I'm in the process of drilling a new water well in a pasture. Or I was. The driller located a "good" spot and drilled down 85 feet. We had a dry hole. So, he located another "good" spot and drilled again. This time he went down 125 feet to find another dry hole. He presented me with the bill today. $6,580. I'm having a heart attack. Can anybody tell me what this should cost? It looks like a dry hole costs the same as a cased well.
Drilling a dry hole
- Thread starter DejaVu
- Start date
leanin' H
Well-known member
$45 a foot out here regardless of what's in the hole. That's the grand gamble of any drilling operation....what is down there?
Faster horses
Well-known member
We have well drillers here that pretty much know where water is and there isn't much chatter about
dry holes. I guess we are fortunate. Our well is 680' deep, but comes within 20' of the top. We run
pipelines to several tanks, plus use it for the house and corrals. We've never run out of water.
It's gonna be really spendy if something happens to that well.
Sorry for your bad luck DejaVu. Third time is a charm, you know. :wink:
dry holes. I guess we are fortunate. Our well is 680' deep, but comes within 20' of the top. We run
pipelines to several tanks, plus use it for the house and corrals. We've never run out of water.
It's gonna be really spendy if something happens to that well.
Sorry for your bad luck DejaVu. Third time is a charm, you know. :wink:
Wow. 680' deep. Yeah, third time's a charm so I called the driller I've used previously. We had a good visit. He said I'm not the first casualty with the local driller, water and financial. So much for trying to keep business local. What makes me scratch my head is, the guy who couldn't get the job done charges $31.34 a foot + casing and the driller I talked with this morning charges $24 a foot + casing. Our feedlot well is 230' deep. It's not good water for the house. Most pasture wells around here are 125' or less deep. I have a hand dug well in a pasture that's 30-35 feet deep. It's one heck of a well. I hate to keep spending money on this deal but it sure looks like our summer is doing to hot and dry and it's the only way to utilize this grass.
Faster horses
Well-known member
It sounds like it has been a frustrating struggle, but I don't think you will ever go wrong with more
water sources. A lot of our country wouldn't work for cattle due to lack of water sources. Pipelines
have made such a great difference. We think our place is well-watered, but we hope to add another
tank this summer. We are very fortunate that we have artesian wells for winter water. Warm water
in winter is hard to beat.
Good luck to you. I think in the end you will be glad you perservered. If it were me, I'd have a chat with
the guy that couldn't find water and try and come to a compromise on the charges.
water sources. A lot of our country wouldn't work for cattle due to lack of water sources. Pipelines
have made such a great difference. We think our place is well-watered, but we hope to add another
tank this summer. We are very fortunate that we have artesian wells for winter water. Warm water
in winter is hard to beat.
Good luck to you. I think in the end you will be glad you perservered. If it were me, I'd have a chat with
the guy that couldn't find water and try and come to a compromise on the charges.
I use the same well driller for all the houses I build ( about 2 or 3 a year ) and I get a rate of $2,900.00 that covers the first 75' ( most wells around here are 75' or less ) including the pump and up to 75' to the house. After that it is $10.00 per foot extra.
I'm sure glad I don't have to pay the cost some of you pay. I have never had a dry hole and the deepest so far was 110'
I'm sure glad I don't have to pay the cost some of you pay. I have never had a dry hole and the deepest so far was 110'
Faster horses
Well-known member
Won't hurt to try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Good luck!