A hot tub is the hardest thing on most junk lists. It's wired into your electrical panel, it's full of treated water, and it's usually too big to fit through a side gate in one piece. There's no free city pickup that handles one start to finish. Here's the order to do things in, what the cities around the Valley will and won't take, and when handing it to a crew makes sense.
Step 1: Cut the power
A spa runs on a dedicated circuit, often with its own disconnect box near the tub. Before anyone drains, lifts or cuts, the breaker at the main panel should be off and the wiring at the tub made safe. We couldn't find an official City of LA guide on disconnecting a spa, so treat this as practical advice rather than a code requirement: if you're not sure which breaker feeds the tub, or the wires need to be capped, have an electrician do it. It's usually a short visit.
Step 2: Drain it without hitting the storm drain
Spa water is full of sanitizer, and where it goes matters. LA County Public Works gives three rules for draining a pool or spa:[1]
- let the chemicals dissipate before you drain;
- don't drain within 5 days of adding chemicals;
- never backwash a filter into the street or a storm drain.
The reason: storm drains carry runoff straight to creeks and the ocean without any treatment.[1] Run a hose or submersible pump onto lawn or planting beds where the water can soak in, and move it around so nothing floods toward the gutter.
Leftover chemicals. Chlorine, bromine and pH products don't go in the trash. City of LA S.A.F.E. Centers take pool chemicals free from any LA County resident.[2],[3] The Valley centers are at 11025 Randall St. in Sun Valley and 10241 N. Balboa Blvd. in Northridge, both open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.[3],[4] You stay in the car and staff unload it.[2] Burbank sends residents to the Randall Street center for pool chemicals,[5] and Glendale's HHW facility at 780 Flower St. takes them from Glendale and La Cañada residents on Wednesdays and the second Saturday of each month.[6]
Step 3: Whole or in pieces?
Once it's dry and dead, the tub has to leave the yard. There are two ways.
Whole. If a truck can back up close and there's a wide, level path, a spa can go out in one piece on dollies. It takes several strong people, and it only works when nothing is in the way: gates, steps, planters, overhead eaves.
Cut down. Most spas in LA backyards come out in pieces. The wood or composite cabinet comes off first, then the frame, then the acrylic shell is cut into sections that fit through a gate. The pump, heater and plumbing come out along the way. It's loud, dusty work that throws foam insulation everywhere, so plan for cleanup.
Stairs change everything. A spa on a hillside deck or a yard with outdoor steps almost always has to be cut down.
Why city bulky pickup usually won't work
None of the four cities' bulky programs name hot tubs as an accepted item, and several of their rules work against it:
| City | What the rules say | What that means for a spa |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Bulky means non-hazardous items too big for the black bin; the accepted list names furniture, mattresses, toilets and similar items[7] | Spas aren't named. Ask through MyLA311 before setting pieces out |
| Burbank | No construction materials (concrete, tile, fencing and similar) at the curb[8] | A spa isn't on the no-fee or fee lists; call (818) 238-3800[8] |
| Glendale | If an item isn't on the bulky list, it isn't accepted; lumber isn't taken[9] | Spas aren't on the list |
| Pasadena | About 3 cubic yards per pickup; no item heavier than two people can lift[10] | A whole spa won't qualify |
The concrete pad under the tub is its own problem. LA Sanitation won't take concrete, bricks or dirt at the curb,[7] and Burbank's pickup excludes the same materials.[8] Our concrete and dirt guide covers where that goes.
Burbank's City bins
Burbank rents its own temporary bins to anyone on an active Burbank Water and Power account: $145 per collection for a 2-yard bin and $175 for a 3-yard bin.[11] Every bin has a 1,000-pound limit, and the 3-yard bin takes only lumber and household trash, no heavy material.[11] If you're cutting the spa down yourself, ask Public Works whether shell and cabinet pieces fit those rules before you order one.
Your options compared
| Option | Cost to you | Lead time | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sell or give away a working tub | Free, or you get paid | Until a buyer shows up | Buyer moves it; you disconnect and drain |
| City bulky pickup | Free where accepted | Days to weeks | Usually not accepted whole (see above) |
| Cut it down yourself, then landfill | Landfill fees plus tool rental | A full weekend or more | Heavy: saws, trailer, dump run |
| Burbank City bin (cut pieces) | $145–$175 per collection[11] | 1–3 business days[11] | You cut and load |
| Junk removal crew | Priced by the job | Often next day | Power off and drained; the crew does the rest |
The landfill option
If you cut it down yourself, Sunshine Canyon Landfill at 14747 San Fernando Road in Sylmar takes public drop-offs during business hours without an appointment.[12] It takes non-hazardous waste from LA County homes and businesses.[13] Bring a completed Origin Report Form.[12]
Know the fees before you go. Every load pays a one-ton minimum, and the posted rate for municipal solid waste is $120 per ton.[14] An untarped load adds $175, there's a $19.71 environmental fee per load, and hard-to-handle or bulky items cost $275 each plus disposal.[14] A spa hauled whole could fall into that last category; cut into pieces and tarped, it's a normal load. Weekday hours run 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday closes at noon.[12]
Decks, gazebos and remodels
The tub is often only part of the job.
- Pressure-treated lumber. California requires chemically treated wood to be managed as hazardous waste,[15] and Burbank sends treated wood to a S.A.F.E. Center.[5] If the tub sits in a treated-wood deck, that lumber can't just go in a dumpster with everything else.
Hillside streets and Red Flag days
If your home is up in the hills above Studio City, Sherman Oaks or Encino, the truck may have to park on a narrow, winding street. On LAFD Red Flag days, parking is banned on posted streets in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and cars are towed.[16] LAFD says there are usually 4 to 7 of those days a year.[16] In Pasadena, on streets posted with Red Flag signs, licensed contractors may park at the job address for up to 60 minutes on Red Flag days, only while the driver is there.[17] If a Red Flag warning is posted for removal day, expect to reschedule.
Before removal day
- Decide: sell it, cut it yourself, or hire a crew.
- Stop adding chemicals, then wait at least 5 days before draining.
- Drain onto landscaping, never toward the street or storm drain.
- Box up leftover chemicals for a S.A.F.E. Center or Glendale's HHW facility.
- Turn off the spa breaker and have an electrician make the wiring safe if needed.
- Clear the path: open gates, move furniture and planters, trim branches.
- Unlock side gates and tie back pets.
- Take off the cover and set it aside; it's usually the easiest piece to carry out.
- Check the forecast for Red Flag warnings if you're on a hillside street.
When to call a hauler
Selling a working tub is the best outcome when it happens. When it doesn't, most people hand the job to a crew because:
- the spa sits behind the house, on a deck, or down a run of outdoor stairs;
- nobody wants to spend a weekend with a reciprocating saw and a trailer;
- the landfill minimums make a do-it-yourself dump run cost more than expected;
- the yard needs to be clear for a new tub, a patio, or a home sale.
Spas come up a lot in our reviews. Here's one:
Ricardo and his team were very professional and very prompt in removing my old spa at a very reasonable cost. They chopped the shell into small parts and quickly carted them away. They even finished by sweeping up the remaining debris. Highly recommend them for your junk removal.
Legacy Junk Removal is a family-run crew based in North Hollywood, and we remove hot tubs across the Valley and in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena. Before the crew comes, here's what we need: Power must be off before we arrive. If your spa is hardwired, have an electrician disconnect it first. Drain it if you can; if not, tell us and we'll plan for it. In-ground spas: send photos and we'll tell you what's possible. Then text us a few photos of the tub and the path out to the street, and we'll send back a price. The hot tub removal page explains the process.