# How Much Does Submetering Cost? Install Prices per Unit

Source: https://submeter.com/how-much-does-submetering-cost/
Publisher: National Exemption Service (NES), https://submeter.com. Last reviewed September 2026.

Submeter installation averages $150 to $300 per unit, and payback typically runs 12 to 18 months. Prices vary; see what moves yours and what a quote lists.

## How much does submetering cost?
Submetering installation averages $150 to $300 per unit. The price changes with how many meters each unit needs, the meter type, indoor or outdoor meters, and new construction or retrofit. The biggest variable is access to each unit's line. If plumbing is open, an install is quick, but having to move an appliance raises labor. Most properties earn back the install cost in 12 to 18 months from the cost they recover, and some sooner. After that the recovery continues every year.

Every number on this page is an average from NES projects, not a promise. Your property can land higher or lower depending on water and sewer rates, plumbing access, meter type and size, which is why we price from your own bills.
This guide is for owners, property managers, and board members overseeing apartment communities, condominiums, and mobile home parks. You will learn the three parts of a quote, what drives the price, and how to verify payback before spending money.
## The short answer: averages and why they move
Turnkey submetering installation averages $150 to $300 per unit for multifamily housing. That figure includes the hardware, transmitters, and initial labor to plumb the meter into place.
Every property layout is slightly different. Garden-style apartments with individual water heaters in outdoor closets sit at the lower end of that range. A multistory building where plumbers work in tight closets or move fixtures sits toward the higher end. The price per unit also depends on whether you have [new construction](https://submeter.com/developers-new-construction/) where piping is open, or an older retrofit. Retrofits take more planning, notices to residents, and site-specific labor.

## The three costs that make up the total
The total price splits into installation labor, equipment, and the ongoing monthly billing fee. Compare the three parts separately. A low number in one column of a quote can hide a high number in another.
Installation is the skilled labor to put a meter on each unit's utility line. Plumbers cut the pipe, press or solder fittings, mount the body, and wire the transmitter.
Equipment includes the meters, transmitters, repeaters, and the central gateway. We install nonproprietary meters that you own, backed by a warranty, so you are never locked in to NES.
The monthly billing fee covers reading the meters, resident bills, support, collections, and reporting. It also covers daily leak detection through our MyReads portal, which flags continuous flow from a running toilet before it adds up.
| Cost | What it covers | Who usually pays |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Installation | Labor to put a meter on each unit, fittings, mounting, and system testing | Property owner |
| Equipment | Meters, transmitters, repeaters, central gateway | Property owner |
| Monthly billing | Daily reads, resident bills, support, collections, reporting | Resident (where the law allows) or owner |

## What drives installation cost
Physical details dictate whether an install is fast or takes extra labor. Technicians check specific conditions on site:
- Plumbing access. Clear access to an incoming cold water line allows work to go quickly. If a water heater has to be moved to reach the line, that unit costs noticeably more.
- Riser layout and meter count. Buildings with one main line per apartment need one meter. If an apartment has split risers, like separate lines for a kitchen and a bathroom, it needs multiple meters. That raises equipment and labor costs.
- Meter location. Indoor installs require scheduling around occupied units. Outdoor meters avoid entry notices but need proper weatherproofing.
- Utility type. A [water submeter installation](https://submeter.com/what-is-water-submetering/) requires a licensed plumber. An [electric submeter installation cost](https://submeter.com/electric-submetering/) requires licensed electricians, and panel space dictates the labor.
- Self-install versus turnkey. NES can run the installation from start to finish, or supply the equipment for your own plumber.

## What a water submeter installation looks like
Putting [types of submeters](https://submeter.com/submetering-meters/) into an existing community follows six steps. Equipment and resident billing are usually live within a few weeks to about 90 days.
![NES technician Dave Hanson using pliers to connect a submeter to a white supply pipe.](https://submeter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/water-meter.jpg)
![Hands fitting a water submeter and transmitter onto a white PVC pipe.](https://submeter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/freewatermeter.jpg)
Dave Hanson, an NES technician, installs a water submeter with an attached radio transmitter on a unit's supply line.
1. Site survey. Technicians inspect closets, check pipe sizes, check water pressure, and test shutoff valves to identify shared risers.
2. System design and compliance review. NES lays out the wireless network, picks the hardware, and checks local rules. Some states require registration or a certificate before billing, such as the Public Utility Commission of Texas or the North Carolina Utilities Commission.
3. Resident notification. Management notifies residents before work starts. When a water line is easy to reach, a meter goes in in under 30 minutes. Water is off only briefly, residents get notice first, and no one moves out.
4. Mechanical install. Plumbers install the meter body, wire it to a transmitter, and test the pipe under full water pressure.
5. Gateway activation and read validation. Technicians set up the wireless gateway, test repeaters across the property, and run water to confirm the register records flow.
6. Live billing transition. Meters transmit reads daily, leak tracking starts, and resident billing goes live on the agreed cycle.

## Electric and gas submeter installation
Gas and electric can be submetered too, so residents pay for the energy their own unit uses.
Because [gas sub meter installation](https://submeter.com/gas-submetering/) involves pressurized gas lines, licensed gas professionals must do the work. They check line capacity, test pipe joints, and check venting around the meter body.
Electric projects involve different constraints. The total electric installation cost depends on breaker panel layout, service size, and whether current transformers fit inside existing enclosures. Licensed electricians install electric meters, so those installs vary more by property than water. We quote gas and electric projects after an on-site review rather than using flat rates.

## Is submetering expensive?
The real measure of the cost is how quickly the investment pays for itself. Submetering recovers utility costs every month, which protects your operating budget.
| Group | Units | Total gallons | Gallons per unit | Average bill |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Not yet metered | 169 | 987,900 | 5,846 | $84.72 |
| Submetered | 168 | 649,800 | 3,868 | $54.22 |
All figures are per month, from NES property records, taken about halfway through a rollout that added meters as leases renewed.
Once residents pay for their own water, water use typically drops 15 to 30 percent. The owner stops paying the master-meter bill for private living spaces. Common-area use for laundry, irrigation, pools, and clubhouses stays with the owner. NES never bills residents more than the master-meter cost.
At one 337-unit community, NES added meters as leases renewed, so for a while both setups ran side by side. The 168 submetered units averaged 3,868 gallons per unit per month, 34% less than the 5,846 gallons used by the 169 units not yet metered. Their average bill was $54.22 a month against $84.72, 36% lower, or about $30 per unit. Across all 337 units, that gap is worth roughly $123,000 a year.
Against an average install cost of $150 to $300 per unit, [whether submetering saves money](https://submeter.com/does-submetering-save-money/) comes down to the math. Most properties earn back the install cost in 12 to 18 months from the cost they recover, and some sooner. NES offers financing for properties that qualify, which helps spread the initial price over time.
Get an itemized number for your property. Send 12 months of water bills and your unit count. A specialist replies within one business day.

## How to read a submetering quote
Look past the total. When [choosing a submetering company](https://submeter.com/comparing-submetering-companies/), confirm you are looking at the same equipment quality, service scope, and support.
An NES bid itemizes:
- Equipment specifications. Meters, transmitters, and repeaters by brand and model with the warranty term.
- Meter ownership terms. A clear confirmation that you own the equipment and the hardware is nonproprietary.
- Itemized labor rates. Installation labor per unit, with units that need a water heater moved priced separately.
- Service inclusions. The monthly billing fee per unit and what it covers, including our bilingual customer service team.
- Compliance filings. Any state registration or certificate work, like filings with the Texas PUC or North Carolina Utilities Commission.
- Pro forma payback. Projected payback calculated from your own master-meter bills.

## How to get an accurate number for your property
Published averages offer a helpful starting point, but an exact quote requires your real bills. Plumbing layouts, local water rates, and sewer formulas shape the final scope.
Send 12 months of master-meter bills and the unit count to start. You can test basic figures through our [ROI calculator](https://submeter.com/roi-calculator/) or speak directly with our team. An NES specialist reviews your plumbing layout, checks local rules, and provides a recovery model.

## Questions
**Who pays for submeters, the owner or the residents?**
In most places the owner pays for the meters and installation. Residents pay for their measured use and, where the law allows, a billing fee. Total billings across the property never exceed the master-meter cost.

**Is there a monthly fee?**
Yes. Submetering companies charge an ongoing monthly fee per unit for reading meters, resident bills, support, collections, and reporting. Where the law allows, this billing fee appears directly on the resident utility bill.

**How long does it take to earn back the cost?**
Most properties earn back the install cost in 12 to 18 months from the cost they recover, and some sooner. Payback speed depends on local utility rates, sewer charges, and how much water use drops once residents pay for their own (typically 15 to 30 percent).

**Does NES offer financing?**
Yes. NES offers financing for properties that qualify. This option lets communities install modern equipment and start recovering costs without paying the entire bill from capital reserves on day one.

**Is there a cheaper option than submetering?**
Yes. Ratio utility billing splits the master bill by a formula such as occupants or square footage. It needs no equipment, and recovery starts with the first billing cycle. It is not allowed everywhere. Read our submetering vs RUBS guide to check regulations and compare recovery.

**Will I be locked into one company's equipment?**
Not with NES. NES installs nonproprietary meters that the owner owns, backed by a warranty, so the owner is never locked in to NES. If you change billing providers, the hardware stays on the wall.