Cost to dig a well

Having a well or borehole in your property can be a great way to save money on water costs and so you may be wondering how much it would cost to dig a well. The good news is that the average cost of drilling a water well isn’t actually as high as you may think.

Read on to find out how much the cost of drilling a well is.

How much does it cost to drill a well?

First thing’s first, before you start digging, you will probably need a hydrogeologist’s survey. This survey will tell you where to dig, how deep to dig, and what the ground is like. It might also affect the width of your well.

A hydrogeologist’s survey can cost you around £220 – £700 if you want to extract under 20m³ of water per day. If you wish to extract more than 20m³ per day, the survey would cost you around £1,000. You would also need an abstraction license, in this case.

The cost of digging a well will depend on the depth, diameter and geology (the quality of your soil). As a ballpark cost though, the cost of well drilling per metre is around £100 – £150.

The whole point of a well though is to get water, and so you would need to factor in a water pump and possible filtration. For a 60m well, you could be looking at a total cost of around £10,000 – £18,000, depending on the width.

If you need a water storage tank too, it’s wise to factor in a budget of around £1,500 – £10,000 to your total costs. The price will depend on how much storage you need.

Is the cost to dig a well worth it?

Whilst the upfront cost of drilling a well seems high, it can save you up to 80% in annual water costs. For example, a million gallons of water from the public supply could cost you around £8,000. On the other hand, water from a well could cost around £250.

As well as the initial investment, the cost of running a well per year can range between £50 – £600, depending on the amount of water you use.

Water well drilling quotes

We recommend getting at least three quotes to get an accurate water well drilling cost. Our request a quote feature can help you with that, simply fill in the form with as much information about your job, and we will send it to tradespeople near you.

For a more accurate quote, make sure to include the depth and diameter of the well you need, as well as the type of pump you need, and if you need water storage and filtration.

FAQs

What is the running cost of a well?

You can expect to spend £50 – £600 on your well’s running cost. These will include the cost of electricity to power the pump and UV filtration if you have it. You may also need to replace parts, like filter cartridges or UV bulbs once or twice a year. There may occasionally be maintenance costs too.

Do I need planning permission for digging a well on my property?

You don’t need planning permission to get access to water under your property. But, if you plan to use more than 20m³ a day, you will need an extraction license.

How deep should I dig my well?

The best way to find the depth of your well is to get a hydrogeologist’s survey. This survey will be able to tell you the depth of the water table, among other things. The average is 30m – 60m, although sometimes you may have to dig deeper.

Is it a problem to dig a well if I have a septic tank on my property?

Septic tanks can be an issue but you can work around that by situating the borehole away and up the gradient from them.