Research · updated 2026-08-21 · download the county-level CSV
Vermont Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Vermont means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 14 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 119,486 official Vermont DEC well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 270 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $20,700–$34,500. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Vermont
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chittenden | 325 ft | 216 ft–500 ft | $25,200–$42,000 |
| Franklin | 302 ft | 200 ft–422 ft | $21,960–$36,600 |
| Addison | 300 ft | 200 ft–450 ft | $21,600–$36,000 |
| Rutland | 293 ft | 200 ft–425 ft | $22,020–$36,700 |
| Windsor | 285 ft | 197 ft–405 ft | $21,900–$36,500 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Vermont
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chittenden | $25,200–$42,000 | $10,500–$27,300 | 325 ft |
| Windham | $24,000–$40,000 | $10,000–$26,000 | 260 ft |
| Rutland | $22,020–$36,700 | $9,175–$23,855 | 293 ft |
| Franklin | $21,960–$36,600 | $9,150–$23,790 | 302 ft |
| Windsor | $21,900–$36,500 | $9,125–$23,725 | 285 ft |
Download the full county table (CSV)
How to read this
- Depth is measured; cost is modeled. Depths are the median of recorded drilled depths per county. Cost applies published Vermont per-foot drilling rates to that local median depth — a planning estimate, not a quote. Actual bids vary with geology, casing, site access, and water depth.
- Counties below 30 records are excluded so a thin sample can't produce a misleading superlative.
- Records are drilling events from the state database, which include some replacement and abandoned wells; deeper counties reflect real local geology (bedrock, aquifer depth).
Sources & methodology
- Vermont well records: Vermont DEC (refreshed weekly; see our general methodology).
- Percentiles (p25/median/p75) computed per county; cost from published per-foot rate ranges applied to the local median depth.
The county table is free to use with attribution to Vermont Well Data (vermontwelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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