In-Ground Spas vs. Portable Hot Tubs
The distinction between an in-ground spa and a portable hot tub defines the scope of the installation project entirely. An in-ground spa is a permanently constructed shell — gunite, fiberglass, or vinyl — integrated into the pool deck and typically sharing filtration and heating equipment with an adjacent pool. A portable hot tub is a self-contained acrylic or rotationally-molded shell with its own integral plumbing, pump, heater, and controls, placed on a prepared surface and connected to an electrical supply. Both are common in Greater Boston, and both require professional installation to operate safely and efficiently.
In-ground spas are designed and built as part of pool construction or as additions to existing pools. They offer unlimited design flexibility — size, shape, jet count, and feature configuration are all customizable — and they integrate seamlessly with pool automation systems, lighting, and equipment. The trade-off is cost and construction complexity: an in-ground spa is a structural project with concrete, plumbing, and electrical work coordinated across multiple trades. See our pool installation page for context on how in-ground spas fit into new pool construction, and our pool remodeling page for spa additions to existing pools.