How Much Does It Cost To Drill A Well

A water well at home can mean self-sufficiency when it comes to water supply. This is often ideal in most rural areas where there is no access to a water system. However, drilling a water well is also gaining popularity even in urban areas so that homeowners can call for a cheaper supply of water. However, it is to be noted that the cost of drilling a well does not come cheap. Read on and find out how much does drilling a water well cost.

Typical Cost Of Drilling A Well

The average cost of drilling a well is $12 per foot.

Meaning, if you plan to have a 100-foot well, expect to pay around $1,200 for it.

Included In The Price Of Drilling A Well

The price includes the contractor’s labor fees, rental of equipment, and drilling.

Consider These Factors

Depth. The depth of the water well will hugely impact the cost of drilling the well. For instance, shallow wells that are less than 25 feet in depth are cheaper because they can be made manually without requiring expensive tools and equipment. This is without mentioning yet that shallow wells are faster to finish. On the other hand, other wells that are 400 feet deep can mean a lot of money. If we calculate the cost of drilling a well at $12 per foot, you can expect to pay $4,800 for the whole drilling job.

Type of ground. Depending on your location, the ground to be drilled can be sand, solid rock, or clay. Each type of ground has varying difficulties when it comes to drilling. Hence, the price of drilling a well can be dependent on how difficult the ground material is to drill. For instance, solid rock grounds can be harder to work on, which means a higher price in the end.

Contractor. Different well drilling contractors offer different pricing for this kind of job. Contractors’ prices usually depend on the geographical location and their expertise and experience in the field.

Additional Costs

Casing. When building a well, casing is very important as it prevents the bedrock from caving in as well as blocks the contaminants from entering the well. The cost of casing is usually $12.50 per foot. This can be cheaper or more expensive depending on your choice of material. The most popular material for piping is galvanized steel.

Head. A decent well head is also necessary to complete the project. This can mean an additional cost of $100.

Other accessories. The pump is the most important accessory for very deep wells and is the most expensive item as well. A pump can cost you around $350 to $600. Other accessories you may need include PVC water line piping, fittings, and couplings.

Permits and tests. Some states may require permits, testing, and registrations when drilling water wells. The price varies from state to state and city to city.

Complete water system. If you intend to build a complete water system in line with building your water well, additional expenses are to be expected. Since a lot of piping, electrical wiring, and control system need to be done, you can expect to spend additional $3,000 or even more than $20,000, especially for more complex water systems.

Photo by Best Practices Research Alliance

Tips Before You Decide To Drill A Well

Make sure to hire only licensed water well drilling contractors in your area. You can find a lot of resources online depending on the state where you live. The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) is a good source of licensed industry professionals. You can search for NGWA member certified contractors in this lookup tool. If you are in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, or Kentucky, you can also consider using this tool for licensed water well drilling contractors.

Your choice of water well driller must not only be certified and licensed but also meet your personal needs. WellDrilling.com has this very useful article on how to choose the perfect well driller.

Find the right location for the water well. Understand that not all areas can be ideal places to hold a well. Hence, pick the right place that is accessible and has substantial water availability. You can check this FAQ sheet from ThompsonWaterWells.com to help you look for the perfect location to drill a well.

Check the local regulations of the state or city you are in. Take note that some states require you to get a license first before you can drill a well. You can check out the codes and standards in terms of the construction of public and private wells per state at the Water Systems Council.