The comments above about in-ground are good ones; most spas are made to last, and have warranties, and are solid pieces of equipment. We find Bullfrog, Sundance, ThermoSpas to all be excellent. In-ground spas can be kind of "custom" in that many different pumps, shells, piping, insulation, etc. can be used (sort of "your own brand"). As noted, the big issues with in-ground spas are not as many jets, typically (in a standard one), and of course, then the piping, etc. is underground. We've had two service calls to "tighten" up joints/fittings/valves since the pump tends to shake things a bit over the years; that's easy to fix in an above-ground spa, not so much in an in-ground one. Maintenance is maintenance, and also, if you move, you can take a portable spa with you (if you want), or the new owners can get rid of it (if they don't want it - and believe me, some people DON'T want them) - however, having an in-ground spa and getting rid of it is a whole other story, and can be a complicated mess. Just my thoughts!
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