Cost of water meter replacement: what it comprises and how much the building's owners' association will pay
The cost of water meter replacement consists of several items and varies mainly according to the number and type of meters in the building. This article shows an indicative breakdown of costs and an example from a real project.
What the price comprises
The total cost of replacement usually comprises four items: the meter itself, its installation and calibration, delivery, and the operating costs of the remote reading system after installation.
| Item | Indicative price |
|---|---|
| Water meter (hot or cold water): including installation and calibration | from 3 800 Kč per unit |
| Heat meter (calorimeter) - including installation and calibration | from 3 800 Kč per unit |
| Activation of the remote meter reading system | free of charge |
| Monthly system report (building with up to 20 flats) | from 1 500 Kč / month |
| Repeated verification or replacement of the measuring instrument after expiry of the time limit | approximately 2 000 Kč per unit |
Delivery and installation for larger orders are arranged individually: a separate charge applies to smaller numbers of meters, while larger orders benefit from more favourable rates included in the overall quote.
What affects the price for an individual house
The final amount varies from building to building depending on several factors. The key determinants are the number of flats and the number of meters per flat: a flat with water meters for both hot and cold water incurs different costs than one that also has a heat meter. It also matters whether the building already has some meters with remote reading, meaning only the remaining units need to be fitted, or whether all meters are being replaced at once.
The price also reflects the accessibility of individual flats, if owners and tenants are informed in advance and the installation date can be met without complications, the entire project will proceed more quickly and without additional costs for return visits.
Indicative example for a residential unit
Specific example from a completed project: a residential building with 15 flats and a total of 44 meters (30 water meters and 14 heat meters) cost 177,190 Kč excluding VAT as a one-off payment and 1,500 Kč per month for system management.
Per residential unit, this amounts to approximately 11 800 Kč one-off 100 Kč monthly for system administration. The actual cost per flat varies depending on the number of meters in that specific flat (typically a water meter for hot and cold water, and possibly an additional heat meter).
The exact price is always individual.
The final price depends on the number of meters, their type and accessibility within the building. Therefore, we always determine it only after a free consultation and inspection.
When is the price set and how is payment made
The building's owners' association will receive the exact price only after a free consultation, during which the actual number and type of meters in the building are determined: the indicative price list items listed above serve only to provide an initial idea of the cost order. The one-off part of the price (meters, installation, calibration, transport) is typically paid from the building's owners' association repair fund, while the monthly system administration runs as a regular operational payment similar to other services associated with building operations.
We recommend requesting the quotation well in advance of the owners' meeting where the replacement and its funding are decided, this allows the SVJ committee to have concrete figures rather than just estimates, and the decision can be supported by a real price offer.
How to save on the price
The simplest way to reduce the overall cost per meter is to order a replacement for the entire building at once rather than replacing them apartment by apartment: the supplier can then schedule one installation and one delivery instead of repeated visits. If, in addition, the building's owners' association finds that the verification period for some meters is soon to expire, it pays to combine both tasks into a single intervention, more on this in the article about water meter calibration.
Why it does not pay to wait until the last minute for the price
Meters must have remote reading capability by 1 January 2027 at the latest. The sooner the building's owners' association requests a price quotation, the more time it has to select an installation date and potentially spread the cost from the maintenance fund, see the article on Odečty vodoměrů, odecty-vodomeru.cz for further details. deadline of 1 January 2027The course of the installation in individual flats is described in the article about replacement of water meters in a residential building.