Two reputable cost guides put the average water well at almost exactly double each other. Angi says $5,500; HomeGuide says $10,500. That is not sloppiness — it is the most important thing to understand before you get a quote, because the two numbers are measuring different things.
Drilling a hole versus getting water
HomeGuide separates the two explicitly: drilling alone is $20–$30 per foot; a complete installation is $30–$80+ per foot, rising past $100 in remote or rocky ground. Angi quotes $25–$65 per foot for residential wells with a $25–$35 guideline — a drilling-weighted figure.
So when a driller quotes you a per-foot rate, the first question is not “how deep?” but “what is in that rate?” A bare hole and a working, pumped, plumbed supply differ by roughly two to three times.
Cost by depth
| Depth | Complete install (HomeGuide) | 4″ PVC casing (Angi) | 6″ steel casing (Angi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 ft | $3,000 – $8,000+ | $3,550 | $6,120 |
| 200 ft | $6,000 – $16,000+ | $7,100 | $12,240 |
| 300 ft | $9,000 – $24,000+ | $10,650 | $18,360 |
| 400 ft | — | $14,200 | $24,480 |
| 500 ft | $15,000 – $40,000 | — | — |
Angi’s casing table is the more instructive cut, because steel casing runs about 1.7 times PVC at every depth. On a 400-foot well that is a $10,000 swing on the same hole. Which one you need is a function of ground conditions and local code, not preference — but it explains quotes that look wildly apart for identical depths.
By well type at 150 feet, Angi prices drilled at $5,500, driven at $4,000 and dug at $2,500.
Everything that is not the hole
| Component | Angi | HomeGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Well pump | $900 – $2,500 | $400 – $2,500 |
| Pressure tank | $300 – $500 + install | $800 – $1,500 |
| PVC casing, per foot | $6 – $10 | $7 – $11 |
| Steel casing, per foot | $30 – $130+ | $30 – $130+ |
| Water testing | $50 – $600 | $100 – $350 |
| Permits | $200 – $500 | $350 – $700+ |
| Annual maintenance | $200 – $900 | — |
| Annual pump electricity | $100 – $400 | — |
The pressure tank is the one genuine disagreement: Angi’s $300–$500 and HomeGuide’s $800–$1,500 barely overlap. And those last two rows matter more than most comparisons admit — a well is not a one-time cost. Angi puts ongoing maintenance at $200–$900 a year plus $100–$400 in pump electricity.
If they hit nothing, you still pay
This is the part most guides skip, and it is the biggest financial risk in the project. In a standard drilling contract, the homeowner carries the risk of a dry hole entirely. BuildingAdvisor puts it bluntly: “In a traditional well contract, nothing is guaranteed. Well drilling is a risky business and the owners assume all the risk” — including drilling depth, repeat attempts, and any treatment the water turns out to need.
The alternative exists: some drillers offer a turnkey contract with a guaranteed yield at a fixed price, taking the drilling risk themselves. Ask for one. We could not find any published figure for what that guarantee typically costs as a premium, and we are not going to guess — but knowing the option exists is worth more than a number.
Nobody is checking your water
The EPA is explicit: the quality and safety of drinking water from private domestic wells is not regulated by the federal government under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Private well owners are responsible for delivering safe water to their own households. Around 15% of the US population — more than 43 million people — rely on private wells.
The EPA’s recommendation: test annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, more often if there are small children, elderly adults, or pregnant or nursing household members, and immediately after any repair to the system or change in nearby land use.
Because there is no federal scheme, permitting is state and county business. The $200–$700 figures above are national aggregates from cost guides, not a regulatory citation — call your county before budgeting.
Well or mains?
Angi prices a city water hookup at $1,000–$6,000 and a sewer connection at $1,500–$5,700, against $5,000–$10,000 for a well. On those numbers mains wins easily — but the decisive variable is distance, and Angi notes connecting to public water can run up to $200 per linear foot. At 200 feet from the main, that is $40,000 and the well wins outright.
Measure the distance to the nearest main before you assume either answer.
Working out your own number
- Ask neighbours how deep their wells are. That is better data than any national average.
- Get the per-foot rate and what it includes. Bare hole or working supply?
- Find out whether local ground needs steel casing. It is roughly 1.7× PVC.
- Ask about a guaranteed-yield contract, and who pays for a dry hole.
- Add $300–$1,300 a year for maintenance and pump power, indefinitely.
Figures from Angi and HomeGuide’s 2026 cost guides; regulatory and testing guidance from the EPA; contract risk from BuildingAdvisor. Water wells are not tracked by the Remodeling Cost vs. Value report.