For a solid, whole-house system, expect to pay anywhere from $400 to $2,500 for the unit itself. That’s before installation, which can add another $150 to $600, depending on how handy your plumber is.
Think of it like buying a car. A basic sedan gets you from A to B, but a mid-range SUV offers more comfort and fewer headaches. The average homeowner lands somewhere around $1,200 to $1,500 for a decent system installed.
Then there are the fancy ones—the salt-free or magnetic kinds. Salt-based systems are the old reliable workhorses. Salt-free ones can cost more upfront, around $800 to $3,000, but they’re easier to maintain if you hate lugging bags of salt.
