Overview
Filtration quotes start with a water test, not a price
Water filtration is one of the trades where a quote without a diagnosis is a sales pitch. The customer's water might need sediment filtration, carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, UV sterilisation, or a softener (or three of those in series). Each system is a different product, a different price, and a different ongoing service schedule. A filtration installer who quotes 'a filter system' for a flat price without a water test is either guessing or upselling. The quote that holds up has a test result on the page and a system spec that addresses what the test found.
QuoteGenio gives filtration installers a structure that builds outward from the test. Water sample and lab analysis as the first line, recommended system stages by component with the brand named, install labour, ongoing service contract priced as a separate line (annual filter swaps, UV bulb replacement, salt for softeners). Send the quote via WhatsApp from the customer's kitchen, take a deposit on the system order, and the final invoice attaches the test report and the install sign-off against the same record. Customers paying for filtration want to see what they are filtering and why.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of water filtration and treatment business.
The problem
The quoting headaches every filtration installer knows
Filtration sells on water test results and recommended stages. Your quote needs to make those stages obvious so clients see why your system costs more than the supermarket jug.
Bespoke quotes after every test
Every borehole and municipal supply needs a different combination of stages. Writing each quote up at home eats your evenings.
Clients don't see the value
Without a clear stage-by-stage breakdown, clients compare your R74,372 system to a R6,611 under-sink unit and walk away.
Slow quotes lose to chain stores
If you take two days to send a written quote, the client has already bought a generic system from a chain store and is fitting it themselves.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A faster, cleaner workflow built around how filtration installers actually work. With the water test in hand and the client at the kitchen counter.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for filtration work
Line items for sediment, carbon, RO, UV, softener, mineralisation, and bypass. Everything a filtration quote needs.
Works from your phone
Quote at the kitchen sink with the test results on screen. No laptop required.
Quote in under 2 minutes
A structured workflow that gets you from water test to sent quote before the kettle boils.
Track payments easily
Know which invoices and service plans are outstanding and follow up with one tap. No spreadsheet required.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how filtration system installers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Filtration System Installers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Filtration System Installers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Filtration System Installers job pricing
A rough guide to what filtration installers charge for common jobs. Pricing varies by water source, contamination, flow rate, and stage count. Use these as a sanity check when building your own rates, not as fixed numbers.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Site visit and water test | R1,570 - R3,636 |
| Under-sink RO system (5 stage) | R7,933 - R19,832 |
| Whole-house sediment and carbon filter | R14,048 - R32,228 |
| Water softener (residential, 25L resin) | R23,138 - R52,886 |
| UV steriliser (whole-house) | R9,586 - R23,138 |
| Cartridge service (annual, 3 cartridges) | R2,975 - R6,280 |
| Full borehole treatment train (turnkey) | R90,899 - R231,378 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
A filtration call-out covers travel and an on-site water test. Most installers charge R1,570 to R3,636 for a daytime visit including basic chemistry (pH, hardness, TDS, chlorine). Always list it as a separate line so the client sees you're paid for the test, not just the install if they go ahead.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use fixed pricing per stage (sediment, carbon, RO, UV, softener) where the system is standard. Use hourly (R1,405 to R2,149 per hour) plus materials for awkward installs, retrofits behind cabinetry, or borehole treatment trains where pre-test results are unknown. Mix both on the same quote.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean, itemised quote for a typical whole-house plus drinking system looks like. Notice how each stage, the bypass, and commissioning each have their own line. Transparent quotes win filtration jobs because they explain why the system costs what it does.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Whole-house filter plus under-sink RO drinking system
Site visit and water analysis
Whole-house twin sediment + carbon filter
Under-sink 5-stage RO with mineralisation
Bypass loop and isolation valves
Labour (install, plumb, pressure test)
Commissioning, sanitise, and water re-test
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site visit and water analysis | 1 | R2,727 | R2,727 |
| Whole-house twin sediment + carbon filter | 1 | R20,659 | R20,659 |
| Under-sink 5-stage RO with mineralisation | 1 | R12,891 | R12,891 |
| Bypass loop and isolation valves | 1 | R3,636 | R3,636 |
| Labour (install, plumb, pressure test) | 5 | R1,570 / hr | R7,850 |
| Commissioning, sanitise, and water re-test | 1 | R2,975 | R2,975 |
| Subtotal | R50,738 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R5,074 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R55,812 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Bypass loop, isolation valves, the sanitisation cycle on commissioning, the post-install water re-test, the drinking tap on RO systems, and the brine drain on softeners. Add them as standard lines on your template so you stop absorbing them out of your margin.
Peer snapshot
How Filtration System Installers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Filtration System Installers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
34
Quotes sent per month
44%
Average quote acceptance
4 min
Median time to send quote
R55,812
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Filtration System Installer jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of filtration installers. The same pricing and scoping mistakes come up again and again. Fixing these will protect your margin and stop clients confusing your engineered system with a kit off a shelf.
Mistake: Quoting 'system installed' as one line
Better: Break out each stage: sediment, carbon, RO, UV, softener. Clients buy stages, not 'systems'. A single line invites them to compare you to an Amazon kit.
Mistake: No water test on the quote
Better: Always include the on-site water test as a line, with the headline result quoted in the description. It's the only objective justification for the recommended stages.
Mistake: Forgetting the bypass loop
Better: Whole-house systems need a bypass for service and emergencies. Quote it as its own line so it's never absorbed and never forgotten.
Mistake: Vague cartridge service quote
Better: Quote annual cartridge service as a fixed yearly line with named cartridges. 'Service as needed' invites disputes when the client thinks the cartridges are lifetime.
Mistake: No commissioning or sanitisation line
Better: RO and softener systems need a sanitisation cycle on first install. Quote it as a line so the client knows it was done and you've been paid for it.
Mistake: Skipping the brine drain on softeners
Better: Softeners need a brine drain to a safe discharge point. Quote the drain run and the discharge fitting separately so it's visible.
Mistake: No expiry on the quote
Better: Set a 14 to 30 day validity. Filter media, RO membranes, and resin prices move. You don't want to honour a three-month-old quote at a loss.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote filtration jobs
Test the water before you quote anything. Run an on-site chemistry check (pH, hardness, TDS, chlorine) and, for borehole sources, send a sample to the lab for iron, manganese, and bacteriological analysis. Measure the incoming pressure and flow rate at the mains or pressure pump because a whole-house carbon filter needs enough flow to avoid starving the household, and an RO system needs minimum feed pressure. Check the install location: under-sink RO needs cabinet space and a drain point, whole-house filters need a bypass loop and isolation valves upstream, and softeners need a brine drain run to a safe discharge point.
Itemise each stage with the contaminant it addresses, never as one 'system installed' line. List the on-site water test and headline result ($ 95 to $ 220 with TDS and hardness numbers in the description), then quote each stage separately: whole-house twin sediment plus carbon at $ 850 to $ 1,950, under-sink 5-stage RO with mineralisation, UV steriliser, and water softener (state resin litres). Add the bypass loop and isolation valves as their own line at $ 220, the brine drain run for softeners, and commissioning with sanitisation cycle and post-install re-test at $ 180. For borehole treatment trains, list oxidation, iron filter, softener, and UV as separate stages with the contaminant each removes.
Set 14 to 30 day validity on every filtration quote. Filter media, RO membranes, UV bulbs, and softener resin all move with import freight, and exchange rate shifts hit premium brands hardest. For borehole treatment trains over $ 3,000 ask for a 40 to 50 percent deposit at acceptance because imported components often need pre-payment to the supplier. Always include an annual cartridge service plan as a priced line with named cartridges and a scheduled service date, because recurring revenue is the difference between a one-off install and a sustainable business. State your workmanship warranty (12 months) separately from the manufacturer warranty on the unit.
Send the quote before you leave the kitchen counter. Filtration competes with cheap chain-store kits, and clients who wait two days for a quote will often buy a $ 400 under-sink unit and fit it themselves. Build the quote on your phone with the water test results visible on screen, explain each stage to the client in plain language as you add the line, WhatsApp the link before you pack the test kit, and follow up after two days. When annual service is due, send the renewal quote as a saved template in 60 seconds so the recurring revenue is captured before the client starts wondering whether the cartridges really need changing.
FAQ
Common questions from filtration installers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. QuoteGenio lets you add any line item: sediment, carbon, RO, UV, softener, or VAT. Structure your quote exactly the way you invoice.
Yes. Once your quote is ready, share it as a link directly via WhatsApp. Your client gets a professional branded document instantly.
Each line item has its own description, quantity, and price. Add as many lines as the install needs and group them however makes sense for the client.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Your client can open it on their phone and accept it online. No signup required.
Yes. Convert any accepted quote into an invoice with one click. All the line items carry over, so there's no double entry.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Yes. Always quote the on-site water test as its own line and include the headline numbers (TDS, hardness, iron) in the description. The test is the entire reason you're recommending specific stages, and it makes your quote impossible to compare to a generic supermarket filter that doesn't address the actual water quality at the property.
Always test the borehole water before quoting. Borehole treatment depends entirely on iron, manganese, hardness, and bacterial load. Quote each treatment stage (oxidation, sediment, iron filter, softener, UV) as a separate line with the contaminant it addresses noted in the description. This makes the quote defensible and prevents undersizing.
Yes. Quote service as a fixed annual line with named cartridges and a service date. Recurring service revenue is the difference between a one-off install business and a sustainable filtration business. QuoteGenio lets you save service quote templates so you can WhatsApp a renewal in 60 seconds when the next visit is due.
14 to 30 days is standard. Filter media, membranes, resin, and UV bulb prices move, and freight rates change with the season. QuoteGenio lets you set an expiry date that appears on the PDF, so there's no awkward conversation if the client comes back two months later expecting the same price.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Reviews
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Real feedback from people who quote for a living.
"Converting a quote to an invoice in one click saves me so much time. Payment tracking is brilliant. I can see immediately who still owes me."
Thabo Nkomo
HVAC Technician · Midrand
"Switched from a clunky desktop app. QuoteGenio is faster, simpler, and my crews actually use it. Payments tracking is a huge plus."
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General Contractor · Denver, CO
"Saves me about 3 hours every week. I would still be sending WhatsApp images of handwritten quotes if I had not found QuoteGenio."
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Plumber · Johannesburg
Guides
Guides for Filtration System Installers
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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