An outdoor bath in Australia is a freestanding tub you fill from the garden tap, soak in under the sky, then drain. The Terra Tanks Outdoor Bath & Cold Plunge Tub is a 1.8m galvanised steel oval from $2,195, with free delivery to metro Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. It fits two adults and comes with a cover.
This guide covers what you are actually buying, what it costs on the day, where it can go in a real backyard, and the council question you should settle before you order. We import and ship these tubs, so read it knowing where we stand. Every figure is either ours or linked to a source.
Three ways to have an outdoor bath
Most outdoor baths in Australia fall into one of three setups, and the right one depends on how permanent you want it.
Fill and drain. You run a garden hose in, soak, and pull the plug or siphon it out. Nothing is plumbed in and nothing needs a power point. This is the simplest option and the default setup.
Plumbed in. You treat it as a permanent outdoor bath with taps and a proper drain. Terra Tanks does not offer plumbing as a service, so this means arranging your own plumber.
Wood fired. The same tank with a coil that you heat with a fire, so the water gets hot without a power point or a gas bottle. That is a different product, covered below and in our guide to wood fired bath vs wood fired hot tub.
What you are actually buying
The Outdoor Bath & Cold Plunge Tub is real galvanised steel, a stock tank oval that is 1.8m long, 0.61m wide and 0.61m deep. It holds about 550 litres at a comfortable use level and fits two adults chest-deep. A custom-fit UV-resistant cover and a drain plug at the back are included.
The tanks are made in the US and shipped nested inside one another to keep freight costs down. That means the length and width can vary by up to 2cm from the listed size, and minor scuffs from freight are normal. Neither affects strength or the fit of the cover. If your tub arrives with genuine freight damage, send photos to hello@terratanks.com.au within 7 days.
What it costs
Here is the buying cost on the day, checked against our live store on 30 October 2026.
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Outdoor Bath & Cold Plunge Tub, raw galvanised steel | $2,195 |
| Painted finish (matte white, matte black, olive green or sandstone) | $2,895 |
| Custom colour | $2,995 |
| Delivery to metro Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne | Free |
| Wood fired version, the Off-Grid Wood Fired Hot Tub (raw) | $2,795 |
Delivery to most regional areas is also free, to your door or to a depot. A few remote postcodes need a quote, so we do not claim free delivery everywhere. To see the plain tub and the wood fired version side by side, browse our outdoor baths and cold plunge tubs.
Running cost is small. 550 litres is 0.55 kilolitres, and at Perth's Water Corporation tier 1 rate of $2.108 per kilolitre that is roughly $1.20 a fill. Water prices differ by state, so check your own supplier. If you are heating with fire, our outdoor bathtub running cost guide works through the per-bath numbers.
Where an outdoor bath can go
Pick the spot before you order, because the ground matters more than the view.
Firm, level ground. Concrete, pavers, gravel or compacted earth all work. Check it is level before you fill, because correcting it once the tub is holding water is much harder.
Not on a timber deck. A full tub is heavy: 550 litres of water weighs about 550kg before two people climb in, and a standard deck is not built to carry that. If you love the look of a bath on a deck, put the tub on the ground and build the deck beside it.
Near a tap and a drain path. You want the hose to reach and the water to run away from the house when you pull the plug. Place the plug end where the water has somewhere sensible to go.
Away from where kids can wander in. This is partly good sense and partly the council question in the next section.
The council question to settle first
Pool barrier rules look at whether a structure can hold more than 300mm of water. The tub walls are 610mm high, so check with your local council before you order. Western Australia's Building and Energy division publishes its swimming pool and spa barrier requirements, and AS 1926.1 is the barrier standard that the state and territory rules build on. Details differ by state, and we are not a substitute for your council's answer.
Do not assume that because you drain the tub between uses, the rules do not apply. Ring your council, describe the tub and ask. It takes ten minutes and it protects you.
Cold plunge, outdoor bath or both
The same tub does either job. For a cold plunge, fill it from the cold tap. For an outdoor bath, fill it from a hot tap or pre-heat water and bucket-fill it, then soak the way you would in a clawfoot bath, only outside.
If you want hot water without a power point, the Off-Grid Wood Fired Hot Tub is the same physical tank with a wood-fired coil added. The coil is the fire enclosure, so there is nothing separate to build. On a tub of about 500 litres with the cover on, heat-up runs roughly 1.5 to 2.5 hours, so light the fire a couple of hours before you want to soak. For many people, building the fire and the waiting is part of the appeal, not a chore to get through.
A few safety basics apply to any hot soak. Get in at 36 to 38 degrees, never above 40, keep sessions short, and never leave children unsupervised near water. For a deeper comparison of the cold and warm uses, see our stock tank pool as a cold plunge guide and the recovery tub guide.
How it compares with a clawfoot bath or a chiller
A clawfoot bath is beautiful indoors, but it rarely makes it out to the back garden. A cold plunge with a chiller works outside, but it ties you to a power outlet and a running unit. A stock tank bath sits in between. It is a tub you can put on firm ground in the garden, fill from the tap, and use cold, hot or with a few bags of ice in summer, with no power point and no chemical routine. The trade-off is that it is a fill and drain tub, so you refill it each time you want to use it.
Delivery and the guarantee
Metro delivery in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne is free, and for tubs it is free to most regional areas too. There is a 90-day money-back guarantee from delivery, even if the tub has been used. You pay the return shipping.
Get an outdoor bath in the backyard without a plumber or a power point
The Outdoor Bath & Cold Plunge Tub is $2,195, fits two adults, comes with a cover and ships free to metro Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an outdoor bath cost in Australia?
Prices vary widely by material and whether it is plumbed in, so compare what is actually included. The Terra Tanks Outdoor Bath & Cold Plunge Tub is $2,195 in raw galvanised steel and $2,895 in a painted finish, with a cover included and free delivery to metro areas.
Do I need council approval for an outdoor bath?
Check with your council before you order. Pool barrier rules look at whether a structure can hold more than 300mm of water, and the tub walls are 610mm high. The answer can differ by state and council, so ask before you buy.
Can an outdoor bath go on a timber deck?
No. A full tub with two people in it is far heavier than a standard deck is built to carry. Put it on concrete, pavers, gravel or compacted earth, and build a deck beside it if you want one.
Do I need a plumber to install an outdoor bath?
Not for the default fill and drain setup. You run a hose in and drain it with the plug or a siphon. If you want it plumbed in as a permanent bath, you arrange your own plumber, because Terra Tanks does not offer plumbing as a service.
How many people fit in an outdoor bath?
The 1.8m Outdoor Bath & Cold Plunge Tub fits two adults for a relaxed soak, or one adult chest-deep for a cold plunge.
Where to go from here
If you want the running costs first, read the outdoor bathtub running cost guide. If you are ready to price one, the Outdoor Bath & Cold Plunge Tub page has sizes, colours and a delivered price. Questions about your site or delivery? Email hello@terratanks.com.au.
Terra Tanks imports galvanised steel plunge pools, wood-fired hot tubs and outdoor baths into Australia. Get in touch at hello@terratanks.com.au.