You’ll need a well in order to be completely self-sufficient if you want to live in a place that is far from civilization. The process of digging a well is straightforward, but it’s not easy.
Unfortunately, well excavation and installation is quite costly, with costs frequently exceeding $15,000 in the United States. Due to the high cost of wells in combination with their necessity, some preppers have investigated DIY methods for creating a functional, modern well.
How much money could you save if you dig a well yourself instead of hiring a professional? What will the total price be for a DIY well installation?
Well digging and installation can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,500. Accidents, hard soil, and advanced installations will increase costs, as will drilling a hole in soil that is difficult or full of obstacles.
The amount also varies on how deep the well must go; shallow wells are far cheaper than deep ones.
This post can assist you determine the bottom line number by assisting you in evaluating all of the elements involved in constructing and maintaining a functional, safe home well.
Take a look at the following sections and see how many similarities they contain to your planned dig, and soon you’ll have a better idea of how much it’ll cost.
Installation Costs
A professional well installation crew digging or drilling your well hole may cost anywhere from $30 to over $75 per foot of depth reached.
.As previously stated, the majority of home wells must be drilled to a depth of 100 to 200 feet, so multiply the per-foot cost by the required depth for total excavation costs.
The installation, setup and testing of the well are not included in this calculation! It’s no wonder that so many preppers want to take the plunge with a DIY home well installation!
You can save a lot of money if you can rent the proper drilling rig and other equipment, as well as how to operate it successfully and safely.
You may get your excavation expenses down around $15 to $30 per foot of depth for a normal household deep well.
Again, this is only an example based on a regular residential deep well. The final figure could be anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 just for excavation work alone.
Though certainly less expensive than having experts do the same thing for you, it can still be quite pricy, and some wells go much farther than a couple hundred feet down.
The price of drilling is determined by several aspects, including the depth and type of soil. Soil that is soft and free of major barriers, such as boulders, is considerably easier and faster to excavate, saving you money.
If you don’t have to dig too deep or go through thick clay deposits, rocky layers, or soil littered with tiny stone deposits will be quick, difficult, and costly.
Consult an existing geologic survey for your property, or have one conducted if one does not exist to determine what type you are dealing with.
This is another expenditure you must factor in, and the cost varies widely depending on where you live and the sort of expert who will conduct the survey.
In general, after calculating the median price for drilling to a normal depth in your region, you may alter the price based on soil quality expectations.
Soil that is simple to dig may save you 25% on your original estimate. A difficult, technically-challenging digging op might result in a 200% cost increase!
Well Parts Costs
Drilling is only one aspect of the equation when it comes to establishing a functional well. The well must be completed with numerous components, closed, and tested before being used.
The solid inner liner that surrounds the well hole and delivers water to the surface is the most essential component of a functioning well besides the well hole itself.
This both strengthens and protects your water source by reinforcing and preventing contamination from reaching your well hole.
Once upon a time, the well casing was constructed of natural materials like wood, stone or bricks, but nowadays we generally use PVC and steel.
It’s great to be able to install a well casing as simple-to-assemble, modular components, however these modern materials might be pricey even if they save a lot of time and effort.
The cost of well casing depends mainly on its length, diameter, and material. Steel is more costly than PVC, with 8-inch steel well casings costing about $75 per foot for deep wells.
PVC piping is significantly less expensive; a standard 4 inch PVC casing costs around $35 per foot. That’s a lot of money!
You shouldn’t spend extra unless you need it for a specific purpose because modern PVC piping suitable for use in well construction is pretty expensive!
You’ll also need a well pump, which is different from the casing. Well pumps are classified according to whether you have a shallow or deep well.
Deep well pumps are meant to be fully submerged in water that is hundreds of feet below the surface, and they cost between $500 and $2,000.
Additionally, a pressure tank, which may cost anywhere from $300 to $500 depending on the size of your property and the depth of your primary well, is required for most deep residential well systems.
Shallow well pumps by comparison range in price from $200 to $900 depending on the type of well you have.
Finally, the components required to truly finish and hook up the well will add to the overall cost. Wires and a wiring harness are two separate expenditures ranging from $50 to $1,000.
The remainder of the parts required to get you up and operating correctly and safely, including seals, switches, and so on will set you back an additional $150 to $200.
Alternatives to Deep Well Installs
If you want to dig a well, but your property is not large enough for a traditional deep well installation, a specialized well installation like as sand point wells may be an option.
These basic wells can be set up in as little as one day by one individual with only a sledgehammer or other sturdy pounding instrument.
The cost of a sand point well kit, which is completely finished and hooked up, may be as little as $2,000 done completely DIY from front to back.
They aren’t appropriate for every application since they can only be installed in extremely soft soil and are prone to contamination. But if they are workable then you stand to save a ton of cash, an asset in itself.
Are You Up for It?
Depending on the particular demands of your home, a DIY deep well setup will cost between $3,000 and $7,500.
If you have some initiative and a little experience with this type of work, you may save yourself a little money by drilling and installing your own well rather than hiring experts to do it for you. People have been digging their own wells for centuries, so you can too!
Tom Marlowe practically grew up with a gun in his hand, and has held all kinds of jobs in the gun industry: range safety, sales, instruction and consulting, Tom has the experience to help civilian shooters figure out what will work best for them.