Well Installation cost in Denver, CO

Denver, CO · updated August 2026

$13,000

Typical local cost

$6,500 – $29,500

Typical range

per foot of depth
$29.50 – $77

Installed, local pricing

Permit
Yes

$230 – $920 in fees

Typical timeline
2-5 days of drilling

2-5 days of drilling, 3-8 weeks including permitting

Denver runs +18% against the U.S. average · data confidence Medium · modeled estimate, not a quote

Most Denver homeowners pay around $13,000. The local adjustment for this trade is x1.181 — driven mainly by Denver County labor rates and 70% exposure to local code requirements.

Cost by project size

Generated from the same unit pricing the calculator uses.

Estimated cost by project size
Project sizeEstimated range
150 foot of depth$4,400$11,600
200 foot of depth$5,900$15,400
250 foot of depth$7,400$19,300
325 foot of depth$9,600$25,000
425 foot of depth$12,500$32,700

Based on Denver pricing of $30–$77 per foot of depth.

Where the money goes

Labor
$8,100
60% of median
Materials
$4,900
36% of median
Permit & fees
$575
4% of median

Denver project costs+18% vs U.S. average

Based on Denver County labor rates, local material logistics and permit-fee posture for this trade.

What the project looks like start to finish

Typical sequence for this scope. Timing varies with contractor backlog and plan-review queues.

  1. 01

    Planning & quotes

    Scope, material choice, contractor selection

  2. 02

    Permit application

    Filed with City of Denver building department

  3. 03

    Materials & staging

    Order lead time on non-stock materials

  4. 04

    Installation

    2-5 days of drilling, 3-8 weeks including permitting

  5. 05

    Inspection

    Well completion inspection, Water quality test, Final plumbing inspection

  6. 06

    Closeout

    Final sign-off, warranty and documentation

Denver labor intelligence

What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.

Loaded hourly rate

$107–$138

Plumbing crews in Denver County · +16% vs U.S. ($105/hr)

Typical crew

3 × 3 days

On-site time for a typical well job here.

Labor in the price

$8,100

62% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.

Because labor is 62% of this job, Denver wage levels move the price far more than material prices do. A quote well under this labor figure usually means a smaller crew, a longer schedule, or unlicensed help.

Basis: Hometriva labor model: national plumbing crew rates adjusted by the Denver County labor factor (x1.156). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology

Why Denver differs from the national average

The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.

Trade labor rates$1,075Code and inspection load$575Material and delivery$275Permit fees$75
Dollars of the Denver difference owned by each driver, versus the U.S. median for well installation.
  • Trade labor rates+$1,075

    Denver County crews price 16% above the national average, and labor is 62% of this job.

  • Code and inspection load+$575

    Well Installation carries 70% exposure to local code requirements, and this jurisdiction's review load indexes at x1.07.

  • Material and delivery+$275

    Materials are nationally traded, so they move less — but delivery into this market runs 7% over baseline.

  • Permit fees+$75

    Fees are paid to the jurisdiction, not the contractor, and are budgeted separately from the contract price.

Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Denver median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Denver building department, Hometriva methodology

Denver vs Colorado vs the U.S.

Denver$6,500$29,500Colorado average$6,200$28,000U.S. average$5,500$25,000
Modeled ranges for well installation. The tick marks the median in each geography.

Change the inputs, see your number

The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.

Simulated well installation in Denver

$13,575

Likely range $7,075$30,075

Simulated from the same local model as the numbers above — it changes the inputs, not the pricing method.

What makes the number move

  • Depth to a reliable aquifer in your area
  • Casing diameter and material
  • Submersible pump horsepower and pressure tank
  • Water treatment for sulfur or iron
  • Electrical service to the wellhead

Who issues each permit

Tracked per discipline — the building permit issuer is not always the body that reviews electrical, plumbing, zoning or fire.

Permitting authority by discipline
DisciplineIssuing authority
buildingCity of Denver building departmentModeled estimate
electricalCity of Denver building departmentModeled estimate
mechanicalCity of Denver building departmentModeled estimate
plumbingCity of Denver building departmentModeled estimate
zoningCity of Denver building departmentModeled estimate
fireCity of Denver building departmentModeled estimate

Permit requirement in Denver

Yes — a permit is required for well installation in Denver, CO. The work must be inspected before it can be closed out, and a licensed contractor generally has to pull the permit.

Permitting authority
City of Denver building departmentModeled estimate
Permit fee
Estimated allowance $230$920Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.

Inspections

  1. Well completion inspection
  2. Water quality test
  3. Final plumbing inspection
Full Denver permit guide for well installation

Local conditions that change this job

Only the exposures that materially affect well installation.

Flood zone exposure

Low24/100

Annual rainfall

Low30/100

Front Range hail is the single largest driver of roof replacement volume, and Denver runs its own combined city-county permitting authority.

Nearby market comparison

MarketLocal factorMedianPer foot of depth
Denver (this page)x1.181$13,000$29.50$77
Colorado Springsx1.053$11,600$26.50$68.50
Salt Lake Cityx1.074$11,800$27$70
Albuquerquex0.938$10,300$23.50$61

What Denver homeowners actually paid

Real reported invoices from this market, aggregated. Add yours — it takes 20 seconds and no personal details.

No name, email or address is collected. Reports are reviewed before they count.

Quotes homeowners were given in Denver

Quotes run ahead of final invoices. Reporting yours shows the local spread and where there is room to negotiate.

No name, email or address is collected.

How Hometriva estimates Denver well costs

Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Denver estimate for well installation is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:

  1. National baseline$11,000

    Typical U.S. cost for well installation on a single-family home.

  2. Local labor factorx1.156

    Denver-area trade labor rates, weighted at 62% of this job.

  3. Material factorx1.066

    Material and delivery pricing into Denver County, weighted at 38%.

  4. Regulatory factorx1.075

    Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 70% for this project type.

  5. Applied multiplierx1.181

    Blended Denver adjustment specific to well installation.

  6. Permit component$230 – $920

    Budgeted separately from the contract price because it is paid to the jurisdiction.

Because labor, material and regulatory factors are weighted per project, well installation in Denver carries a different local adjustment than other trades in the same market.

Reviewed by

Hometriva Cost Data Desk

Maintains the unit-cost baselines, local adjustment factors and material pricing. Reviewed for well installation pricing in Denver, CO.

  • National unit-cost baselines against current trade pricing
  • Local labor and materials factors for the market
  • Material installed-cost ranges and service life

Last reviewed August 2026 · Editorial standards · Report an error

Frequently asked questions

Who issues well permits in Florida?

Florida's five water management districts issue water well construction permits, often delegated to a county health department. The local building department only handles the electrical and plumbing connection.

Sources

Sources & verification

Last verified August 2026. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing — they are not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.

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