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Cost to drill a well in Montana: $6,700–$43,900 by county

A drilled, finished water well in Montana typically costs $6,700–$43,900, with a midpoint of $21,900. Depth sets most of that price. Domestic wells here have a median depth of 170 ft across 27,158 completion reports filed 2016–2025, priced at national driller rates.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Key figures for Montana

ItemFigure
Finished well, typical range (midpoint $21,900) $6,700–$43,9001,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Drilling and casing only (no pump, tank, or hookup) $4,100–$32,7001,2,3,4,5
Median well depth (27,158 reports) 170 ft1
Middle half of wells 90 ft to 300 ft1
Drilling rate (national rates) $25–$75/ft2
Median casing depth 160 ft1
Median reported yield 27 gpm1

Estimate a well in Montana

Typical total: $6,700–$43,900, midpoint $21,900.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Depths from 27,158 domestic well reports in Montana, 2016–2025: 90 ft (25th percentile), 173 ft (median), 300 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) (173 ft × $50/ft)$2,300$8,700$22,5002
Casing, installed (163 ft × $28/ft)$900$4,500$7,3003
Rig mobilization and setup ($550–$2,500)$600$1,500$2,5004
Well permit ($250–$400)$300$300$4005
Pump, wire, and drop pipe, installed ($1,000–$4,000)$1,000$2,500$4,0006
Pressure tank and switch, installed ($500–$1,800)$500$1,200$1,8006
Trench, water line, and electrical to the house ($1,000–$5,000)$1,000$3,000$5,0007
Water quality test ($50–$350)$100$200$4008
Total$6,700$21,900$43,900

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Well depth by county in Montana

Total depth of domestic wells by county, Montana. Bar shows the middle half of wells; tick marks the median.
County Reports Median depth (ft) Middle half (ft) 0 to 1,500 ft
Flathead 3,484 260 180–390
Ravalli 2,833 110 60–220
Lewis and Clark 2,392 150 100–280
Gallatin 2,173 130 80–260
Lincoln 1,437 240 130–360
Missoula 1,337 150 100–240
Lake 1,111 260 160–420
Yellowstone 1,099 40 30–60
Broadwater 1,065 200 130–270
Madison 1,065 160 100–270
Jefferson 854 260 170–390
Carbon 833 60 40–150
Sanders 797 260 120–380
Cascade 794 320 140–460
Park 738 200 110–280
Stillwater 538 60 30–170
Beaverhead 510 120 80–200
Silver Bow 426 180 120–280
Granite 367 180 90–340
Powell 304 150 100–250
Mineral 301 140 80–230
Fergus 271 220 120–360
Deer Lodge 264 160 80–300
Sweet Grass 225 120 60–260
Musselshell 224 330 210–440
Teton 199 100 40–160
Richland 150 130 70–210
Meagher 134 180 130–320
Glacier 117 120 80–160
Custer 108 320 220–500
Rosebud 106 260 160–420
Big Horn 98 80 40–210
Hill 91 120 70–190
Judith Basin 86 100 80–160
Dawson 60 180 110–290
Phillips 51 100 70–200
Powder River 51 380 270–490
Carter 50 310 200–600
Golden Valley 46 160 110–350
McCone 45 160 120–300
Fallon 39 720 240–840
Wheatland 39 160 110–240
Blaine 38 100 50–260
Chouteau* 28 190 50–280
Treasure* 27 40 30–50
Garfield* 26 200 140–280
Prairie* 20 490 230–860
Valley* 19 100 70–130
Pondera* 18 130 100–180
Wibaux* 16 220 130–410
Roosevelt* 15 120 40–220
Sheridan* 12 140 50–260
Petroleum* 10 680 100–1,500
Daniels* 7 140 120–260
Liberty* 7 320 150–420
Toole* 3 100 70–110

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

Median depth runs from 40 ft in Yellowstone County to 720 ft in Fallon County. At national rates that difference is worth about $52,700 at the midpoint estimate. 13 of 56 counties have fewer than 30 reports; the calculator uses the statewide figure for those.

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

Where the money goes on a Montana well

Drilling is billed by the foot at $25–$75/ft, so the hole alone runs $2,300–$22,500 at the depths above. Casing, the steel or PVC pipe that lines the upper borehole, adds $900–$7,300 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.

Sources2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Permits and driller licensing in Montana

Water wells in Montana fall under Montana Board of Water Well Contractors (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation). A domestic well using 35 gallons per minute or less and no more than 10 acre-feet per year is an exempt well under DNRC water rights rules. Since Jan. 1, 2026, the owner must file a Notice of Intent to Appropriate Groundwater (Form 602I, $400 fee) with DNRC before using the water, then a Notice of Completion of Groundwater Development once the water is put to use. Montana law makes it unlawful to drill a water well without a license under Title 37, chapter 43, though an owner may drill on land they own or lease for farming, ranching or their residence if they obtain a permit from the Board and meet the board's minimum construction standards. Within 60 days after a well is completed, the driller must file a well log report with the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. The permit or filing fee runs $300–$400.

Sources9,10,11,5

Groundwater and well construction in Montana

Well cap Submersible pump Casing to about 160 ft Total depth about 170 ft Soil and loose rock Open hole in rock
Cross-section of a 170 ft well with casing to 160 ft, the Montana median

In western Montana most domestic wells are completed in shallow basin-fill sand and gravel in the major valleys, with lower-yield fractured bedrock wells in the foothills and valley margins. East of the mountains the basin-fill deposits are thin, and rural homes rely on confined bedrock aquifers such as the Fort Union sandstone and coal beds, the Fox Hills–Hell Creek sandstones, the Judith River and the Eagle–Virgelle Formations, where flowing wells are common.

A well at the Montana median reaches 170 ft with casing to about 160 ft. Board construction rules bar a water well within 50 feet of a septic tank and within 100 feet of a drainfield, seepage pit or cesspool.

Montana State University Extension describes naturally occurring arsenic and nitrate from human waste, animal waste, or fertilizer in groundwater, and recommends annual testing for nitrate and bacteria.

Sources12,1,13,14

Montana compared with neighboring states

StateMedian depthTypical finished well
Montana170 ft$6,700–$43,900
Idaho200 ft$7,500–$43,800
North Dakota110 ft$5,500–$31,000
South Dakota200 ft$7,000–$48,500
Wyoming240 ft$6,800–$52,600

Sources15,2,3,4,16,6,7,17,18,19,20,21,22,23

Common questions

How deep is a typical well in Montana?

Half of the 27,158 domestic wells reported in Montana from 2016–2025 are between 90 ft and 300 ft deep, and the median is 170 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 Montana?

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 $127/ft at a depth of 170 ft. Per-foot quotes rarely include the pump.

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

A domestic well using 35 gallons per minute or less and no more than 10 acre-feet per year is an exempt well under DNRC water rights rules. Since Jan. 1, 2026, the owner must file a Notice of Intent to Appropriate Groundwater (Form 602I, $400 fee) with DNRC before using the water, then a Notice of Completion of Groundwater Development once the water is put to use. Expect a fee of $300–$400. 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 Montana?

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 well drilling costs.

Sources

  1. Ground Water Information Center (GWIC) , Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  2. 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+.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Form 613 Water Right Fee Schedule, effective 2025-10-01 , Montana DNRC Water Resources Division. Accessed November 8, 2026. Form 602 Notice of Completion of Groundwater Development (35 gpm / 10 ac-ft exempt well) $250.00; $400.00 in a Controlled Groundwater Area; Form 602I Notice of Intent (effective 01/2026) $400.00 (https://dnrc.mt.gov/_docs/water/Water-Rights-Forms/602I.pdf).
  6. 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.
  7. 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+.
  8. Environmental Laboratory Testing Fee Schedule, effective 2024-01-01 , Montana DPHHS Laboratory Services Bureau. Accessed November 8, 2026. Total coliform P/A $25.00; nitrate+nitrite as N $28.00; Basic Screen package $55.00; Full Well Screen $340.00.
  9. MCA 37-43-302, License required , Montana Legislature. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  10. Form 602I, Notice of Intent to Appropriate Groundwater , Montana DNRC. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  11. MCA 85-2-516, Well logs , Montana Legislature. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  12. Hydrogeology Related to Exempt Wells in Montana (Open-File Report 612) , Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  13. ARM 36.21.638, Location of wells , Montana Board of Water Well Contractors. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  14. Ground water quality fact sheet , Montana State University Extension, Carbon County. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  15. Wells , Idaho Department of Water Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  16. Idaho Code 42-235 Drilling Permits , Idaho Legislature. Accessed November 8, 2026. $75.00 permit charge for a domestic or monitoring well; $200 otherwise. Confirmed by IDWR Form 235-1 (https://idwr.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/forms/235-1-application-for-drilling-permit.pdf).
  17. Drinking Water Quality Fees (July 2026) , Central District Health (Boise, ID). Accessed November 8, 2026. Coliform test $20; nitrate test $21; sample collection by CDH $145.
  18. Ground and surface water site data , North Dakota Department of Water Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  19. 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.
  20. 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).
  21. 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.
  22. Water well completion reports , South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  23. 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.

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