A Florida water well permit is required before anyone constructs, repairs, or abandons a well in the state, and in almost every case the work itself must be performed by a contractor licensed through one of Florida’s five water management districts. The permit comes from the water management district covering the well’s location, or from a local agency the district has delegated (often a county health department). The rules sit in Chapter 373 of the Florida Statutes and Chapter 62-532 of the Florida Administrative Code.
When a Permit Is Required
You need a permit before any of three things happens at a well site: construction of a new well, repair of an existing one, or abandonment of a well that is no longer in use. The application goes to the water management district (or its delegate) on the state’s prescribed form, submitted either by the well owner or by the contractor acting for the owner. The permitting authority reviews the proposal against state rules and can ask for extra information such as geophysical logs, soil samples, or pumping test results if the site calls for it.1Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 62-532.400 – Permit for Water Well Construction
If the well will be used for anything beyond a single-family home or firefighting, you may also need a separate consumptive water use permit before the construction permit can issue. Wells serving a single-family residence are generally exempt from that additional requirement.2South Florida Water Management District. Well Construction Permits
The Narrow Owner-Built Exception
Florida allows a homeowner to build a well on their own property without hiring a licensed contractor, but the exception is narrower than most people assume. All of the following must be true: the well is two inches or less in diameter, it serves only your single-family residence or your own farm, and the water is not intended for public use or for any other residence. Even under this exception, you still need a permit and you still have to meet every state and local construction rule.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 373.326 – Exemptions Anything outside those bounds, including irrigation wells above two inches or any well serving more than your own household, must go to a licensed contractor.
Who Can Do the Work
Outside that exception, well construction, repair, and abandonment must be performed by a contractor licensed through a water management district. That district license is the only well contractor credential required anywhere in Florida; no county or city can demand an additional one.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 373.323 – Licensure of Water Well Contractors; Application, Qualifications, and Examinations; Equipment Identification
To sit for the licensing exam, an applicant must be at least 18, have at least two years of experience constructing, repairing, or abandoning permitted wells in Florida, and document that experience with a list of at least ten permitted wells worked on in the preceding five years, seven of which the applicant personally constructed. The exam tests state rules, construction and abandonment skills, and business competency.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 373.323 – Licensure of Water Well Contractors; Application, Qualifications, and Examinations; Equipment Identification If you are hiring someone, ask for the license number and confirm it with the water management district before the work starts. Owners who hire an unlicensed person can be pulled into the same enforcement action as the contractor.
How to Apply and What It Costs
Applications go to the water management district for the area where the well will be located. Some districts, such as the South Florida Water Management District, take applications through an online portal; others still work on paper.2South Florida Water Management District. Well Construction Permits The application describes the proposed location, well type, depth, casing diameter, and intended use. Complex projects may draw a request for more documentation.
State law caps the construction permit fee at $500 and the clearance-for-use fee at $50.5Florida Senate. Florida Code 373.309 – Authority to Adopt Rules and Procedures Actual fees usually run well below those caps and depend on the district and the size of the well. At the Northwest Florida Water Management District, for example, a small residential well (casing under four inches) is $35, a mid-size well is $50, larger wells at six inches and above are $100, and a public supply well is $250. An abandonment permit at that district is $10.6Northwest Florida Water Management District. Well Permitting Fee Schedule Permit fees are nonrefundable.
What the Permit Obligates You to Build
The permit ties the well to the technical standards in Florida Administrative Code Rule 62-532.500. Two problems drive most of those standards: keeping surface contaminants out of drinking water aquifers, and stopping water from moving between underground zones that differ in quality or pressure. The latter matters especially along the coast, where a badly built well can pull saltwater into a freshwater aquifer.
Casing
Well casings seated in unconsolidated earth must run continuously from the top of the well down to the screen, with a watertight seal at the connection. Casings seated in rock or another consolidated formation must reach at least the top of that formation and extend to or below the water level of the target aquifer.7Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards
Approved casing materials include steel pipe meeting or exceeding ASTM A 589 and plastic pipe (PVC, ABS, or styrene-rubber) conforming to ASTM F 480. Plastic casing must carry a manufacturer’s label showing nominal size, material type, standard dimension ratio, and the NSF approval seal.8Florida Administrative Code. Florida Administrative Code 62-532 – Water Well Permitting and Construction Requirements
Grouting
Grout seals the space between the casing and the surrounding earth so contaminants cannot travel down the outside of the pipe. Casings seated into consolidated formations must be sealed with neat cement grout. In an oversized borehole, four-inch and larger casings need at least a two-inch nominal thickness of cement grout from bottom to top; smaller casings need at least a one-inch thickness. Public water supply wells and wells in contamination-delineated areas face additional grouting requirements, including undercutting the borehole and driving the casing through cement grout.7Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards
Neat cement grout must use Portland cement (ACI Type I, II, or III) mixed with water, or an equivalent the permitting authority approves. Bentonite grout must be a high-swelling sodium montmorillonite with a minimum density of 9.4 pounds per gallon.8Florida Administrative Code. Florida Administrative Code 62-532 – Water Well Permitting and Construction Requirements
Water Used During Construction
Only potable water may be used during construction, including water for cleaning equipment and mixing drilling fluids. If a well cannot be completed in a way that prevents unauthorized interchange between aquifer zones, the rules require it to be abandoned and plugged instead.7Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards
Abandonment Permits
Wells that are no longer needed cannot simply be left in the ground. Abandonment requires its own permit, and the well must be plugged by filling it from bottom to top with neat cement grout or bentonite and then capped with at least one foot of neat cement grout. Alternative methods are allowed only with written approval from the FDEP or the permitting authority.7Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards If you buy property with an old, unused well on it, the abandonment obligation transfers with the land. Any unused well not yet plugged should be capped and secured in the meantime.
Penalties for Skipping the Permit
Enforcement runs on two tracks. Water management districts can discipline licensed contractors for constructing without permits, letting someone else use their license, fraud, gross negligence, or refusing to comply with rules or prior orders. Consequences range from probation to license suspension or revocation, plus administrative fines up to $5,000 per offense. Unlicensed persons who perform well work face the same $5,000-per-occurrence fine, and the district can issue cease-and-desist orders and seek court injunctions.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 373.333 – Disciplinary Guidelines; Adoption and Enforcement; License Suspension or Revocation
Separately, the FDEP and water management districts can sue in court to enforce any rule or order under Chapter 373. Civil penalties can reach $15,000 per offense, each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, and the enforcement agencies can recover investigative costs, court costs, and attorney fees on top of the penalty.10The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 373.129 – Maintenance of Actions A well built or repaired without the required permit is the kind of ongoing violation that can accumulate that daily figure quickly.
Before any shovel goes in the ground, identify the water management district for your property, confirm whether your project falls inside the owner-built exception, and either apply for the permit yourself or have your licensed contractor do it.