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Cost to drill a well in Alabama: $6,800–$42,500

A drilled, finished water well in Alabama typically costs $6,800–$42,500, with a midpoint of $22,300. Depth sets most of that price. Alabama does not publish its well completion reports as a bulk download, so this estimate uses the national depth model of 100 ft to 300 ft, priced at national driller rates.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Alabama has no bulk well-record download we could use, so this page shows statewide estimates from the national depth model and no county figures.

Key figures for Alabama

ItemFigure
Finished well, typical range (midpoint $22,300) $6,800–$42,5001,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Drilling and casing only (no pump, tank, or hookup) $4,200–$31,4001,2,3,4,5,6
Drilling rate (national rates) $25–$75/ft3

Estimate a well in Alabama

Typical total: $6,800–$42,500, midpoint $22,300.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

No usable well records for this area, so depths use the national model (100 ft to 300 ft).

Low uses the 25th percentile depth at low rates; high uses the 75th percentile at high rates.
Line itemLowMidHigh
Drilling (per foot of depth) (200 ft × $50/ft)$2,500$10,000$22,5003
Casing, installed (130 ft × $28/ft)$1,000$3,600$5,9004
Rig mobilization and setup ($550–$2,500)$600$1,500$2,5005
Well permit ($50–$500)$100$300$5006
Pump, wire, and drop pipe, installed ($1,000–$4,000)$1,000$2,500$4,0007
Pressure tank and switch, installed ($500–$1,800)$500$1,200$1,8007
Trench, water line, and electrical to the house ($1,000–$5,000)$1,000$3,000$5,0008
Water quality test ($50–$250)$100$200$3009
Total$6,800$22,300$42,500

Casing depth of 130 ft is a model assumption; the records for this area do not report casing.2

No state rate survey yet, so national driller rates are used.

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Where the money goes on a Alabama well

Drilling is billed by the foot at $25–$75/ft, so the hole alone runs $2,500–$22,500 at the depths above. Casing, the steel or PVC pipe that lines the upper borehole, adds $1,000–$5,900 at $10–$45/ft. Rig setup is a flat $600–$2,500.

The pump, pressure tank, and trench to the house add $2,500–$10,800 on top of the hole. A quote that looks low next to the range above often leaves those three out, so ask for it itemized.

Sources3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Permits and driller licensing in Alabama

Water wells in Alabama fall under Alabama Water Well Standards Board (Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Water Well Standards Program). Before work starts, the driller files a Notification of Intent to drill with the Alabama Water Well Standards Board on the Board's form. The well's location must also meet any local regulations. Anyone who drills a water well in Alabama needs a driller's license from the Board, renewed by September 30 each year for $200.00, and first-time applicants need two years of experience and a 70 percent exam score. The driller files a Certification of Completion with the Board within 30 days after completion of work, and the Board passes it to local health authorities within 7 days.

Sources10

Groundwater and well construction in Alabama

Well cap Submersible pump Casing to about 130 ft Total depth about 200 ft Soil and loose rock Open hole in rock
Cross-section of a 200 ft well with casing to 130 ft, the Alabama median

North Alabama wells tap limestone, sandstone, and shale of the Appalachian Plateaus and Interior Low Plateaus, plus Paleozoic rocks of the Valley and Ridge. East-central Alabama sits on the crystalline-rock aquifers of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge. The southern half draws on Coastal Plain sands of the Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system, the Floridan aquifer system along the southern edge, and the sand and gravel (Miocene-Pliocene) aquifer in the southwest, which thickens to about 1,400 feet.

A well at the Alabama median reaches 200 ft with casing to about 130 ft, a model assumption because the records here do not report casing. Alabama's well location standards recommend 100 feet between a well and a septic tank or field lines, and 150 feet from a cess pool or sewage lagoon.

Alabama Extension sends well owners to the county health department for coliform bacteria tests, recommends a water test every year, and says nitrate or heavy-metal testing needs a certified drinking water lab.

Sources11,2,10,12

Alabama compared with neighboring states

StateMedian depthTypical finished well
Alabamano records$6,800–$42,500
Florida130 ft$6,500–$28,200
Georgiano records$7,300–$29,000
Mississippino records$6,800–$42,500
Tennessee220 ft$7,900–$44,800

Sources13,14,4,5,15,7,8,16,1,2,17,18,19,3,6,9,20

Common questions

How much does it cost per foot to drill a well in Alabama?

Drilling alone runs $25–$75/ft on the rates we compiled. Spread across a whole finished well, including casing, pump, tank, and hookup, the midpoint estimate works out to about $112/ft at a depth of 200 ft. Per-foot quotes rarely include the pump.

Do you need a permit to drill a well in Alabama?

Before work starts, the driller files a Notification of Intent to drill with the Alabama Water Well Standards Board on the Board's form. The well's location must also meet any local regulations. The driller usually files the paperwork, but the permit is tied to your property, so ask for a copy.

How much do a well pump and pressure tank add in Alabama?

An installed submersible pump with wire and drop pipe runs $1,000–$4,000, and a pressure tank with its switch runs $500–$1,800. Together they are often the line items missing from a drilling quote, so a quote for the hole alone will look $3,700 cheaper than a finished well.

Related pages

For every state side by side and the national range, see our national cost table.

Sources

  1. National depth distribution, median of state percentiles , Cost to Drill a Well. Accessed November 9, 2026. Median across states with records of each state's 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile depth.
  2. Default casing share of well depth , Cost to Drill a Well. Accessed November 9, 2026. Median of state casing_p50 / depth_p50 across states that report casing. Used only where no local casing median exists.
  3. Water Well Installation: Complete Guide, Cost and Tips for Success , Stevens Drilling (La Vernia, TX). Accessed November 8, 2026. Published 2025-10-27. Drilling $25-$65/ft; pumps $500-$2,000; pressure tank $300-$1,500; permit/licensing $100-$750; total $7,500-$17,000+.
  4. Cost to Drill a Water Well in Northern California , Weeks Drilling & Pump Co. (Sebastopol, CA). Accessed November 8, 2026. Published 2026-04-30. Drilling $35-$130/ft; steel casing $20-$45/ft; pump and pressure tank $3,500-$9,000; permitting $500-$2,500.
  5. D-203(5) Statewide Drilling Services, Exhibit D Price Schedule (Thein Well Co., contract 226711) , Minnesota Office of State Procurement. Accessed November 8, 2026. 2023 state-contract unit rates from a licensed MN driller: 6-in borehole $30-$31/ft (mud rotary/auger), $75/ft air rotary in rock; 6-in casing $28/ft (code) to $48/ft (black steel); mobilization $1,000/project; 34-gal pressure tank installed $1,000, 62-gal $1,450; submersible pump 3/4-1 hp $1,250-$1,350 each; drop pipe $7/ft; pitless and lateral $2,000; trench $20/LF. Agency-buyer rates, not retail quotes.
  6. Compilation of fetched state and county well permit fees (research/rates/NOTES.md, section permit) , costtodrillawell.com research. Accessed November 8, 2026. Internal compilation used only for the national permit fallback. Component sources: ok-owrb-well-driller-fact-sheet ($0), fl-nwfwmd-well-fees through fl-manatee-water-wells-2026 ($35-$265), ny-dutchess-dbch-fees ($45), wi-dnr-well-notification ($50.50), ga-pierce-well-permit-2024 ($70), idaho-code-42-235 ($75), crs-37-92-602 ($100), az-ars-45-596 ($100-$150), nmac-19-27-5 ($125), wa-rcw-18-104-055 ($200), nc-wayne-private-wells through nc-gaston-eh-fees ($225-$450), mi-grand-traverse-fees-2026 and mi-delta-menominee-fees-2025 ($240-$334), mt-dnrc-form-613-2025 ($250-$400), pa-chester-county-health-fees ($300), mn-stat-103i-208 ($325), oh-logan-fees-2024 through oh-summit-fees-2025 ($350-$594), or-hb2808-2025 ($490), blanco-pedernales-gcd-fees-2025 ($500), ca-calaveras-fees-2026 ($693), ny-nyc-well-water-permit ($1,090 outlier).
  7. How Much Does a Well Pressure Tank Cost? , Mid Atlantic Water LLC (water-system supplier, nationwide). Accessed November 8, 2026. Updated 2026-10-14; prices live as of 2026-09. Tank replaced by plumber $800-$1,800 all-in (20-44 gal); labor $200-$500; submersible pump job $1,000-$2,500; tank plus pump $2,500-$5,000+. Supplier, not an installer.
  8. What Are the Cost Factors of Drilling a Santa Fe Water Well? , Boylan Water Well Service (Santa Fe, NM). Accessed November 8, 2026. Published 2026-06-25. Drilling incl. PVC casing $28-$65/ft; submersible pump $850-$2,500; casing and grouting $1,500-$4,000; pressure tank and controls $500-$1,800; electrical hookup and trenching $1,000-$3,500; permits and lab testing $300-$1,000; turn-key $12,000-$30,000+.
  9. DSHS Austin Laboratory Fee Schedule, effective 2026-09-01 , Texas Department of State Health Services. Accessed November 8, 2026. Potable Water (coliform) MZZ0441A $18.39; Nitrate-N EZZ0048A $30.00; Routine Water Mineral Group $155; All Metals $165; VOCs $150.
  10. Alabama Administrative Code chapter 335-9-1, Water Well Standards , Alabama Water Well Standards Board / ADEM. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  11. Ground Water Atlas of the United States, Segment 6: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina (HA 730-G) , U.S. Geological Survey. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  12. Water Testing in Alabama: Why, Where, How , Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  13. Well completion report sites and well construction permits , St. Johns River and Southwest Florida Water Management Districts. Accessed November 8, 2026. Records from two districts; the Southwest Florida district data is at data-swfwmd.opendata.arcgis.com.
  14. How Much Does It Cost to Drill a Water Well in 2026? , Parrish Well Drilling (Sarasota, FL). Accessed November 8, 2026. Published 2026-04-17. Drilling $25-$65/ft; pumps $1,000-$3,000; full system $5,000-$15,000 for 100-300 ft Sarasota-area wells; 200-ft well $7,000-$15,000.
  15. Well Permitting Fee Schedule , Northwest Florida Water Management District. Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated (2026 site; matches F.A.C. 40A-3.201). Wells 6 inches and greater $100; 4 to under 6 inches $50; under 4 inches $35; delineated-area domestic well $100.
  16. Drinking Water , Florida Department of Health in DeSoto County. Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated (2026 site). Bacteria $26; nitrate/nitrite $35; lead $35.
  17. Well Services FAQs , Well Watchers / Expert Well Drilling & Well Pump Services (Milner, GA). Accessed November 8, 2026. 2026 footer. Central Georgia drilling $25-$35/ft; pump system $1,500-$3,000; pump replacement $1,200-$2,500; permits and testing $300-$600; total $5,000-$12,000.
  18. Well Permit application (Well_Permit_24.pdf) , Pierce County Board of Health / Planning & Codes (Blackshear, GA). Accessed November 8, 2026. 2024. Well permit fee $70.00 under the Water Well Standards Act (O.C.G.A. 12-5-120 et seq.). County boards of health set fees in Georgia.
  19. Testing Services (UGA AESL water tests via county office) , University of Georgia Extension, Harris County. Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. W35 total coliform/E. coli $36; W6 nitrate-N $16; W1 basic water test $24; W2 expanded $64; W33B home loan closing kit $85.
  20. Water Well Program, well locations , Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.

How these figures are built: methodology. Updated November 2026.