Guide
How much does a water well cost?
A drilled water well is priced by depth, geology, and the completion you need — not by a flat rate. Two properties a few kilometres apart can sit over very different aquifers, so the well that costs one neighbour a modest amount can cost the next one more because the water is deeper or the ground is harder to drill.
The main cost drivers are total drilled depth (charged per foot or per metre), casing and screen, the pump and pressure system, and any pitless adapter and waterline work to get water below the frost line into the house. A test hole and geophysical log — which a good driller runs to find the right aquifer and screen depth — reduces the risk of a dry or low-yield hole.
When you compare quotes, compare like for like: total depth assumptions, whether the pump and pressure tank are included, and whether waterline and electrical to the wellhead are in or out of scope. A cheap per-foot rate on a well that has to go deeper than quoted is not actually cheaper. Ask the driller what nearby wells look like in the provincial well-records database — they can usually give you a realistic depth range for your area before the rig arrives.