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Cost to drill a well in Vermont: $9,800–$53,400 by county

A drilled, finished water well in Vermont typically costs $9,800–$53,400, with a midpoint of $26,800. Depth sets most of that price. Domestic wells here have a median depth of 340 ft across 8,217 completion reports filed 2016–2025, priced at national driller rates.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Key figures for Vermont

ItemFigure
Finished well, typical range (midpoint $26,800) $9,800–$53,4001,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Drilling and casing only (no pump, tank, or hookup) $7,200–$42,3001,2,3,4,5
Median well depth (8,217 reports) 340 ft1
Middle half of wells 240 ft to 500 ft1
Drilling rate (national rates) $25–$75/ft2
Median casing depth 40 ft1
Median reported yield 10 gpm1

Estimate a well in Vermont

Typical total: $9,800–$53,400, midpoint $26,800.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Depths from 8,217 domestic well reports in Vermont, 2016–2025: 242 ft (25th percentile), 340 ft (median), 500 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) (340 ft × $50/ft)$6,100$17,000$37,5002
Casing, installed (40 ft × $28/ft)$400$1,100$1,8003
Rig mobilization and setup ($550–$2,500)$600$1,500$2,5004
Well permit ($50–$500)$100$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 ($50–$250)$100$200$3008
Total$9,800$26,800$53,400

No state rate survey yet, so national driller rates are used.

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Well depth by county in Vermont

Total depth of domestic wells by county, Vermont. Bar shows the middle half of wells; tick marks the median.
County Reports Median depth (ft) Middle half (ft) 0 to 600 ft
Franklin 964 360 240–520
Washington 958 310 230–420
Windsor 874 370 260–500
Lamoille 843 300 220–420
Chittenden 812 430 300–600
Orange 612 340 230–500
Windham 610 400 280–510
Rutland 560 370 250–550
Addison 541 350 250–510
Orleans 500 300 240–420
Caledonia 467 300 240–420
Bennington 287 330 220–500
Essex 100 320 240–430
Grand Isle 89 320 220–400

Median depth runs from 300 ft in Lamoille County to 430 ft in Chittenden County. At national rates that difference is worth about $6,600 at the midpoint estimate.

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

Where the money goes on a Vermont well

Drilling is billed by the foot at $25–$75/ft, so the hole alone runs $6,100–$37,500 at the depths above. Casing, the steel or PVC pipe that lines the upper borehole, adds $400–$1,800 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 Vermont

Water wells in Vermont fall under Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division. Well drillers must hold a license, now issued through the Office of Professional Regulation, with some work such as pump installation exempt. A licensed water well driller must file a well completion report with the state and the owner within 90 days of completing the well.

Sources9,10,11

Groundwater and well construction in Vermont

Well cap Submersible pump Casing to about 40 ft Total depth about 340 ft Soil and loose rock Open hole in rock
Cross-section of a 340 ft well with casing to 40 ft, the Vermont median

A well at the Vermont median reaches 340 ft with casing to about 40 ft.

The Vermont Department of Health recommends testing private water for bacteria, inorganic chemicals and gross alpha radiation.

Sources1,12

Vermont compared with neighboring states

StateMedian depthTypical finished well
Vermont340 ft$9,800–$53,400
Massachusetts340 ft$9,000–$52,600
New Hampshire420 ft$11,300–$56,700
New York200 ft$5,900–$33,900

Sources13,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,14,15,16,17,18

Common questions

How deep is a typical well in Vermont?

Half of the 8,217 domestic wells reported in Vermont from 2016–2025 are between 240 ft and 500 ft deep, and the median is 340 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 Vermont?

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 $79/ft at a depth of 340 ft. Per-foot quotes rarely include the pump.

How much do a well pump and pressure tank add in Vermont?

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. Private wells , Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. 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. 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).
  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. 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.
  9. Well Driller Reporting , Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Accessed November 9, 2026. Content taken from search excerpts.
  10. 26 V.S.A. Chapter 107, Well Drillers , Vermont General Assembly. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  11. 26 V.S.A. 5608, Records and reports , Vermont General Assembly. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  12. Private Drinking Water , Vermont Department of Health. Accessed November 9, 2026.
  13. 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.
  14. Water Well Inventory , New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. 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.