Buying or selling a home with a well
Get a free well report before you close.
Answer four short questions and get a well checklist for your closing, plus a report on what the public records say about the well.
Step 1 of 4
What's in the report
The well's own record
When the state has one, we pull the driller's record for the well: how deep it goes, the casing size, where the water stood, and the year it was drilled, with the agency it came from.
The wells around it
When the state has them, how deep the wells near the house go and where their water stands, so you can tell whether this well is typical for the area.
What to test before closing
Which water tests to order and why, starting with bacteria, so the results are back before you sign.
What to ask the seller
The questions that matter for a well: how old the pump and pressure tank are, when the water was last tested, and what repairs were done.
How it works
A house with a private well comes with questions a regular home inspection doesn't answer. We put together what the public records say about the well, what the wells around it look like, and what to test before you sign.
- Answer four short questions: buying or selling, the closing date, what the lender or inspector asked for, and the address.
- We look up the well and the wells around it in the state's records. If the record is not online, we send you what we have now and ask the state for the record. Some states take weeks to answer.
- We email you the report. It's free. If it shows the well needs a test or a pro, we tell you who to call.
Ask for a water test with the inspection, and include nitrate and arsenic: see nitrate in well water and arsenic in well water for the limits. Your lender may have its own well rules. Our guide to FHA, VA and USDA well requirements covers them, and well inspection when buying a house explains what an inspector checks. Selling? See selling a house with a well.
What the lender or inspector may ask for
Book the flow test
A well pro runs the water for a set time and measures the gallons a minute. Ask the lender what rate it needs and for how long.
Order the water test the lender asked for
Most lenders want total coliform and E. coli, and some add nitrate. Ask for the list in writing, and use a lab your state accepts.
Book a well inspection
An inspector checks the pump, pressure tank, well cap, casing and wiring, and how the water flows.
Ask the lender which well tests the loan needs
FHA, VA and USDA loans each have their own well rules. Ask for them in writing so nothing comes up the week of closing.