
Make your own concrete spa
Whether you're researching concrete hot tub construction, a built-in concrete spa or a gunite spa project, this guide provides a practical overview of the main construction stages.
Please note that this guide is intended only as general assistance for building your spa. We strongly recommend consulting qualified professionals who can help you select the appropriate materials for your project.
- Dimensions: 240cm x 240cm
- Massage system: 6 hydrotherapy jets - 1 x 3 HP massage pump - 2 suction fittings
- Filtration system: 1 skimmer - 1 sand filter with 3-way valve - 1 x 0.33 HP filtration pump - 1 x 3kW heater
- Spa control system: BALBOA BP601 control box - TP800 topside control panel
- Lighting: SEAMAID sequential light with remote control
- Thermal insulation: Perimeter polystyrene insulation - 240 x 240cm Premium insulated hot tub cover
- Structural features: Perimeter bench seating - Concrete form block construction - Waterproof tanking coating
This guide is intended only to outline the different construction stages used to build Mr. Robichon's concrete hot tub. We always recommend consulting a qualified professional when selecting materials and determining the appropriate masonry techniques for your installation. BOOSPA cannot be held responsible for any construction defects or improper workmanship.
The plan will accurately define the location of the different spa components and serve as a roadmap throughout the entire concrete hot tub construction project.
It will also determine the overall layout of the spa, including all the masonry elements that need to be built.
- The ball valves have two functions:
- Closing the plumbing circuits so you can work on a spa component such as the pumps or sand filter without having to drain the hot tub
- Directing suction exclusively through the main drain when draining the spa to the sewer
- The filtration return is located on the opposite side from the skimmer to provide optimum water circulation
- The massage circuit uses two suction fittings to provide optimum massage performance. Since the hydrotherapy jets do not have Venturi air inlets, two suction lines are required to reduce flow restriction
- The plumbing access trench is important because it provides enough room to work on the pipes and identify any potential leaks
- A drain equipped with a sump pump must be installed to prevent rainwater from flooding the equipment area
However, please follow these guidelines:
- If you want to install an air blower, the air jets must be located less than 1 meter from the waterline. Ideally, we recommend installing them in the bench seating.
- The hydrotherapy jet located farthest from the massage pump should be less than 5 meters away.
- If you want to control the spa equipment using pneumatic air buttons, these buttons must be located no more than 5 meters from the pump or blower they control.
Make sure you excavate the entire footprint of the concrete hot tub, including the equipment area, which was excavated at a later stage on the spa shown in this guide. Doing everything at once means you'll only need the mini excavator once for the entire project.
It will help prevent the excavation from flooding during the masonry work.
Once the concrete hot tub is completed, it will also help prevent rainwater from flooding the different spa components.
It will support the complete spa structure, the water inside the hot tub and the people using it.
In our case, the slab therefore needs to support more than 4 metric tons across an area of approximately 9m².
We therefore recommend a 20cm-thick fiber-reinforced concrete slab.
- The slab can also be reinforced using steel reinforcement, in which case fiber-reinforced concrete is not required.
- In both cases, we recommend using a concrete admixture to improve the waterproofing properties of the structure.
Building the slab involves several stages, which are explained below:
Simply make sure the form boards are securely held in place using reinforcing bars so they cannot move when the concrete is poured.
Fill the additional excavated area with gravel to provide optimum support.
This is a valid question. A slab without steel mesh can provide sufficient structural strength for this concrete hot tub project provided that fiber-reinforced concrete is used and the ground is stable.
If you have any doubts about soil stability, you can reinforce the slab with steel reinforcement. Different types of reinforcement can be used, including reinforcement cages, welded wire mesh and reinforcing bars.

You won't be able to access this connection once the slab has been poured!
Ask a professional mason for advice. They can recommend materials suitable for concrete hot tub construction.
This slab is a crucial part of the project. It provides the long-term stability and foundation of the entire structure.
Pay particular attention to the quality of the slab and allow the required curing time before moving on to the next stages.
As mentioned previously, this section was added later on the project shown here. We recommend building it directly at this stage.
This elevation is important because it helps prevent pumps and electronic spa equipment from being flooded.
Accurate positioning is essential and should be carried out with maximum precision.
Always refer back to the construction plan created during the first stage.
In the following photo, only the final interior dimensions of the lower section were marked in black.
The concrete must be completely cured before carrying out any additional masonry work.
The structure is built in several stages, as explained below:
Instead, here are a few photos showing the masonry work used for this particular concrete hot tub.
As mentioned previously, the equipment area was added later and is therefore not shown in these photos.
Steel reinforcement is essential for the internal structure. Reinforcing bars are installed every 20cm and anchored directly into the slab to a depth of 10cm.
Each component must be secured in place with concrete.
Several important details are shown in the following photo:
- The wall fittings must extend by 1cm to allow for the thickness of the waterproofing and finishing material that will later be applied to the inside walls of the concrete hot tub
- DO NOT EMBED the threaded sections shown in the diagram in concrete under any circumstances
- The end of the topside control panel cable conduit must terminate inside the concrete form block. The other end must pass through the block and exit into the plumbing access trench
- Remember to connect the lighting cable conduit to the light wall fitting. This conduit must also exit on the plumbing trench side
- As with the jet wall fittings and suction fittings, allow the skimmer to extend by 1cm
This will create a recessed cavity for the control panel.
Fill the concrete form blocks with concrete.
Also fill the trench between the interior and lower sections of the spa with standard gravel up to 10cm below the upper edge of the bench.
The bench will also be insulated with a 6cm layer of polystyrene.
The remaining 4cm below the upper edge of the bench will be filled with concrete.
We recommend hiring a professional for this stage or, at minimum, obtaining professional advice when selecting the waterproofing product.
THIS IS NOT A STANDARD MASONRY COATING. This waterproofing layer is responsible for making the concrete spa shell completely watertight.
The required drying time between coats must be strictly followed to achieve proper waterproofing.
It is better to avoid sharp edges inside the hot tub to reduce the risk of cuts.
It is therefore important to apply a protective layer over the waterproof coating.
You can skip this stage if you install tile or mosaic, as these will act as the protective layer.
In this project, even though tile was eventually installed, a double protection system was chosen: tile plus a protective coating.
Ask a specialist for advice on which protective product should be applied over your waterproofing system.
A high-temperature waterproof paint was then used.
Since the final result was not satisfactory, the paint had to be removed before tile was eventually installed.
Cut the conduit as required so the control panel can be recessed into the structure.
Adjust the opening until the control panel fits perfectly.
A stainless-steel plate was fabricated to provide a stable and complete support for the topside control panel.
You'll also notice that the masonry was shaped to create a sloped surface and prevent water from collecting around the control panel.
The support was screwed into place and sealed using silicone.
In this project, a circuit breaker was installed directly inside the equipment area.
This circuit breaker is connected to a main 32A circuit breaker located in the home's main electrical panel.
It is important to remember that the breaker in the main electrical panel is connected to a dedicated 40A residual-current device.
Once again, consult a qualified electrician.
Only a qualified professional can validate the electrical installation.
The circuit breaker shuts off the electrical supply when a short circuit is detected and therefore helps protect the equipment.
You'll also notice the black metal support fabricated by Mr. Robichon.
This support will hold the spa control box. Raising this main component helps protect the equipment if the drainage pump fails.
This helps reduce the risk of electrical damage to other spa components caused by a general short circuit in the control box.
The polystyrene provides additional thermal insulation for the concrete spa.
Three 6cm-thick panels were installed around the entire perimeter of the hot tub.
The panels must, of course, be cut where necessary to accommodate the spa plumbing.
The setup shown in the following photo is not exactly the same as the original plan.
During the initial installation, only one suction fitting was connected to supply the massage pump. Because the 3 HP pump is powerful, the available suction flow was not sufficient to provide effective massage performance.
The second suction fitting was therefore connected as an additional branch on the massage circuit, as shown in the photo.
Do not skimp on the amount of PVC cement used.
Every connection must be completely watertight. Repairing a connection after a leak has been discovered can be difficult.
Sharp-eyed readers may notice that the sand filter waste line had not yet been connected to the drain when this photo was taken.
The jets are connected in series. Remember that the jet located farthest from the massage pump must be no more than 5 meters away.
The connections are relatively simple. The photo below shows the connection points for the different electrical devices.
The connections use AMP plugs that are very easy to install.
Installing the connector is straightforward. The cables are crimped to the electrical pins, and the pins are then inserted into the plastic AMP connector.
A custom stainless-steel cover was fabricated for the equipment area. We recommend taking measurements directly from your own installation.
Two hydraulic struts were also installed to make the equipment area easier to access.
The perimeter of the equipment area was finished with exposed stone.
We therefore cannot provide detailed information about cutting the tiles, installing them or applying the waterproof grout.
However, the photos below show the final result once the concrete spa was fully tiled.
We recommend hiring a professional tile installer.
The tile installation on the hot tub shown in this guide was completed by RENOVATIO (44).
Mr. ROBICHON selected anthracite-colored jets for the massage circuit, making them almost invisible once the hot tub is filled with water.
Other matching finishing components are also available for the spa light, skimmer and main drain.
- Filtration kit with sand filter + BP2100 system: €1,690.00
- 6-jet massage kit: €1,048.00
- Masonry work (labor + materials): €7,000.00
- Tile work (labor + materials): €3,000.00
- Electrical work (labor + materials): €400.00
- Additional custom components (custom jet finishes, mounting supports, equipment area protection, etc.): €450
- ROBICHON Mario, owner of the concrete hot tub featured in this guide. Mr. ROBICHON created the plans and connected the different spa components.
- BUREAU David, professional mason at Innov'Maçonnerie. Mr. BUREAU completed all of the masonry work. To contact Mr. BUREAU, feel free to visit his Facebook page: Innov'Maçonnerie
- REVEILLERE Laurent, professional renovation and tile specialist. Mr. REVEILLERE completed the tile work on the concrete spa. To contact Mr. REVEILLERE, feel free to visit his Facebook page: Renovatio
- JOLY Sylvain, author of this guide. You can contact me at: contact@boospa.com
Suction Kit - Variable Speed 4-8 Jet Massage Pump
For concrete spas - To be used with a massage jet kit
Allows powering up to 8 hydro-massage jets
Venturi massage jets kit - 4 jets - concrete
The venturi system allows control over the jet power
For concrete spa - Max structure thickness: 15cm
Must be used with a 2 - 4 jets suction kit
Blower Kit 6 Jets for Concrete Spa
Includes everything needed to equip a spa with an air jet system.
6 jets
Blower control via electronic command
For concrete sealing
12V Sequential Lighting Kit with Thick Structure
12V Power Supply - Sequential Lighting (Multicolor)
Maximum structure thickness: 25cm
Remote control included
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