1. How feasible is it
2. If it's feasible, how big of a pain would it be to have done
3. Any ideas on rough pricing

Interested in this as well. From what I have seen on Reddit, most people claim you are essentially building a new pool so the cost is significant. Hoping someone with experience chimes in.

Has a friend price this several years ago and adding hot tub to his existing pool was something like $35k. Once you add up all the subs' minimums it' gets disproportionately expensive and even then I think he got blown off like they just didn't want to do it even at that price.
Edit to correct estimate amount, $35 not $25k

I think the expense comes from having to mob and demob all of the same crews that you would need for a new pool build. A lot of them have minimums to show up - gunite in particular, so it doesn't scale down like you might think it would.

txcincinnatus said:

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I think the expense comes from having to mob and demob all of the same crews that you would need for a new pool build. A lot of them have minimums to show up - gunite in particular, so it doesn't scale down like you might think it would.

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You are correct. Depending on age of pool and ability to match materials, you may be looking at new coping and waterline tile to match the spa. Will need to replaster to make everything match. Possibly new lights as well.

We just had a customer of ours price this out, $41k for 8' round elevated spa and some minor deck modifications. That was the middle bid they went with of 3 or 4 estimates. We are doing the equipment install and plumbing for them and it's another $10k on top of the gunite and deck price. In short, it's not cheap.

ETA: this includes new waterline tile, replaster, and coping in the main pool as well

So, if your pool already needs to be replastered, it would be a little more cost-effective to add a remodel as part of the job?

We are planning to install a pool later this year. We have no desire for a hot tub, but I've been wondering if there is value in planning for one to be added later. Mostly just resale appeal. I'm assuming it's not worth it, but keep thinking about it.

A replaster in many cases will require the waterline tile to be replaced. Coping, deck and gunite is a whole other animal. You will get the best deal doing them all at once due to mobilization fixed costs on a project like that.

Very expensive.

I'm doing 3 of these right now but they have a lot of other stuff tied up in them. The most important thing when adding a spa is that you really need to blow out the pool beam at the tie in location all the way down to the bottom of the spa floor. This assures that all of the rebar is tied together properly and becomes a single structure when you shoot the gunite. We also put piers under the spas as well so it doesn't want to settle over time and "break away" from the pool.

I would say if you're going to build a pool, get a spa. But personally, I'd prefer to have a fiberglass spa with 7 jets per seat than a spa with a single jet per person connected to a pool.

beerag04 said:

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We are planning to install a pool later this year. We have no desire for a hot tub, but I've been wondering if there is value in planning for one to be added later. Mostly just resale appeal. I'm assuming it's not worth it, but keep thinking about it.

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I can't imagine that being worth doing.