New Well Drilling in Ocala, FL

When a new well makes sense

Drilling a new well is not the first answer to most well problems, and an honest well pro will say so. The large majority of no-water and low-pressure calls are a pump, a tank, or a switch, all far cheaper than a new well. But there are situations where a new well is the right, and sometimes the only, answer:

• A property with no well. New construction or vacant land in rural Marion County that needs its first water source.
• A well that has run dry or is failing at the source. A shallow or aging well whose water level or yield has dropped below what the household needs, where a deeper or new well is the fix rather than another pump.
• A collapsed or contaminated well. A borehole that has caved, silted in, or been compromised beyond rehabilitation.
• An old, low-yield well. A well that no longer keeps up with a modern household's demand no matter what pump goes in it.

The drilled well itself is long-lived. Bemis Well Drilling reports a properly constructed residential well can last 40 to 50 years or longer, while the pump inside it lasts only 8 to 15 years. So a new well is a long-horizon investment, not a recurring cost, which is part of why it is worth doing right the first time.

What well drilling costs

New well cost is driven by depth, because you pay largely by the foot. HomeGuide's 2026 national data:

A second national source, welldrillingcosts.com, puts the 2026 national average at $25 to $65 per foot, in the same band. Florida-specific figures from local contractor pages tend to run lower per foot than the national average because the water table in much of the state is relatively shallow; one Florida well guide (DrillerDB) cites roughly $10 to $30 per foot and about $7,000 for a typical 200-foot Florida residential well. Treat the Florida number as a contractor estimate rather than a government figure, and get a site-specific quote, because local geology and required depth vary across Marion County.

What the price includes

A complete new well is more than a hole in the ground. A full system quote should spell out each piece so you can compare fairly:

• Drilling to the depth needed to reach a reliable water-bearing layer.
• Casing and screen to line the borehole and keep it from collapsing or drawing sediment.
• The pump, sized to the well's depth and the home's demand, covered on our pump page.
• The pressure tank and switch, the system that delivers steady pressure to the house, covered on our pressure tank page.
• Connection and testing, tying the well into the home's plumbing and confirming flow, pressure, and water quality.

Because a well ties into so many trades, permitting and construction standards apply. Well construction in Florida is regulated through the state's water management districts, so a proper job includes the required permit for your district. This is one reason to work with an established local driller rather than the cheapest bid: the well has to be built to standard and documented, not just dug.

Get the diagnosis before the drill

If a contractor jumps straight to recommending a new well for a no-water call without first checking the pump, tank, and switch, be cautious. A new well is the most expensive answer to a well problem, and it is rarely the right one for a sudden loss of water on an otherwise sound well. The honest sequence is diagnosis first: confirm the pump and system are truly the problem, rule out the cheaper fixes on our repair page, and only then talk about drilling if the well itself has failed at the source.

When a new well genuinely is the answer, it is a major job worth planning carefully: the depth, the system components, the permit, and a written quote that breaks out each line. Done right, it is a 40-to-50-year water source, and the single most durable part of the whole system.

Frequently asked questions