When the water stops, the pump is the usual suspect. Penn State Extension notes that the most frequent cause of losing water is a malfunctioning or worn-out submersible pump, though switches and aging pressure tanks also fail. Penn State Extension: Managing Your Well During Drought This page lists what pump repairs and replacements cost, what moves the price, and how to hire a licensed contractor. [PSU-DROUGHT source note]
How much does well pump replacement cost?
National cost guides put the replacement of a residential well pump at roughly $900 to $2,500. This Old House: Well Pump Cost and Installation Guide HomeAdvisor gives the same range for a well pump. HomeAdvisor: How Much Does It Cost to Drill a Well? Contractors who publish their own prices show how much depth and horsepower matter. These rows come from our open cost register, which quotes each company's published price: [THISOLDHOUSE-PUMP source note] [HOMEADVISOR-WELL source note] [TWDG-REGISTER-ZENODO source note]
| Job | Published price | Contractor's area |
|---|---|---|
| Submersible pump, 1/2 HP, 100 to 200-ft well | $1,500 to $2,400 | North Carolina |
| Submersible pump, 3/4 HP, 200 to 350-ft well | $2,000 to $3,000 | North Carolina |
| Submersible pump, 1 HP, 350 to 500-ft well | $2,800 to $3,800 | North Carolina |
| Submersible pump, about 200-ft well | $1,800 to $3,000 | Western New York and Pennsylvania |
| Submersible pump, 400-ft well | $4,000 to $6,000 | Western New York and Pennsylvania |
| Shallow-well jet pump replacement | $900 to $1,800 | North Carolina |
| Constant-pressure system upgrade | $2,800 to $4,500 | North Carolina |
| Well pump repair or replacement | $800 to $2,500 | Austin and Texas Hill Country |
Most of the labor is pulling the pump, pipe and wire out of the well and setting the new one, so deeper wells cost more even with the same pump.
Repair, diagnostic and pressure tank costs
Not every outage needs a new pump. A failed pressure switch, control box, capacitor or wiring fault can be a smaller repair, and a contractor will usually charge a service call to diagnose it. Published examples from our cost register include $150 for well diagnostics and troubleshooting from a Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma company. Pressure tanks wear out too: [TWDG-REGISTER-ZENODO source note]
| Item | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure tank replacement | $800 to $3,800 | Bob Vila cost guide |
| Professional tank installation fee | $125 to $200 | HomeAdvisor |
| Pressure tank replacement | $800 to $2,500 | Missouri/Arkansas/Oklahoma contractor |
| Pressure tank replacement | $900 to $2,000 | North Carolina contractor |
| Add a pressure tank during a pump pull | $400 to $1,200 | North Carolina contractor |
Sources: Bob Vila: How Much Does a Well Pump Cost to Install?, HomeAdvisor: Well Pump Install or Replace. HomeAdvisor gives a pressure tank an expected lifespan of seven to 10 years, so an old tank is often replaced while the pump is out. [BOBVILA-PUMP source note] [HOMEADVISOR-PUMP source note]
Signs your well pump needs service
- No water, or water that sputters and spits air
- Low or falling pressure, or pressure that swings widely
- The pump runs constantly or turns on and off rapidly
- A sudden jump in your electric bill
- Sediment, sand or cloudy water after the pump runs
- A tripped breaker that trips again when reset
Short cycling is worth investigating early: Water Systems Council guidance treats a pump cycle under 45 seconds as a warning sign. Water Systems Council: wellcare Guide to Evaluating Water Wells (for home inspectors) A pump that runs continuously can also mean the well is not keeping up; see signs your well is running dry before you buy a bigger pump. [WSC-INSPECTOR source note]
Should you repair or replace?
Ask the contractor what failed and how they know. Electrical and control faults above ground are usually cheaper fixes. If the pump itself is worn and has to come out of the well anyway, replacing it often makes more sense than repairing it. Before a replacement, make sure the new pump is sized to the well's yield and your peak demand, not just matched to the old one; see what size well pump you need. The Water Systems Council says the pump and other mechanical parts can last 20 years or more, and recommends having the whole system inspected every 10 years by a qualified well driller or pump installer. Water Systems Council: A Homeowner's Guide to Your Well [WSC-HOMEOWNER source note]
Hiring a licensed pump installer
Some states license pump work separately from drilling. Texas issues Well Driller, Pump Installer and combination licenses, with pump installer endorsements for single-phase, three-phase and turbine pumps. TDLR: Water Well Driller and/or Pump Installer License TDLR publishes its driller and pump installer license file for download, updated daily. TDLR: Licensing Files Download Page [TDLR-APPLY source note] [TDLR-LICFILE source note]
Our driller directory lists license records by state and county; in Texas, county pages show how many licensees in the county also hold pump installation endorsements. Before you hire:
- Confirm the license and endorsements with the state agency.
- Ask for an itemized quote: pump, motor, wire, drop pipe, controls, tank, labor and any water test required after pump work.
- Ask about warranty on the pump and on labor.
- Ask whether the old pump and pipe will be removed and disposed of.
For what typically wears out and when, see how long wells last.
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace a well pump?
National cost guides put well pump replacement at $900 to $2,500. Contractors' own price lists vary with depth and horsepower: one North Carolina company lists $1,500 to $2,400 for a 1/2 HP pump in a 100 to 200-foot well and $2,800 to $3,800 for a 1 HP pump in a 350 to 500-foot well.
Is it worth repairing a well pump or should I replace it?
It depends on what failed. A pressure switch, control box or wiring fault can be a small repair, while a worn or burned-out submersible motor usually means replacing the pump. Since much of the cost is pulling the pump from the well, an older pump that has to come out is often replaced rather than repaired.
How much does a pressure tank replacement cost?
Contractor price lists in our cost register range from about $800 to $2,500 for a replaced pressure tank, and Bob Vila's cost guide gives $800 to $3,800. HomeAdvisor puts a professional installation fee alone at $125 to $200.
How long does a well pump last?
The Water Systems Council says the pump and other mechanical parts of a well can last 20 years or more, while Bob Vila's cost guide gives 15 years as the average for a new pump. Sediment, short cycling and a pump larger than the well's yield shorten its life.
Who should I hire to repair a well pump?
A licensed well driller or pump installer. Texas, for example, issues separate Pump Installer licenses with endorsements for single-phase, three-phase and turbine pumps. Check the license with your state before you hire.
Find a driller
Then see who serves your area.
The directory lists only source-checked provider records. Use it alongside the vetting questions, never instead of them.
Open the well driller directorySources & claim context
Citations mark where guidance is grounded. They are general resources dated on retrieval, not guarantees for any property, project, price, licensure, permit or yield. No expert, attorney or reviewer signoff is claimed by this site.
Penn State Extension: Managing Your Well During Drought · Penn State Extension · accessed 2026-10-10
https://extension.psu.edu/managing-your-well-during-drought
Regional guidance; diagnosis needs a professional
Water Systems Council: wellcare Guide to Evaluating Water Wells (for home inspectors) · Water Systems Council (wellcare) · accessed 2026-10-10
Guideline distances are not legal requirements; check state rules on who may inspect
TDLR: Water Well Driller and/or Pump Installer License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · accessed 2026-10-10
https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/wwd/apply-driller-installer.htm
Licensing details only; not a license lookup
HomeAdvisor: How Much Does Well Drilling Cost? · HomeAdvisor (Angi) · accessed 2026-10-12
https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/landscape/drill-a-well
Published consumer cost-guide figures, not quotes; scope of the range (drilling vs complete system) is not itemized by the publisher
Zenodo: Well Drilling Cost Register (US, published prices, October 2026) · Zenodo · accessed 2026-10-15
https://zenodo.org/records/23404401
Published prices, not quotes or completed-job data; not a representative sample
This Old House: Well Pump Cost and Installation Guide · This Old House · accessed 2026-10-23
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/plumbing/well-pump-cost
Published consumer cost-guide figures, not quotes
HomeAdvisor: Well Pump Install or Replace · HomeAdvisor · accessed 2026-10-23
https://www.homeadvisor.com/near-me/well-pump-install-or-replace
Consumer cost-guide FAQ, not an engineering standard
Bob Vila: How Much Does a Well Pump Cost to Install? · Bob Vila · accessed 2026-10-23
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/well-pump-cost/
Consumer cost-guide figures dated 2023, not quotes
Water Systems Council: A Homeowner's Guide to Your Well (wellcare) · Water Systems Council (hosted by Florida DOH) · accessed 2026-10-23
Industry guide, undated
TDLR: Licensing Files Download Page · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · accessed 2026-10-23
https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/licenseSearch/licfile.asp
License status as of file date
Claims are grounded in the dated source notes above; project-specific price, yield, licensure and permit answers require site-specific and local verification.