Well Drilling Cost: $6,000 to $16,000 (HomeGuide 2026)

National figures. HomeGuide and HomeServe price a complete 200 ft well; HomeAdvisor and Bob Vila give an average job.

When to call a well driller: urgent or can it wait?

• Call now: an existing well that suddenly gives no water. Start with the pump, not the drill rig; the no water from well checklist covers the cheaper causes first.
• This week: a house sale or a building schedule that depends on a new well. Permits and the state's notice rules come before the rig, so start the paperwork early.
• Can wait: pricing a well for land you have not bought yet, or comparing a deeper well with treatment for an existing one.

How much does it cost to drill a well?

A complete 200-foot well costs $6,000 to $16,000 in HomeGuide's guide, including drilling, casing, the pump, the electrical connections and permits, with a $10,500 national average and a range from $3,000 to more than $22,500. HomeServe's April 2026 figure for the same 200-foot well is the same $6,000 to $16,000, with drilling alone at $4,000 to $6,000. HomeAdvisor and Bob Vila both give a $5,500 average, with ranges of $3,000 to $9,000 and $1,500 to $12,000. Those lower numbers are closer to the drilling-only figures, so when two quotes differ by thousands, check whether one leaves out the pump and tank.

Well drilling cost per foot

Per-foot prices are where sources part ways most. HomeGuide's $30 to $80 covers the whole installation, while its $20 to $30 is the hole alone; HomeServe splits it the same way. Ask a driller to quote both the drilling rate and the installed total.

Cost by depth: 100 to 500 feet

HomeGuide, July 2025.

How deep do you have to drill a well?

HomeGuide says most residential wells run 100 to 300 feet, with shallow wells of 25 to 50 feet where the water table is high and 300 to 600 feet or more in arid regions. In Minnesota alone, the state health department says wells range from 15 feet to over 1,000. The driller cannot promise a depth before drilling, so ask what the quote does if water is deeper than planned.

Dug well vs drilled well (and driven wells)

The EPA describes dug and bored wells as holes dug by shovel or backhoe, with a large diameter and no continuous casing. Driven wells are cased but shallow. The Minnesota handbook says dug, bored and drive-point wells are often under 50 feet and more likely to be contaminated. If a dug well keeps failing bacteria tests, price a drilled well against treatment; the coliform testing guide explains what a bad test means.

What a complete new well system costs beyond the hole

Each of those lines has its own page: pump prices by type, pressure tank sizes and prices and filters and softeners for well water.

Well deepening cost

Deepening an existing well costs $35 to $84 per foot, or $3,000 to $6,000 in total, in Bob Vila's guide. Some drillers also offer hydrofracturing for a weak well; none of the four cost guides we checked lists a price for it, so ask the driller for one in writing.

Well permits and driller licensing

Well permit costs run $350 to $700 or more in HomeGuide's guide, $200 to $500 in HomeAdvisor's and $5 to $500 in Bob Vila's. The EPA says to hire a certified well driller for any new construction, modification, or closure. NGWA says most states license water well contractors and lists the agencies by state; it takes calls at 800-551-7379.

• Minnesota: all wells must be installed by contractors licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health, though you may build one for personal use on land you own or lease. A notification form and fee go to the department before drilling, and the contractor must have the new well tested for bacteria, nitrate and arsenic at a certified lab.
• Massachusetts: anyone who builds, repairs or alters a private well must be certified with the state's Drinking Water Program, and MassDEP says local boards of health should require a certified driller. The driller reports the flow rate in gallons per minute and how long the pumping and recovery test ran.
• Everywhere: Ask the company for its well contractor or pump installer license number and proof of insurance yourself.

Questions to ask a well driller before you sign

• What is the per-foot rate, and what is the installed total?
• Which casing, PVC or steel, and how far down? HomeGuide puts steel at $30 to $130 or more a foot, against $7 to $11 for PVC.
• What happens if you hit a dry hole or water deeper than planned?
• Who pulls the permit and who pays for it?
• Is a flow test and a water test included? New wells should be tested; see well water testing.
• Where will it sit relative to the septic system? Buyers often book a well and septic inspection together.

What to do before you call a well driller

1. Call the county or state well program to learn the permit cost and whether a licensed or certified driller is required.
2. Ask about nearby well depths. A local driller should know how deep wells in your area go.
3. Get at least two written quotes with the same items: drilling per foot, casing, pump, tank, wiring, permit.
4. Budget past the hole. HomeGuide puts the pump at $400 to $2,500 and electrical at $1,000 to $3,000.
5. Plan the first water test. Minnesota requires bacteria, nitrate and arsenic tests on new wells.
6. Call the well line and ask whether the company drills or only services pumps.

More well pages: well pump repair and well pressure tank. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; hours vary. How calls work.