To drill a water well in Florida, you need a permit from the Water Management District that covers your property before any ground is broken, and in almost every case a licensed water well contractor has to do the work and file the paperwork. A Florida well drilling permit is issued on DEP Form 62-532.900(1), costs somewhere between $35 and $200 depending on the district and well size, and locks in the location, depth, casing, and use of the well before construction starts.1Florida Department of Environmental Protection. State of Florida Permit Application to Construct, Repair, Modify, or Abandon a Well
Where to Apply
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection writes the statewide rules but has delegated licensing and permitting to five regional Water Management Districts.2Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Water Well Contractor Licensing and Permitting Your application goes to the district that covers your parcel:3Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Water Management Districts
- Northwest Florida Water Management District — the Panhandle from Pensacola east toward Tallahassee
- Suwannee River Water Management District — north-central Florida
- St. Johns River Water Management District — northeast and east-central Florida, including Jacksonville and Orlando
- Southwest Florida Water Management District — Tampa Bay through parts of central Florida
- South Florida Water Management District — Orlando south through the Everglades and Keys
Many counties within these districts have taken over permitting through their local health departments, so your application and fee may actually go to the county rather than the district office. Check with both before you submit anything. Fees and turnaround times differ, and a contractor working in your area every week will know which office handles what.
What the Application Asks For
The standard form is DEP Form 62-532.900(1), “State of Florida Permit Application to Construct, Repair, Modify, or Abandon a Well.” The contractor completes and submits it, but the property owner supplies most of the site information.1Florida Department of Environmental Protection. State of Florida Permit Application to Construct, Repair, Modify, or Abandon a Well
You will need the property’s legal description with Section, Township, and Range coordinates, the latitude and longitude of the proposed wellhead, the estimated depth of the well, the primary casing material, and the intended use (domestic, irrigation, public supply, and so on). A property map showing existing structures and any septic system must be attached so the reviewer can confirm the proposed location meets setback rules.
Fees
Fees vary by district, well diameter, and well type, and they are nonrefundable. The Northwest Florida Water Management District, for example, charges $35 for wells with casing under four inches, $50 for casing between four and six inches, and $100 for casing six inches or larger.4Northwest Florida Water Management District. Well Permitting Fee Schedule Where a county health department handles permitting, fees tend to run higher. Hillsborough County, for instance, charges $150 for a site inspection before permitting a potable well. Plan on somewhere between $35 and $200 in total.
How Long It Takes
Processing time depends on district workload and site complexity. Straightforward residential permits often come back in a week or two. Wells in contamination-delineated areas or near environmentally sensitive zones take longer. Ask your contractor for a realistic timeline based on their recent work in your county.
Who Can Actually Do the Drilling
Florida law makes it illegal to construct, repair, or abandon a water well without a license issued by one of the Water Management Districts.5Florida Legislature. Florida Code 373 – Licensure of Water Well Contractors6Florida Senate. Florida Code 373 – Unlawful Acts; Penalties7Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775 – Fines Administrative penalties from the district can stack on top of that. You can verify a contractor’s license status by contacting the Water Management District for your area.
The Narrow Homeowner Exception
You can construct a well yourself, without a licensed contractor, only if the well is two inches or less in diameter, used solely at your own single-family residence or on your own farm, and the water is not supplied to the public or another household.8Florida Legislature. Florida Code 373 – Exemptions This mostly covers small-diameter driven-point wells. The exemption removes the licensing requirement, not the permitting requirement: you still have to follow state and local construction rules, and your district may still require a permit and a completion report.
Setback and Construction Rules That Affect Approval
Florida Administrative Code Rule 62-532.500 sets the physical standards every well must meet.9Legal Information Institute. Florida Code 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards Two of these matter most at the permit stage, because they can determine whether your proposed location is even workable.
The first is setback distance. A single-family potable well must sit at least 75 feet from any septic tank or drain field.10Southwest Florida Water Management District. Well Construction Permitting Larger setbacks apply near commercial fuel storage, hazardous waste sites, and other contamination sources under the tables referenced in Rule 62-532.400, and those can reach 100 to 200 feet or more depending on the contamination and local soils. On a small lot, setbacks alone can decide whether a well is even possible, so map this out before paying a fee.
The second is grouting. The space between the casing and the borehole wall has to be sealed with grout to keep surface water from traveling down into the aquifer. Casing four inches or larger installed in an oversized borehole requires at least two inches of neat cement grout from bottom to top; smaller casing requires at least one inch. Approved materials are neat cement and high-solids bentonite meeting specified density and permeability standards.11South Florida Water Management District. Water Well Permitting and Construction Requirements Inspectors focus on grouting closely, and most construction defects show up here.
The Separate Electrical Permit
Wiring the pump to your electrical panel is a separate step that usually needs its own electrical permit from the county building department. The work generally must be done or supervised by a licensed electrician. Your well contractor may coordinate this, but confirm who is actually pulling the electrical permit. That handoff falls through more often than it should.
After the Well Is Drilled
The contractor must submit a Well Completion Report (DEP Form 62-532.900(2)) within 30 days of finishing the work.12Legal Information Institute. Florida Code 40C-3.411 – Well Completion Report The report logs the geological formations encountered, the final depth, casing details, and grouting information. A completion report is required for every well, even one that did not need a permit, and even if construction was started but abandoned before completion.
District inspectors can make unannounced site visits to confirm the well matches the permitted specifications. Failure to file the completion report, or filing false data, can lead the district to order the well abandoned at the owner’s expense. The contractor’s license is also at risk for repeated violations.
Water Testing After Completion
Federal EPA drinking-water rules do not apply to private wells, so no agency will monitor or treat your water for you.13Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for Testing Well Water The Florida Department of Health recommends annual testing of private well water for coliform bacteria, nitrate, lead, and pH.14Florida Department of Health. Private Well Water Testing Some counties require initial bacteriological testing before a new well can be connected to the home’s plumbing, particularly when a building permit is involved. Testing must be done by a state-certified laboratory.
Permits Are Also Required to Abandon a Well
If you have an old well that is no longer used or has fallen into disrepair, Florida law treats it as abandoned and requires it to be permanently sealed. An unsealed abandoned well is a direct conduit from the surface to the aquifer.
Abandonment uses the same Form 62-532.900(1) and must be performed by a licensed contractor. The well is cleared of obstructions and filled from bottom to top with grout. The contractor has to notify the district at least 24 hours before starting, and a district representative will usually be on site to observe unless the contractor has been authorized to proceed independently.15Legal Information Institute. Florida Code 40D-3.531 – Abandoned Well Plugging If you are buying property that already has a disused well, factor abandonment into your budget.
What It All Costs
The permit fee is a small share of the total. Drilling itself generally runs $26 to $58 per foot in Florida, and residential projects typically come out between roughly $3,000 and $9,000 depending on depth, location, and what the drill has to go through. Shallow wells in sandy coastal soil sit at the low end; wells that must penetrate limestone or reach a confined aquifer push higher. Complex jobs involving deep casing, specialized grouting, or difficult access can exceed $15,000.
Plan separately for the pump and pressure tank (typically $1,500 to $3,500 installed), the electrical permit and wiring, the permit application fee, water testing, and any treatment equipment your test results call for. A written estimate that itemizes each of these is the best protection against surprises after the rig leaves.