28 Hot Tub Deck Ideas

Before investing in a hot tub for your deck, consider the following questions and use the answers to make your decision:

Plan for at least three feet of open space on all sides of your hot tub. This allows plenty of room to walk by, easily enter and exit the hot tub, and reach equipment when it is time for cleaning or maintenance. 

On average, a large hot tub filled with water can weigh over three tons. If your deck can support that kind of heft as well as the weight of its occupants, you’re good to go. 

There are a few options to choose from when looking for the best decking to use around your hot tub.

The cost of installing a hot tub on a deck ranges from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands, depending on a few factors:

Installing a hot tub beneath a pergola on your ground-level deck gives you space to hang hooks for towels and suspend string lights overhead. Plus, your view of the night sky won’t be blocked so you can stargaze while you soak.

If you have a covering over your hot tub, build privacy walls around it to make the area feel like an intimate spa, then add shelves or a storage table to hold candles, plush robes, and wine glasses.

Perhaps your deck isn’t covered, but you want to soak in the shade anyway. Shop online for giant outdoor umbrellas shaped to offer coverage for hot tubs. Their bases are designed to attach to the sides of the tubs, with adjustable canopies that can be moved to block the sun throughout the day.

If your covered deck has a living room with an outdoor television or projector where your family gathers for movies or game day, add a hot tub to the mix. This takes backyard tailgating to an entirely new level of comfort.

If you live in a climate where the weather is agreeable for parts of the year, design a permanent shell on your deck to hold your hot tub. Hook up your hot tub in its designated nook at the start of the season, and take it down for storage when the weather changes. 

When you deflate your tub, all that extra room is readily available, so take the permanent shell idea a few steps further by using it to store your inflatable hot tub, its equipment, and related accessories and decor. Build or buy an insulated, waterproof structure with a tight-fitting cover to keep wildlife and harsh elements out, and tuck your tub inside to save time and effort.

Inflatable hot tubs don’t take up as much room as their permanent counterparts, making them ideal for cozy decks. Stick one in the corner of your deck with an offset umbrella overhead for shade or a small pergola with outdoor curtains you can draw closed for privacy or leave open to let the breeze in. 

Fire pit area by winter, hot tub hangout by summer—you can create this all-season deck space with an inflatable hot tub and an outdoor fire pit table. Simply swap one for the other as the seasons change, using folding Adirondacks and side tables with the fire pit table that can be easily stored or moved to another spot when setting up the hot tub.

Most inflatable hot tubs have plain plastic walls, but a few have wood or floral designs. If you opted for the former because it fits your budget—yet doesn’t fit your deck’s aesthetic—you can hide the hot tub in a variety of creative, inexpensive ways:

Sunken hot tubs sit flush with your decking, taking up less space while offering ample style.

If you’re designing a new deck or looking to add to it, design a space that gives the illusion of a sunken hot tub without sinking it. Create a stacked deck structure that snugly surrounds and sits flush with the rim of your hot tub. The outside of the stacked deck can have built-in benches, planters, and storage. 

Design a sturdy floor hatch to cover your sunken hot tub when it’s not in use. Design it from the same decking material used to build your deck so it blends with the surroundings, and use springs or hydraulic rods to make opening and closing effortless. Be sure there’s enough room beneath the hatch for the hot tub’s actual cover.

Create a deck design with steps leading down to your sunken hot tub. Line the edges of the steps with strips of waterproof LED lights to create a pleasing glow that helps guests watch their steps in the evenings.

Benches with built-in storage compartments keep towels and supplies protected while simultaneously offering a seating area around your hot tub. You’ll also get the added bonus of privacy if you have a sunken hot tub as the benches stand taller and block the view.

Instead of plants, design a rock garden on the outskirts of your deck that you can see from your hot tub. It’s a low-maintenance option that’s just as beautiful and relaxing as a flower-filled space.

If you’re designing a new deck, build a spiral staircase that connects your deck balcony to the lower level. Have the bottom of the staircase lead straight to your hot tub, so when guests ascend the steps they’ll be immediately greeted by the relaxing sight of the bubbling water.

If your deck has the space, style an outdoor fire pit table near your hot tub. The glowing fire enhances the ambiance and offers a warm spot to dry off when you get out of the hot tub.

Build an insulated shelter with retractable walls in your outdoor space and make it your hot tub’s home. Lift and lower the sides of this all-season enclosure to keep the heat in and the snow or rain out during the winter, and let the breeze through in the summer.

Turn your hot tub into a snowy mountainside hot spring with clever hardscaping. Ensconce the soaking space with smooth stones, a rocky waterfall, and privacy walls that look nature-made. Consult a professional to bring this project to life, as it’s sure to be quite the undertaking, but the results will definitely be worth it. 

If your climate experiences snowy weather, use the nature-made decor by designing a dreamy winter haven around your hot tub. Start by building a detached deck in the corner of your yard, with a winding stone path leading to it from your house. Incorporating pine and fir trees into the landscaping along the path and around your hot tub design adds privacy, homes for winter birds, and the perfect perch for falling snow. Install posts on the sides of your hot tub where you can string outdoor lights and a retractable cover that offers protection from the elements.

Have your tub and heat it too with a soaking spot entirely powered by wood. A large coiled metal pipe is connected to the hot tub that heats the water when a fire is lit inside it. Cold water is pulled into the bottom of the coil and rises through the spiraling pipe as it heats up. The hot water flows back into the hot tub, and this cycle continues as long as the fire remains lit. Bonus: Many designs are food-safe, so you can cook s’mores over coil’s fire.

A hot tub with a waterfall that spills into your swimming pool is a dramatic look that will impress family and friends. Plus, having the two so close together makes transitioning easier as you move from the pool’s cool water to the hot tub’s cozy confines.

For anyone with a darker sense of humor, a cauldron-inspired hot tub is an interesting design to try on your deck. You can have just the pot, or go all out with a suspended setup that has the hot tub hanging over a fire via chains attached to large, sturdy beams. We suggest consulting a professional for this since it’s an advanced design. 

Ensure your family gets in and out of the tub safely with water- and slip-proof steps.

Keep towels, snacks, and wireless speakers close with tall tables that sit a bit higher than the hot tub’s rim.

Style waterproof Adirondacks near your hot tub where family can enjoy post-soak relaxation.

Water, water, everywhere … and a drop to drink thanks to the nearby bar cart holding your favorite sips.

Keep towels, blankets, and robes off the ground with a handy towel rack. 

Invite nature to your deck hot tub by surrounding it with pots of native or tropical plants.