Last checked: October 22, 2026

Buying a home with a well

If the house you want runs on a private well, the water, the well and the septic system are all part of what you're buying. In most states nobody is required to test any of it before closing. This guide covers what to put in your offer, which tests to order, what each state requires, and what to do if the results are bad. Every rule and number links to its source.

The short version

1. Make the offer contingent on a well inspection and water test, with a deadline and a way out if the results are bad.
2. Find out what your state and county require. Only a few states require a test at sale. Some counties and towns add their own rules (see the state table).
3. Order more than the lender asks for. Lender tests are often limited to bacteria, nitrate and sometimes lead. Add the contaminants that are common where the house is.
4. Check the quantity, not just the quality. Ask for a flow (yield) test by a licensed well professional.
5. Get the paperwork: well log, past test results, repair and treatment records, and any well disclosure the state requires.
6. Check the septic distance and the wellhead.
7. If results are bad, negotiate for repairs, treatment, a price change, or a retest, or use the contingency to walk away.

What to put in your offer

Most states leave well testing to the purchase contract. Minnesota's health department says the state doesn't require testing or inspection at property transfer, but many lenders require a test, typically for coliform bacteria and nitrate.¹ Virginia's health department and Wisconsin's DNR say the same about their states: no state requirement, but a lender or locality may require one.⁶⁹

A well contingency usually covers these things. The wording varies by state, so use the form your agent or attorney provides:

• Who orders and pays for the water test and the well inspection.
• Who does the work. In Wisconsin, anyone who inspects a well for pay at a property transfer must be a licensed well driller or pump installer.⁹ Virginia's health department recommends a licensed water well service provider for a stand-alone well inspection.⁶
• Which tests (see which water tests to order) and which lab (state-certified for each test).
• A deadline for the inspection, a negotiation period, and the buyer's right to void the contract if the parties can't agree. A Northern Virginia realtor association addendum, for example, sets an inspection deadline, lets the buyer send either a list of requested remedies or a notice voiding the contract, and gives a negotiation period after that.¹³
• How fresh the results must be. The same Northern Virginia addendum asks for a coliform report dated no more than 90 days before settlement.¹³ In New Jersey, sale test results are generally usable for a year, but coliform results only for six months.¹⁴

Rhode Island writes the contingency into law: every purchase contract for a home on a well must give the buyer a 10-day period (unless the parties agree otherwise) to do the state-required testing before being bound.¹⁷

State-by-state home-sale well testing rules

This table covers the states we've researched so far. "No statewide requirement" means we found an agency or legislative source saying so; "None found" means we looked and couldn't find a statewide rule, but we didn't find an official statement either. Rules change, so confirm with the state agency before you rely on this.

Federally backed loans:

• FHA: HUD's guidance says individual wells no longer need automatic testing unless the state or locality requires it, contamination is suspected, or the water relies on a purification system. The lender may still require testing. Where testing is required and the locality has no standard, EPA's maximum contaminant levels apply.³⁴
• VA: VA's appraiser training says all water testing must be done by a disinterested third party.³⁵

We haven't yet researched every state. Michigan, North Carolina and others are on our list. Check your state page for local details.

Which water tests to order, by region

Start with what nearly every agency recommends, then add what's common where the house is.

Every well: total coliform bacteria (with E. coli) and nitrate. CDC recommends testing every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH.³⁶ Minnesota adds arsenic, lead and manganese at least once.⁴ New York's health department lists lead, arsenic, sodium, iron, manganese, turbidity, pH, hardness and alkalinity every 3–5 years.³⁷

Lender tests may not be enough. Virginia's health department says many lenders require bacteria, nitrate and lead at a minimum, and notes EPA's caution that lender tests are meant to protect the loan and "may not be comprehensive evaluations of well water quality."⁶

Test the raw water and the treated water. If the house has a softener or filter, the test after treatment tells you what you'd drink, and the test before it tells you what the system has to handle. Rhode Island requires sale testing to note any treatment in place.¹⁸

Use a state-certified lab and let it (or a licensed pro) collect the sample. New Jersey requires sale samples to be collected by a certified sampler or a certified lab's representative, Rhode Island requires a licensed interpreter to review sale results, and VA appraiser guidance requires testing by a disinterested third party.¹⁴¹⁸³⁵ Ask the seller not to change filters or shock the well right before sampling, and ask whether that's been done.

Flow and yield tests

A well can pass every water test and still not give you enough water.

• What "yield" means: the rate a well can sustain continuously, in gallons per minute (gpm). New York requires yield testing for new, replacement and redeveloped wells.³⁹
• The rule of thumb: NYSDOH estimates peak household demand at about 5 gpm and says wells that reliably yield 5 gpm should meet peak and daily needs for most homes. A household with moderate use needs about 110 gallons per bedroom per day.³⁹
• Low-yield wells can work with storage. NYSDOH recommends minimum storage by yield and bedrooms. For example, a 3-bedroom house on a 1–3 gpm well needs about 200 gallons of storage. It says a well yielding under 0.5 gpm isn't recommended for use.³⁹
• Who measures it: a licensed well professional. Minnesota's health department suggests buyers have the well and water system evaluated for quantity, because some wells or aquifers can't supply normal household use, and demand may change with new owners.¹ Wisconsin notes six-inch drilled wells generally produce more than driven-point wells, and wells in granite tend to produce less.⁹
• Check the well log for the yield measured when the well was drilled (see well logs), and compare.

Septic and other setback distances

On a rural lot the septic system is usually the closest contamination source. Distances are set by the state or county, so ask the local health department. Some published examples:

FHA lets an existing property qualify with smaller distances if it meets local rules.³⁴ Minnesota says that if required isolation distances can't be maintained when you build or add on, the well must be sealed, and that a well can't be built inside a building other than a dedicated wellhouse.¹

When the septic is old or close to the well, a bacteria or nitrate result matters more. Consider a septic inspection in the same contingency.

Well logs and records

A well log (well construction report) shows depth, casing, geology, water level and often the yield measured when the well was drilled. Where to look:

• Ask the seller for the well log, sealing records, water test reports, and repair and maintenance records. That's Minnesota's health department's list.¹
• Search the state database. Each of our state pages links its database. For example, Minnesota Well Index, Wisconsin DNR well records, Ohio DNR water wells, Indiana DNR water well records, and New York's DECinfo Locator.^4243444546
• Older wells may have no record. Virginia's health department says private well records weren't required before 1990.⁶ Minnesota's statewide well rules date from 1974.¹
• In Minnesota, check for a previously filed Well Disclosure Certificate.¹

What it costs

Prices vary by lab and by what you order. These are published fees we could verify, as of the "last checked" date. We haven't found a government source that publishes typical prices for a private well inspection or yield test, so get quotes.

More published lab fees are in our testing cost guide. For treatment costs, a few agencies publish ranges. For example, UGA Extension estimates about $4,000 installed for a radon aeration system and about $1,000 for a granular activated carbon system.³¹

Questions to ask the seller

1. Do you have the well log (construction report)? When was the well drilled, and by whom?¹
2. Can I see every water test you have, with dates and the lab's name? (Rhode Island requires sellers to share up to 10 years of reports.)¹⁸
3. Has the well ever gone dry, lost pressure, or needed the pump lowered?
4. What repairs have been done to the well, pump or pressure tank, and when? Do you have receipts?¹
5. Is there any treatment (softener, filter, UV, RO)? What does it treat, and when was it last serviced?
6. Are there other wells on the property, used or unused? (Minnesota requires disclosure of all known wells.)²
7. Is the well shared with a neighbor? Is there a recorded agreement? (FHA requires recorded rights and a maintenance agreement for an off-site well.)³⁴
8. Where is the septic system, when was it last pumped, and has it ever backed up?
9. Has the well been flooded, or has anything been spilled nearby?
10. Have you shocked the well or changed filters recently?

Red flags

• A wellhead you can't find, or one that's buried. Minnesota requires the casing to stay at least 12 inches above ground.¹
• A well pit. Minnesota's health department says well pits pose safety and contamination risks and can flood.¹
• A dug well, or a cracked or loose cap, cracked casing, or settled soil around the casing. MDH lists these among common defects.¹ VA's appraiser training lists dug wells among the water sources a veteran must acknowledge in writing.³⁵
• Unused or "capped" old wells. In Minnesota, capped isn't sealed, and an unused well must be repaired, sealed by a licensed contractor, or kept under a maintenance permit.¹ Wisconsin inspectors search the property for unused wells.⁹
• A well in a basement offset (Minnesota wells built 1974–1993 under front steps).¹
• The septic uphill or close to the well.
• A positive coliform or any E. coli result. MDH says to stop drinking the water or boil it, disinfect the well, and retest. If coliform persists, have a licensed contractor inspect the well. E. coli means a greater risk of disease.¹
• Very low yield (under 0.5 gpm isn't recommended in New York's guidance).³⁹
• A seller who changed filters or shocked the well just before your test.

If the results are bad

1. Confirm it. Retest with a certified lab, and collect the sample properly. Wisconsin's Waukesha County says a second sample is needed to confirm a first unsafe bacteria result.⁵⁰
2. Find out what it means. Call the local health department. Our guide to reading results explains the common numbers.
3. Get a fix and a price. A licensed well contractor or water treatment professional can tell you whether it's a well problem (cap, casing, grout), a source problem (arsenic, uranium, nitrate), or a plumbing problem (lead). Then get written quotes.
4. Negotiate. Wisconsin's DNR says the buyer and seller can negotiate whether to correct a problem, and a lender may require it.⁹ Common outcomes include:
5. The seller fixes it before closing, with a passing retest. The Northern Virginia addendum, for example, has the seller remediate bacteria and retest at the seller's expense.¹³
6. A price reduction or credit for treatment.
7. Walking away under the contingency. In Rhode Island, failing results let the buyer void the contract before closing.¹⁷ In Westchester County, a failed primary test doesn't block the sale. The seller may fix it, cancel and return the down payment, or the parties can agree to close on negotiated terms.²²
8. Look for help. Some states offer grants or rebates. Wisconsin's Well Compensation Grant (income-limited, for contamination that meets DNR's criteria) and New York's PFAS rebate pilot are two examples.¹²⁴⁰

Printable rural home well checklist

Find your state

• FloridaFlorida has no well test requirement at sale. County health department testing, what to test, free sampling near contamination, NELAP-certified labs, well completion reports by water management district, and contacts, with sources.State overview
• GeorgiaGeorgia's well water testing advice, UGA's home loan closing test, uranium and radon in the Piedmont, arsenic in the Coastal Plain, setback distances, certified labs and contacts, with sources.State overview
• IndianaIndiana's seller disclosure for wells, glacial arsenic data, Indiana Department of Health lab fees, certified labs, the IDNR water well record database, and county contacts, with sources.1 county page
• MichiganMichigan private well facts in one place, covering new-well testing rules, the MDHHS testing schedule, arsenic in southeast Michigan, testing options, and our Michigan county pages.3 county pages
• MinnesotaMinnesota's well disclosure law for home sales, MDH testing advice, arsenic in new wells, free nitrate clinics, accredited lab search, the Minnesota Well Index, and county contacts, with sources.1 county page
• New HampshireNew Hampshire private well facts in one place, covering arsenic, radon and PFAS, NHDES testing guidance, town testing rules, accredited labs, and our New Hampshire county pages.2 county pages
• New YorkNew York's property disclosure questions on wells, county and town testing laws at sale, NYSDOH testing advice, ELAP lab search, free PFAS testing, DEC well records, and contacts, with sources.1 county page
• OhioOhio's home-sale disclosure, county point-of-sale well inspections such as Summit County's, arsenic estimates, what to test, Ohio EPA certified labs, the ODNR well log search, and contacts, with sources.1 county page
• PennsylvaniaPennsylvania private well facts in one place. There are no statewide testing rules, so this covers DEP's testing advice, Penn State county data, where to buy bacteria test kits, and our Pennsylvania county pages.4 county pages
• VirginiaWhat Virginia requires when a home with a well is sold, what VDH says homebuyers should test for, the Virginia Household Water Quality Program clinics, certified lab search, well records and contacts, with sources.State overview
• WisconsinWhat Wisconsin requires (and doesn't) when a home with a well is sold, the DNR inspection form, statewide test data, certified lab lists, well records, the Well Compensation Grant, and contacts, with sources.1 county page

County pages only (state overview coming): Maine, New Jersey, North Carolina.

Where to get tested and treatment options

Related guides

• Free tool: Well Test Results Checker: type in your lab numbers and see each one next to the EPA benchmark.
• How to read your well water test results
• How much does well water testing cost?
• How often to test a private well
• Shock chlorinating a well
• Private well testing checklist (printable)
• How a private well works: drilled, dug and driven wells, pumps and pressure tanks
• Private well vs city water: pros, cons and costs
• Who regulates private wells?