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More than anything, how much a water filter costs depends on its type, which in turn determines the price tag and cost for installation and maintenance.
The quality of the filter and the water treatment process it applies also play a major role.
And last but not least, more popular brands and manufacturers tend to charge more for their products, as is the case in every other industry.
So, here is a complete breakdown of how much a water filter costs.
Contents
TL;DR
The type of system determines the cost of a home water filter:
- Whole house water filters range from $100 to 3,000 USD.
- Under sink water filters start at $50 USD. More expensive models go up to $500 USD.
- Countertop water filters can cost you $50-150 USD.
- Standard reverse osmosis systems are priced at around $200-400 USD.
- Most water filter pitchers cost $15-70 USD.
- You need to invest between $150 and 400 USD for a gravity water filter.
How Much Does a Water Filtration System Cost – Real-Life Prices
Let’s look at some real-life examples for different types of water filters.
Our Top Water Filter Brands
SpringWell Water, Model CF4 Whole House Water Filter System
Coupon Code (5% Off): Masterz5
See more product images at springwellwater.com
- Description: High end whole house water filter for homes with 4 to 6 bathrooms; system uses sediment filter; catalytic activated carbon filters unpleasant taste and odor, chlorine and chloramine, chemicals, organics, a few heavy metals, and more; media lasts for a million gallons
- Purchase price: $1095.62 USD (January 2023 – check current price)
- Shipping: Free
- Cost for professional installation: $300-1,000 USD depending on your plumbing system
- Replacement filters: $40.18 USD per year (Last updated: January 2023)
- Satisfaction guarantee: 6 months
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Detailed review
SpringWell Water, Model WS1 Whole House Well Water Filter System
Coupon Code (5% Off): Masterz5
See more product images at springwellwater.com
- Description: Whole home well water filter for homes with up to 4 bathrooms; greensand media lasts 18 to 25 years and filters iron and other heavy metals, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, arsenic, and radium
- Purchase price: $2153.13 USD (January 2023 – check current price)
- Shipping: Free
- Average cost for professional installation: $300-1,000 USD depending on your plumbing system
- Replacement filters: –
- Satisfaction guarantee: 6 months
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Detailed review
AquaTru Reverse Osmosis Water System
Coupon Code (15% Off): WATERMASTERZ
See More Product Images at waterandwellness.com
- Description: Countertop reverse osmosis system NSF-certified to remove 99.1% lead, 97.2% chromium 6, 93.5% fluoride, 96.6% chlorine, 99.99% cyst, 97.5% PFAS, more than 99% of VOCs, hard water minerals… Provides drinking water quality
- Purchase price: $381.65 USD (January 2023 – check current price)
- Shipping: Varies by shipping location
- Cost for professional install: –
- Replacement filters: Around $120 USD per year (January 2023), depending on your water quality and usage
- Satisfaction guarantee: –
- Warranty: 1 year
- Detailed review
Clearly Filtered, Pitcher Model
Coupon Code (15% Off): WM15
See More Product Images at clearlyfiltered.com
- Description: Filter pitcher suited for family use; Affinity Filtration technology is NSF-tested to remove 365+ harmful and dangerous tap water contaminants including chlorine, chloramine, fluoride, lead, arsenic, chromium, pesticides, herbicides, microorganisms… Provides drinking water quality
- Purchase price: $75 USD (January 2023 – check current price)
- Shipping: Free
- Cost for professional installation: –
- Replacement filters: $140-270 USD per year (January 2023), depending on your water quality and usage
- Satisfaction guarantee: 30 days
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Detailed review
Clearly Filtered, Under-the-Sink Filter System
Coupon Code (15% Off): WM15
See More Product Images at clearlyfiltered.com
- Description: Under sink water filter system; Affinity Filtration technology is NSF-tested to remove contaminants including chlorine, chloramine, fluoride, lead, arsenic, chromium, pesticides, herbicides, microorganisms… (232+ in total); provides bottled water quality
- Purchase price: $500 USD (January 2023 – check current price)
- Shipping: Free
- Cost for professional installation: $200-500 USD depending on your plumbing system
- Replacement filters: $400 USD per year (January 2023)
- Satisfaction guarantee: 30 days
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Detailed review
Big Berkey
See More Product Images at bigberkeywaterfilters.com
- Description: Gravity filter suited for family use; ceramic filter elements lasts for 3,000 gallons and filter 99.9% lead and mercury, 99.7% cadmium, 99.85% chromium 6, 99.9% arsenic, 99.9% of various pharmaceutical drugs, 99.999% bacteria and viruses, sediment… Chlorine and chloramine, pesticides and VOCs, and TTHMs are reduced below their detectable limits.
- Purchase price: $317 USD (January 2023 – check current price)
- Shipping: Free
- Cost for install: –
- Replacement filter cost: $40 USD per year (January 2023)
- Satisfaction guarantee: 30 days
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Detailed review
What Type of Water Filter Are You Looking For?
Point-of-Use vs Point-of-Entry
There are many different types of water filters for home use, from under sink reverse osmosis systems that provide filtered water at the point of use to whole house filters which process all incoming water.
What type are you looking for?
Whole House Systems
Need a whole house filter?
Whole house water filters are point-of-entry systems. Installed at the main water line they process all incoming water in your home. Thus, you’ll not only have access to filtered water at your kitchen sink, but also your bathrooms, garden, and utility room. In addition, all home appliances will benefit from water free from sediments and possibly other contaminants, depending on the kind of filtration process the whole house water filter system applies.
Under Sink and Countertop Filters
Most under sink water filters get installed in the kitchen. The process isn’t overly difficult, but prior experience as a handyman can be helpful if you want to do the setup yourself.
Countertop filters are either installation-free or they can be quickly connected to your existing kitchen faucet.
Both under sink and countertop water filters can provide clean, healthy, and great-tasting drinking water.
Reverse Osmosis Systems
RO systems are a special kind of under sink or countertop filter. What distinguishes them from other filter systems is their extremely thorough purification process.
Filter Pitchers
Most people use a filter pitcher. They are cheap, easy to use, and ideal for small families. On top of that, you don’t have to bother with installation and replacing the filter cartridge every once in a while is effortless.
Gravity Water Treatment Systems
Gravity water treatment systems are great because they can provide excellent filtration and, just like pitchers, they are installation-free. Portability is one of the reasons why gravity units are often used by preppers.
| Type | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Whole House | $100-3,000 USD The cheapest sediment systems cost less than $100. A setup combining 2 large filter media tanks can easily cost up to $3,000. |
| Under Sink | $50-$500 USD Single-stage under sink filters that get installed inline are really affordable. More sophisticated multi-stage system that feature a highly effective filtration process can cost up to $500. |
| Countertop | $50-150 USD As with under sink water filter systems, simple single-stage countertop units cost as little as $50. Expect to pay up to $150 if you go multi-stage. |
| Reverse Osmosis | $50-450 USD The lowest price RO system costs little more than $50. We wouldn’t recommend it, though. Most under sink units are priced somewhere around $200. If you are willing to invest a little more you can get a hyper fast and hyper water-efficient model with a built-in booster pump. It might even feature UV light water treatment. |
| Pitcher | $15-70 Basic pitchers are already available for less than $20. However, apart from removing bad taste and odor they don’t do much. If you want a pitcher that catches all the harmful contaminants that might be present in your water you have to invest a little more – up to $70 seems justified. |
| Gravity | $150-400 One the one hand, the lowest priced gravity systems cost around $150, but water flows rapidly through their filter elements so that it is hard to imagine that a lot of contaminants are removed. On the other hand, higher priced brands like Berkey can be fed from almost any water source. Price: Up to $400. |
Cost of Home Water Filter System Installation
How much does it cost to install a water filter? Once more it depends on the type of filter.
For one, some types of water filtration systems don’t require any installation at all. This goes for pitchers and gravity filters. With countertop systems it varies from model to model. Some are standalone and therefore installation-free. Others connect to an existing faucet or tap within a few minutes – at no additional cost.
Whole house water filtration systems and under sink filters are different. They may require installation by a plumber if you lack the necessary skills to complete the project yourself.
- For whole house water filter installation tasks include cutting in your home’s main water line and possibly soldering.
- For under sink filters you may need to drill a hole into your kitchen sink or countertop to accommodate the extra faucet. What’s more, reverse osmosis systems require a drain line connection.
Installation Supplies
Under sink water filters usually include all required installation supplies. That leaves us with whole home filters. Here, the required supplies depend on your plumbing setup and also your personal preferences.
A couple of shark bite fittings, 2 flex tubes, and some Teflon tape might be all you need. Average cost: Less than $100.
A more complex water purification system may need additional supplies meaning higher cost.
Labor
Under sink installation is fast and can be completed within one hour, maybe two. Tasks involved are installing the water dispenser, making a drain connection, connecting the system to the cold water supply, and setting up the storage tank and system module with all filters installed. For this, labor cost shouldn’t exceed $300.
Steps that need to be completed when installing a whole house water filter are removing a section from the main water line, installing shut-off valves and a system bypass, and making all necessary connections between the system and the incoming and outgoing water supply. Installation cost: At least $300 but probably more with site preparation and cleanup. And if your plumbing system needs modification before a filter system can be installed the price may go up by up to $1,000 or more.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
A word from the author: In my opinion, one doesn’t need prior plumbing experience in order to install under sink or whole house water filtration systems. As long as you are a do-it-yourselfer who is willing to learn and you have enough time at your hands you should consider giving it a try.
If you prefer hiring a professional installer you can go to Yelp[1] or one of the other large directories to get quotes. Make sure to check for licensing and insurance, customer reviews, and recognition by the BBB (Better Business Bureau[2]).
Permits
Permits are not needed when installing a whole house water filtration system.
Water Purification System Maintenance
All water filtration systems no matter what type need regular maintenance: Replacing the filter elements which guarantees optimum performance, and cleaning to prevent germs from accumulating.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
You can do both yourself; there are no special tools needed.
Replacement Filter Cost
Buying replacement filters on a continuous basis is the largest maintenance expense. Over time, the cost will likely outweigh the price you paid for the system in the first place. Thus, make sure to check the price and availability of new filter cartridges before you make your final buying decision.
Some systems allow you to switch to cheaper off-brand filters, others don’t.
Total Cost
The total cost for the different types of water treatment systems are as follows:
| Type | Price Range | Water Filter Installation Cost | Maintenance Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole House | $100-3,000 USD | $300-1,000+ USD | $0-500 USD |
| Under Sink | $50-$500 USD | Up to $300 USD | $20-200 |
| Countertop | $50-150 USD | – | $20-200 |
| Reverse Osmosis | $50-450 USD | Up to $300 USD | $50-200 |
| Pitcher | $15-70 | – | $50-150 |
| Gravity | $150-400 | – | $40-100 |
Whole home water filtration systems are the most expensive to buy and install. However, servicing can be really cheap or even free.
Under sink, countertop, reverse osmosis, and gravity systems are within the same cost range. The difference is that countertop and gravity filters don’t require installation. Under sink (reverse osmosis) systems are easy to install for do-it-yourselfers. Hiring a plumber costs up to $300.
Where to Buy Home Water Filters
Lastly, where is the best place to buy water filter systems? You have 4 options:
- Buying from a local water expert – This is usually the most expensive option. One of the benefits is that you can purchase a complete package including system installation and service. Also, a local dealer knows about the water conditions in the area which can be a huge advantage.
- Buying from your local hardware store – Hardware and big box stores often have of-the-shelf water filters for home use. One advantage is that you get good prices, but quality may not be very high.
- Buying from a brand or manufacturer directly – Most water treatment manufacturers or brands run their own ecommerce stores offering factory pricing as there are no middlemen. Also, you can address your questions to the people who know their products best.
- Buying from an online marketplace – Amazon is the most popular choice here obviously offering by far the largest selection of products.
Conclusion
Whole house, under sink, countertop, RO, pitcher, gravity – how much does a home water filtration system cost? It depends on the type of system. Purchase price and cost to install a whole house system are highest. Reverse osmosis, gravity, and under sink water filters are available for small and larger budgets. Countertop and pitcher filters are the most affordable.
With point-of-entry filters and some point-of-use under sink systems being the exception you can install and service all of the above filters types so you don’t have to spend money hiring a plumber, if you are up to the challenge. Either way, you will need to pay for new filter elements. Over the years, the accumulated cost shouldn’t be underestimated.
Resources
His credo: Not a single American should have to drink unhealthy water at home.