Reverse Osmosis Cost Breakdown Guide
The lines priced apart: unit, fitting, dedicated-faucet, filter-and-membrane, and removal lines.
Orange County, CA · Updated 2026 · Costs shown as ranges — your quote will vary by installer and scope
The lines, priced apart by frame
| Cost line | Frame A reading | Frame B reading |
|---|---|---|
| Unit line | inside the form rows below | $150-$600 on average |
| Fitting and installation line | $300-$700 average, point-of-use $100-$300 | $150-$500, under-sink $150-$350 |
| Dedicated-faucet line | no standalone line in Frame A | no standalone line in Frame B |
| Filter-and-membrane running line | maintenance $175-$600 a year | new filters $20-$100 |
| Old-unit removal line | no removal line in Frame A | $45-$200 with disposal |
| Replacement total, under-sink / whole-house | $200-$800 / $1,000-$4,800 | $300-$950 / $4,800-$8,000 |
Neither frame prints a standalone dedicated-faucet line: that line sits inside the installed rows here, and the faucet add-on framing carries it inside a faucet project on its own guide, named apart. The job whole prices on the reverse osmosis hub.
The running and unit lines in full, priced apart
| Line, as published | Frame | 2026 reading |
|---|---|---|
| Unit, under-sink with tank / tankless | Frame B | $150-$350 / $300-$600 |
| Unit, whole-house | Frame B | $4,500-$7,500 |
| Culligan system, installed | Frame B | $1,050-$1,700 |
| Filter sets / larger-system filters, a year | Frame A | $40-$90 / $100-$300 |
| Membrane replacement | Frame A | $30-$100 |
| Filters, whole-house each / yearly upkeep | Frame B | $150-$250 / $50-$250 |
The filter-and-membrane readings print only where a frame prints them, each apart. A pretreatment water softener line prints in Frame B at $1,200 to $3,800 installed; that line prices the softener purchase, named apart.
The totals behind the lines, by frame
| Total, as published | Frame | 2026 band |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-house / average installation | Frame A | $1,000-$4,800 / $2,200 |
| Countertop / under-sink / tankless | Frame A | $200-$700 / $200-$800 / $250-$900 |
| Annual maintenance | Frame A | $175-$600 |
| Under-sink installed, with tank / tankless | Frame B | $300-$950, $300-$700 / $450-$950 |
| Whole-house installed | Frame B | $4,800-$8,000 |
| Unit, average / new filters | Frame B | $150-$600 / $20-$100 |
The two frames' whole-house bands diverge sharply: $1,000-$4,800 in Frame A against $4,800-$8,000 in Frame B. That divergence is named as a frame difference on every page here, never averaged and never blended into a single whole-house band. Named apart, never a row here: water softeners, the hardness machine for spots and scale; whole-house filtration, the machine at every tap; under-sink carbon filtration alone, a simpler single-unit purchase and never a membrane system; and the faucet add-on framing, reverse osmosis carried as lines inside a faucet project.
Reading a breakdown quote
- Line named beside every figure
- Each line read on its own frame
Frequently asked questions
What is the unit line in a reverse osmosis breakdown, as reported?
Frame B prints unit prices at $150 to $600 on average, with under-sink unit rows at $150 to $350 with tank and $300 to $600 tankless, and whole-house unit rows at $4,500 to $7,500. Frame A prints no standalone unit line; its counting stands in form rows.
What do the fitting and dedicated-faucet lines print at, as reported?
Frame A prints fitting labor at $300 to $700 on average, with point-of-use fitting at $100 to $300. Frame B prints fitting labor at $150 to $500, under-sink at $150 to $350 and whole-house at $300 to $500. Neither frame prints a standalone dedicated-faucet line; that line sits inside the installed rows.
What does the filter-and-membrane running line print at, as reported?
Frame A prints annual maintenance at $175 to $600, with filter sets at $40 to $90, larger-system filters at $100 to $300 a year, and membrane replacement at $30 to $100. Frame B prints new filters at $20 to $100, whole-house filters at $150 to $250 each, and yearly upkeep at $50 to $250.
What do the removal and replacement lines print at, as reported?
Frame B prints old-unit removal at $45 to $200 with disposal, and replacement totals at $300 to $950 under-sink installed and $4,800 to $8,000 whole-house installed, with tank at $300 to $700 and tankless at $450 to $950. Frame A prints replacement form rows at $200 to $800 under-sink and $1,000 to $4,800 whole-house.
Can the breakdown lines be added into one total?
No. Totals stand as printed -- Frame A whole-house at $1,000 to $4,800, countertop at $200 to $700, tankless at $250 to $900, and a Culligan installed row at $1,050 to $1,700 in Frame B -- and no combined total prints here. Water softeners, whole-house filtration, under-sink carbon filtration alone, and the faucet add-on framing are separate purchases, named apart.