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Cost to drill a well in North Carolina: $4,900–$25,600

A drilled, finished water well in North Carolina typically costs $4,900–$25,600, with a midpoint of $14,300. Depth sets most of that price. North Carolina 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 North Carolina driller rates.1,2,3,4,5,6,7

North Carolina 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 North Carolina

ItemFigure
Finished well, typical range (midpoint $14,300) $4,900–$25,6001,2,3,4,5,6,7
Drilling and casing only (no pump, tank, or hookup) $2,300–$14,6001,2,3,4,5
Drilling rate (North Carolina rates) $10–$30/ft3

Estimate a well in North Carolina

Typical total: $4,900–$25,600, midpoint $14,300.1,2,3,4,5,6,7

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 × $20/ft)$1,000$4,000$9,0003
Casing, installed (130 ft × $13/ft)$500$1,600$2,6003
Rig mobilization and setup ($550–$2,500)$600$1,500$2,5004
Well permit ($200–$450)$200$300$5005
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 ($100–$200)$100$200$2005
Total$4,900$14,300$25,600

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

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Where the money goes on a North Carolina well

Drilling is billed by the foot at $10–$30/ft, so the hole alone runs $1,000–$9,000 at the depths above. Casing, the steel or PVC pipe that lines the upper borehole, adds $500–$2,600 at $5–$20/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

Permits and driller licensing in North Carolina

Water wells in North Carolina fall under County health departments, under rules of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health Section. G.S. 87-97 requires every county to run a program that permits, inspects and tests new private drinking water wells, so the permit comes from your county health department. Each county sets its own permit fee. Well work must be performed or supervised by a contractor certified under Article 7A of G.S. Chapter 87, though the statute exempts a person who builds a well on land they own or lease. The contractor files a GW-1 completion record with the state Division and sends a copy to the county health department within thirty days after completion. The permit or filing fee runs $200–$500.

Sources8,9,10,5

Groundwater and well construction in North Carolina

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 North Carolina median

The Piedmont and Blue Ridge are underlain by fractured igneous and metamorphic rock covered by regolith, which forms an unconfined aquifer. The Coastal Plain is a wedge of sediment that dips and thickens to the southeast and has been divided into 10 aquifers separated by confining units.

A well at the North Carolina median reaches 200 ft with casing to about 130 ft, a model assumption because the records here do not report casing. A well serving a single-family home must be at least 50 feet from the septic tank and drainfield, rising to 100 feet for a saprolite system or any other facility, and some counties enforce larger local setbacks.

NCDHHS says many North Carolina wells have too much lead, arsenic, iron or manganese, low pH, or coliform bacteria, and advises testing for coliform bacteria every year.

Sources11,2,12,13

North Carolina compared with neighboring states

StateMedian depthTypical finished well
North Carolinano records$4,900–$25,600
Georgiano records$7,300–$29,000
South Carolinano records$6,800–$42,500
Tennessee220 ft$7,900–$44,800
Virginiano records$6,800–$42,500

Sources1,2,14,15,4,16,6,7,17,18,19,20,21

Common questions

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

Drilling alone runs $10–$30/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 $72/ft at a depth of 200 ft. Per-foot quotes rarely include the pump.

Do you need a permit to drill a well in North Carolina?

G.S. 87-97 requires every county to run a program that permits, inspects and tests new private drinking water wells, so the permit comes from your county health department. Each county sets its own permit fee. Expect a fee of $200–$500. 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 North Carolina?

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. How much does it cost to drill a well? , Merrill Drilling & Water Systems (Penrose, NC). Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated (site 2023; images 2018). Drilling about $10/ft low end up to $30/ft; casing $5-$20/ft; permits $200-$500 residential; drilling alone from $2,000.
  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. Fee Schedule , Gaston County Environmental Health (NC). Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. Well installation permit $450; state-required water test for new wells $150; bacteriological only $80; inorganic only $80; both $150.
  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. Private Wells Frequently Asked Questions , North Carolina DHHS Private Well Program. Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. Each county sets its own permitting fee; fee covers site visits, new-well water sampling and lab testing.
  9. G.S. 87-98.4, Certification required , North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  10. 15A NCAC 02C .0114, Data and Records Required , North Carolina Environmental Management Commission. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  11. North Carolina groundwater setting (Water Data Report 2005) , U.S. Geological Survey. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  12. 15A NCAC 02C .0107, Location of Wells , North Carolina Environmental Management Commission. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  13. Private Well Water fact sheet , North Carolina DHHS, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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+.
  19. 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).
  20. 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.
  21. 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.