Cost to drill a water well — drilling, casing, pump, tank, permits. Estimates only, not a quote.
Take the default case in the calculator: 200 feet deep, average ground conditions, standard 4 inch PVC casing, and a submersible pump, which is the setup most residential wells use. The math starts with drilling and casing, priced per foot. At the average conditions rate of $25 to $65 per foot, 200 feet of drilling runs $5,000 on the low end and $13,000 on the high end, and the PVC casing multiplier of 1.0 leaves that range unchanged. The remaining lines are flat ranges from the dataset rather than per foot charges. The submersible pump adds $800 to $1,500, the pressure tank adds $400 to $800, electrical work adds $300 to $800, and permits add $100 to $500. Added together, the low end is $5,000 plus $800 plus $400 plus $300 plus $100, for a $6,600 complete total. The high end is $13,000 plus $1,500 plus $800 plus $800 plus $500, for a $16,600 complete total. That spread sits right around the figures quoted at the top of this page: most complete 200 foot installations land at $6,000 to $16,000, with a national average near $10,500. The example also shows why two honest quotes can differ by thousands of dollars on the same property: almost all of the spread lives in the per foot drilling line, not in the pump or the tank.
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Drilling and casing, 200 ft at $25 to $65 per ft | $5,000 | $13,000 |
| Submersible pump | $800 | $1,500 |
| Pressure tank | $400 | $800 |
| Electrical | $300 | $800 |
| Permits | $100 | $500 |
| Complete total | $6,600 | $16,600 |
Change one input and the total moves in a predictable way. Switching to 6 inch steel casing for a deeper or harder dig applies a multiplier of about 1.7 to the drilling line only, which turns that same $5,000 to $13,000 drilling range into the single largest jump in the estimate. Rocky or remote ground reprices the foot rate itself to $50 to $75 per foot, which is how difficult sites routinely exceed $22,500 complete.
Depth is the input to get right first, because every foot is billed and the total is depth multiplied by the per foot rate before anything else is added. Most residential wells are 50 to 200 feet deep, but the right number for your lot comes from local geology and the water table, and the depths of neighboring wells are the best free predictor you have. Ground difficulty sets the rate band: normal soil at $25 to $35 per foot, average conditions at $25 to $65 per foot, and rocky or remote ground at $50 to $75 per foot. Casing then adjusts the drilling line, with 4 inch PVC as the standard residential choice and 6 inch steel at roughly 1.7 times the cost for deeper or harder digs. Pump choice is driven by depth and yield: a shallow well jet pump runs $400 to $900, a standard submersible runs $800 to $1,500, and a deep set or high yield submersible runs $1,500 to $2,500. The pressure tank, electrical, and permits are smaller flat lines that belong in every budget from the start. Drilling itself usually takes one to three days, while permits and scheduling add weeks before the rig arrives.
The most common mistake is budgeting the drilling line and nothing else, then discovering the pump, pressure tank, electrical, and permits as extras after the hole is drilled. On the worked example above those four lines add $1,600 to $3,600 to the project, and they are not optional. The second mistake is guessing depth from a map or a statewide average instead of asking nearby owners what their wells actually measure, which can swing the drilling line by thousands of dollars in either direction. The third mistake is comparing quotes that assume different casing or different pumps: a quote built on PVC casing and a standard submersible is not cheaper than one built on steel casing and a deep set pump, it is a different job, so ask each driller to state depth, casing, and pump assumptions in writing. The fourth mistake is treating a dry or low yield hole as a rounding error in the plan. Depth is billed whether or not the first attempt finds good water, which is another reason local depth data matters before you commit. The last mistake is planning to drill your own well to save the per foot rate. Most states require a licensed driller and permits, and a poorly constructed well can contaminate the aquifer that you and your neighbors drink from.
$25–$65/ft for residential wells in average conditions; $50–$75/ft in rocky or remote terrain (Angi 2026).
Most residential wells are 50–200 ft, but it depends entirely on local geology. Ask neighbors — their depths are the best predictor of yours.
$6,000–$16,000 for a typical 200-ft complete installation (drilling, casing, pump, tank, electrical, permits). National average ~$10,500.
Usually 1–3 days of drilling; permits and scheduling add weeks.
Almost always yes, and most states require a licensed driller. Check your state water resources board.
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