Well drilling cost per foot — by ground type, by region

Well drilling per-foot rates are the largest single line item on most residential well quotes. The per-foot rate varies dramatically based on what the driller hits below the surface:

| Ground type | Per-foot range | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Soft soil / sand | $15-$35 | Coastal plain, alluvial valleys. Fast drilling. | | Clay / loam | $20-$40 | Most Midwest + Plains. Standard rotary rig speed. | | Hard clay / shale | $30-$60 | Marcellus shale region, parts of Texas. Slower. | | Rock / bedrock | $50-$100 | Northeast granite, Appalachian, Rockies. Slow + bit wear. | | Unknown | $25-$55 | "Mixed" pricing — covers risk of hitting rock. |

For a 200ft well in clay/loam, drilling alone runs $4,000-$8,000. The same depth in bedrock can run $10,000-$20,000. Get the ground type stated explicitly in the contract.

Why the rate varies so much

Three things drive the cost per foot:

1. Drill bit wear. Tricone roller bits cut soft and medium ground cheaply but wear fast in rock — drillers swap to PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) bits in bedrock, which cost $2,000-$5,000 per bit and last fewer hours.
2. Penetration rate. A rotary rig drills 50-100 ft/hour in clay and 5-15 ft/hour in granite. Crew time × hourly rate dominates the per-foot cost.
3. Mud / casing handling. Soft ground needs more drilling mud and faster casing installation to prevent collapse. Rock holes hold themselves but generate more cuttings to remove.

The "no water" contingency

This is the line item most homeowners miss. If your contract says "$XX per foot to a depth of 200 ft" and the driller hits dry rock at 180 ft, what happens at 200 ft? Three common contract patterns:

1. Full price beyond planned depth. Driller bills standard per-foot for every additional foot.
2. 50% per foot beyond planned depth. Common compromise — driller eats half the cost of "no water" continuation.
3. Capped at planned depth + abandonment fee. Driller stops at planned depth; you pay an abandonment fee ($500-$1,500) and start over at a new site.

Pattern 2 is the most homeowner-friendly. Always negotiate this in writing before signing.

What "200 ft" actually means

Most residential wells target a depth that gets you 30-60 minutes of pump runtime worth of water column in the casing. That's typically 100-400 ft in the US, but it varies wildly:

• Coastal Florida: 80-150 ft.
• Midwest plains: 100-250 ft.
• Appalachian / New England: 250-500 ft.
• Western mountain west: 300-600 ft.

Your local well log database (USGS publishes per-state county-level data) shows historical depths for nearby wells. A reputable driller will pull this for your specific area.

Casing per foot — the second line item

Casing protects the well bore and seals out surface contamination. Three material tiers:

• PVC plastic: $8-$15/ft. Most residential. Corrosion-proof.
• Steel: $15-$30/ft. Required by code in some states for deep wells or wells near surface water.
• Stainless steel: $25-$50/ft. Only used in corrosive water chemistry or where local code requires.

A realistic 200ft well in clay/loam

| Item | Range | | --- | --- | | Drilling (200ft × $30/ft typical) | $6,000 | | PVC casing (200ft × $12/ft) | $2,400 | | Submersible pump | $1,400 | | Pressure tank | $500 | | Pitless adapter + wellhead | $400 | | Electrical + plumbing tie-in | $800 | | Permit + water test | $400 | | Total | $11,900 ± 30% |

This matches the typical $9,000-$15,000 range you'll hear quoted. Wider ranges in our main calculator account for harder ground, bigger pumps, or sterilization add-ons.

The driller who quotes you the lowest per-foot rate may be the most expensive overall — watch for "additional dry-hole" fees in the fine print.