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
Lower total cost option
Municipal Water
Well total cost
$18,000
Municipal water total cost
$16,500
Difference over horizon
$1,500
Breakeven year
23.8
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How to use this
- 1Enter well drilling + pump cost ($).
- 2Enter well annual maintenance/testing ($).
- 3Enter municipal water annual bill ($).
- 4Enter municipal hookup/tap fee ($).
- 5Enter years to project.
- 6Read your lower total cost option on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
A private well has no monthly water bill but requires drilling, a pump system, periodic testing, and eventual pump replacement, while municipal water carries no upfront cost but bills you every month indefinitely and rises with rate increases. This tool compares the amortized upfront well cost plus annual maintenance against years of municipal water bills to find the breakeven point.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Well drilling + pump cost: 12000 $
- Well annual maintenance/testing: 300 $
- Municipal water annual bill: 700 $
- Municipal hookup/tap fee: 2500 $
- Years to project: 20
Results
- Lower total cost option: Municipal Water
- Well total cost: $18,000
- Municipal water total cost: $16,500
- Difference over horizon: $1,500
- Breakeven year: 23.8
What each field means
Inputs
- Well drilling + pump cost ($)
- The well drilling + pump cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 12000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Well annual maintenance/testing ($)
- The well annual maintenance/testing used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 300 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Municipal water annual bill ($)
- The municipal water annual bill used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 700 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Municipal hookup/tap fee ($)
- The municipal hookup/tap fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 2500 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Years to project
- The years to project used in the calculation. Starts at 20 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–40.
Results
- Lower total cost option
- Returned as a plain value and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Well total cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Municipal water total cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Difference over horizon
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Breakeven year
- Returned as a length of time. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Does this include electricity to run the pump?
Fold pump electricity (typically $5-15/month) into your well maintenance estimate — it's small relative to drilling cost but real over decades.
What about water quality testing?
Well owners should test annually for bacteria and nitrates, which is included in the maintenance estimate; municipal water is tested and treated by the utility as part of your bill.
Can I switch from well to municipal later?
Yes if a line runs nearby, but you'll pay the hookup fee at that time plus possibly abandon or keep the well as a backup for irrigation.
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.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Well vs Municipal Water Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/well-vs-municipal-water-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/well-vs-municipal-water-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Well vs Municipal Water Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Well vs Municipal Water Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/well-vs-municipal-water-cost) (2026).