Reverse Osmosis System - Builder Option

cghirvine

New member
My builder offers "Reverse Osmosis System+Faucet" for $1000.
Also, if adding 'Instant Hot Water+outlet under the sink', it would be $1750 total
Should I go with the builder option or it' something I could easily add later?
-TIA
 
Dr. CA Real Estate said:
Thats higher than you can get from Costco or elsewhere by a significant margin. What brand/system are they giving you for that price?
Sorry! My mistake.
"Reverse Osmosis System+Faucet" for $1000.
Adding 'Instant Hot Water+outlet under the sink', it would be $1750 total.
And it is "pentair fleck"
 
cghirvine said:
Dr. CA Real Estate said:
Thats higher than you can get from Costco or elsewhere by a significant margin. What brand/system are they giving you for that price?
Sorry! My mistake.
"Reverse Osmosis System+Faucet" for $1000.
Adding 'Instant Hot Water+outlet under the sink', it would be $1750 total.
And it is "pentair fleck"

Overpriced, do it after close.
 
I got this reverse osmosis system when I installed my new island.  Works great and takes up very little space.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082D177MX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Most builder upgrades = way overpriced.
 
Thanks everyone for the inputs. I have 1 more question about water softener the build option for $3000:
"SoftFlo Whole House Water Softener with Pentair 5810sxt Valve. Includes dedicated GFI outlet in garage. Plumber to supply loop and tie off at all exterior hose bibs, kitchen sink faucet, & refrigerator. line for future water system. These 3 items remain untreated 'hard' water while the dishwasher should have a 'soft' hot water line along with all other hot & cold water lines"
- Thank you!
 
cghirvine said:
Thanks everyone for the inputs. I have 1 more question about water softener the build option for $3000:
"SoftFlo Whole House Water Softener with Pentair 5810sxt Valve. Includes dedicated GFI outlet in garage. Plumber to supply loop and tie off at all exterior hose bibs, kitchen sink faucet, & refrigerator. line for future water system. These 3 items remain untreated 'hard' water while the dishwasher should have a 'soft' hot water line along with all other hot & cold water lines"
- Thank you!

I got my water softener/filtration system installed around $2,500 after I got my garage epoxy done. Do it after closing.
 
ParkPark said:
Why did my Costco Ecowater system cost $6400...

Is there a difference in system or did I get ripped off?

Until we know the details of your system, it's hard to tell. But that price is extremely high for a water softener/RO system. Granted Costco 3rd party vendor prices are usually higher anyway. I don't think a professional water softener/RO system should be more than $4k.
 
If you are planning to have a secondary faucet for filtered or hot water, the minimum I would do through the builder is adding a spare hole in the counter top.

The cost should be minimal and you are not running the risk of cracking your countertop later when you need to drill it.
 
If you can wait until after closing I would always advise new home buyers to do it all after escrow. Any builder options you take will be in your new tax basis and you will be paying property tax on that value for the lifetime of your ownership. Granted you can finance it into your mortgage so if you don't have the capital for these things then maybe it is your only option.

I only advise people to take hard to install things like recessed lighting, insulation packages, or technology packages which pre-wire your house.

Flooring, kitchen, etc. can all be done after the fact.
 
cghirvine said:
Thanks everyone for the inputs. I have 1 more question about water softener the build option for $3000:
"SoftFlo Whole House Water Softener with Pentair 5810sxt Valve. Includes dedicated GFI outlet in garage. Plumber to supply loop and tie off at all exterior hose bibs, kitchen sink faucet, & refrigerator. line for future water system. These 3 items remain untreated 'hard' water while the dishwasher should have a 'soft' hot water line along with all other hot & cold water lines"
- Thank you!

I have a different opinion on this, this is internal plumbing and yes I would do this since you can't do this after close easily and it'd cost more.

From what I'm reading, there is a separate supply line for exterior hose bibs, kitchen sink & line from sink to refrigerator.  This would not tie into a softwater system which is great.  Any exterior hose bibs on a house would be softwater if this isn't in place and you'd want hard water for watering plants, tying into the sprinkler system, using it to play with the kids then using the water to dump over the plants, whatever it may be it's not softwater and you don't have to be careful with it.  It's always been said to use tap water for the kitchen/cooking - I don't know the exact reasons, but a friend paid extra to have this done when he put softwater in, had hardwater in the kitchen. 

If you're getting a softwater system and the plumbing done as I described - go through the builder. 

Edit: ask for a softwater hosebib in the garage - good for washing cars and spraying down the garage if needed.

Edit 2: even though there is hardwater in the kitchen, you use a RO system in place for the fridge line to get RO water for ice/cold fridge water and have the RO faucet at the sink as well
 
cghirvine said:
Thanks everyone for the inputs. I have 1 more question about water softener the build option for $3000:
"SoftFlo Whole House Water Softener with Pentair 5810sxt Valve. Includes dedicated GFI outlet in garage. Plumber to supply loop and tie off at all exterior hose bibs, kitchen sink faucet, & refrigerator. line for future water system. These 3 items remain untreated 'hard' water while the dishwasher should have a 'soft' hot water line along with all other hot & cold water lines"
- Thank you!

That actually isn't too bad for a builder option... when you consider most people only pay 20-25% down and stay in their home avg of 7-8 years you are actually coming out ahead by doing it through the builder vs paying full price in cash after close.  Of course if you are looking to stay in your home longer then it doesnt make as much sense...
 
I'm in the "after-close" bucket. If you really want "builder quality" - just call the number on the plumbing trucks that you see near the construction sites. They'll come do it the same way it would've been done through the design center.

My RO system was $250 and whole-home soft water was $1,900.
 
best_potsticker_in_town said:
I'm in the "after-close" bucket. If you really want "builder quality" - just call the number on the plumbing trucks that you see near the construction sites. They'll come do it the same way it would've been done through the design center.

My RO system was $250 and whole-home soft water was $1,900.

Haha nice life hack. I can see the clickbait headlines now:

"How this man got his builder options at regular prices. Builders hate him."
 
Cares said:
best_potsticker_in_town said:
I'm in the "after-close" bucket. If you really want "builder quality" - just call the number on the plumbing trucks that you see near the construction sites. They'll come do it the same way it would've been done through the design center.

My RO system was $250 and whole-home soft water was $1,900.

Haha nice life hack. I can see the clickbait headlines now:

"How this man got his builder options at regular prices. Builders hate him."

I also found an electrician that did a couple small jobs for me after work hours. Huge plus because he knew how they wired my house since he worked on the whole development. He was able to knock out jobs faster just because he knew where things were.

Didn't work for kitchen cabinets though. I wanted to install some more cabinets to match my current ones. The cabinet company said no-go...they only do wholesale. I literally asked...are you sure? Your guys are out here every day anyway, it's an easy job. They still declined...
 
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