Most people forget that a hole is not a well. You need a permit from your county. Expect to shell out $200 to $800 just for the paperwork. That’s the fee for the privilege of explaining to a bureaucrat that you really don’t want to drink from a hose.
Then there’s the pressure tank. It’s the big blue barrel in your basement that stops your shower from sounding like a dying goose. That’s another $400 to $600. Add in a water treatment system (because the first five gallons out of a new well taste like a tin can left in a garden shed), and you’ve got another $1,000 to $3,000 on the menu.
So, if you add it all up: drilling, casing, pump, tank, permits, and that lovely “whoops-we-hit-a-rock” fee, a turnkey well usually lands between $5,000 and $15,000. For the high-end, fancy-pants setups with solar pumps and iron filters? Maybe $20,000.
But Wait! The Savings (and the Laughter)
Let’s be real: you don’t drill a well to save money in the first month. You do it for the feeling. The feeling of watering your lawn at 3 PM because you can. The feeling of washing your car while secretly giving the municipality the middle finger.
How Much Does It Cost to Drill a Well? [2026 Data] - Get A Site Plan
And honestly, a well can increase your property value. But only if the buyer doesn’t hear the phrase “the taste is a bit mineral-forward.” That’s realtor-speak for “smells like a wet penny.”
One time, my buddy drilled a well in New Hampshire. It cost him $9,000. The first water test showed it was harder than algebra. He had to spend another $2,000 on a softener. Now, every shower feels like baby oil. He says the well saved his marriage. His wife says it saved her hair.