Smith’s Well Drilling, LLC
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License 9999-PWSC-26-000164 Active
- Pump Installation
- Pump Repair
- Water Treatment
- Well Abandonment
- Well Drilling
- Well Repair
Ohio county well guide
Well Water in Vinton County, OH: Testing, Contractors and Rules
About 3,727 households in Vinton County, 71% of the county, rely on a private well. Nobody tests that water unless the owner does.
of households on a private well
Share on wells, county vs state
1licensed contractors serve the county
40+ mito a certified lab; mail-in kits recommended
Nostatewide test required when a home is sold
Most homes in Vinton County are on a private well: about 3,727 households, 71% of the county. That makes Vinton County one of the places in Ohio where the water department is the homeowner.
Local rules for wells in Vinton County
Private wells in Vinton County follow Ohio's statewide rules, administered by Ohio Department of Health. A water test is required when a new well is completed. There is no statewide test requirement when a home is sold, though lenders often ask for one. The cards below show the details and the official sources.
At a glance
Water test for a new wellRequired
Under OAC 3701-28 a permit from the local health district is required before a well is drilled or altered. When the work is done, the owner asks the health district for the final inspection, and a sanitarian collects the water sample: total coliform, E. coli and nitrate. The system is approved only when the sample passes (4 or fewer total coliform per 100 mL and no E. coli for a well without continuous disinfection).
Water test when a home is soldNot required statewide
No statewide requirement. Most local health districts offer a real-estate evaluation of the well on request (a visual inspection plus a bacteria and nitrate sample), and some lenders ask for one. Ask the county health district for its fee and turnaround.
What the state recommends
ODH recommends a total coliform and nitrate test every year, and every time the water changes in taste, color or smell, after flooding, or after any work on the well or pump. Add arsenic, iron and manganese, hardness and sulfate at least once, and PFAS or methane where local conditions call for it.
Free or low-cost testingAvailable
No statewide free program. Several county health districts run their own labs (Erie, Logan, Mahoning, Canton City among them) and sell bacteria and nitrate tests at cost; others sell bottles from a certified lab. OSU Extension fact sheet AEX-315 lists labs that accept samples from homeowners.
Getting your water tested near Vinton County
No state-certified lab sits within 40 miles of the center of Vinton County. That is common in rural Ohio, and the practical answer is a mail-in kit: the lab ships bottles, you sample at the kitchen tap and ship them back cold. The finder below widens the search to the whole state.
No listings yet for this area. Try widening your search.
Licensed well contractors serving Vinton County
1 licensed contractor serve Vinton County, including Smith’s Well Drilling, LLC. Each profile carries the state license number and the date we checked it, and the filters below sort them by drilling, pump work or treatment.
1 licensed contractors
Well depth and water chemistry
Wells in Vinton County typically reach 50 to 200 ft in glacial sand and gravel; 100 to 400 ft in bedrock in the east and south. What comes up with the water depends on the aquifer, and across Ohio the usual suspects are coliform bacteria, nitrate (northwest and central farm counties), arsenic (glacial aquifers in northwest and central ohio), iron. A first full panel tells you which of them apply to your well.
Typical well depth
Varies by location. Check the state well record search for logs of nearby wells.
Contaminants to test for
- Coliform bacteria
- Nitrate (northwest and central farm counties)
- Arsenic (glacial aquifers in northwest and central Ohio)
- Iron
- Manganese
- Hardness
- Sulfate and hydrogen sulfide (eastern shale and coal country)
- Radium and uranium (some sandstone and shale wells)
- Methane (near oil and gas fields)
Neighboring counties: Jackson County, Hocking County, Athens County, Ross County.
What well work costs in Vinton County
Basic bacteria and nitrate test$25 to $75lab fee, homeowner sample
Full panel lab test$150 to $400metals, VOCs, radiologicals
Well inspection$250 to $550flow, pressure, visual, water test
Submersible pump replacement$1,200 to $4,500parts and labor
Pressure tank replacement$400 to $1,200installed
Whole-house treatment system$800 to $6,000softener, iron filter, UV, RO
New well drilled$5,500 to $25,000about $25 to $65 per foot
Shock chlorination$80 to $300or about $20 as a DIY job
National ranges from published 2025 to 2026 contractor pricing. Local quotes vary with depth, access and materials.
Questions Vinton County well owners ask
How many homes in Vinton County are on a well?
About 3,727, or 71% of households, based on Census housing data and state well surveys. The share is highest outside the towns with public water.
Where is the closest certified lab to Vinton County?
There is no certified lab within 40 miles. Use a mail-in kit from a Ohio certified lab, or the county health department if it collects samples.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Vinton County?
Under OAC 3701-28 a permit from the local health district is required before a well is drilled or altered. When the work is done, the owner asks the health district for the final inspection, and a sanitarian collects the water sample: total coliform, E. coli and nitrate. The system is approved only when the sample passes (4 or fewer total coliform per 100 mL and no E. coli for a well without continuous disinfection).
What does a well test cost near Vinton County?
A bacteria and nitrate test runs $25 to $75 at most certified labs; a full panel with metals is $150 to $400. Mail-in kits cost about the same as walking in.