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What changes the cost of a water softener?
In Cheshire, water softener prices depend on the type and size of unit, where it can go, how much pipework is needed to fit it and keep a drinking water tap unsoftened, and the salt and servicing it needs afterwards. We print no price, so compare quotes for the same unit and the same installation.
Last reviewed:What a water softener does
Hard water carries dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium, that leave scale in kettles, on taps and shower screens, and inside pipes and hot water cylinders. A salt-based water softener removes those minerals as water passes through it, swapping them for sodium. Every so often, the unit flushes itself with salty water to recharge, which is called regeneration.
A softener is fitted on the incoming mains, usually soon after the stopcock, so it treats most of the water in the house. That is why the installation is a plumbing job, not just a box you plug in.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns. This guide does not print a price. It explains what changes the cost, the health advice on drinking water, and what to ask an installer.
Check your water first
Before spending money, find out how hard your water is. The Drinking Water Inspectorate suggests asking your water company for a copy of its drinking water quality report for your supply before buying a softener or filter [S1]. The report shows the results of tests on the water supplied to your area.
If your water is only slightly hard, a softener may not be worth it. If it is very hard, you may already see heavy scale in the kettle and around taps.
Drinking water and health advice
A salt-based softener adds sodium to the water it treats. The Drinking Water Inspectorate says there is a drinking water standard for sodium, and that using a softener may risk breaching it [S1].
For that reason, the Inspectorate advises keeping an unsoftened supply to the kitchen tap for drinking and cooking, and says artificially softened water should not be used to make up baby feeds [S1]. In practice, that means the installer either leaves the kitchen cold tap on the unsoftened supply or fits a separate drinking water tap. Ask each installer how they will do this, because it affects the pipework and the price.
Types of water softener
- Electric, metered or timed. A small electronic controller decides when to regenerate, either on a timer or based on how much water has been used. It needs a power supply nearby.
- Non-electric twin cylinder. Two resin cylinders take turns, with the flow of water timing the changeover, so no power is needed.
- Block salt units. Use compressed salt blocks rather than granules or tablets. Ask whether the salt is easy to buy locally.
- Devices sold as conditioners. Some products are sold to reduce scale without salt. They work differently from a salt-based softener, so ask the seller exactly what the product does and does not remove.
The size of the unit should match your household's water use. A unit that is too small regenerates more often.
Where it goes and what it needs
Where the softener can sit is a big part of the installation.
- Space near the incoming main. Under the kitchen sink is common, or a utility room, garage or cupboard.
- A drain. Regeneration sends salty water to waste, so the unit needs a drain connection.
- An overflow. Many units need an overflow route to the outside.
- A bypass valve. This lets the softener be taken out of use for servicing without cutting off the water.
- Power. Electric models need a socket nearby. Ask whether there is one where the unit will go.
- Room to fill it. Someone needs to reach the lid to add salt.
If the stopcock is in an awkward place, or the drain is far from the unit, the plumbing takes longer.
What changes the cost of a water softener
| What is being priced | What makes it bigger or smaller | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| The unit | Type, capacity, brand, electric or not | Which unit, and why that size |
| Location | Under the sink, utility, garage, cupboard | Where it will go and why |
| Plumbing in | Distance from the main, access to the stopcock | What pipework is included |
| Drinking water tap | Separate tap, or kitchen tap left unsoftened | How the drinking supply stays unsoftened |
| Drain and overflow | Distance to a drain, route outside | Whether these are included |
| Bypass valve | Fitted or not | Whether one is included |
| First fill and setup | Salt, setting the hardness | Whether the first salt and setup are included |
| Servicing | Annual service, parts | What servicing costs and how often |
| VAT | Whether the business is VAT registered | Whether the total includes VAT |
A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S2]. Ask whether each total includes VAT.
Running costs to ask about
A water softener keeps costing after it is fitted. Salt-based units need salt, and the amount depends on the size of the household and how hard the water is. Regeneration uses some water, which matters if you are on a meter. Most manufacturers recommend regular servicing.
This guide does not print figures for running costs. Ask each supplier how much salt the unit is likely to use for your household, how often they recommend servicing, and what a service costs. Those answers can matter as much as the price of the unit.
Water softeners in Cheshire
When you ask for quotes, give the number of people in the house, the number of bathrooms, where your stopcock is and where you would like the unit to go. A plumber or installer covering Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach and the villages nearby can then tell you what pipework is needed.
Your water company's drinking water quality report is the place to check how hard your local water is, rather than relying on a general map. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business on QuoteZila.
Choosing between buying, renting and servicing
Some suppliers sell the unit outright and leave servicing to you. Others offer a service agreement after fitting, and some rent units out. Each option shifts cost from the start to later years, so compare them over the same length of time.
If you are offered a service agreement, ask what each visit includes, whether parts are covered, how you can end it, and what happens if you move house. Get the answers in writing. If you would rather service the unit yourself, ask the supplier what the manufacturer recommends and how easy parts are to buy.
What to have ready before you ask for quotes
- your water company's hardness figure for your postcode, if you have it
- the number of people and bathrooms in the house
- where the stopcock is, with a photo
- where you would like the unit to go, with a photo
- whether there is a socket and a drain nearby
- whether you want a separate drinking water tap
- whether you have chosen a unit, or want advice
- your postcode and when the work could be done
How to compare water softener quotes
Check each quote for:
- The unit named, its capacity, and who supplies it.
- The full installation: pipework, bypass valve, drain and overflow.
- How the kitchen drinking water supply stays unsoftened.
- First salt fill and setting up.
- Servicing costs and how often.
- Whether VAT is included, and whether it is a fixed price.
Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three traders and checking how long any guarantee lasts and what it covers [S3]. Ask the supplier separately about the manufacturer's warranty on the unit.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Supply and fit a water softener under the kitchen sink, with a separate drinking water tap." Or: "I have bought a non-electric water softener. Please quote to plumb it in near the stopcock in the garage." Or: "Old softener has stopped working. Please quote to remove it and fit a new one."
Get quotes for a water softener
Describe your home, where the unit could go and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See the plumbers page or the plumber cost guide. For tap work at the same time, see the replace taps cost guide.
Official and public sources
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Softeners and drinking water: Drinking Water Inspectorate: domestic water filters and softeners [S1].
- Approved plumbers: WaterSafe [S4].
- Quotes and guarantees: Citizens Advice [S3].
- VAT: GOV.UK on when to register [S2].
Questions about water softener costs
How much does a water softener cost?
This guide does not print a price. The type of unit, its capacity, who supplies it, the pipework to fit it, and the salt and servicing afterwards all change what you pay. Ask installers to quote for the same unit and the same work, and to list running costs separately.
Can I drink softened water?
The Drinking Water Inspectorate advises keeping an unsoftened supply to the kitchen tap for drinking and cooking, and says artificially softened water should not be used to make up baby feeds. Ask the installer to plumb in an unsoftened drinking water tap.
How do I know if my water is hard?
Your water company can tell you. The Drinking Water Inspectorate suggests asking your water company for a copy of its drinking water quality report for your supply before you buy a softener or filter. Scale on kettles and taps is a common sign too.
Who should install a water softener?
The Drinking Water Inspectorate says a softener should be installed by a qualified plumber. WaterSafe runs a register of approved plumbers you can search by postcode. Some suppliers fit their own units, so ask who will do the plumbing.
What is the difference between electric and non-electric softeners?
Both usually use salt to regenerate. Electric models use a timer or a meter controlled by a small electronic unit, so they need a power supply nearby. Non-electric twin-cylinder models use the flow of water to time regeneration. Ask each supplier how theirs works.
What does a water softener cost to run?
Salt-based softeners need salt topping up, and most makers recommend servicing. Regeneration also uses some water. This guide gives no figure for running costs, so ask each supplier how much salt the unit uses for your household and what servicing costs.
Does QuoteZila check the installers who quote?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
Related guides
- Plumbers: fitting and servicing
- Kitchen fitters: if the unit goes in a new kitchen
- Plumber cost: how plumbers price their time
- Kitchen sink replacement cost guide
- All cost guides
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Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms and matching notes.
- S1: Domestic water filters and softeners, Drinking Water Inspectorate (GOV.UK). Accessed 2026-10-26. https://www.dwi.gov.uk/consumers/learn-more-about-your-water/domestic-water-filters-and-softeners/
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-26. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-26. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S4: WaterSafe Register, WaterSafe. Accessed 2026-10-26. https://www.watersafe.org.uk/