Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total well drilling cost
$9,700
Drilling & casing cost
$7,000
Submersible pump cost
$1,600
All-in cost per foot drilled
$48.50
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How to use this
- 1Enter well depth (ft).
- 2Enter geology / drilling difficulty.
- 3Enter submersible pump cost ($).
- 4Enter wellhead + pressure tank ($).
- 5Read your total well drilling cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Residential well drilling is priced almost entirely by depth, since the driller's cost is dominated by rig time and casing material per foot, with rock formations costing significantly more per foot than sand or clay due to slower drilling speed and specialized bits. This calculator prices the well using a per-foot drilling-and-casing rate, then adds a submersible pump cost (which scales with well depth and pumping capacity needed), and a wellhead/pressure tank allowance for the above-ground equipment that delivers water to the house. 2026 US national averages run about $25-$65 per foot for drilling and casing depending on geology, with most residential wells landing between 100-400 feet deep, plus $1,200-$2,500 for a submersible pump and $800-$1,500 for the pressure tank and wellhead setup. Total project cost for a typical 200-foot well commonly runs $7,500-$15,000 all-in. Local geology is the single biggest cost variable — get a quote from a driller familiar with your specific area's rock and water table depth before budgeting, since two properties a mile apart can have very different drilling costs.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Well depth: 200 ft
- Geology / drilling difficulty: Mixed soil & soft rock — $35/ft
- Submersible pump cost: 1600 $
- Wellhead + pressure tank: 1100 $
Results
- Total well drilling cost: $9,700
- Drilling & casing cost: $7,000
- Submersible pump cost: $1,600
- All-in cost per foot drilled: $48.50
What each field means
Inputs
- Well depth (ft)
- The well depth used in the calculation, measured in ft. Starts at 200 ft so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 50–600 ft.
- Geology / drilling difficulty
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Sand / clay (easy drilling) — $25/ft, Mixed soil & soft rock — $35/ft, Hard rock (granite, limestone) — $55/ft.
- Submersible pump cost ($)
- The submersible pump cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1600 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 800–3500 $.
- Wellhead + pressure tank ($)
- The wellhead + pressure tank used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1100 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 500–2500 $.
Results
- Total well drilling cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Drilling & casing cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Submersible pump cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- All-in cost per foot drilled
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How deep does a residential well need to be?
It depends entirely on the local water table and geology — some areas hit reliable water at 80-100 feet while others need 300-400+ feet, and only a local driller with knowledge of nearby wells can give a realistic depth estimate before drilling starts.
Why does drilling into rock cost so much more than soil?
Rock formations require slower drilling speeds, harder (and more expensive) drill bits, and sometimes air rotary or down-hole hammer equipment instead of simpler mud rotary rigs — all of which roughly double or more the per-foot cost compared to drilling through sand or clay.
What happens if the driller doesn't hit water at the expected depth?
Most well contracts include a per-foot rate that continues to apply if the driller has to go deeper than initially estimated to find adequate water — always confirm the contract's dry-hole or deeper-drilling terms before signing, since this is the most common source of well-drilling cost overruns.
Does well water need additional treatment after drilling?
Almost always — a water test after drilling commonly reveals hardness, iron, sulfur, or bacteria that need addressing with a water softener, filtration system, or disinfection, none of which are included in the drilling cost itself.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Well Drilling Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/well-drilling-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/well-drilling-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Well Drilling Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Well Drilling Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/well-drilling-cost) (2026).