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

A drilled, finished water well in New Jersey typically costs $6,800–$42,500, with a midpoint of $22,300. Depth sets most of that price. New Jersey 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

New Jersey 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 New Jersey

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 New Jersey

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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey

Water wells in New Jersey fall under New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Allocation and Well Permitting. A well permit from NJDEP is required before construction, and a New Jersey licensed well driller of the proper class must obtain it. NJDEP, with the State Well Drillers and Pump Installers Examining and Advisory Board, licenses well drillers and pump installers. The licensed driller must submit a completed well record through the Department's electronic permitting system within 90 days of completing the work.

Sources10,11

Groundwater and well construction in New Jersey

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 New Jersey median

The Coastal Plain is underlain by water-yielding sand strata, with the Kirkwood-Cohansey as the uppermost aquifer. Most of the Piedmont is dense bedrock that yields water through fractures.

A well at the New Jersey median reaches 200 ft with casing to about 130 ft, a model assumption because the records here do not report casing. N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2.7 sets the minimum distance from a Category 1 well to a septic disposal field at 100 feet, and to a septic tank or distribution box at 50 feet.

The Private Well Testing Act requires testing of untreated well water when a residential property is sold, and every five years for leased property. Arsenic and gross alpha testing are required only in certain counties.

Sources12,2,13,14

New Jersey compared with neighboring states

StateMedian depthTypical finished well
New Jerseyno records$6,800–$42,500
Delaware60 ft$5,200–$23,200
New York200 ft$5,900–$33,900
Pennsylvaniano records$10,800–$37,600

Sources15,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,16,17,18,19,1,2,20,21,22

Common questions

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

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 New Jersey?

A well permit from NJDEP is required before construction, and a New Jersey licensed well driller of the proper class must obtain it. 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 New Jersey?

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. Well Permitting and Program Information , New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  11. N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.15 Well record and well decommissioning reporting requirements , Cornell Legal Information Institute. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  12. Major aquifers in New Jersey , U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center. Accessed November 9, 2026. Kirkwood-Cohansey listed first (youngest) and the only unconfined Coastal Plain aquifer; Piedmont water in joints and fractures. Checked 2026-11-09; replaced an HA 730-L page that covered only the Piedmont.
  13. N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2.7 Minimum distance requirements , Cornell Legal Information Institute. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  14. Private Well Testing Act Program , New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 9, 2026. Page not directly fetched; content taken from search excerpts.
  15. Well Permits , Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  16. 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.
  17. Well Drilling Cost in Lakewood, NY , McCandless Well Drilling and Services Inc. (Jamestown, NY). Accessed November 8, 2026. Updated February 2026. Western New York drilling $25-$65/ft; pump installed $800-$2,000; pressure tank installed $500-$1,500; complete well and pump system $7,500-$12,000; average depth about 115 ft.
  18. Fees , Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (NY). Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. Individual well permits $45.
  19. Environmental Services Fee Schedule (approved 2025-09-19) , Westchester County Department of Laboratories & Research (NY). Accessed November 8, 2026. Total coliform and E. coli P/A $32.10; nitrate as N $80.25; Well Water Package A (Private Well Testing Law) $583.10.
  20. Well Drilling Cost in Bucks County, PA (2026 Guide) , CS Garber & Sons, Inc. (southeastern PA). Accessed November 8, 2026. Published 2026-02-04. Drilling plus 6-inch steel casing $35-$55/ft; mobilization $750-$1,500; grouting $8-$14/ft; submersible pump install (1/2-1 hp, complete) $3,500-$6,500; pressure tank $900-$1,800 installed; yield test and water sample $250-$500; turnkey $12,000-$22,000.
  21. Fee schedule , Chester County Health Department (PA). Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. New well permits $300; second or additional well $175; alteration $100.
  22. Drinking Water Testing , Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory. Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated (2026 site). Bacteria (total coliform and E. coli) $40; nitrate-nitrogen $15; WD01 standard package $60; WD04 standard plus nitrate $70.

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