Search for water submetering companies and you will find meter manufacturers, plumbing contractors, billing bureaus and full-service providers, all describing themselves the same way. They are not interchangeable. Before comparing prices, decide which parts of the job you want a provider to own and which you want to keep. For background on the technology, see our submetering hub and multifamily water submetering.
What the engagement can cover
- Hardware supply. The provider specifies and supplies meters and data collection; your plumber installs. You own everything.
- Supply plus data. As above, with remote reading and a data platform so readings arrive without site visits.
- Full billing service. The provider reads meters, produces resident bills and collects or remits payment, usually under a multi-year contract.
None is right for everyone. Owners with in-house billing often want hardware and data only; smaller owners may prefer outsourcing the bills. The risk to manage is lock-in: proprietary meters that only one company can read, or a contract where the provider owns the hardware and the data.
What to look for in a water submetering company
- Open outputs. Meters with standard pulse or Modbus output can be read by other systems later. Ask what happens to your data if you leave.
- A site survey before a price. Riser layout decides meter count. A quote that ignores plumbing is a guess.
- A range of meter types. A provider with positive displacement, multi-jet, hot water and ultrasonic options will fit the meter to the line rather than the line to the one meter they sell. See our water meter range.
- A clear communication plan. Wired, mesh, LoRaWAN or cellular — and who maintains it. See utility submetering systems.
- Knowledge of local billing rules. Residential water billing is regulated differently by state and city; the provider should raise this, not wait to be asked.
- References in similar buildings. Garden-style, mid-rise and high-rise installs are different jobs. See our case studies.
- Support after go-live. Ask who you call when a meter stops reporting.
Service area and remote delivery
Because water submetering is mostly a specification and data job, the provider does not have to be local — but the installer does. A common model is a remote provider handling survey review, hardware selection, supply and the data platform, with a local licensed plumber cutting in the meters. Ask any provider who performs each step on site, how a site survey is carried out, and how a failed meter is diagnosed and replaced after go-live.
Credentials and questions to ask
- Which manufacturers do you supply, and are the meters new and warrantied by the manufacturer?
- Who installs, and are they licensed where the building is?
- Who owns the meters and the data at the end of the contract?
- What accuracy standard do the meters meet, and how is that documented?
- What does adding meters cost later?
How Emergent Metering works
We are a hardware and data provider. We scope the meters, data collection and communication for your building, supply the hardware from manufacturers listed on our brands page, and set up remote reading. Your plumber or contractor installs. You own the meters and the data. We are Emergent Metering Solutions, LLC, based at 831 Lincoln Ave Suite D-10, West Chester, PA — part of Emergent Energy Solutions.
How to get a scope
- Number of units, and whether hot water is central or per unit.
- Pipe size at each unit supply, and photos of a typical riser or shutoff.
- Whether there is network or cellular coverage at the meter locations.
- Whether you want hardware only, hardware plus data, or billing support.
Send that and we return a point list and hardware quote. Prefer to talk first? Call 215-645-7141 or email sales@emergentenergy.us.
Get a water submetering scope
Tell us about the building and we will specify the meters, reading and data setup — with a quote you can compare line by line.