How Much Should You Pay for a Dehumidifier? Full Cost Revealed!

How much should I spend on a dehumidifier? How much does a dehumidifier cost?

When you live in a place like Florida that has humidity almost throughout the year, you need to run a dehumidifier almost daily.

You would think that buying a dehumidifier is as simple as picking the one that is most reviewed online. However, the cost of the dehumidifier will be a lot in your calculations.

So, how much should I spend on a dehumidifier? The cost varies, mostly depending on the size. For example, a mini dehumidifier can cost anywhere from $25. A portable, low-cost dehumidifier costs $40. A large room portable dehumidifier for 1500 square feet can cost $170 or more, while a basement dehumidifier costs $800 or more, and a crawl space dehumidifier starts at $1000. Furnace and central dehumidifiers, also called whole-house dehumidifiers, will cost between $1000 and $3000 without the installation cost.

As you can see from the prices above, what we are trying to say here is that there is a dehumidifier for every budget.

Budget is not the main consideration if you have a problem with high humidity. Rather, you truly want to consider the space that you need to dehumidify.

You also have to consider whether the dehumidifier can handle the humidity level in your place.

How much should I spend on a dehumidifier? Different types

There is no standard price for dehumidifiers. However, there’s a dehumidifier price range that is generally accepted for different sizes.

Dehumidifier sizes range from as small as desktop sizes to monstrous crawl space sizes, as well as industrial dehumidifiers.

Keep reading to see what you can expect to pay for any dehumidifier.

Crawl space dehumidifier cost

The crawl space dehumidifier cost varies widely. However, first things first, what is a crawl space?

A crawl space is the space between the house and the wet earth. It acts as the buffer zone that prevents the house wall and the wet earth from coming into contact with each other.

However, the vapor from the earth is still able to escape and get into your house, raising the indoor humidity level tremendously.

Therefore, you need a unit that is a real workhorse to dehumidify the crawl space. You can try the Aprilaire crawl space dehumidifier on Amazon.com, which comes in models that can dehumidify 2800 to 7200 square feet.

The cost of these dehumidifiers ranges from $1000 to $3000 without the cost of installation.

Cost of dehumidifier for basement

How much does a dehumidifier cost if you need it for the basement? Well, this depends on many things, but the chief one is size.

With as little as $200, you can buy a dehumidifier for your house that can dehumidify a space of 2800 square feet. However, this is a portable dehumidifier, which means you always have to empty it when it is full.

If you live in a place like Seattle with a lot of humidity, you need a whole-house basement dehumidifier. The cost of this one can range from $1200 to $1900.

Instead of trying a portable dehumidifier for a basement that gets humid, just go for a furnace dehumidifier. You can also use the same units that are used for crawl spaces.

One of the most popular basement or crawl space units that you can get is the 95-pint Aprilaire 1850 Pro Dehumidifier on Amazon.com.

It can dehumidify spaces of up to 5200 square feet. However, for such a dehumidifier, you will have to pay for professional installation in the crawl space.

Whole House Dehumidifier Price

The whole house dehumidifier costs almost the same as the cost of the dehumidifier for the basement. However, there is an extra fee to be paid for installation.

Also known as a central unit or a furnace dehumidifier, you can expect the price range to be between $800 and $1300, of course, without the installation cost.

This unit is attached to your house’s HVAC system and to the return ductwork. However, the installation technician may advise you to add new return ductwork for the dehumidifier, especially if you run an old HVAC system.

A good choice for a whole-house dehumidifier would be the 120-pint AlorAir Sentinel HDi120 that you can buy on Amazon.com.

It can dehumidify a space of up to 3300 square feet. Considering that the average American home size is 2600 square feet, this unit is perfect for your home.

Portable dehumidifiers: Cost of a dehumidifier

How much do dehumidifiers cost? Here, we are talking about portable dehumidifiers that come in all sizes and costs.

They can range from mini units that you can use on your desk, in a small bedroom at night, and some even in the kitchen. You cannot use such units in places that experience high humidity for many months of the year.

There are also some big, portable dehumidifier units that you can use in large spaces. Some portable dehumidifiers can do less than 20 pints, which means you would need to empty the tank too often. Some can do over 70 pints.

If you decide to go with portable units, you will have to move them from room to room, or you will need to buy a unit for each room. Choose one with an auto-off function so that it stops drawing more moisture from the air once it is full.

It is best to buy a 70-pint unit such as the KESNOS DEHUMIDIFIER on Amazon.com. It can dehumidify spaces of up to 4500 square feet.

This unit also has hidden wheels and handles, so moving it from one room to another is so easy.

Installation cost of dehumidifier for basement & other spaces

The crawl space and whole house dehumidifiers need to be installed by professionals. Therefore, when considering how much a dehumidifier costs, you also need to consider the cost of installation.

The installation cost starts at $1500 for a whole-house dehumidifier. For a crawl space unit, the installation cost starts at $1500 and for a basement unit, the cost starts at $1300.

So that you do not pay too much, it is best to hire a technician from your zip code, town, or city. If you hire from too far away, the transport costs will be transferred to you.

In addition to the dehumidifier price and installation cost, there is also the cost of maintenance. Again, this will be done by a technician, so you have to factor it in.

Dehumidifier paid monthly

If you are truly strapped for cash, you can get a used dehumidifier for sale, which will be cheaper and might still be in superb condition. One of the best places to get used dehumidifiers for sale is eBay.com.

But that is not what we are about here when we talk about dehumidifiers paid monthly. This is about the cost of running a dehumidifier.

Powerful dehumidifiers for large basements and crawl spaces can add quite a bit of money to your electricity bills.

Smaller ones, such as mini and portable dehumidifiers, do not consume too much energy, and therefore, you will hardly notice the extra pay, especially if you do not run them daily.

Final Thoughts

The cost of a dehumidifier depends on your needs. It can be anything from $20 to $3000. The bigger it is, the more it will cost to buy, install and run.

The good thing is that there is something for any budget.

If you live in a place that has high humidity throughout the year, you need a big basement, whole house, or crawl space dehumidifier installed and maintained by a professional.