Why are wells so expensive in AZ? (Kingman: how much, Home Depot)

[Stephan_K]

I am surprised at the cost of a well in Arizona. In OH we can put a 200' well in for ~$3-$5k complete. Just put a 375' well on a piece of land in GA for $5k with a high output pump and all.

What is the difference between a hole in AZ and any of the holes I have ever put in everywhere else for less than $5K? Last person I talked to in AZ had a ~350' well put in for $20K. Seems pretty far out of line! Can someone clear this up for me?

Stephan

[rambrush]

Originally Posted by Stephan_K

I am surprised at the cost of a well in Arizona. In OH we can put a 200' well in for ~$3-$5k complete. Just put a 375' well on a piece of land in GA for $5k with a high output pump and all.

What is the difference between a hole in AZ and any of the holes I have ever put in everywhere else for less than $5K? Last person I talked to in AZ had a ~350' well put in for $20K. Seems pretty far out of line! Can someone clear this up for me?

Stephan

Its not just Arizona, we just this summer had one put in in Montana. Just to get the well drilled was around the 7,000 mark for 200' deep 6" casing. Then another 1800.00 to get a pump in the hole. It is capable of 10 gpm and was drilled during the driest time of the year to ensure a great water supply year around.

Up there it is a case of all drillers being so busy they can dictate prices and such.
Here in Kingman a guy I work with is getting ready to have another well driled on his place and has been quoted half of what we paid in Montana. Montana has a lot of granite rock to get through not sure if thats the case here.

[BriansPerspective]

The higher cost may be due to the soils being more difficult to drill through. There is a lot of clay here which is almost as hard as rock. Also, there may be more regulations and fees since water is more scarce.

[haymann]

Originally Posted by Stephan_K

I am surprised at the cost of a well in Arizona. In OH we can put a 200' well in for ~$3-$5k complete. Just put a 375' well on a piece of land in GA for $5k with a high output pump and all.

What is the difference between a hole in AZ and any of the holes I have ever put in everywhere else for less than $5K? Last person I talked to in AZ had a ~350' well put in for $20K. Seems pretty far out of line! Can someone clear this up for me?

Stephan

In 04-05 it cost $18.00 a foot for a well. In 05-06 it went $22.00 a ft.
I just got bids for 3 different lots from one company, as I have mentioned before. All 3 bids FAILED to include the cost of the pump's; which I was not aware of at first look. I discovered that the pump was missing from the bids. I called to ask how much a pump would be. I was told $4,000.00. Add $4,000.00 to the $8,000.00 well you got $12,000.00 for a 400 ft well. What the heck. That comes to $30.00 a ft. Mind you this price was disguised by there failuare to include the pump.
According to you, you can get a hole well drilled, with a pump inculded for just $4,000. Somethings wrong.
I think what drilling business's do is measure how much money the average person can afford and then they push them to the limit. Another way they may charge is by meausreing how much a family pays for water per month; which is about $30-$60.00, then they add a lilltle more for the previlage of having your well. At 7% for 30 yrs. it will cost you $66.00 a month for the well, see what I mean.
To support your point even more I was watching a home repair show and guys were drilling a whole for geothermal, about 200 ft, I beleive, and they said they were doing 3 to 6 wholes a day, I don't recall the cost but it wasn't the ridiculous price we hear around Kingman. Oh, and alot of what we have is sand.
On those wells you were talk'n about, how long did it take for them to drill the holes.
I was talk'n about this wtih someone eles and they said when there charge'n too much thats when it's time to start a well business. If I had some experiance I would. May be you can start a well buisness here, I'd be willing to work doing it.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by Stephan_K

I am surprised at the cost of a well in Arizona. In OH we can put a 200' well in for ~$3-$5k complete. Just put a 375' well on a piece of land in GA for $5k with a high output pump and all.

What is the difference between a hole in AZ and any of the holes I have ever put in everywhere else for less than $5K? Last person I talked to in AZ had a ~350' well put in for $20K. Seems pretty far out of line! Can someone clear this up for me?

Stephan

Very interesting question, Stephan

Definitely no expert here but could it be a simple . . . THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND?

Maybe the flip side is . . . IT'S AN ARIZONA THING?

[Stephan_K]

$4K for a pump???? what the #$%^& kind of pump is it???? That is unbelievable. Well pumps at HD or Lowes run ~$150.00. What's the other $3,850.00 for?

Takes about 1 - 2 days to poke a hole in the ground in OH. Depends on how energetic the driller is and weather or not he eats his lunch at the rig or not. . The GA well I think was 1 day......

From the looks of things, I think a new well drilling business is in order in AZ. Just another reason to move to AZ. I'm sure one can find an experienced well rig hand to help get started. Should be relatively easy to start up, just got to buy the rig. Dime a dozen if you look around......

Hell, buy multiple rigs. I don't think anyone would have any problem keeping any number of rigs busy 7 days a week and still make a killing at the deep discount price of $8K per hole........pump included.

Technically one doesn't have anythign to loose starting up a well drilling operation. At an average of ~$15K a hole, how could you? If it doesn't work out, simply sell the rig and you are on your way to something else. Expenses alone for just pounding a hole in the ground shouldn't exceed $500/day for the rig, labor and fuel. At a hole a day, or even every 2 days for that matter, at the price of $8K that you were quote, net margin is unreal!

Easy money...... almost too easy. You know what mom always said, if it's too good to be true it probably is.

What are we missing here? Anyone?

[wit-nit]

One reason they are so expensive is that they are regulated by the State and certain guidelines need to be followed.
http://www.water.az.gov/dwr/content/...o_drilling.pdf

[Stephan_K]

Nitram.....that is pretty much standard stuff no matter what state/county you drill a well in. It's part of the permit process everywhere as far as I have always known. Any time you start poking holes or digging in the ground there are permitts and red tape to deal with. Ya know.....Politics always has to rear it's ugly head some how.

I didn't see anything in this that would drive the cost up so high as all of the steps needed to be taken to prepare for a well are pretty much all taken by an owner and not a driller anyway. Just an inconvenience for the owner, and as usual, part of the permit process.

Stephan

[rambrush]

Keep in mind lowes or home depot only sell regular booster pumps and not deep submersable pumps. The deeper you go the bigger horsepwer rated the pump needs to be to get the water up and out.
Say you are off the grid and you require a 3/4 horse or bigger pump then you need to purchase a 5000 watt or bigger generator to power it thus increasing the cost further.

[Stephan_K]

Just used HD and Lowes as a reference I know they are low end pumps, bust still, bottom line, you can get a 3/4 or 1 hp deep well pump for up to a 500' well with power wire and tubing for ~$1K. And that is at 500'. If your well is ~300', you can figure a ~couple hundred less, same pump. Wire is expensive!

Now powering it is a different story. Off the grid, ya, it will be more expensive to operate it but shouldn't change the cost of putting it in any.

OK, for the sake of argument, $1K for the pump and material for a 300' deep well and a few hunders $$$ labor to put it all together. $1300.......Where do these guys get off saying $4K for a pump?