costtodrillawell.com

Cost to drill a well in Alaska: $5,800–$29,200 by county

A drilled, finished water well in Alaska typically costs $5,800–$29,200, with a midpoint of $15,600. Depth sets most of that price. Domestic wells here have a median depth of 100 ft across 4,297 completion reports filed 2016–2025, priced at national driller rates.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Key figures for Alaska

ItemFigure
Finished well, typical range (midpoint $15,600) $5,800–$29,2001,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Drilling and casing only (no pump, tank, or hookup) $3,200–$18,1001,2,3,4,5,6
Median well depth (4,297 reports) 100 ft1
Middle half of wells 70 ft to 160 ft1
Drilling rate (national rates) $25–$75/ft3
Median reported yield 15 gpm1

Estimate a well in Alaska

Typical total: $5,800–$29,200, midpoint $15,600.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Depths from 4,297 domestic well reports in Alaska, 2016–2025: 70 ft (25th percentile), 101 ft (median), 161 ft (75th percentile).

Low uses the 25th percentile depth at low rates; high uses the 75th percentile at high rates.
Line itemLowMidHigh
Drilling (per foot of depth) (101 ft × $50/ft)$1,800$5,100$12,1003
Casing, installed (66 ft × $28/ft)$700$1,800$3,0004
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$5,800$15,600$29,200

Casing depth of 66 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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Well depth by county in Alaska

Total depth of domestic wells by county, Alaska. Bar shows the middle half of wells; tick marks the median.
County Reports Median depth (ft) Middle half (ft) 0 to 400 ft
Matanuska-Susitna 3,737 100 70–160
Kenai Peninsula 193 90 60–190
Fairbanks North Star 163 70 40–180
Anchorage 106 200 110–300
Denali* 24 140 100–200
Kodiak Island* 19 200 200–200
Copper River* 17 130 60–230
Haines* 10 170 120–290
Bristol Bay* 7 90 60–120
Juneau City and* 5 370 370–400
Lake and Peninsula* 3 190 120–220
Nome* 3 260 250–280
Yakutat City and* 3 60 50–60
Chugach* 2 300 250–350
Yukon-Koyukuk* 2 300 300–300
Prince of Wales-Hyder* 1 110 110–110
Skagway* 1 360 360–360
Southeast Fairbanks* 1 80 80–80

* 14 counties have fewer than 30 reports. Estimates there use the statewide figures.

Median depth runs from 70 ft in Fairbanks North Star Borough to 200 ft in Anchorage Municipality. At national rates that difference is worth about $8,800 at the midpoint estimate. 14 of 18 counties have fewer than 30 reports; the calculator uses the statewide figure for those.

Sources1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Where the money goes on a Alaska well

Drilling is billed by the foot at $25–$75/ft, so the hole alone runs $1,800–$12,100 at the depths above. Casing, the steel or PVC pipe that lines the upper borehole, adds $700–$3,000 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 Alaska

Water wells in Alaska fall under Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land and Water (Well Log Tracking System). Alaska has no statewide permit for a private well; only the Municipality of Anchorage and the City of North Pole have local rules for private well work. Outside those two places, monitoring well water quality is the owner's responsibility. Water well contractors must file the driller's log, pump test, and water quality data with the Department of Natural Resources within 45 days of well completion, under AS 41.08.020(b)(4) and 11 AAC 93.140(a).

Sources1,10

Groundwater and well construction in Alaska

Well cap Submersible pump Casing to about 70 ft Total depth about 100 ft Soil and loose rock Open hole in rock
Cross-section of a 100 ft well with casing to 70 ft, the Alaska median

Sand and gravel laid down as glacial outwash or river alluvium form Alaska's most productive aquifers, and the Cook Inlet aquifer system under the lowlands around Anchorage, Palmer, Kenai, and Soldotna serves many domestic wells. Bedrock fills in where those deposits are thin: fractured schist north and northeast of Fairbanks supplies about one-half of the population there, and Kenai Group sandstone and coal beds supply domestic wells on the southwestern Kenai Peninsula.

A well at the Alaska median reaches 100 ft with casing to about 70 ft, a model assumption because the records here do not report casing. 18 AAC 72.100 requires at least 100 horizontal feet between a private water source and a septic tank, soil absorption system, or other wastewater disposal system, unless the department approves less.

The Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys reports arsenic in wells around Fairbanks, the Seward and Kenai Peninsulas, the Mat-Su Valley, and Anchorage, and the state health department recommends testing a private well every year for arsenic and other contaminants.

Sources11,2,12,13

Common questions

How deep is a typical well in Alaska?

Half of the 4,297 domestic wells reported in Alaska from 2016–2025 are between 70 ft and 160 ft deep, and the median is 100 ft. Your county can sit well above or below that, so check the county table on this page before you compare quotes.

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

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 $154/ft at a depth of 100 ft. Per-foot quotes rarely include the pump.

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

Alaska has no statewide permit for a private well; only the Municipality of Anchorage and the City of North Pole have local rules for private well work. Outside those two places, monitoring well water quality is the owner's responsibility. 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 Alaska?

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 cost to drill a well.

Sources

  1. Well Log Tracking System (WELTS) , Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  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. Private Wells, Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Permitting Requirements (fact sheet) , FEMA. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  11. Ground Water Atlas of the United States, Segment 13: Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (HA 730-N) , U.S. Geological Survey. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  12. 18 AAC 72.100 Private water systems , Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  13. Arsenic in Alaska groundwater , Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. Accessed November 9, 2026.

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