Pricing on Water Well

[jhambley]

I just got a quote for drilling a water well. $5,000,00 for 100' with pump. Does that sound reasonable. What else would I need or should I be certain are included in the estimate?

JH

[agmantoo]

jhambley
To me that is expensive for 100' and pump. I would expect to get much deeper for that price. I would have also had an understanding as to whether the casing was to be galvanized steel pipe or PVC. I prefer galvanized as it can be driven against bedrock to get a better seal reducing the change of getting grit into the pumped water. I would also want to know the brand of the pump, no offshore cheapy. Goulds is a decent brand and I would want 10 gallon per minute at not less than 40 PSI if possible, depends on the amount of water located. I would not want a contractor quality and size bladder tank. The larger the bladder tank the more drawdown and the less frequent starts saves electricity and wear and tear on the pump. On a contract for the well the provider has to allow for the unknown and he is going to price the task high to cover himself. Check with your neighbors and get an idea of what level they found water. Then get the well service to quote by the foot and compare to the $5000. Obviously you will have to allow your budget to have some flexibility if you do not do the contract. I never contract! The reason is if the driller gets into deep trouble he will leave you and it is difficult to get another one to come in afterward. What happens in your case if he does not get water by 100'?

[Mallow]

Around here the going rate for drilling is between $8 and $10 per foot plus the cost of the pipe, casing, pump and pressure tank. I would probably shop around some more.

[jhambley]

The plots of the area show most wells are between 100-150 feet in my area. I want this well to serve our new home and the farm (about 30 head of cattle). Not too many folks drilling wells in this area so I'm having trouble getting competing bids.

[Batt]

I pretty much agree with Agmantoo. That is quite a bit with no guarantees. Say $700 for a pump (guessing, but I think I'm a little high) that comes to $43 / foot.What if there is no water at 100'? $50/ft thereafter?

Last one I had drilled about 7 years ago was $10/ft for the cased part (90 ft. minimum) then $7.50/ft for the rest. $1500 for pump @ 210 ft, 40 gal pressure tank and controls. Total water flow was 42 gal/minute.

Gotta figure prices have gone up, but I'm fairly certain there is more available competition due to fewer houses being built.

Think I'd shop around some more.

[fordy]

...........Specify a 1 horsepower pump and a 100 gallon pressure tank ! If you are going to be watering that many cows you'll be pumping water out too several different locations , one of which will surely be a 300 to 500 galvanized water tank , probably close a shed or barn . You'll want enough water pressure and volume from your pump to supply water to your home as well as supply water to atleast one remote location like the barn , Simultaneously ! A standard 1/2 horsepower pump and a small pressure tank (less than 100 gallon) will fail on both counts . , fordy

I had some drilling done about 4 years ago, they charged $200 setup and $8.00 a foot. While they were drilling, I checked around and went and bought the pump, waterline, and wire myself. They installed as part of the setup fee.

[Windy in Kansas]

Sounds high to me but then I'm not in your area and haven't had a well drilled since about 1996 or 1997.

What size well, 4", 5", 6" or ? Does your area have rock that must be drilled through? In eastern Kansas I wouldn't be surprised to learn that you do.

Have you contacted the state for a list of licensed drillers for your area? Have you talked with area farmers to learn who they have used in the past and their experiences with them, and if they have suggestions?

Too many unanswered questions for me to give a certain answer but just off the top of my head it sounds high. My cased well w/pump only was under $1,000 and about 130 feet total depth. No rock to drill through, sandy easy drilling.

[Wisconsin Ann]

We did a well a 18months ago. $11,000 for 200ft well, water at 150, just the well, no pump. So...sounds about right

Ours was right in line with all the other wells done in the area, so it wasn't like we were ripped off. Ours needed quite a bit of bentonite (really flakey limestone with large cavities) which added to the price, but still...

[Wolf mom]

It all depends upon the area....$12,000 to dig 450 feet, pump, holding tank, etc. included. That was 3 years ago. maybe a little cheaper in this economy.

[DW]

We spent more than that yrs ago

[Big Dave]

How do you know where to drill? How do they know where to drill? Do you just start and go till you hit some water? This all goes back to my how do you find a dowser question.

[Windy in Kansas]

I consulted my local Equis beds water district for information before I closed on my land purchase as adequate water was a contingency for my purchase. Plenty of water, enough to irrigate farmland with but would have to have permission of neighbors in a certain area which I was sure I could not obtain.

http://ga2.er.usgs.gov/kswater/

Next came consulting with an experienced driller of nearby wells.

I then selected where I wanted the well to be placed and allowed him to witch for a better location. The proposed site was then moved to what he felt would be a better location, only about 80-100 feet away.

Got an excellent well and felt quite confident in the driller as per other recommendations.

[Windy in Kansas]

BTW jhambly, you can view online water well information for wells in your area, depth, etc., accessed from the page I listed. If I remember correctly it gives the rating for the wells too.

[diane5000]

This is a cautionary tale for anyone, like yourself, contemplating the drilling of a well. Ours is 400' deep and essentially dry and we are at about $8000. and counting since the pump is not installed yet. Now, we are talking Canadian dollars here but we're almost par now. My advice to you is to read the contract verrrry carefully and ask many questions before you sign it. There are people out there who are in the hole drilling business. They make lots of money whether you get water or not. If you want all the gory details you can read our blog called well from hell.

http://www.frombeyondthegrid.com/blo...6/21/well-hell

Diane

$10.00 per foot here , 6 inch hole cased to bedrock . Pump , wire , pressure tank ect extra .

[jhambley]

The driller checked the database and determined 100'-150' is typical for my area. Spoke to a few farmers out here and they confirmed those numbers. I have a place that is always wet at the surface (and it's a high spot) no matter how dry it is. I'm guessing there is a spring under that area. I'm still trying to contact another driller to get a competitive bid. I'll ask the driller for a written bid to see what equipment he is specifying.

Thanks for all your comments.

JH

[FarmerGreen]

Last time I checked about 6 months ago it was $12 a foot plus casing to bedrock, plus pump, pipe, and wiring.

[Alex]

$6000 two years ago, INCLUDED items,

• 100 ft deep drilled hole, hit water at 60 ft, 9 GPM -- You get what you get -- NO guarantees on depth or flow.
• 6" diameter welded steel casing -- galvanized not allowed in BC in water supplies
• Bentonite seal at top and pipe about 30-inches above grade with tack welded cover
• One perforated Stainless Steel screen installed at bottom, 5 ft long,

NOT included,

• I put in pitless adapter, instlled pipe and pump,
• Plastic pipe
• I cut off the welded top and installed a proper gasketed cap with lock
• Pump, Multi stage submessible pump, $1,000
• Wire, starting capacitor,
• Electrician to run wire, install breakers and starting capacitor
• Trenching and backfill to house for water line and wire

Approximately, $8,000.

Good luck,

Alex

[byexample]

Wow, I had no idea that drilling prices would vary so much from area to area. Three years ago we had our well drilled, cased with PVC, and capped for about $7000. We drilled to 280 feet. That's $25 / foot without the pump.

It's hard to believe that some folks are able to get everything for $8 - $10 per foot. That's just incredible.