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Cost to drill a well in Rhode Island: $6,800–$42,500

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

Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island

Water wells in Rhode Island fall under Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Drinking Water Quality. The state guide tells you to contact your town to ask whether local code has well regulations and whether you need a permit. You should hire a licensed well driller registered in Rhode Island whose license is active and in good standing. The Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board lists drillers and lets you check licenses. The driller submits a Well Completion Report to the Department of Health within 10 days of installing the well, with copies to the driller, the homeowner and the town.

Sources10

Groundwater and well construction in Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island median

Thick, coarse-grained glacial stratified-drift deposits form the state's most important aquifers. Bedrock is the most extensive aquifer and the most common water source in rural areas without public supply.

A well at the Rhode Island median reaches 200 ft with casing to about 130 ft, a model assumption because the records here do not report casing.

Rhode Island law requires testing the water of a home with a private well before it is sold or transferred. RIDOH recommends testing a private well at least once a year, and extra testing for arsenic, beryllium or PFAS in some areas.

Sources11,2,12

Rhode Island compared with neighboring states

StateMedian depthTypical finished well
Rhode Islandno records$6,800–$42,500
Connecticut350 ft$10,100–$53,400
Massachusetts340 ft$9,000–$52,600
New York200 ft$5,900–$33,900

Sources13,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,14,15,16,17,18

Common questions

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

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 Rhode Island?

The state guide tells you to contact your town to ask whether local code has well regulations and whether you need a permit. 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 Rhode Island?

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. 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. Steps for Putting in a New Private Well , Rhode Island Department of Health. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  11. Ground Water Atlas of the United States, Segment 12 (HA 730-M), Crystalline-rock aquifers , USGS. Accessed November 9, 2026. Rhode Island-specific statement is from a USGS sources report summarized in search results.
  12. Testing Your Well Water , Rhode Island Department of Health. Accessed November 9, 2026. Content taken from search excerpts.
  13. Well Completion Reports , Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed November 8, 2026. Well completion records used for depth, casing, and yield distributions.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. Fees , Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (NY). Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. Individual well permits $45.
  18. 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.

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