You can buy a do-it-yourself well drilling kit for about $600. It looks like a giant toy drill you attach to a garden hose. You will dig, at best, two feet before hitting a root and crying. Real well drillers use rigs that cost $100,000+ and have the muscle of an angry dinosaur. Leave it to the pros unless you want to turn your backyard into a mosquito breeding tank.
One more surprising fact: the average well pump uses more electricity than a refrigerator every month. So even after you get water, you’re paying the power company to lift it from the depths of Hades. But hey, at least your toilet water will taste like mountain spring—if by “mountain spring” you mean “mineral-rich and slightly metallic.”
The Final Verdict
To dig a well for water, budget $10,000 to $25,000 for a truly honest estimate. It’s expensive, unpredictable, and your neighbors will judge you. But on the plus side, you’ll never worry about a city water shut-off again. You’ll just worry about the mysterious brown tint that appears after a heavy rain. That’s independence, baby.
So, dig that well if you must. But ask yourself first: is your love for free, earthy water greater than your love for a nice vacation? If yes, start saving. And maybe buy a good shovel—for the ceremonial “first dirt clod” photo.
