How much does a water softener cost?

WÜDR doesn't publish price ranges. A range that covers every home is too wide to be useful, and a price for the wrong system is worse than no price. Instead, we look at your water first, recommend the system that fits, and then show you its price.

What drives the price

1. Your hardness. Harder water needs more softening capacity (grains) or more frequent regeneration. Hardness ranges widely: New Jersey American Water reports 5–13 gpg in its Raritan system^[1].
2. Iron. Dissolved iron uses up softening capacity, and higher iron needs a separate filter first. See iron and manganese.
3. People and water use. More people means more gallons to soften between regenerations.
4. Flow rate. Homes with several bathrooms need a unit and valve that keep up at peak demand without a pressure drop.
5. Plumbing and installation. Pipe size and material, where the main line enters, a drain and outlet nearby, and whether a bypass or loop needs to be added.
6. Ongoing costs. Salt (or potassium), water and electricity for regeneration, and service. A demand-based softener sized correctly uses less salt than an undersized or timer-based one.

Questions to ask any installer

• What hardness and iron numbers did you size this from?
• What's the unit's capacity, and how often will it regenerate?
• Is it certified to NSF/ANSI 44?
• What's included in installation, and what's the maintenance schedule?

Other cost guides