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Cost to drill a 400 ft well: $15,900–$55,800

A 400 ft drilled water well costs $15,900–$55,800 finished, with a midpoint of $35,900, at national driller rates. Drilling and casing alone run $13,300–$44,700; the pump, pressure tank, and hookup make up the rest. It is a typical depth in Arizona, New Hampshire and Missouri, where the middle half of reported wells spans 400 ft.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Key figures for a 400 ft well

ItemFigure
Finished 400 ft well (midpoint $35,900) $15,900–$55,8001,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Drilling and casing only $13,300–$44,7001,2,3,4,5,6
All-in cost per foot, midpoint $90/ft1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
States with a median deeper than 400 ft 2 of 351

Estimate a 400 ft well

Typical total: $15,900–$55,800, midpoint $35,900.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Depth set to 400 ft by you. Rates for the United States.

Low uses the 25th percentile depth at low rates; high uses the 75th percentile at high rates.
Line itemLowMidHigh
Drilling (per foot of depth) (400 ft × $50/ft)$10,000$20,000$30,0003
Casing, installed (260 ft × $28/ft)$2,600$7,200$11,7004
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$15,900$35,900$55,800

Casing depth of 260 ft is a model assumption; the records for this area do not report casing.2

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Line items on a 400 ft well

Well cap Submersible pump Casing to about 260 ft Total depth about 400 ft Soil and loose rock Open hole in rock
Cross-section of a 400 ft well with casing to about 260 ft

The borehole costs $10,000–$30,000 at 400 ft. Casing, the pipe that lines the upper borehole, is assumed to run to about 260 ft here; your driller sets the real casing depth from the geology they hit.

Line itemLowMidHigh
Drilling (per foot of depth)$10,000$20,000$30,000
Casing, installed$2,600$7,200$11,700
Rig mobilization and setup$600$1,500$2,500
Well permit$100$300$500
Pump, wire, and drop pipe, installed$1,000$2,500$4,000
Pressure tank and switch, installed$500$1,200$1,800
Trench, water line, and electrical to the house$1,000$3,000$5,000
Water quality test$100$200$300
Total$15,900$35,900$55,800

Sources3,4,5,6,7,8,9,2

States where 400 ft is a typical depth

In these 10 states, 400 ft falls inside the middle half of reported domestic wells. The cost column uses each state's driller rates where we have them.

StateMedian depth (ft)Middle half (ft)400 ft well
Arizona410280–600$18,900–$51,900
New Hampshire420300–540$15,900–$55,800
Missouri370280–490$15,900–$55,800
Connecticut350260–500$15,900–$55,800
Colorado340200–500$15,900–$55,200
Massachusetts340220–500$15,900–$55,800
Vermont340240–500$15,900–$55,800
California310220–450$22,500–$78,000
Maine300200–420$15,900–$55,700
Wyoming240100–420$15,900–$55,800

Sources10,2,11,4,5,12,9,13,3,6,7,8,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25

Counties with a median well near 400 ft

161 counties with 30 or more reports have a median that rounds to this page's depth; these are the 15 with the most reports.

CountyStateMedian depth (ft)Reports
WashingtonNew York3604,120
El PasoColorado4203,372
BrazoriaTexas3603,296
RockinghamNew Hampshire4003,014
YavapaiArizona4502,371
OxfordMaine3802,275
KootenaiIdaho4402,216
MerrimackNew Hampshire4202,157
SevierTennessee4302,138
WorcesterMassachusetts4102,089
CarrollNew Hampshire4502,015
WeldColorado3801,912
TulareCalifornia3801,818
PutnamNew York4001,723
GraftonNew Hampshire4201,596

Sources26,16,27,13,10,23,28,29,19,21

Common questions

Is 400 ft deep for a water well?

400 ft is deeper than the median domestic well in 33 of the 35 states that publish completion reports in bulk. The national median is 200 ft. Whether 400 ft is normal where you live depends on the aquifer, so compare it with the county table on your state page.

How much more does a deeper well cost than a 400 ft well?

Going to 500 ft raises the midpoint from $35,900 to $42,600. Stopping at 300 ft brings it down to $29,100. The driller cannot promise a depth in advance, so a quote should state the per-foot rate for any footage beyond the estimate.

Related pages

For the full range at every depth and state, see well drilling costs.

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. Well Registry (Wells 55) , Arizona Department of Water Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  11. Understanding the Cost of Installing a Well in Mohave County , A-1 Arthur's Well Service (Kingman, AZ). Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. Drilling $30-$65/ft; submersible pump $1,500-$3,000+; pressure tank $500-$1,200+; electrical and controls $500-$2,000; plumbing and trenching $1,000-$5,000+; total $10,000-$30,000+.
  12. A.R.S. 45-596 Notice of intention to drill , Arizona State Legislature. Accessed November 8, 2026. Filing fee $150; $100 for a well outside an AMA or INA used solely for domestic purposes with a pump of 35 gpm or less. Confirmed by A.A.C. R12-15-104 (effective 2023-10-13, https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arizona/Ariz-Admin-Code-SS-R12-15-104) and ADWR form DWR 55-40.
  13. Water Well Inventory , New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  14. Water well records (WIMS) , Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  15. Well Completion Reports , Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  16. DWR Well Application Permit , Colorado Division of Water Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  17. C.R.S. 37-92-602 Exemptions; presumptions; legislative declaration (current through Fall 2025) , Colorado Revised Statutes via colorado.public.law. Accessed November 8, 2026. Fee of $100 for a new exempt household well permit application; $60 for a replacement/paragraph (c) application.
  18. Water Testing , El Paso County Public Health Laboratory (CO). Accessed November 8, 2026. 2026. Total coliform/E. coli P/A $23.00; nitrate-N $30.00; real estate package $80.00.
  19. Well Driller Program, well completion reports , Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  20. Private wells , Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  21. Well Completion Reports (Online System for Well Completion Reports, OSWCR) , California Department of Water Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Statewide well completion report dataset used for depth records.
  22. Environmental Health Fee Schedule, effective 2026-08-08 , Calaveras County Environmental Management Agency (CA). Accessed November 8, 2026. 8607 Well Permit Application $693.00 per well.
  23. Water Well Database , Maine Geological Survey. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  24. Well Water Test Kit Information , Town of Blue Hill, Maine (Maine CDC HETL kit pricing). Accessed November 8, 2026. 2023-11-21. HETL well evaluation kit (coliform, nitrate/nitrite, fluoride, chloride, pH, arsenic, uranium, etc.) $127.00.
  25. Well and spring permits , Wyoming State Geological Survey (from Wyoming State Engineer's Office permits). Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  26. Water Well Program, wells drilled since 2000 , New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  27. Submitted Driller's Reports Database , Texas Water Development Board. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  28. Wells , Idaho Department of Water Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  29. 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.