A hot tub gets used far more when it’s covered. Rain, wind, strong sun and overlooking neighbours are the usual reasons people stop using theirs. This guide compares the main ways to cover a hot tub and what to check before you choose.
Your options for covering a hot tub
- Hot tub gazebo. A fabric or timber gazebo is the cheapest option. Fabric roofs sag, flap in the wind and often need taking down in winter, and timber needs treating every year or two.
- Timber pergola with a fixed roof. Permanent and sturdy, but a solid roof makes the area dark and traps steam under it.
- Louvred aluminium pergola. The roof is made of aluminium blades that tilt. Open them to let steam out and sun in, or close them to keep off the rain. Aluminium won’t rot or rust, and you can add sides where you need them.
- Enclosing it in a garden room. Fully enclosing a hot tub means dealing with a lot of humidity, so it needs serious ventilation. Most people are better off keeping the hot tub outside and covering it.
For most gardens, a louvred pergola is the best balance of cost, looks and how well it works day to day.
Why a louvred pergola works so well over a hot tub
- Steam can escape. Hot tubs give off a lot of moisture. With the louvres open, it rises straight out instead of collecting under a solid roof and causing condensation.
- You stay dry. Close the louvres when it rains. Water runs into a gutter in the frame and drains down the posts, not onto you or the hot tub cover.
- Shelter from wind and neighbours. Add screens, blinds, glass doors or panels to the one or two sides that catch the wind or face the neighbours, and leave the rest open.
- Shade when you want it. Tilt the louvres to block strong sun without losing the open-air feel.
- Use it after dark. LED lighting and infrared heaters make the hot tub usable on cool evenings and through the autumn.
What size pergola do you need?
Most hot tubs are between 2m and 2.3m square. Allow space around it for the steps and for the lid to fold back, so a 3m x 3m pergola is the usual starting point. If you’d like seating or a small table under cover too, look at 3m x 4m, 4m x 4m or a longer 3m x 5.7m.
If your hot tub has a cover lifter, check there’s room behind it for the lid to fold back without catching the posts or sides.
Things to check before you order
- The base. The hot tub needs a strong, level base, and the pergola posts bolt down to concrete or a well-laid patio. Plan the two together so the posts don’t clash with the hot tub or its steps.
- Power. Your hot tub needs its own electrical supply, and an electric pergola, lighting or heaters need power too. Have your electrician plan both at the same time.
- Planning permission. Most garden pergolas don’t need it, but height and position matter. Our guide on whether pergolas need planning permission explains when to check.
- Access. Make sure you can still reach the hot tub’s control panel and service hatch once the sides are on.
Our hot tub pergolas
We supply and install three ranges of louvred aluminium pergola across Surrey, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. All three work well over a hot tub.
- Titan has louvres you adjust by hand, 19 sizes and three colours. A 3m x 3m starts at £2,199 including VAT, with screens, glass doors, LED lighting and heaters as extras.
- Remanso has an electric roof on a remote control and LED lighting built in. An optional rain sensor closes the roof by itself. A 3m x 3m is £5,995 including VAT.
- Morvelle Custom is made in Hampshire to your exact size and in any colour, with an electric roof and LED lighting. A 3m x 3m is £12,514 including VAT.
Prices are for the pergola only. Delivery and installation are quoted after a site visit.
Compare all three ranges side by side, build yours online for a guide price, or call Kieron on 020 3818 5911 to talk about your hot tub and garden.