There’s times when you might think about putting a well in your backyard, to lessen the reliance on your city’s water supply.
The average cost to drill a well is between $25 and $70 per foot, but there is much involved in how much you’re spending.
Continue reading to learn how much it will cost to put a well in your backyard.
Factors affecting the cost of digging a well
Several factors determine the cost of digging a well, including depth, permits, soil type, region, etc.
Well depth
The width and depth of your well are really the main cost drivers.
Most residential wells, on average, are between 100 and 300 feet deep.
In cases with groundwater (around here) near the surface, your well could be no deeper than 25 feet.
As for widths, well widths are usually 4 or 6 inches. Thus your well width will determine water flow.
For example, a 150-foot deep well with a 4-inch diameter will likely cost you around, or slightly above $5,000. Shallow wells are cheaper, but shallow wells are far more easily contaminated.
Local authorities regulate well depth. So before digging your well, please consult a professional, or expert, to guide you to the right well depth for your backyard.
Permits
Licensing fees vary from club to club and that can be anywhere from $10 to $500.
This is an upfront cost and gambling to obtain the needed permits puts you at risk for fines and bigger than that.
Luckily – well drilling companies help you obtain permits. Some have different licensing for residential and irrigation wells for clubs/memberships.
Some areas will also have other permits you will need such as plumbing and electric wiring.
Distance to house
The closer your well is to your house, the less you’ll spend digging the well.
You have shorter electrical wires and water pipes when the well is close to your house they cost less.
However, the further every foot from your house adds as much as $120 to your budget.
Region
Underground water levels vary around the world; in some areas the water table is located just below the surface, and in other areas this can be deep.
In cases of shallow water tables the drilling distance is shorter and the digging costs less, not including the startup costs for a well.
Furthermore, if a well is drilled deeper than an 8 inch casing, the driller will charge you between $25 and $70 for each foot below the casing.
Also, in different climates, like on rocky and arid soils, you will find it difficult to dig. This is because the machinery needs to burn a lot more fuel to move through the crust, therefore costing you more for labor.
Rural vs. Urban
Urban hose drilling is cheaper than rural digging.
Even so, acquiring digging permits while drilling in urban areas will cost you more than if you were in rural settings.
All of this is to say you may want to consider the difference between the cost of well water and city in between.
If you live far away from urban areas, your average cost per foot is between fifty and sixty dollars a foot. This should include the distance travelled and cost for transportation of the drilling equipment to your house.
Soil type and condition
The type and condition of the soil also will impact the costs of drilling wells.
To put this into perspective, it is cheaper to drill through soft-textured soils that have little to no rock, rather than going through rock and compacted heavy soils.
If so, if you live in a rocky area, expect to pay more. If you are drilling hard rock, it can be 150% more costly, and if you are drilling partial rock, it can be 85% more costly.
However, hard rock saves you the money on the well casing that you would have had to spend.
Well water testing cost
Once the well is drilled, it needs to be tested before using the water.
Some contaminants common to underground water are:
- arsenic
- bacteria
- copper
- lead
- iron
- methane
- sulfur
- and radioactive substances
A DIY kit for well water testing typically costs around $20 to $100.
Hiring labs operated by the government or a university is generally a little bit more expensive ($50 to $600), but is usually more comprehensive.
As well as testing for pollutant, lab testing recommends improving water safety.
Components of a well
Digging a hole in the water table is the first step; you need the following equipment to make a well functional.
Well pump
A well pump moves water from underground to the inside of your home.
It’s probably the most important piece of finished water well equipment. This is why it needs regular maintenance.
The price of a well pump is based on the type of pump. Shallow well jet pumps are the most budget-friendly, while deep submersible well pumps are the most expensive.
Shallow well pumps
Shallow well pumps work best for wells that are 25 feet deep or less, good value from $300 to $900 maximum.
They’re typically located at the surface, but have housing for cover.
Even better – these pumps include automatic controls consisting of an adjustable booster to maintain a constant water pressure as well as overload protection to prevent the motor from running out of water.
Convertible jet well pumps
Compatible pumps for salads wells and any other wells not deeper than 90 feet.
Still, a compatible pump is surface mounted, just like an above ground shallow well pump.
Compatible pumps are commonly used where the water table fluctuates. The cost for a compatible water pump is between $400 and $1,200.
Deep submersible well pump
As the name suggests, they are placed out of reach underwater laying down in deep well depths starting at 90 feet. They are priced around $500 to $2,000.
Experts recommend a 3-wire pump for less hassle; because 2-wire pumps are cheaper, the only downside is they should not be intended to be usable if a repair is need, because two-wire pumps have to be pulled to the surface for repairs.
Well Casing Pipe
Think of a well casing pipe as the wall for the well; it holds the wall back so they don’t collapse loose rock or dirt into the well. That’s how contamination occurs, you can’t have dirt collapsing into the well tainting your water.
Like I said before, if you have rocks for walls you can skip the casing.
Most homeowners choose PVC pipe to use for wells casings, it’s cheap compared to other materials. A normal average price is around of about $8a foot. Galvanized and stainless steel cases can be as high as $35 to $80 per foot, although they last much longer.
If you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes, you’ll want to consider steel casing that does not break easily when the earth moves.
What we learned here is that the casing should be 5-inches or wider but at least an inch larger than the outer diameter of the well pump.
Storage tank
You need a storage tank to hold well water until it’s needed.
A tank also means you do not have to turn on the pump each time you need water, and will save you money on energy costs as well.
The price of a tank is based on storage capacity. The most affordable is priced at $400.
Purification system
Most well purification systems use reverse osmosis to tell the water’s safe for drinking.
Depending on the well purification system you buy, these costs range from $500 – $2,500.
Electrical components
Your well needs some electrical components to control the pressure and amount of water movement.
These parts are also quite inexpensive and would cost between $40 – $140.
Septic system
A typical standalone septic system costs around $3,500-$5,000.
If it also includes a well, expect costs of at least $7,000 all the way up to $20,000.
Factors that drive changes in cost to consider are the type of septic system, size, type of absorption field, and depth of well.
Most rural residences use discrete septic tanks – waste disposal done and over with,
Whereas homeowners in urban areas usually connect their wells to the municipality’s sewer and drainage system.
Which Well Types Can You Dig?
Besides the factors mentioned earlier, the well type also affects its cost.
Here are the different well types you can drill in your backyard.
Artesian well
Artesian Wells work because of the hydrostatic pressure that pushes water to the surface. This is important to understand because they do not depend on any pumps that need maintenance.
They are low maintenance, but they are very sensitive to location.
Typically, an artesian well is anywhere from 150 feet to 450 feet deep.
You must reach the aquifer. The price to drill by the foot can be as much as $80 a foot. So you could possibly pay $36,000.
Geothermal well
Geothermal wells are not water wells.
What they do give you is heat; heat that can help minimize your dependance on air conditioning systems, and reduce your electric bill.
The cost to drill a geothermal well (depending on where you live) is anywhere from $20 to $50 per foot.
Since the wells are six inches in diameter and may go up to 400 feet deep you will have to pay about $20,000 maximum for one well.
The size of the geothermal well or wells will vary depending on the size of your house and the heating needs of the HVAC system in your home. For example, if an HVAC system is sized for a 1,000 square foot home, you will require two wells, each 200 feet deep.
It is also important to note that wells are only available in areas with geothermal activity.
You can have a geothermal well by putting ethanol filled sink pipes into the ground six feet deep.
Ethanol acts as a thermal energy source for cooling, and heating:
- In the winter, the above ground heating solution will extract the underground heat from the well to heat your home.
- When it is hot, the above ground heating solution will move the unsed heat down into the ground surrounding the sink pipes.
Irrigation well
Irrigation wells are a way for people without water supply lines to use in farming and to get an irrigation system, especially in arid environments.
Cost to drill an agricultural well is $35/pft without all of the other requirements, if you consider some other components, your costs would be $100/stated foot.
A regular farm irrigation well costs $12,000 to create.
If you have a larger farm, you’ll have to incur more costs, including permit fees up to $500.
Residential well
Residential wells save money on municipal utilities.
But there is a range of $25-$70 for drilling price.
On Average – a 100 foot well is around $10,000 in components, and permits with drilling labor costs.
Shallow wells are cheaper.
You can make a well with as little as $1,800. The negatives of a shallow well is it is easy to contaminate and has only a few years of shelf life before it dries.
Sandpoint well
Sandpoint wells are a great option for temporary water use.
They are the cheapest option to be found, and easy to install. If you can spend a measly $300, you can construct a Sandpoint well, and be done.
Sandpoint wells are shallow and narrow. You dig a hole into the earth, and then stick a 20-foot long, two-inch diameter pipe into it.
The pipe has a screen that filters water from the sand, and a pump pushes it to the surface. You can use the water directly, or send it to a storage tank.
Even though it is pretty cheap for an affordable water source, Sandpoint wells do not have a lot of output. You can expect about three gallons a minute.
Also, it’s hard to keep the water pressure constant.
Private Well vs. Municipal Water System: Which is Better?
The electricity bill to run the well pump for a medium household is about 10 bucks.
On average, the monthly water bill is $70.
So running a private well can save you over 600 bucks a year. If it’s an irrigation well, your savings could be more.
Also, many municipalities charge sewer costs in their water bills. If you have a septic system, you don’t have that expense.
As stated above – privately, you are better suited with your own well than a municipal water system. But, you’ll have a hefty installation expense.
Why You Need a Well Drilling Company
You can’t really tell how deep you need to go to find underground water.
That’s why most contractors don’t provide a quotation until they are actively drilling on the site.
After that, they can provide a rudimentary quote based on previous projects in their portfolio.
If the contractor doesn’t find water, they will just move to the next one. You’ll be responsible to pay for drilling at both locations.
Before hiring a contractor, you should check out if they have National Ground Water Association certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a water well last?
If you take care of and maintain your well, it should last at least 35 years.
If it is installed poorly, you can reduce the life of the well by more than 20 years, even with safety issues. But well pumps require replacement within ten years.
Can a well dry up?
A well goes dry when the water level has fallen below the inlet opening of the pump.
You can increase the water level by recharging the aquifer or pumping less frequently. It is a good idea to hire some experts to get an idea of the water levels.
What is the cost of maintaining a well?
The yearly cost for well maintenance can range from $150-$300
After the inspection and servicing of the well, your contractor will provide you with a report setting out the health of the well and recommendations on how to keep your water safe.
How long will it take to drill a water well?
If you take into account depth and diameter, ground formations, and weather conditions, drilling takes 1 to 3 days.
In actuality, the total time to drill your water well will take a week once equipment set up, components installations, and water testing are accounted for.
Wrapping Up
It can’t be argued that wells are a costly endeavor.
Despite the initial cost of drilling a well and putting in the facets, it’s worth the money, and once your well is done, you’ll save hundreds of dollars a year for decades.