|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Water Softener Costs
High Quality System + Professional Installation Price: $4,000 – $7,000
Low Quality, “Big Box” Store Model + DIY Installation Price: $300 – $800
Mattioni VIP Member Price: $4,000 – $5,000
Last Revised: 2/14/25
A water softener offers several benefits and is a smart investment for any home with hard water. By removing hard minerals like calcium and magnesium, a water softener does far more than just enhance the quality of your showers. It also improves the performance of your dishwasher, water heater, and laundry machine – while protecting your plumbing system from corrosion at the same time.
If you have hard water, installing a water softener in your home can provide you with:
- Cleaner and softer hair and skin
- Cleaner dishes
- Fewer white spots on faucets and drains
- Softer, brighter clothes
- Long-term savings on plumbing repairs
- Clearer, better tasting water
This article gives you everything you need to know about selecting the right system, and how much it will cost.
“
What price you’ll pay for a water softener depends on the type, quality, and capacity of the system.
”
Jump to a Section:
- Do You Need a Water Softener
- Which Water Softener Capacity is Right for Your Home
- How Much Should You Pay for a Water Softener
- Understanding Water Softener Costs
- What Type of Water Softener Should You Choose
- Water Softener Installations: DIY vs. Professional
Do You Need a Water Softener
Testing your water’s hardness is almost always the best way to figure out if you need a water softener or not. Here are the telltale signs that it may be time for testing:
- Your soap and shampoo don’t lather easily
- Your skin and hair feel dry after showering
- There are frequently white stains on faucets, sinks, and countertops
- Your tap water has a bad odor or taste
- Your clothes become faded or don’t feel clean after washing
- Your pipes clog frequently
Water softeners aren’t a one-size-fits-all system, and therefore you’ll see a range of prices. In fact, water softener prices can range anywhere from $300 to $7,000. What price you’ll pay for a water softener depends on the type, quality, and capacity of the system.
Which Water Softener Capacity is Right for Your Home
Choosing the right capacity ensures that your water softener will operate efficiently, and that you won’t waste money on a system that’s too large or too small.
(Examples of water softener capacities: 32,000 Grain, 48,000 Grain, 64,000 Grain)
The number of occupants living in your home is the primary factor when calculating the capacity of water softener you’ll need. The more people that live in your home, the more water your home uses (in gallons), and the larger the water softening system you’ll need. Most people use roughly 90 gallons of water per day, but for a more precise measurement of your water usage you can check a recent water bill.
The next most significant factor in determining the capacity of water softener you’ll need is how hard your water is – this is measured in grains per gallon (GPG). Water with a score above seven GPG is considered hard water. To figure out the hardness of your water (GPG), you can use a water testing kit, bring a professional plumber to your home for testing, or send a sample out to a lab.
| Hardness | GPG |
| Soft | 0 – 3.5 |
| Moderately Hard | 3.5 – 7.0 |
| Hard | 7.0 – 10.5 |
| Very Hard | 10.5+ |
Once you’ve gotten a rough estimate of your home’s water usage (gallons) and your water’s GPG, you can determine the water softener capacity that’s right for you.
Example calculation for a four-person home with a GPG score of 12
- Calculate your daily water usage
- 4 occupants x 90 gallons = 360 gallons per day
- Multiply daily water usage by your GPG
- 360 gallons x 12 GPG = 4,320
- Multiply the result by 10 to find your home’s ideal system capacity
- 4,320 Grains x 10 = 43,200 Grains
Therefore, a home with four people living in it with a GPG score of 12 should find a water softener with a capacity of at least 43,200 Grains. In this example, a 48,000 Grain system is the right capacity for you.
Softener-Sizing-Calculator-Mattioni
| Hardness in Grains per Gallon (GPG) | Number of people in the household | |||
| **Found in a Water Quality Test | 1 to 2 | 3 to 4 | 5 to 6 | 7 to 8 |
| 0-10 GPG | 16,000 | 24,000 | 32,000 | 40,000 |
| 11-20 GPG | 24,000 | 32,000 | 40,000 | 48,000 |
| 21-30 GPG | 32,000 | 40,000 | 48,000 | 64,000 |
| 31-40 GPG | 40,000 | 48,000 | 64,000 | 80,000 |
| 41-50 GPG | 64,000 | 80,000 | 96,000 | 110,000 |
| 51-75 GPG | 64,000 | 80,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 |
| 76-100 GPG | 80,000 | 96,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 |
| Source: Aplus Water, LLC | Resulting capacity measured in Grains | |||
How Much Should You Pay for a Water Softener
If you’re looking for a basic water softener to install yourself for the lowest total investment, you likely shouldn’t pay more than $800. If you’re looking for a high-quality system to be installed by professionals that will comprehensively improve the hardness of your water, you likely shouldn’t pay less than $4,000 including installation costs.
At Mattioni, we specialize in single-tank ion exchange water softeners. Here’s a rough estimate of what our VIP members pay:
32,000 Grain Water Softener Installation – Roughly $4,200 for Mattioni VIP Members
48,000 Grain Water Softener Installation – Roughly $4,900 for Mattioni VIP Members
*Learn more about Mattioni VIP Memberships
We also offer the same water softener systems as part of water conditioning packages at reduced prices. For more information on our City Water Conditioning Package, reach out at (610) 400-8510.
Understanding Water Softener Costs
Here is a breakdown of all the costs tied to water softener systems:
The Cost of the System
The cost of your water softener will vary greatly based on the system type, quality, and manufacturer. A water softener can range from $300 to $3,000 based on these factors.
Installation Costs (Labor)
Installation costs can also vary based on the quality of the plumbing company and your geographic location as urban and suburban areas typically have higher costs than rural areas. Depending on these variables, installation labor can cost from $1,000 to $2,000.
Ongoing Maintenance
Regular maintenance is critical to support ongoing performance and the longevity of the system. Water filters must be replaced, and the sodium resin tank must be refilled. Annual maintenance of the water softener is also crucial. Ongoing maintenance and upkeep can range from $200 to $1,000 per year.
What Type of Water Softener Should You Choose
Now that you have your home’s ideal water softener capacity and understand the costs, it’s time to choose a system type.
Ion Exchange Water Softeners
Also called “salt-based” water softeners, this is the most common system type and may have one or two tanks depending on the capacity. Water flows through sodium ions in a resin tank, where an exchange process occurs in which calcium and magnesium ions are replaced with sodium ions. They require sodium beads which may have to be periodically replenished.
*At Mattioni, we specialize in single-tank ion exchange water softeners.
Salt-Free Systems
It’s important to understand that salt-free water softeners don’t actually soften water – rather, they chemically treat hard water minerals so that they don’t stick to your plumbing system and form scale buildup. Salt-free systems can protect your plumbing system, but you won’t see the results in your showers, sinks, dishwashers, and washing machine.
Water Distilling Systems
Water distilling systems boil water to create steam, which leaves hard water minerals behind. Steam is then cooled and condensed back into soft water. This process takes longer than any other water softening system, making it unfit for use throughout your home’s entire water supply. However, it can be effective for small-volume tasks like creating drinking water.
Magnetic Systems
Like salt-free systems, magnetic water softeners don’t yield soft water but rather prevent minerals from forming scale buildup in your pipes. Magnetic systems tend to have a lower average cost and are a good fit for homes with moderately hard water.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems
Reverse osmosis is a comprehensive water filtration process that targets several contaminants, including hard water minerals. RO systems may be a great fit for homes facing wider concerns about their water quality. However, for homes looking only to address hard water they may not be the best fit due to their higher cost.
Water Softener Installations: DIY vs. Professional
Ultimately the decision to hire a professional or tackle the project on your own depends on your budget, the system you choose, and your confidence in your DIY skills. If you have experience with plumbing systems and you feel comfortable handling household projects, a DIY installation could save some money. However, DIY installations carry risks. Mistakes like improperly connected pipes could lead to leaks, water damage, efficiency losses, or a system that doesn’t function. The savings seen on the installation can quickly be offset by repairs down the line (or sooner).
Hiring a professional is recommended for most water softening systems. A plumber with experience installing these systems can ensure that the job is done right the first time. Most installations are not the same, and instructions from the manufacturer or found online may not be 100% applicable to your plumbing system.
At Mattioni, we guarantee our work and, should any problems arise shortly after installation, will return to fix it. For more information or to schedule a consultation with one of our master plumbers, reach out at (610) 400-8510 or book your consultation now.
