Well pump replacement cost

Replacing a well pump costs $900 to $4,500, typically around $2,000. A shallow jet pump in a basement is at the bottom. A submersible pump 400 feet down, pulled with a rig, is at the top, and most of that difference is the depth rather than the pump.

If you are on a well, no water is not an inconvenience. It is a same-day problem, and knowing what it costs before it happens is worth the ten minutes.

What it costs

Pulling a submersible pump means lifting a few hundred feet of pipe, wire and pump out of the ground. That is the labor, and it is why depth drives the price.

Diagnose before you replace

A pump is the expensive answer and often the wrong one. Cheaper failures produce identical symptoms.

No water at all. Check the breaker first, then the pressure switch. A pressure switch is $150 to $400 and fails far more often than the pump does. Burnt or pitted contacts inside it are visible.

Pump cycles rapidly on and off. Almost always a waterlogged pressure tank, not the pump. The tank's bladder has failed and it no longer holds an air cushion. Rapid cycling destroys pumps, so this is worth fixing quickly, and it is a $400 to $1,200 job rather than a $2,500 one.

Pressure drops when two faucets run. Could be the pump losing capacity, could be a pressure tank with the wrong precharge, could be a clogged sediment filter.

Air spitting from faucets. The water level has dropped below the pump intake, or there is a leak in the drop pipe. Both are serious and neither is fixed by a new pump alone.

Pump runs constantly and never builds pressure. Now it is likely the pump, or a leak in the drop pipe letting water fall back into the well.

Ask the contractor which of these they checked. A company that arrives, pulls the pump and replaces everything is a company that did not diagnose.

Jet or submersible

Jet pumps sit above ground, in a basement or well house, and draw water up. Shallow well versions work to about 25 feet, deep well versions to about 100. They are cheaper and easier to service because they are reachable.

Submersible pumps sit at the bottom of the well and push water up. They are more efficient, quieter, work at any depth, and last longer. Servicing means pulling the whole assembly, which is the cost.

New wells are almost always submersible. If you have a jet pump, replacing like for like is usually right unless the well is deep enough that the pump is struggling.

How long they last

Eight to fifteen years for a submersible, ten to fifteen for a jet pump. What shortens them:

• Rapid cycling from a failed pressure tank. This is the main one.
• Sand and sediment, which wears the impellers.
• Running dry when the water table drops.
• Voltage problems, particularly on long runs to an outbuilding.

If the pump failed at seven years, something else is wrong and fitting a new one without finding it buys another seven years at most.

Frequently asked questions

Should I replace the pressure tank at the same time?

If it is over ten years old, yes. It is $400 to $1,200 while someone is already there, and a failing tank is what kills the new pump.

How do I know the pressure tank has failed?

Tap it: the bottom should sound solid with water and the top hollow with air. If it sounds full all the way up, the bladder has gone. Also press the air valve on top — water coming out means it has failed.

Can I replace a pump myself?

A shallow jet pump in a basement, plausibly. A submersible, no. Pulling several hundred feet of pipe needs equipment, and dropping the assembly down the well turns a $2,500 job into a new well.

Do I need to shock chlorinate afterwards?

Yes. Anything that opens the well can introduce bacteria. Disinfection plus a follow-up test is standard practice, costs $50 to $250, and is worth insisting on.

Is a constant pressure system worth the extra?

It runs the pump at variable speed to hold steady pressure rather than cycling between cut-in and cut-out. In a house where the shower drops when the washing machine fills, it is a genuine improvement. It costs roughly twice a conventional setup and the electronics are a new thing to fail.