A Hole Is Not Running Water
The single most common budgeting mistake on a new well is treating the drilling quote as the project cost. It is not — it is the cost of a hole in the ground with water somewhere in it.
Turning that into water at a tap requires a pump, a pressure tank, a pitless adapter where the line leaves the casing, wiring from the house, a trench below frost depth, and the line itself. Together that is typically $3,000–$8,500, and on a long run to a house set well back from the well it is more.
Plan on $10,000–$25,000 for a complete new well project on a typical Lakes Region property, and toward the upper end on hill ground or awkward access.
The estimator will narrow that for your situation, and the cost and depth reference has the component-level detail.
Everything That Goes Into a Well Project
| Item | Typical cost | Usually in the quote? |
|---|---|---|
| Mobilisation / set-up | $600–$1,400 | Yes |
| Drilling | $30–$70 per foot | Yes |
| Steel casing & grout | Priced per foot | Usually |
| Site preparation / access work | Varies | Often not — ask |
| Submersible pump | $700–$1,600 | Often not |
| Pressure tank & switch | $550–$1,600 | Often not |
| Pitless adapter & fittings | Moderate | Often not |
| Trench & line to the house | Varies with distance | Often not |
| Electrical connection | Varies | Usually not — separate trade |
| Water testing after completion | $75–$350 | Usually not — but do it |
| If yield is low: fracking | $2,000–$4,500 | No — contingency |
| If yield is low: storage | $1,500–$4,000 | No — contingency |
| Site restoration | Varies | Ask explicitly |
The right-hand column is the useful one. Comparing two quotes is meaningless unless you know which of these each one includes, and the cheaper quote is frequently the one that includes less.
Seven Things to Settle in Writing
The per-foot rate, and what it covers
Does it include casing? Grout? At what point does the rate change — some contracts have a different rate below a certain depth.
The expected depth range
Based on local experience, and stated as a range because that is the only honest form it can take.
What happens if it runs past that range
The single most important item on this list. Agree the decision point in advance — at what depth do we stop and talk? Nobody negotiates well at 450 feet with a rig on site and money already spent.
What happens if yield comes in low
Fracking, storage, deepening or abandoning — and who decides. Knowing the options and rough costs before you need them removes the pressure from the decision.
Access and site restoration
Who is responsible for getting the rig in, whether trees come down, what the site will look like afterwards, and who puts it right. Drilling is messy work — cuttings and water — and expectations should be explicit.
Where exactly the well goes
Setbacks from the septic system and property lines, distance from the house, and how the line will run. On a tight lot this is the constraint that decides everything else.
What happens to the old well, if there is one
An unsealed abandoned well is a contamination route into the aquifer and a liability that stays with the property. Decommissioning it is straightforward work, and it should be in the plan rather than forgotten.
What Moves the Number Most
In order, and the first is the one nobody controls:
- Depth — a fracture question, unknown until drilled. This is why the range exists
- Overburden depth — more loose material means more casing, which is expensive per foot
- Access — a rig that drives on versus one needing matting, tree work or careful manoeuvring
- Distance from well to house — trenching and line, which people consistently underestimate
- Ground hardness — harder rock is slower drilling
- Whether yield cooperates — the contingency you hope not to spend
On hill ground in Sanbornton or above Newfound, budget toward the upper end — wells run deeper and yields vary more. On valley ground around Tilton or along the Pemigewasset in New Hampton, genuine glacial outwash makes both depth and yield more predictable, and estimates there carry narrower ranges.
Questions
How do I compare two quotes fairly?
Make a list of every line in the table above and ask each contractor which they include. The cheaper number is very frequently the one that covers less — the hole but not the pump, or the pump but not the trench. Also compare the depth range assumed, because a quote built on 250 feet and one built on 400 feet are not comparable at all.
Can I finance a well?
It is sometimes possible to include a well in a construction loan or a home improvement loan, and on a property purchase it may be negotiable with the seller. Worth raising with your lender early rather than late, particularly if the well is the reason the property needs work.
How long does the whole project take?
Drilling itself is commonly one to three days. Setting the pump, trenching and connecting typically adds a few more, and the electrical connection may involve another trade's schedule. From first call to water at the tap, plan on a couple of weeks for a straightforward job, longer in the busy season or if access work is needed.
Should I drill before or after building the house?
Before, in almost every case. You want to know there is water and roughly what it costs before committing to everything else, and rig access is dramatically easier on an undeveloped lot than around a finished house and new landscaping. It also lets the trench and line be planned with everything else rather than retrofitted.
What if there is no water at all?
Genuinely rare in this region — bedrock in the Lakes Region is fractured enough that a dry hole is uncommon. Low yield is the realistic risk rather than no yield, which is exactly why the contingency conversation about fracking and storage should happen before drilling starts rather than after.