the delivery of the tub to the store from CA. We were told they're waiting on a confirmation call from HS, as they wait until there's a truckload of spas on order in the area before shipping out. That SHOULD be coming up rapidly. After that, I'm told our Grandee ought to be at the dealership within about 10 days! TRIPLE YAY!
All said, we're looking at a timeframe of approximately 2-3 weeks before we're soaking in hot water.
WOO-FREAKIN'-HOO!
As an added bonus to everything falling into place, the dealer gave me a couple ideas on how to reinforce the deck cheaper than what I'd planned.....pretty much just adding a couple extra braces instead of all that pea gravel......

[Tatooed_Lady]

Ok....roughly another 1100 pounds of gravel went in today , then we started to crank on the deck itself.
Things booked along amazingly well, and I even postponed bday dinner tonight because of it! (wow, am I an idiot!!) We've just started screwing the deck boards onto the framing, 3 down, a bunch to go. The deck now measures 8'x9' instead of the 8x12 the plans had.....but on the upside, the extra deck boards and other 2x6 pieces will come in handy for making a step between the original deck and the tub.  
We had to put the corners of the deck on bricks just to make it easier for him to attach the joists...

My husband being handy....amazingly, there was very little swearing done today, and I didn't learn any new words!  


And here's my 14 year old son, being a flying fruit-loop.....why he chose this pose is beyond me, but he's happy that we're in a good mood after working so hard today.

[jim97219]

Here's the quote I received that made me decide to run my own electric:

Yep, you read that right $2,386.51!   However if I provided all materials and dug all the trenching then they would only charge me $856.60 to hook up the electric.

Viperdude,

Your quote reminds me of the plumber I called to get an estimate to hook up my natural gas barbeque.  He also had that $89.95 sort of "membership plan" thing.  He thought the job was worth $1,800 with the discount so I got a second opinion. I called my furnace guy who he steered me to a pipefitter he uses.  He did it, permit and all, for $650.  Plus he moved that eyesore of an 1-1/2" rusty black iron line from the back of the house to inside the garage.

[orlandoguy]

$650 including parts seems in line to me.  That's what I paid for the 220 box and the electrician had to climb in my hot attic in the Summer and run wire a long way to the patio.

I felt he earned it as well as a cold beer when he finished.

[Tatooed_Lady]

UGH!!! Hot attics are horrible! I can't imagine the heat and humidity of one in summer in Florida.......  

[Tatooed_Lady]

Deck platform is done, tomorrow we build the step to go between main and tub decks. Since the main deck is 15" high and the tub deck is 7" high (and not much larger than the tub going on it!), I plan to make a step/platform that's roughly 13 1/2" high, so it'll be a small step-down from the main deck, but plenty high to make entry to the tub easy, even for my father with his replaced hip....after that, it's figuring out what kind of privacy screen to use, but we're leaning toward pressure treated privacy lattice (all other wood is PT), I'll be planting 3 rose bushes along the "public" side of the new deck, as well, to camoflage the base of the tub and the decking, and am considering planting some morning glorys between the roses (friend of mine states that they LOVE to climb, and do so quickly...they'll scale the lattice and provide much pretty cover).  
I'm trying to make this nice and private without being too "busy"....I've been through roughly 3,487 ideas so far, and am so far satisfied with what we've got done.