How much a whole house water filter costs

By Well & Tap ResearchUpdated September 27, 2026How we research

Short answerBudget $500 to $3,000 for the equipment, $120 to $600 in plumber labor for a simple install (more if you need a drain line or outlet), and $70 to $1,000 a year for filters and media. Over 10 years, most city-water filters and softeners total $1,800 to $4,200; certified whole-house PFAS treatment runs about $12,300.

A whole house water filter costs $500 to $3,000 to buy, $120 to $600 in plumber labor for a straightforward install, and $70 to $1,000 a year in filters and media. The purchase price is often the smaller number: over 10 years, replacement media can cost as much as the system itself.

The biggest swing factor is what you are treating. A carbon filter for chlorine taste on city water is cheap to run. Certified PFAS reduction for the whole house, or heavy iron on a well, is not.

The three parts of the cost

Equipment. From about $517 for a three-cartridge system to about $3,000 for a well system that handles heavy iron and sulfur. All prices below were checked September 2026 on each maker’s store and are the sale prices currently shown; Aquasana shows a permanent “50% off” against a list price exactly double the sale price, and SpringWell shows 15% off sitewide.
Installation. DIY for cartridge systems if you are comfortable cutting into your main line. A plumber for tanks, and a drain line and outlet for anything that backwashes or regenerates.
Upkeep. Sediment cartridges, carbon cartridges or tank rebeds, salt, UV lamps, hydrogen peroxide. This is where 10-year costs diverge.

10-year cost by system type

The table adds purchase price and 10 years of the maker’s listed replacement parts. Installation is excluded because it varies so much by house; see the next section.

System type	Example	Purchase	Yearly upkeep	10-year total (before install)
Three-stage cartridge, city water	iSpring WGB32B	$517	$126 filter pack	About $1,780
Carbon tank, no drain	SpringWell CF1	$1,160	About $42 sediment filters; $352 media at year 10	About $1,930
Carbon tank with pre/post filters	Aquasana Rhino	$999	$148 filters; $949 tank at year 10	About $3,430
Catalytic carbon for chloramine	Aquasana Rhino Chloramines	$1,399	$148 filters; $1,299 tank at year 10	About $4,180
Certified PFAS whole-house	Aquasana HealthShield	$2,099	$148 filters; $1,749 tank about every 2 years	About $12,300
Salt softener	SpringWell SS1	$1,607	$30 to $65 salt (see below)	About $1,900 to $2,260
Salt-free TAC conditioner	US Water Systems GreenWave 10 gpm	$1,361	$380 rebed every 4 to 6 years	About $2,120
Well iron and sulfur, air injection	SpringWell WS1	$2,231	No consumables listed	About $2,420 with required test and bypass
Well iron and sulfur, peroxide injection	US Water Systems Matrixx InFusion	$2,983	$499 rebed every 3 to 5 years, plus peroxide	About $3,980 plus peroxide
UV for bacteria	SpringWell UV	$1,101	$119 lamp	About $2,290
Drinking water only (for comparison)	AquaTru Classic countertop RO	$475	$130 filters	About $1,773

How the less obvious rows were worked out:

SpringWell CF1: $1,160.25 plus a sediment 2-pack ($42.19) each year, plus replacement media ($351.70) at year 10. SpringWell’s site says the carbon lasts 10 years; its 2020 manual and performance guarantee say 6 years or 1 million gallons, which would add a second media purchase. SpringWell also adds a $78.74 bypass valve to the cart.
Aquasana HealthShield: $2,099 plus five replacement tanks at $1,749 (one every two years, or 165,000 gallons) plus $147.96 a year in pre- and post-filters.
Salt softener: a family of four at EPA’s average of 82 gallons per person per day, with about 70% used indoors, runs roughly 230 gallons a day through the softener. At 10 grains per gallon of hardness that is about 840,000 grains a year. An efficiency-rated softener must deliver at least 3,350 grains per pound of salt under NSF/ANSI 44, so about 250 pounds, or six to seven 40-pound bags. Angi puts bags at $5 to $10. Timer-based softeners are not eligible for the efficiency rating, so this estimate does not apply to them.
GreenWave: $1,360.95 plus two $379.95 rebeds at a five-year midpoint. On chlorinated city water it also needs a carbon filter in front, because its media tolerates no more than 0.05 mg/L chlorine.
SpringWell WS1: $2,231.25 plus the $134.25 water test SpringWell requires before shipping and a $58.79 bypass valve. SpringWell does not publish a replacement media price.
Matrixx InFusion: $2,982.95 plus two rebed kits at $498.95. Peroxide use depends on your iron and sulfur levels; US Water Systems sells two 2.5-gallon bottles for $84.95.

You may not need a whole-house system

If your goal is safer drinking water, not softer showers or stain-free fixtures, a certified countertop or under-sink reverse osmosis unit covers it for a fraction of the cost. Health agencies say PFAS exposure from showering and laundry is not significant. See whole-house filter vs reverse osmosis.

Installation: DIY or plumber

What a plumber costs

Angi’s 2026 cost data lists plumber rates of $45 to $200 an hour, with basic filter installs taking one to two hours and whole-house systems four to eight hours or more. HomeGuide puts installation labor at $120 to $600 for a typical filter system. For context, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median plumber wage at $30.27 an hour (May 2024); the billed rate covers the truck, insurance and travel on top.

Some houses need more than a plumber’s hands:

Extra	Typical cost (HomeGuide)	When you need it
New drain line to the sewer	$300 to $800	Backwashing filters and softeners with no floor drain or laundry drain nearby
New electrical outlet	$150 to $350	Softeners, backwashing heads, UV, HealthShield’s flow monitor
Long pipe runs (25 feet or more)	$150 to $850	Main line far from where the tanks fit

Tall regional ranges are normal. Angi’s city pages list $150 to $250 an hour in Los Angeles and Seattle.

What you can do yourself

Cartridge systems like the iSpring WGB32B are sold as DIY projects, with a wall bracket and 1-inch connections. You shut off the main, cut in the housings with a bypass, and you are done in an afternoon.

Tank systems are heavier and fussier. Aquasana “strongly recommend[s] using a licensed plumber” for the Rhino. SpringWell’s CF1 manual says the carbon must soak for 48 hours and be flushed before the tank goes into service. Aquasana notes for the HealthShield that state and local rules may require a licensed plumber or water treatment professional, so check before you start.

Anything with a drain and power (softeners, backwashing iron filters, peroxide injection) is where DIY usually stops making sense. A drain connection done wrong is a code problem, not just a leak.

Hidden costs to budget for

A water test. Essential for wells, useful for city water. A basic certified panel costs $60; one that adds hardness, iron and manganese costs $85 at Penn State’s lab. See how to test well water.
Bypass valves and fittings. Often extra: SpringWell adds $58.79 to $78.74 per system.
Return terms. SpringWell’s six-month guarantee excludes installed systems and carries a 10% restocking fee. US Water Systems charges up to 40% restocking. Size the system correctly the first time.
Water and power. Backwashing and regeneration use water, which costs money on city service, and a softener regeneration uses about 50 gallons according to Penn State Extension. Electricity is minor.
Pre-treatment you did not plan for. Salt-free conditioners need chlorine and iron removed first; UV needs iron and hardness brought down first. The system you buy may need a partner.

When to call a pro

Call a plumber if your main line is copper you would need to solder, if you have no working main shutoff, or if the system needs a drain and power. On a well, call a water treatment professional if your test shows iron above a few parts per million, iron bacteria, or low pH, because those change what you should buy. Get quotes that list the equipment’s make, model and rated flow, not just a total.

Which systems fit your budget

Start with the problem, then compare total cost, not sticker price. Our picks:

City water, chlorine or chloramine: best whole house filters for city water.
Wells with iron, sulfur or bacteria: best whole house filters for well water.
PFAS: best whole house filters for PFAS.
Hard water: salt-free vs salt water softener.

Before you buy, check the rated flow against your household’s peak demand in our sizing guide. An undersized system costs you in pressure every day, and an oversized one costs more to rebed.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to install a whole house water filter?

HomeGuide puts plumber labor at $120 to $600 for a typical filter install. Angi lists plumber rates of $45 to $200 an hour, with whole-house systems taking four to eight hours or more. Add $300 to $800 if you need a new drain line and $150 to $350 for a new outlet.

What is the cheapest whole house water filter to own?

For city water, a three-stage cartridge system such as the iSpring WGB32B costs about $1,780 over 10 years ($517 plus $126 a year in cartridges), and it is the easiest type to install yourself. The trade-off is less carbon and more frequent filter changes than a tank system.

Is a whole house filter worth it compared with an under-sink filter?

Only if you want treated water at every tap, or you have a problem that affects the whole house such as iron staining, sulfur smell or hard-water scale. For drinking water alone, a certified countertop reverse osmosis unit costs about $1,773 over 10 years and needs no plumber.

How often do whole house filter media need replacing?

Sediment cartridges every two to nine months, carbon cartridges about yearly, and carbon tanks every 5 to 10 years depending on the maker and your water use. Aquasana's HealthShield PFAS tank is the outlier at about 165,000 gallons, or roughly two years.

Do whole house water filters use electricity?

Non-backwashing carbon tanks and cartridge systems do not. Backwashing filters, softeners and UV lamps need an outlet, though running costs are small: US Water Systems lists under $2 a year for the Matrixx control valve.