Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), Duplex, Triplex, and Quadplex Water Submetering

American Submetering offers a simple water submetering billing service for ADU, Duplex, Triplex and Quadplex owners. Simply email us the water bill and submeter readings every month and we calculate the water usage for each unit and bill tenants accordingly. A low cost solution for 1-4 unit property owners who don't want to spend the extra money on automated meter reading devices.

For a 5+ Unit Property, See Our Large Multifamily (5+ Units) Submetering Product

2 Options To Read Your Water Submeters

Option 1

Manual Submeter Read System

  • Purchase of automated meter reading equipment is not required.
  • Tenant or owner takes a photo every month of the meter reading.
  • Works well for small properties with 1 to 4 units total.

Most 1 to 4 unit properties get by with manual readings.
Preferred by owners who don't mind the monthly inconvenience of manual meter reads.

Option 2

Automated Submeter Read System

  • Purchase of automated meter reading equipment is required.
  • Meters readings automatically uploaded to the cloud.
  • Most convenient solution for properties of any size.

Each submeter's Transceiver automatically sends meter readings to a Gateway/Base Station which uploads the readings to the cloud.
Preferred by owners for completely hands off, automated water submetering.

Small Property (1-4 Units) Submeter Billing Product

Whether you use Manual Reads or Automated Reads, we handle the calculations, allocations, and billing.

Step 1: Email Us The Bill

Every month, email us a scan of the water bill. If you choose to manually read your submeter, you will also need to send us a photo of each meter reading.

Step 2: We Calculate Usage

Once we receive the bill and the readings (Manual or Automated), we calculate each unit's usage and allocate the water costs accordingly.

Step 3: We Bill the Tenants

After generating the bills, we email them out to each tenant. Each bill includes payment instructions provided by the owner.

Sounds good. Sign me up!

Free

$0/mo

  • You read the water bill.
  • You calculate the amounts for each unit.
  • You create bills for each unit.
  • You don't need us.

Better

Monthly Payment Plan

$5/unit/month

($60/unit/year)

  • You email us the bills and meter reading(s).
  • We calculate the amounts to bill each unit.
  • We generate the bills and email them out.
  • You sit back and relax.

Best

Annual Payment Plan

$50/unit/year

($4.17/unit/month)

  • Same as Better (we do the math).
  • Plus, you get a discount and priority phone and email support.

Compare plans

Free Better Best
Owner Does Everything
We Do Everything
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ADU/Duplex/Triplex/Quadplex Water Submetering & Billing

Many owners ask us how to submeter the water usage on an ADU or Rental Property they own or are developing. Submetering is not very complicated but there are a few steps we recommend taking to make sure everything is set up correctly.

The best time to plan the ADU for submetering is prior to plumbing. Consult with your plumber to find a convenient location to locate the submeter so that it accurately tracks all the water (both hot and cold water) flowing to each units. All of the water used by the ADU needs to flow through the submeter for accurate readings. If you can't install the submeter before the hot water heater, you will need to install 2 submeters, one for hot water and one for cold water. This means that you will have to purchase and install two meters and take two sets of readings everytime you want to generate a bill.

Once the plumbing is completed, the submeter can be installed. The submeter should be installed in a location that is easily accessible for reading and maintenance. It should also be installed in a location that is protected from freezing temperatures. We often see the submeters installed just before the cold water splits to the water heater, which is typically in a water heater closet or garage.

Once the submeter is installed, readings from the meter will need to be taken each time the main water bill period closes. For ADUs and duplexes, this is most often done by manually reading the submeter. The owner or tenant can take a photo of the water meter or American Submetering can provide an automated solution for a montly fee.

Once the submeter is installed and monthly readings are being collected, water bills can be generated manually by the owner/landlord or automatically by American Submetering with some additional equipment. It's important to ensure that the timing of the readings match with the water purveyor bills to generate accurate bills for tenants.

The most important part of submetering water is making sure to educate tenants about how the submetering system works and how the bills are generated. This ensures they understand how their water usage is being tracked and billed. It can also encourage tenants to conserve water.

We also recommend you check your state's legal requirements (e.g., meter certifications, lease addendum requiremnents, etc.) that may be required for charging tenants for their water usage.

Submetering an ADU allows owners to accurately track water usage and bill tenants based on their individual unit's water usage. By following these steps, owners can ensure that their submetering system is set up correctly.

*Note On Registration/Certification Of Water Meters

In some states, submeters need to be tested and registered with the state or a local water authority prior to installation. This ensures that the submeter is recognized as a valid measuring device and that the readings taken from it are accurate. The registration process may vary depending on the local water authority, so it's important to check with them for specific requirements.

Contact Us:

ContactUs@AmericanSubmetering.com