Water Softeners and Air Filtration Systems - Whater Softner Installation Cost

We need to install a NEW water softner. We liked the one at Lowes, which costs about $400. I called 2-3 plummers and they quoted me for installation charges ranging $400-$800!

Is it usual? $400 installation charges for $400 worth item? Or am I being ripped off? What's the best way to go about it?

The correct installation of a water softener serves the whole house so the main water service has to be interrupted. That may be considerable work and might explain the quotes you are getting. Some plumbers install softeners to only soften the water to the water heater and that's not the way to go. Doing it that way you won't realize all the benefits of soft water.

First, you need to get your water tested so you know what you need to treat.

If I were you, I'd call a couple local water treatment pros and have them quote the job and the water softener. I'd call Culligan to come out and give you a quote. They will do an install and rent you a softener for a modest fee. Then you can decide how you like softened water.

Ask your neighbors what they do for water treatment and if they recommend anyone locally.

Water treatment pros will do a better install than a plumber and will set up the softener correctly for your location and water. You'll also get a better softener from them than from a box store. The Waterboss, GE, Sears Kenmore, Morton, North Star, and others are merely competent compared to one from a water treatment pro. A softener from a pro will last longer and be easier to service than the generic one-size-fits-all water softeners.

Once you have all the quotes from the local pros, come and ask your questions. Remember, there will be honest and competent water treatment pros who will sell you a softener at a fair price, do a sano install, and service what they sell after the sale AND then there will be snake oil salesman who won't. You won't know which is which until you give them a chance to show you.

Your water is important and getting the best water treatment for your needs at a reasonable price is worth investing a little of your time.

You'll get a wide range of quotes primarily due to differences in installation. What kind of requirements do you have? Is your house preplumbed and what size if the pipe? If not, where do you need it installed relative to the main and access to drain & electricity? Is the whole house going to be softened? Does your municipality require a permit for installation and is it included in the prices? Is a soft water bib included? Do you require any hard wate bypasses? Is the drain line run in 1/2" pvc or the cheap flex tubing that comes with the unit? Has the water been tested to determine what settings to program the unit? The answers to these questions will ultimately determine a fair price for the professional installation. Hope this helps.

Art

Thanks Guys. All these info really helps. I had one of the PROs over to my house and he quoted me $1650 for whole thing. Theirs is a water treatment unit as opposed to water softner. According to him, their unit includes carbon filter, resins and then another unit filled with sand to remove residue impurities.

I guess I'll call culligan and get the quote from them as well.

The pipe size, valve size, drainage, location, water hardness, city permit etc are all factored into the decision to install a system.

Thanks, Again.

I guess I'll call culligan and get the quote from them as well.

Get as many quotes as you reasonably can. Sort out the companies that just rub you the wrong way, the ones you don't think you trust, and then compare the ones that are left.

But as noted in a lot of other posts in various trades, stores like Lowe's and Home Depot do nothing more than sub-contract the work out (at an inflated price) and then take a cut of the profit.

But "the tow guy" as I pointed out in an earlier post ... he'll (or she'll) get a better softener from an independent water treatment pro than buying a "pre-packed" softener from a box store.

And, if HD and Lowes where he/she is are like the ones here the "subcontractors" for softener installations are plumbers and that's exactly what smartgujju was questioning when he/she started this thread.

I'm trying to point him/her to a better softener with proper installation, proper setup, and service after the sale by a water treatment pro at the most reasonable price.