Yes, you can drill your own well in Florida, but only in a narrow case: the well must be two inches or less in diameter, sit on property you own or lease, and serve only your single-family home or your own farm. The water cannot be shared with the public or any other residence. Even then, you still need a well construction permit before any drilling begins, and the well must meet every state and local construction standard.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 373.326 – Exemptions
Why the DIY Exemption Rarely Fits a Real Household
Most residential drinking water wells in Florida are three or four inches in diameter. A two-inch well produces very little, so the self-build exemption covers very few homeowners who actually want a functioning household water supply. If you need a standard-size well for the house, you are hiring a licensed water well contractor. The exemption waives the contractor licensing requirement for that one small class of well. It does not waive anything else.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 373.326 – Exemptions
You Still Need a Permit
A permit is required before you construct, repair, or abandon any water well in Florida, including a two-inch homeowner well. You apply using the state’s standard form (Form 62-532.900(1)), submitted either by the property owner or by a contractor on the owner’s behalf. The application covers the proposed well location, intended use, and other site-specific details. The permitting authority can also ask for additional information such as geophysical logs or pumping tests if site conditions warrant it.2Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 62-532.400 – Permit for Water Well Construction, Repair, or Abandonment
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection sets the statewide rules through Chapter 62-532 of the Florida Administrative Code.3Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Water Well Construction Rules, Forms, and Reference Documents Florida’s five Water Management Districts issue the actual permits, and more than 20 counties operate under delegated permitting authority, including Brevard, Broward, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Sarasota, and Volusia.4Florida Department of Health. Well Construction in Florida Your first call is to your local Water Management District or county health department to find out which office handles well permits where you live.
Fees vary. As one example, the St. Johns River Water Management District charges $275 for public water supply wells and $40 for most other well types, with higher fees in specially delineated areas.5St. Johns River Water Management District. Fee Lists Don’t assume one district’s numbers apply statewide.
Where You Can Put the Well
Florida Administrative Code Chapter 62-532 contains a setback table (Table I) that fixes minimum distances between wells and various contamination sources. The required distance depends on the well type and what is nearby. For irrigation wells, the statewide minimum is 50 feet from a septic system, including the tank, drainfield, and any lift stations. Landscape and recreational irrigation wells can carry a 75-foot setback depending on district rules. Potable drinking water wells generally face the strictest setbacks.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards
If your planned location doesn’t meet the setbacks, your permit will be denied. If you drill first and discover the problem later, you may end up abandoning the well at your own expense. Pull the setback table that applies to your district and measure carefully against every septic component, property line, and surface water feature on the site before you commit.
How the Well Has To Be Built
Florida regulates materials and methods, not just location. Two pieces matter most for a small homeowner-built well.
Casing and Grouting
The casing lines the borehole and keeps surface water and shallow contamination from running down into the aquifer. When the casing sits inside a wider borehole, the gap (the annular space) must be filled from bottom to top with cement grout, with no gaps. For casings smaller than four inches in outside diameter, the grout must be at least one inch thick. For casings four inches or larger, at least two inches.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards
Wellhead
For private residential, multi-family, and irrigation wells, the top of the casing must extend at least 12 inches above finished grade and be sealed with a watertight cap. If the wellhead would create a physical hazard, say near a driveway or walkway, it can go in a below-grade enclosure instead, but the enclosure has to allow maintenance access and drain by gravity so water doesn’t pool around the casing.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards
What Happens if You Skip the Permit or License
Drilling or working on a well without first obtaining a permit is grounds for enforcement action under state law. If you drill a well that doesn’t qualify for the two-inch exemption without hiring a licensed contractor, the Water Management District can impose an administrative fine of up to $5,000 per occurrence for unlicensed well contracting.7The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 373.333 – Disciplinary Actions, Violations, and Penalties
On top of that, violating any provision of Part III of Chapter 373, or ignoring an order issued under it, is a second-degree misdemeanor in Florida, and each day a violation continues after an order or conviction counts separately.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 373.336 – Penalties A second-degree misdemeanor carries up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. The larger financial hit usually comes from being ordered to plug a noncompliant well or remediate contamination you caused.
If You Stop Using a Well
An abandoned or unused well that isn’t properly handled can become a direct pipeline for contamination into the aquifer. Florida requires any unused well to be capped with a watertight, threaded, welded, or bolted cover. To fully abandon a well, you must plug it from bottom to top with cement grout or bentonite and cap the top with at least one foot of cement.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 62-532.500 – Water Well Construction Standards A permit is required before you abandon a well, just as it is before you build one.2Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 62-532.400 – Permit for Water Well Construction, Repair, or Abandonment Professional plugging typically costs $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the well’s depth and condition.
When You Have To Hire a Licensed Contractor
Any well that doesn’t fit inside the two-inch, single-household exemption has to be built by a Florida-licensed water well contractor. Licensing requirements are substantial. Applicants must be at least 18, have two years of documented experience constructing or repairing permitted wells in Florida (including at least seven wells they personally constructed), pass a state examination, and complete a minimum of 12 hours of approved coursework.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 373.323 – Water Well Contractor Licenses Water Management Districts issue and maintain these licenses, and you can verify a contractor’s license status through your local district.
Drilling costs vary with well depth, geology, and casing size. Typical residential wells in Florida run roughly $15 to $75 per foot for drilling and casing, so a 100-foot well might land anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 before pump equipment and site work. Get multiple bids, and confirm the contractor will handle the permit application, build to code, and file the required completion report.