Pool & spa
Pool Filter Replacement Cost Calculator
Prices filter replacement, where the three filter types have completely different economics.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus the media or element and the call-out. The three filter types differ in what gets replaced and how often. Sand filters need the sand changed occasionally, which is cheap material and a labour-intensive job emptying and refilling the tank. Cartridge filters need elements replaced periodically, which is a quick job and a moderate part cost. Diatomaceous earth filters need grids replaced eventually and powder added after every backwash, which is a recurring consumable the other two do not have.
What moves the number
- Filter type, which determines what is replaced and how often.
- Tank size, which sets both media quantity and element cost.
- Whether the job includes cleaning and inspecting the internals.
- Water quality and bather load, which drive the interval.
Where this one goes wrong
Rising filter pressure means the filter is dirty, not that it needs replacing, and the distinction saves owners money. A cartridge that is cleaned properly lasts for years, and the usual reason one is replaced early is that it was hosed off superficially rather than soaked to remove the oils and fine material embedded in the pleats. Sand channels and hardens over years rather than wearing out, so a sand change is occasional rather than scheduled. On a diatomaceous earth filter, remember that powder has to be recharged after every backwash, and running one without powder damages the grids.
Before you quote
- Distinguish a dirty filter from a worn one before quoting replacement.
- Soak cartridges properly rather than hosing them, to get full life.
- Recharge diatomaceous earth powder after every backwash.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
How do I know if my filter needs replacing or cleaning?
Rising pressure means dirty, and cleaning restores it. A filter needs replacing when cleaning no longer brings the pressure down, when a cartridge's pleats are damaged or collapsed, or when sand has hardened and channelled. Most early replacements are actually poorly cleaned filters.
How long should a cartridge filter last?
Several years with proper cleaning, which means soaking to remove embedded oils and fine material rather than just hosing the surface. Hosing alone leaves the pleats loaded, pressure stays high, and the cartridge gets condemned long before it is actually worn out.
Which filter type is cheapest to own?
They trade differently. Sand has cheap media changed rarely and a labour-heavy change. Cartridge has no recurring consumable but periodic element replacement. Diatomaceous earth filters best of the three and needs powder after every backwash, which is an ongoing cost the others avoid.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
Put this calculator on your site
Free to embed. Paste this where you want it to appear. It stays up to date automatically because it loads from BDEVY.
Please keep the attribution line. It is the only thing we ask in return.
How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.2 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $48.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 1.2 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $95 |
| Parts and materials | $48 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $257 |
| Labour | $114 |
| Before tax | $257 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $257: $114 of labour, $48 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $48 | $200.60 |
| $71 | $228.20 |
| $95 example above | $257 |
| $143 | $314.60 |
| $190 | $371 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 1.2 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $48.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.