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Removing a hot tub, shed or old deck in Lethbridge: permits, teardown and where the pieces go

What has to happen before a hot tub, shed or deck comes out in Lethbridge, how each breaks down, and what the Waste and Recycling Centre charges by weight.

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Home › Guides › Removing a hot tub, shed or old deck in Lethbridge: permits, teardown and where the pieces go

Before anything comes out: permits and disconnects

A hot tub, shed or deck removal in Lethbridge starts with two questions. Does the structure need a City permit to take down, and is anything still wired to it.

The City's demolition permit page says a permit is required to remove or demolish a building or structure, including accessory buildings such as sheds larger than 100 square feet and detached garages. No permit is needed to remove fences, decks or small non-structural sheds under 100 square feet. The residential demolition fee is $114.50, and the application asks for an asbestos declaration and utility disconnect approvals.

For a hot tub, the electrical side matters most. The City's electrical permits page says a permit is required any time electrical wiring, equipment or service is installed, altered or replaced. Permits must be obtained by a licensed electrical contractor with a valid City of Lethbridge business licence. A homeowner who lives at the property may apply instead if they can show enough competency to do the work to code. The page does not name hot tub removal on its own, so call 311 before a hard-wired tub comes out and ask whether your disconnect needs a permit. Have the breaker off and the tub drained before anyone arrives.

How each item comes apart, and what you are left with

A hot tub is an acrylic or fibreglass shell, spray foam insulation, a wood or composite cabinet, a steel or wood frame, and a pump and heater pack with copper wiring. It is usually cut into sections to fit through a gate.

A shed comes apart in reverse order: roofing, then walls, then floor. A metal shed leaves steel or aluminum panels. A wood shed leaves lumber, sheathing, roofing, and often a treated skid or concrete pad. A deck is nearly all pressure-treated lumber plus screws, hangers and sometimes concrete piers.

Sorting matters because the Waste and Recycling Centre charges by material, and a mixed load is charged at the highest rate of anything in it.

Where the pieces go: Waste and Recycling Centre rates

The City's Waste and Recycling Centre is at 213044 Township Road 100 in Lethbridge County, about 7 km out along 28 Street North. It is open Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April 1 to October 31 and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. from November 1 to March 31. Loads under 50 kg are free. An untarped load costs an extra $20 up to 1,000 kg or $40 above that.

The rates page lists scrap metal, including appliances, at $10 per tonne. Pallets and dimensional lumber with no waste, plastic or other contaminants are $65 per tonne. Recyclable concrete up to 2.5 feet by 2.5 feet is $25 per tonne. General waste and mixed construction and demolition waste are $115 per tonne with a $5 minimum.

There is no separate rate for treated wood. Treated lumber and hot tub shells do not fit the clean lumber or metal categories, so plan on the general waste rate for those pieces. Lethbridge residents can also use the Free Saturday Disposal Program: up to 250 kg of household and bulky waste every Saturday, year round, free. Households in Coaldale, Coalhurst, Picture Butte and Taber can use the centre at the posted rates, but the Saturday allowance is for Lethbridge residents only.

Large Item Service, reuse and donation

The City's Large Item Service gives residential utility customers two free collections a year, at least three months apart, booked through 311. Its list of what cannot be picked up includes fences and decks, renovation and construction material, and concrete. Each pickup is capped at 250 kg and five large items no longer than 8 feet. A deck or shed teardown does not qualify, though a bathtub or barbecue from the same project might.

Reuse options are thin. Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta runs three ReStores, in Calgary and Medicine Hat, and its website lists no Lethbridge store. A hot tub that still runs is easier to give away whole than to dispose of in pieces.

What drives the cost of a removal

No published guide gives a price range specific to Lethbridge, so here is what moves the number. The first driver is weight and material mix, because landfill charges are per tonne and by category.

The second driver is access. A hot tub in a fenced West Lethbridge backyard with a narrow gate takes longer to section and carry than one on a North Lethbridge driveway. Stairs and a frozen yard add time. The third is licensed trade work such as an electrical disconnect. The fourth is volume: a 10 by 12 shed with a full roof fills a trailer on its own. Trips to Coaldale, Coalhurst, Picture Butte or Taber add travel each way.

Checklist for the day

Preparation the day before saves an hour on the day.

Need it hauled or installed?

Call (587) 813-0710 or request a call back. This website connects Lethbridge residents with a local, licensed and insured junk removal company. Calls and form submissions go directly to that company, which quotes and completes the work.

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