# cost of well



## sgtrunningfool

I am moving to a place in a small town in west texas that has city water but often has watering restrictions so I want to have a well done just for water the garden. The whole lot is less than 1/2 acre. 

How much would it cost to have a well done that can handle this? Is it reasonable to do this own my own? Thank u


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## Bobbb

sgtrunningfool said:


> I am moving to a place in a small town in west texas that has city water but often has watering restrictions so I want to have a well done just for water the garden. The whole lot is less than 1/2 acre.
> 
> How much would it cost to have a well done that can handle this? Is it reasonable to do this own my own? Thank u


Call a well driller and get a quote. With quote in hand search out alternative ways to do it yourself.

You can build a machine. Maybe rent a machine. Buy a machine. Buy and then sell a machine.

People have done all of the above in order to avoid paying someone to drill for them.

Keep in mind that drillers have experience and equipment so if you put any value on your own time it's going to be hard to beat what they can do for you. However if you work for free then you could probably save some cash by doing it yourself.


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## *Andi

I would check first to see if I could do a well ... A few folks I know In NC that had city water were fined for digging a well. (for what you said flowers/garden)

It looks like if the city gives (sells) you water you can't did a well ... Or so I was told... 

You may want to check the "laws" for that area ...


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## ZoomZoom

I'm with Andi. Check the laws in your area. I've heard of people using well water for the same purpose but still got fined when there was a water restriction in place.

It's been a long time but $20 per foot for the well is stuck in my head.


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## CrackbottomLouis

The price depends on how far they have to go down and what they have to go through to get to the water if I'm not mistaken. 

I saw some locals dig a well at our little FOB in Afghanistan. They had an interesting method. They built a tall tripod over where they wanted to dig and attached a long post hole digger (hollow pipe) to a winch and the tripod. They then proceeded to drop the pipe into the ground all day everyday. A couple weeks in the cable snapped and it being a skinny deep hole they could not retrieve their pipe. They had to move to a different spot and start all over. They were so pissed. It would have been extremely comical if I wasn't waiting to them to finish so I could take a shower.


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## LincTex

CrackbottomLouis said:


> They built a tall tripod over where they wanted to dig and attached a long post hole digger (hollow pipe) to a winch and the tripod. They then proceeded to drop the pipe into the ground all day everyday.


baptist well drilling
http://www.drillyourownwell.com/Other-Well-Drilling-Videos-1.htm

http://www.lifewater.org/

http://www.lifewater.ca/

http://www.missionaryresources.com/water.html

http://hydromissions.org/

Clean Water Project


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## Well_Driller

Cost of a well seems to vary widely throughout the US. The price range I am usually in varies from $2,000 up to $5,000, most are in the $3,000 range and that does not include a pump system. Things that affect costs are depth of hole, type and size of casing (PVC, or steel) and the size of the hole being drilled. Also depends on driller, some may have different rates for drilling in different formations. I don't do that. It's the same rate whether I drill in rock or mud.


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## mosquitomountainman

If you want to buy a rig for home well drillers look this company over.

http://www.deeprock.com/HD/

Like andi said ... check the legalities involved.

That being said I've done three wells down to a 25 foot depth using a hand auger similar to a post hole auger (but only three inches in diameter). It took two of us about three hours per well. We were just going through dirt and clay ... no rocks! They all worked great for watering the garden. Most shallow wells in the Midwest will be contaminated with nitrates (which are good for the garden but bad for people to drink).

There's a lot of stuff to see on you-tube as well.


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## farmers

When we did our well, about 17 years ago, the cost was $15,000.00. 795 feet down, we are on top of a aquifer. There was a major drought, it rained early spring, not until late fall did it rain again. 
We had no water, even in our homes. So I'm sure this price was inflated. The water is some of the purest in the nation. Now we have a Water Development Board, you have to get permission from to dig a well. Or so they say! My advice would be to look up Aquifers of Texas, we have 9 major aquifers, and minor aquifers. It just depends on your location. There are maps to help you. Good luck


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## wtxprepper

I live in west Texas and the only time you have restrictions is inside city limits, sgt is right the water here is horrible with notices going out at least twice a year telling you not to drink it. But our well water is great, but the well service places around here are expensive and severely backed up due to the increased population moving in for the oilfield, and the trap water being so bad.


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## BillT

mosquitomountainman said:


> That being said I've done three wells down to a 25 foot depth using a hand auger similar to a post hole auger (but only three inches in diameter).


I've been searching around, but cannot find a Hand Auger as small as 3 Inches. One that you can attach extensions to anyway. Is the one you have store-bought or is it something that you made?

Bill


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## hiwall

Hand Auger......................................
http://www.ams-samplers.com/itemgroup.cfm?CNum=224&catCNum=6
http://www.ams-samplers.com/itemgroup.cfm?CNum=1&catCNum=6
http://www.amazon.com/Seymour-AUA2-...TF8&qid=1376020241&sr=8-2&keywords=post+auger


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## LincTex

BillT said:


> I've been searching around, but cannot find a Hand Auger as small as 3 Inches. One that you can attach extensions to anyway.


Get this one, extensions are easy to make.
http://www.harborfreight.com/15-hp-gasoline-auger-powerhead-with-4-bit-60622.html

You can also convert it into your own homemade "Deep Rock" style drilling rig.


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## TheLazyL

hiwall said:


> Hand Auger......................................
> http://www.ams-samplers.com/itemgroup.cfm?CNum=224&catCNum=6
> http://www.ams-samplers.com/itemgroup.cfm?CNum=1&catCNum=6


How do you "trap" the dirt so you can pull the dirt up and out of the hole?


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## hiwall

The "head" holds a small amount of dirt when you pull it out. Works fine if going down just a few feet but (my opinion) it gets old lifting and dumping out the head every few inches of downward travel.


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## BillT

Appreciate the Links.

Hiwall, the first two look great, but would kill my budget. The third one, the Seymour AUA2 Adjustable Auger, is one that I have been thinking about, but the smallest diameter is 6 Inches, where as mentioned, I would really like to find about a 3 Inch Auger. Also it is not clear if you can add extensions to it. I may call Seymour to find out more info on it. 

LincTex, that one looks pretty good for a Gas Powered one, but hopefully a one-time needed Hand Auger should suit me fine. ...as well as my budget, lol.

Bill


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## BillT

As mentioned in my other thread, I'm working on a real low budget type of digger that may just work. I'm going to check out some of the hardware and supplies in my travels. It is so cheap, that if it doesn't work good enough, very little will be lost. This is only a slow going spare time project, but will keep you all posted. 

Especially if it works, lol.

In the meantime, if anyone out there knows of a real good 3 Inch Auger (or approx) and something where I can weld or attach some extensions to, that would be great, as I'm looking to improve on the real inexpensive one I have found so far. 

Bill


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## TheLazyL

hiwall said:


> The "head" holds a small amount of dirt when you pull it out. Works fine if going down just a few feet but (my opinion) it gets old lifting and dumping out the head every few inches of downward travel.


Wonder if using water to keep the hole "flushed" out would work?


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## BillT

TheLazyL said:


> Wonder if using water to keep the hole "flushed" out would work?


In my opinion, that would make it worse.

Bill


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## BillT

"Opinions expressed are by a cowpoke who believes the year is 1868". 

I like that, people have accused me of being from the 1800's. 

Bill


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## TheLazyL

BillT said:


> In my opinion, that would make it worse.
> 
> Bill


Bummer.

I've been wanting to "drive" a shallow well with a hand pump for a livestock water source. As soon as I can figure a reliable method to get thru 25' to 30' of hard clay. :scratch


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## LincTex

BillT said:


> If anyone out there knows of a real good 3 Inch Auger


http://www.lotus-equip.com/Drills, Augers.htm
745203 (3" x 24")

OR:
745401 Earth Bit, 2"


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## BillT

Thanks, I'll check into those.

Bill


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## BillT

TheLazyL said:


> I've been wanting to "drive" a shallow well with a hand pump for a livestock water source. As soon as I can figure a reliable method to get thru 25' to 30' of hard clay.


If it's like the Red Clay we have here in this part of Virginia, you could "soften" up the soil with water.

This best time to dig around here is after a rain storm. Anytime I need to dig when we had no prior rain, I'll just add my own water.

Bill


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## hiwall

Remember when using an auger that you must lift it quite often to empty out the dirt. If you go too far without lifting to remove dirt it can become too heavy or wedged and hard/impossible to remove.


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## BillT

Good point. Digging by hand will take some extra pre-cautions, but if I get a little too deep, I may need the help of my farm tractor to lift it.

Also long as my digger doesn't break!!


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## piglett

1st do you own the water rights ?
second you need to find out where to drill
there may be water 50 or 100 foot down but you will never know
if you don't take the time to find out

finding water is an art
my grandfarther could do it with a forked stick
it has to come from a fruit tree
i know some on this site will think what i am saying is all "bunk"
well i have seen it with my own eyes!!!!
so think what you will folks



good luck with your well
piglett


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## LincTex

hiwall said:


> If you go too far without lifting to remove dirt it can become too heavy or wedged and hard/impossible to remove.


Sometimes you can unscrew them enough to raise them out. Sometimes.


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## LincTex

piglett said:


> finding water is an art
> my grandfarther could do it with a forked stick


it's called "dowsing"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing


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## TheLazyL

Set by step instructions on do it your self: http://drillyourownwell.com/


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## Reblazed

piglett said:


> my grandfarther could do it with a forked stick
> it has to come from a fruit tree
> 
> piglett


LOL ... I used two metal coat hangers bent int "L" shapes. Didn't have any fruit trees I guess


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## piglett

LincTex said:


> it's called "dowsing"
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing


yup that is the word i was looking for
not everyone can do it
but some can


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## piglett

Reblazed said:


> LOL ... I used two metal coat hangers bent int "L" shapes. Didn't have any fruit trees I guess


i have seen that done also
but with the forked stick you can tell if the water is good or bad
if the stick comes up & hits you in the head it's bad water
if it points straight down get to drilling


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