Commercial Reverse Osmosis System Pricing & Sizing Guide
Shown: Crystal Quest 10,000 GPD commercial RO system.
Commercial RO sizing comes down to three variables: your daily demand, your feed water quality, and your application. Get them right and the system runs efficiently for years; get them wrong and you either overpay or undersize and pay for it in downtime. This page gives you the straight numbers — equipment-only starting prices, realistic full-project budget ranges, and a sizing framework — so you can scope your project and walk into a quote with clear expectations.
How to Size a Commercial RO System
Sizing comes down to four variables: your daily water demand (GPD), your peak demand (the busiest hour, not just the daily average), your source water TDS and hardness, and your application. Each application stresses an RO system differently — a spot-free car wash rinse needs very low TDS but tolerates a storage tank, while a dental or medical office needs bacteria-free output and continuous availability.
Commercial RO Sizing at a Glance
Map your daily gallons (GPD) to the typical application, the matching Crystal Quest system, and a rough equipment budget.
Commercial RO sizing scale: 500–7,000 GPD for restaurants/car wash (from $3,884), 7,500–15,000 GPD light industrial, 15,000–30,000 GPD food & beverage, 30,000–50,000+ GPD heavy industrial/municipal.
Start with your daily water demand in gallons per day (GPD). If you don’t know it, use these rules of thumb — then adjust for peak hours and source water:
| Application | Estimated daily demand |
|---|---|
| Restaurant / café (per 100 seats) | 500–1,500 GPD |
| Hotel / hospitality (per 50 rooms) | 1,500–3,000 GPD |
| Brewery (per 100 bbl/month output) | 3,000–7,000 GPD |
| Car wash — spot-free rinse (per 10 bays, touchless) | 1,000–3,000 GPD |
| Dental / medical office | 500–2,000 GPD |
| Light manufacturing / process water | 2,500–15,000 GPD |
| Agriculture / greenhouse irrigation | 5,000–30,000 GPD |
| Food & beverage production | 7,500–50,000+ GPD |
| Municipal / industrial pretreatment | 15,000–100,000+ GPD |
Note on recovery rate: RO membranes typically recover 50–75% of feed water as purified product. A 2,500 GPD system requires approximately 3,300–5,000 GPD of feed water to produce 2,500 GPD of output. Size up accordingly and account for reject water disposal.
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One email when the tool launches — no spam. Need a size now? Request a sizing review, or read our Commercial RO Sizing Calculator guide.
Rather have us size it for you? Send your daily gallons, source water, and application and our commercial team will spec the right configuration and budget range — usually within one business day. Get a sizing review →
Commercial RO System Price Ranges
All prices below are equipment-only starting prices for the RO unit itself. Your actual project cost will depend on feed water quality, pretreatment requirements, storage tanks, repressurization pumps, freight, installation, and controls. See the next section for what commonly adds to the budget.
| System size | Typical application | Equipment-only starting price | Typical full-project budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500–2,500 GPD | Restaurant, café, small office, light process | From $3,884 | $6,000–$15,000+ |
| 2,500–7,500 GPD | Hospitality, brewery, food service, car wash | From $7,409 | $12,000–$25,000+ |
| 7,500–15,000 GPD | Light industrial, agriculture, laundry | From $9,000 | $18,000–$40,000+ |
| 15,000–30,000 GPD | Industrial process water, food & beverage production | From $21,664 | $38,000–$75,000+ |
| 30,000–50,000+ GPD | Heavy industrial, municipal pretreatment | From $42,529 | Custom quote |
Prices reflect equipment only. Final project cost depends on feed water TDS, pressure, recovery rate, contaminant load, pretreatment needs, and site conditions. The ranges above assume standard municipal feed water. Well water, high-TDS, or high-hardness applications typically increase total project cost.
Why the RO System Is Only Part of the Budget
A commercial RO membrane rejects dissolved solids — but it cannot protect itself from sediment, chlorine, hardness, or iron without pretreatment. Skipping pretreatment shortens membrane life significantly and voids warranties. A complete commercial water treatment system typically includes:
- Sediment filtration — protects membranes from particles, silt, and suspended solids
- Carbon filtration / dechlorination — municipal chlorine and chloramines destroy RO membranes within months without this stage
- Water softening or antiscalant injection — hardness and scale foul membranes and reduce output; required for most well water and many municipal sources
- Iron and manganese pretreatment — iron above 0.1 ppm damages membranes; must be addressed upstream
- Storage tanks — RO systems produce purified water continuously at a controlled rate; tanks buffer against peak demand
- Repressurization pumps — storage tanks deliver water at low pressure; pumps restore working pressure for your application
- UV post-treatment — required for bacteria-free output in food service, medical, and laboratory applications
- Controls and monitoring — automatic flush cycles, TDS monitoring, low-pressure shutoff, and leak detection extend system life and reduce operating costs
- Membrane replacement budget — commercial membranes typically last 2–5 years; plan for replacement cycles
When you request a quote from PureWaterGuys, we ask about your feed water source, TDS, hardness, iron, and contaminants before recommending a system. A properly specified full system costs more upfront but costs significantly less to operate and lasts far longer than an undersized or under-treated installation.
Shop by GPD — Current Commercial RO Inventory
All systems are Crystal Quest commercial-grade RO units — US-manufactured, warranted, and shipped direct. Equipment-only prices shown. Request a quote for pretreatment packages, full-system pricing, or freight estimates.
Crystal Quest Commercial Mid-Flow RO (500–7,000 GPD)
| System | Flow rate | Equipment price | |
|---|---|---|---|
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500 GPD | $3,884 | View 500 GPD system |
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750 GPD | $3,984 | View 750 GPD system |
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1,000 GPD | $4,734 | View 1,000 GPD system |
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1,500 GPD | $5,162 | View 1,500 GPD system |
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1,800 GPD | $5,312 | View 1,800 GPD system |
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2,500 GPD | $5,590 | View 2,500 GPD system |
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4,000 GPD | $7,409 | View 4,000 GPD system |
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5,000 GPD | $8,051 | View 5,000 GPD system |
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7,000 GPD | $8,693 | View 7,000 GPD system |
Crystal Quest Heavy Commercial RO (10,000–50,000 GPD)
| System | Flow rate | Equipment price | |
|---|---|---|---|
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10,000 GPD | $15,832 | View 10,000 GPD system |
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15,000 GPD | $21,664 | View 15,000 GPD system |
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20,000 GPD | $27,121 | View 20,000 GPD system |
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30,000 GPD | $42,529 | View 30,000 GPD system |
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40,000 GPD | $48,949 | View 40,000 GPD system |
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50,000 GPD | $57,509 | View 50,000 GPD system |
Need a size not listed, or above 50,000 GPD? Request a custom quote — we source custom configurations for industrial and municipal applications. Freight is quoted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a commercial RO system cost?
Equipment-only prices range from $3,884 for a 500 GPD commercial system to $57,509+ for a 50,000 GPD industrial system. Full project budgets — including pretreatment, tanks, pumps, and installation — typically run 1.5 to 3x the equipment cost depending on feed water conditions and site requirements. For a preliminary budget range based on your specific application, request a quote here.
Can I get a commercial RO system price list?
Yes — the tables above list current equipment prices for Crystal Quest commercial-grade RO systems from 500 to 50,000 GPD. Prices are equipment-only and do not include freight, pretreatment, tanks, pumps, or installation. For a full-system quote with line-item breakdown, use our commercial quote form.
What size commercial RO system do I need?
Size is determined by your peak daily water demand in GPD, your feed water source (municipal vs. well), TDS and contaminant load, and required recovery rate. Use the application table above as a starting point. Undersizing an RO system is the most common and expensive mistake in commercial water treatment — when in doubt, size up or request a sizing review.
What affects the price of a commercial RO system?
The four biggest cost drivers are: (1) system capacity in GPD, (2) feed water TDS — high-TDS water requires more membrane stages and higher-pressure pumps, (3) pretreatment requirements — iron, hardness, chlorine, and sediment all require upstream treatment that adds cost, and (4) automation and controls. A 2,500 GPD system on clean municipal water is a very different project from a 2,500 GPD system on a high-iron well.
Do I need pretreatment before a commercial RO system?
Almost always yes. At minimum, sediment filtration and carbon filtration (dechlorination) are required to protect the RO membrane from fouling and premature failure. Hard water requires softening or antiscalant injection. High-iron water requires iron removal upstream. Skipping pretreatment will damage membranes within months and void your warranty. We include pretreatment recommendations with every commercial quote at no additional charge.
How long does a commercial RO membrane last?
With proper pretreatment and regular maintenance, commercial RO membranes typically last 2–5 years. Feed water quality is the primary variable — clean municipal water with proper pretreatment extends membrane life significantly. Well water with high TDS, iron, or hardness shortens it. Annual performance testing is recommended to catch declining output before it becomes a problem.
Get a Preliminary RO Size and Budget Range
Send us your daily water use, source water type (municipal or well), and application. We will recommend a system size and provide a preliminary equipment and full-project budget range — no obligation, no sales pressure.
Request a Commercial Water Quote →Prefer to talk? Call us directly: (866) 560-9808 — Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm MST





