[Tom]

I've always wanted to pick one of these up from Costco but it's way beyond my expertise level and wouldn't be able to do it myself regardless as it requires more than one person. Anyone have a recommendation for someone that might install these? I asked at Costco and they don't have any vendors that they are contracted with.

[Anne Elk]

Tom, you might check hardware stores near you (not the big box ones). In my neighborhood, Stoneway Hardware has a peg board near their cash registers and various freelance build-it Mr fixit types have their biz cards posted there. They referred me to a great neighborhood contractor who does small stuff in the off season; but he probably wouldn't travel as far as your place. If there's an Ace Hardware franchise near you that might be a good source for info.

[zephyr]

Just from the photo it looks like a nice structure. I hope you find someone who can do a good job. Getting it level and bolted to a good foundation. We get hefty wind gusts over this way near the Sound. You don't want it lifting and tipping over in a strong wind. ~z

[Bowregard]

We purchased and installed one of these a few years ago. I have an ME degree and a lot of woodworking experience and remember thinking "do they really expect the average person to put this together without guidance?" The structure was pre-drilled and so long as you followed the instructions carefully went together OK. But the metal roofing panel tolerances stack up and if you don't know how to account for it you can end up with messy results. The key here is to lay everything out before screwing anything down so if you have to "extend" or "reduce" the overall width to match the structure you can do so evenly over multiple panels instead of just starting at one end and ending up with a gap or overhang. It took me 3 days with a little help from my brother and wife (but then I am a bit OCD with stuff like this). You are smart to evaluate your time/skillset to determine if you really want to tackle it. A few tips whether you hire to have it done or DIY: 1. I highly recommend using a sealer on the wood (slows down drying process). Especially on end grain. That is most easily completed BEFORE putting the structure together. I used Anchor Seal on the end grain and Thompson's Water Seal on the edges. 2. Consider whether you want electrical access BEFORE building. The posts only have a small section that is solid wood so drill holes for wires and electrical boxes first. We added a weathertight input box low on one post to accept a heavy gauge outdoor extension cord. Then ran outdoor Romex through one post to an outlet box for accent lights/etc. Then ran another cable and added some structure for an indoor/outdoor overhead fan. 3. Most of these are not built for snow loads so plan to clear them somehow if you get a decent snow. 4. The design we bought was good but some extra flashing and caulk was required to keep the water out. Edit: If you hire somebody to do this ask about sealing the end grains and caulking and such. If somebody just built the one we bought it as-is the wood would have warped, cracked, and been unsightly after just a year or two. The bottom of those posts will suck up water like crazy without sealant of some sort.

[Tom]

Thanks, I found one local company that has installed these for at least a couple of other Costco purchasers per their google reviews. I primarily wanted it to shield the hot tub from rain as I soak almost every night, but thinking about it I'm not sure I want to deal with snow loads, and the pitter patter of rain on a metal roof may actually be more annoying than just donning my rain hat. Leaning toward a louvered pergola.

[mike]

Tom I just have a patio umbrella over the chair where I hang my towel and robe. It can hang over the edge of the tub to shelter one end too.

[Bowregard]

I had the same issue with our hot tub. The rain gets annoying and wearing a hat gets old too. I was considering one of those offset umbrellas. I like watching the stars when it is clear out and the umbrella was easy to put up and take down - albeit kind of pricey. But over time my wife had skin troubles using the tub and now I really don't use it anymore.

[Tom]

The problem with umbrellas is it's often windy when it rains so can be recipe for disaster if the wind catches it right. I tried a sail shade for a while but it got noisy and seemed to be more hassle than it was worth. I will need a new hot tub cover soon, maybe I should look into something like this and kill 2 birds with one stone. https://olympichottub.com/product/spa-accessories/hot-spring-accessories/covana-automated-cover-gazebo-one/ Edit: forget that, looks like price is $8K. I could go thru 4 gazeobs for that and reviews aren't so good.

[Tom]

Ended up going with el cheapo solution for now. Was considering a 10x20 louvered pergola from Costco to shade more of the back patio but found this inexpensive 10x10 gazebo on Amazon for a little over $300 with good reviews for sturdiness and reliability. The canopy will need to be replaced every other year or so but is rainproof. So far so good and was able to set it up myself. I wasn't too keen on drilling holes in my patio so anchored it to some deck blocks.

Before

After

[Stefan]

Dude. Hot tub in the rain. Its like a natural hot springs feel! But only 10 feet away from dry shoes. Tom...you are getting soft!

[Tom]

Wet hair in the rain is no fun after 5-10 minutes. I usually soak for hours. Plus it's nice to take my large tablet, secure it to the edge, and not have to weatherproof it.

[Sculpin]

I don't mind tubbing in the rain with a baseball cap. My wife - who spends a lot more time in the tub than I do - wanted to be able to see the stars, so I put my gazebo next to the tub to keep the clothes and towels dry. This project began last fall and I still have to finish the deck between the gazebo and tub:

The gazebo and deck - minus the roof sheathing and shingles - were 90% scrap from old horse fencing I removed and some salvaged decking my neighbor gave me.