costtodrillawell.com

Well inspection cost: $250–$550, or $350–$900 with lab tests

A standard well inspection costs $250–$550, or roughly $350–$900 once lab fees are passed through, per Redfin's 2025 guide. It covers the wellhead, cap, pump, pressure tank, casing and wiring, plus a water test and a flow test. State law rarely requires one for a sale, but some lenders do.

1,2

Key figures

ItemFigure
Standard inspection $250–$5501
With lab fees $350–$9001
Real estate water test package $80–$1463,4
Coliform and nitrate at a public lab $20–$1125,6

Get quotes from local drillers

Submitting sends your request to Cost to Drill a Well. We reply by email and may pass it to well contractors who serve your ZIP code. See the privacy policy.

What an inspection covers

Redfin lists the wellhead and cap, pump, pressure tank, casing, wiring and gauges, along with a water test and a flow test. Wisconsin DNR describes a typical inspection there as a visual check against the state well code, a search for unused wells on the property, and a water test for coliform bacteria, nitrate and arsenic.

Sources1,2

Who can inspect

Rules differ by state. In Wisconsin, since June 1, 2008, anyone paid to inspect a well must be a licensed water well driller or pump installer to make statements about its location, code compliance, condition, capacity or performance. Ask your state's well program whether a general home inspector can do it where you live.

Sources2

Doing the water test yourself

If you only need the water side, a public lab's real estate package is cheaper: $80 at El Paso County Public Health, $85 for UGA Extension's home loan kit, $104 at Oklahoma DEQ and $146 at the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene. The water testing cost guide lists more labs.

Sources3,7,8,4

Common questions

Is a well inspection required to sell a house?

Usually not by state law. Wisconsin DNR says no inspection or test is required for a transfer there, though many buyers do one and some lenders require it.

Is the flow test priced separately?

Redfin's guide includes it in the inspection and lists no separate price. Ask whether a quote includes it.

Related pages

For the cost of a finished well in your state, see our national cost table.

Sources

  1. Well inspection cost , Redfin. Accessed November 9, 2026. 2025-08-05
  2. Property transfer well inspection (WI DNR) , Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Accessed November 9, 2026. undated (references rules effective 2014-10-01)
  3. Water Testing , El Paso County Public Health Laboratory (CO). Accessed November 8, 2026. 2026. Total coliform/E. coli P/A $23.00; nitrate-N $30.00; real estate package $80.00.
  4. Public Environmental and Water Testing Prices, effective 2026-07-01 , Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. Accessed November 8, 2026. Bacteria (total coliform/E. coli) P/A $35.00; Nitrate $35.00; Nitrite $38; HUD/FHA-VA loan package $146.00; Homeowner package (5 bottle) $450.00.
  5. Well Water Testing , Indiana Department of Health Laboratories. Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. $10.00 for bacteria; $10.00 for nitrate.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Lab Services Fee Schedule FY27 (SELSD-SD-008-R4), effective 2026-07-01 , Oklahoma DEQ State Environmental Laboratory Services Division. Accessed November 8, 2026. Total coliform and E. coli P/A $33; nitrate $38; nitrate/nitrite $38; Private Well Annual panel (coliform, nitrate/nitrite, pH, conductivity) $75; Real Estate panel $104; Private Well Diagnostics $175.

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