Well pump replacement cost

Estimate a pump replacement for one well

Enter a state and a well depth. The estimator gives a pump size in horsepower and an installed cost range. The full tool, with how it works, is at well pump size and cost estimator. A well's depth is on its drilling record, and our well lookup finds that record by address.

Well pump replacement cost by depth

These are installed prices for a scheduled weekday job: pump, pipe, wire, and labor. They come from The Well Guide's pump replacement cost guide.

A second guide gives lower numbers for the same jobs. DrillerDB's 2026 guide prices pump equipment with a standard install, and puts the national average replacement at $1,500 to $2,827. The gap is a reminder that both are national ranges, and a local quote is the number that counts. Our estimator widens its shallow jet top figure to $2,000 to cover a third published guide.

What a pump replacement bill is made of

On a deep well, The Well Guide calls labor the largest single line item after the pump, and says labor alone can reach $1,500. Pipe and wire are priced by the foot, so they grow with depth: $200 to $600 of drop pipe for a 200 foot well and $400 to $1,200 for a 400 foot well.

What adds to the cost

• Depth. Both guides say each extra 100 feet adds roughly $500 to $1,000 in pipe, wire, and labor.
• A constant-pressure system. A variable speed controller keeps pressure even at every tap, and adds $800 to $2,000 (The Well Guide).
• A new pressure tank at the same visit. Typically $200 to $500 more when bundled with the pump job (The Well Guide). Our well pressure tank guide shows how to tell whether a tank is failing.
• Emergency or weekend service. Adds 25 to 50 percent to the labor (The Well Guide).
• Sand in the water. A filter or sediment separator ahead of the pump costs $100 to $400 (The Well Guide).
• Pipe and wire left off the quote. The Well Guide warns that a contractor who excludes drop pipe and wire may add them to the final invoice.

How to read a well pump quote

The Well Guide says to get at least three quotes, because prices vary a lot between contractors, and that a price that looks low often leaves out drop pipe, wire, or other parts. Ask each contractor for an itemized quote with these lines:

• The pump: brand, horsepower, and gallons per minute.
• Drop pipe and wire, priced by the foot, new or reused.
• Control box and pressure switch, new or reused.
• Labor, and whether a hoist rig is included.
• Pressure tank, if one is being replaced.
• Permit, where the state or county requires one.
• Disinfection of the well after the pump goes back in, and a bacteria test.
• The warranty on the pump and on the labor, in writing.

Red flags: a quote with one total and no lines, a pump size picked without asking the well depth or the water level, and no license number in a state that licenses pump installers. The table below shows which states do.

Repair or replace the pump?

The Well Guide gives a 50 percent rule: if a repair means pulling the pump and costs more than half of a full replacement, replace the pump. It also says to replace a pump that is over 12 years old with a motor or impeller problem, one that has needed two or more service calls in two years, and one that ran dry at any point. Many pump problems are not the pump at all. A tripped breaker, a failed pressure switch, or a waterlogged tank are fixed above ground for far less, and our well pump troubleshooting guide walks through them in a safe order before anyone quotes a new pump.

Can a homeowner replace a well pump?

A shallow jet pump sits above ground, and The Well Guide says replacing one is within reach for a handy homeowner, though its 230 volt wiring carries real shock risk. It says a submersible pump in any well deeper than 25 feet is not a practical DIY project. The pump hangs on hundreds of feet of pipe and wire, the wire needs a waterproof splice, and a dropped pump can be lost down the casing. Pulling a pump also opens the well, so treat the well afterward with the steps in how to treat a well.

How long a pump replacement takes

Most residential replacements finish in one day, per The Well Guide: 2 to 4 hours for a shallow jet pump, 4 to 6 hours for a submersible pump at 100 to 200 feet, and 6 to 8 hours at 300 to 400 feet. A job that needs a hoist rig or a new tank can run into a second day.

Hiring a pump installer

Our well pump repair near me guide covers what to ask a pump installer, what a service call costs, and what to do tonight when there is no water. For a new well instead of a new pump, see water well drilling cost.