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A licensed plumber installing a water softener

Clean, soft water from every tap in your home

Hard water and chlorine leave spots on your dishes, scale in your pipes and dry out your skin and hair. We check your water, show you real prices, and a licensed local plumber installs the fix.

Get my priceFree water test
  • Flat priceOne price for the complete system, installed
  • LicensedInsured local plumbers install every system
  • 30 daysMoney-back guarantee on the system
  • FreeWater test kit, mailed to your door

How Hard Is Your Water?

Enter your ZIP code to see your local hardness and the system that fits your home.

  • Hardness for your ZIP code, from utility reports and our lab
  • The complete system that fits your household
  • A free water test kit if we don't have your area yet
People at home
4

Your utility's own test results, from the EWG Tap Water Database: what's in the water, how it compares with health guidelines, and what takes it out.

Hard Water Is in Most American Homes

The minerals that leave spots on your glass also coat your water heater, your pipes and your skin.

Shower glass with hard water spots on one side and clear glass on the other
Left: hard water spots. Right: soft water.

Minerals in a year of water for a family of four on very hard water

164 lb

That's what coats your water heater, pipes and fixtures. A softener takes it out before it gets there.

A faucet aerator crusted with white limescale

85%

of US homes have hard water, according to the US Geological Survey.

Fluffy white towels washed in soft water
Softer towels, less soap

What a Softener Costs

Estimate ranges by home size. Your exact price comes from a two minute call.

Open the cost calculator

Complete Systems, One Flat Price

Softener, filtration and drinking water, installed. No sales visit, no surprise charges.

The H2O Standard City Water System: carbon tank, softener tank and brine tankMost popularCity Water SystemHomes on city water$2,950 installedOne flat price. Installed by a licensed plumber near you.View system
The H2O Standard Dual Tank System: two large tanks and a brine tankDual Tank Water Softener SystemBigger homes, very hard water$3,500 installedOne flat price. Installed by a licensed plumber near you.View system
The H2O Standard Well Water System: iron and sulfur filter, softener and brine tankWell Water SystemHomes on a well$3,750 installedOne flat price. Installed by a licensed plumber near you.View system
The H2O Standard Ultimate System: sediment filter, carbon and softener tanks, brine tank and UVUltimate Water Softener SystemThe cleanest water possiblePrice on your callOne flat price. Installed by a licensed plumber near you.View system
The H2O Standard twin tank water softener: two resin tanks sharing one valve, and a brine tankTwin Tank Water SoftenerLarge homes and very hard waterPrice on your callOne flat price. Installed by a licensed plumber near you.View system
See all systems and prices

The H2O Standard Vs. Home Depot Vs. Other Softener Companies

Where the equipment comes from, how long it lasts and who picks up the phone. Here's how they stack up, in our honest opinion.

What mattersA homeowner carrying a boxed water softener through a big-box store aisleHome DepotA water softener salesperson pitching at a kitchen tableOther softener companies
Where the media comes fromPartners in Germany and KoreaStore brands, mixed sourcesMostly made in China
Built to lastCommercial-grade tanks and valvesEntry-level buildsCheap parts, shorter life
Reverse osmosis membrane5-year membraneShorter life, more swapsVaries, often 1 year
MaintenanceLow, and we tell you what and whenMore upkeep, all on youVaries by brand
Filter subscriptionNew filters show up when they're dueYou remember and reorderRarely offered
Dedicated 1:1 supportYour own water expertThe store help deskA call center
Licensed install includedIn the flat priceYou do it or hire someoneUsually, at a $1,000 to $2,000 markup
Sized to your waterFrom your ZIP's water reportPick a box off the shelfSame few models for everyone
One flat price, upfrontBox price onlyQuoted at your kitchen table
30-day money-back guaranteeStore return policyRarely

Systems We Install

The H2O Standard water softener: one resin tank with a digital valve and a brine tank8 systemsWater SoftenersGet the right size for your home. Start with a free water report.Sized to your homeLicensed install30-day money-back guaranteeCompare systems
A whole-house water filter: a carbon tank and a sediment filter housing5 systemsWhole-House FiltrationClean water in every shower, sink and appliance.Whole-homeLicensed install30-day money-back guaranteeCompare systems
The H2O Standard reverse osmosis system under a kitchen sink, with its own chrome drinking water faucet on the counter3 systemsReverse OsmosisStop buying bottled water. Get pure water at your kitchen sink.Pure drinking waterLicensed install30-day money-back guaranteeCompare systems
The H2O Standard water system: carbon and softener tanks with our logo, a brine tank and copper plumbing against a navy wall

20+ Years in Water. 15,000+ Homes Installed.

We're a master distributor focused on one thing: the highest quality systems, installed right and explained clearly.

Homes installed with our water softeners
15,000+Homes installed with our water softeners
Years of experience in water
20+Years of experience in water
  • Master distributorWe buy direct, so the quality goes into the system, not the markup.
  • Highest quality systemsEvery part is chosen to last, from the tanks to the media.
  • The best communicationA water expert on the other side of your screen, ready to answer all your questions and walk you through the process.
  • Partnered with plumbers nationwideLicensed local plumbers install your system, wherever you are.

From Your ZIP Code to Soft Water

One call, one licensed plumber, and filters that show up when they're due.

  1. A drop of water splashing into still water

    Check Your Water

    Enter your ZIP code and see your local hardness. If we don't have data for your area yet, we mail you a free test kit.

  2. A family laughing at the kitchen sink while filling a glass of water

    Get Your Price on a Quick Call

    A rep sizes the system to your water and your household and sends a checkout link while you're still on the phone.

  3. A licensed plumber connecting a water softener in a garage

    A Licensed Plumber Installs It

    We send the job to a licensed, insured plumber near you. They only head out once your system has arrived.

  4. Bags of softener salt delivered to a front porch

    Filters Show Up on Schedule

    Sign up and new filters ship every 6 months. Swap them yourself with our how-to videos, or book a filter change.

Shipped to Your Door. Installed Near You.

We ship the system and send a licensed, insured plumber in your area to put it in. These are the cities we've tested so far.

You'll Notice the Difference, or Your Money Back

Thirty days to feel it: softer skin, spot-free glasses, water that tastes right. If not, the system comes back and so does your money.

  • 30 daysNotice the difference, or the product is refunded
  • Before and afterA water test on install day, in numbers
  • WarrantyOn every system, plus a year on labor

Don't Ask if It Pays for Itself. Ask How Many Times.

Soft water protects your water heater, cuts soap and detergent, and saves your appliances. Every year.

People at home
Water heater
Bottled water a week
0 cases
Appliances that use water

Email me my savings report

Get my price

Over 10 years, the City Water System pays for itself

1.4times

Every year

$414

Over 10 years

$4,136

Water heater energy
$130
Detergent and cleaning
$144
Appliances and fixtures
$140
Bottled water (with RO)
$0

An estimate, not a guarantee. Your numbers depend on your water, your home and your habits. Enter your ZIP code to use your local hardness; until then it assumes 10 grains.

Sources: Water heater efficiency: WQRF and Battelle (gas tank heaters lost up to 48% efficiency on hard water; the calculator uses a conservative middle value). Detergent: WQRF laundry and dishwasher studies (about 30% less at 10 gpg, nearly 70% less at 25 gpg). Fixtures: Battelle (low-flow shower heads clogged in about 18 months on hard water). Appliance figures are our own conservative estimate until customer data replaces them.

Learn Before You Buy

Plain answers on how softeners work, what size you need and how to change your own filters.

Shower glass with hard water spots on one side and clear glass on the otherGuideBest shower filter for hard waterWhat a shower filter can and can't do for hard water, and how to pick one.Learn moreA whole house softening and filtration system installed in a garageGuideBest Water Softener SystemThe best water softener system for most homes is a whole-house system sized to your water: a softener for hardness, carbon for chlorine or chloramine, and reverse osmosis for drinking water. Ours, the City Water System, is $2,950 installed. Not sure it fits your home? A rep will call you and answer every question.Learn moreA water softener and brine tank installed in a garageGuideHow does a water softener workA water softener removes the calcium and magnesium that make water hard by trading them for sodium or potassium. This is called ion exchange.Learn more

Questions People Ask

Do I need a water test before I buy?

Usually not. If we have water data for your ZIP code or a nearby one on the same supply, we quote from it. The free mail-in kit is for well water, ZIP codes we don't have data for, and anyone who wants proof. It's never required to buy.

Who installs my system?

A licensed, insured plumber near you from our partner network. The system is delivered or reserved before they head out.

Why don't system pages show a price?

Every installed system is sized to your water and home, and your plumbing changes the install. The cost pages show estimate ranges, and a rep gives you the exact price on a short call.

What is the filter subscription?

If you pick it at checkout, new filters ship every 6 months to your saved card. Swap them yourself with our how-to videos, or book a plumber to do it.

Want the Answer for Your Home?

Tell us your ZIP code and a rep calls you within 5 minutes to answer every question. No pressure, no sales visit.

Get my price