Secure reliable water for your property with permitted well drilling. Domestic, agricultural, and irrigation wells. We coordinate water right applications, licensed drillers, and testing — ensuring legal, productive water supply.
Start Well Drilling ProjectRural Washington properties often lack access to municipal water, making wells essential for drinking water, irrigation, and livestock. Washington's Department of Ecology regulates well drilling and water rights to protect groundwater resources — all wells must be permitted, and many require formal water right applications.
TerraVector coordinates the complete well drilling process: water right research and applications, well permit applications, matching you with licensed drillers, pump installation, water quality testing, and well report filing. We ensure your well is legal, productive, and compliant with state regulations.
Determine if property has existing water rights or if new permit-exempt well qualifies.
Apply to Washington Dept of Ecology for well construction authorization (start card required).
Licensed driller drills to depth needed for productive aquifer (typically 100–500 feet in WA).
Install submersible pump, pressure tank, and controls. Connect to home or irrigation system.
Test water quality for bacteria, nitrates, arsenic, and other contaminants. Install treatment if needed.
Driller files well report with Dept of Ecology documenting depth, yield, and construction details.
Drilling costs $30–$60 per foot depending on geology and location. Typical wells are 150–400 feet deep, costing $8,000–$18,000 for drilling alone. Add pump and pressure tank ($2K–$5K), electrical connection ($1K–$3K), and water testing ($300–$600). Total project cost: $12K–$30K for most domestic wells.
Depends on use and location. Domestic wells serving one home (permit-exempt wells) don't need water right permits in most areas, but still require well construction authorization from Ecology. Agricultural, irrigation, and commercial wells typically require formal water right applications. We'll research requirements for your property.
A permit-exempt well serves a single household for domestic purposes (drinking, cooking, bathing, lawn watering up to 1/2 acre, livestock). These wells can withdraw up to 5,000 gallons per day and don't require full water right permits in most Washington counties. Still need well construction authorization.
Varies by location and geology. Columbia Basin: 150–300 feet. Okanogan/Ferry counties: 200–600 feet. Spokane area: 100–400 feet. Driller continues until reaching productive aquifer with adequate yield (typically 5–20 GPM for domestic use). Deeper wells cost more but may provide better water quality.
Permit processing takes 2–6 weeks depending on Ecology workload. Drilling takes 1–3 days for typical domestic wells. Pump installation and connection takes 1–2 days. Water testing takes 1–2 weeks for lab results. Total timeline: 4–10 weeks from application to usable water.
Rare in Washington but possible. Most drillers charge per foot drilled, so you pay for the attempt. Some drillers offer "wet well" guarantees in proven areas. Before drilling, review local well logs with Ecology's well log database to assess likelihood of success at various depths.
Yes. Test new wells for bacteria (coliform), nitrates, arsenic, and other common Washington contaminants. Some areas have naturally high arsenic or uranium. Testing costs $150–$600 depending on panel. If contaminants found, install treatment systems (filters, UV, reverse osmosis) before drinking.
We coordinate well drilling and water right permitting across central and eastern Washington: Grant, Adams, Douglas, Lincoln, Franklin, Okanogan, Spokane, Kittitas, and Chelan counties.
Tell us about your property and water needs. We'll research water rights, coordinate permits, and match you with licensed drillers.
Start Well Drilling Project