Private well guide

Well Water in North Carolina: Testing, Rules, Labs and Licensed Contractors

963,062 households in North Carolina get their water from a private well. Here is what the state requires, where to get it tested, and who is licensed to work on it.

Find a certified labLicensed contractorsPick my county
596Licensed contractorschecked against state records
90Certified labsfrom the state certified list
100Counties covered
963,062Households on wells24% of households (est.)

In North Carolina the path runs through your county health department. They permit the well, they take the first sample, and for many families they are the cheapest place to get water tested.

The North Carolina route: county health department first

North Carolina requires every new private well to be tested within 30 days of completion, before it is used for drinking, by the State Laboratory of Public Health or a certified lab. After that it is up to the owner. The state’s own guidance is specific: bacteria every year with a wellhead inspection, metals and nitrate every two years, pesticides and volatile organics every five, and a retest after any repair, flood or change in the water.

At a glance

Water test for a new wellRequired

Every newly constructed private well must be tested within 30 days of completion by the State Laboratory of Public Health or a certified lab before it is used for drinking water.

Water test when a home is soldNot required statewide

No statewide requirement at sale. Lenders (FHA, VA, USDA) usually require a test.

What the state recommends

Every year: total and fecal coliform bacteria plus a wellhead inspection. Every 2 years: heavy metals, nitrate and nitrite, lead and copper. Every 5 years: pesticides and volatile organic compounds. Retest after repairs, flooding, a change in water quality, or when an infant or pregnant person is in the home.

Free or low-cost testingAvailable

County health departments collect samples and send them to the State Laboratory of Public Health at set fees that vary by county (often $30 to $100 per panel).

Certified labs and county sampling

County environmental health offices collect samples and send them to the state lab for a fee that varies by county, usually $30 to $100 per panel. The commercial labs below are certified by the state and accept homeowner samples, which is faster if you need a full metals panel or a mortgage test on a deadline. Lead and low pH are the results to watch in the Piedmont, arsenic and radon in the western counties.

90 certified labs

See all 90 certified labs in North Carolina

Certified well contractors

North Carolina certifies well contractors through the Well Contractors Certification Commission, and it is illegal to construct, repair or abandon a well without one. Each profile below carries the certification numbers of the certified individuals at that business and the date we matched them to the state list.

596 licensed contractors

(Formerly) Summit Drilling

Verified license

SC · Lancaster County

License 3505 Active

  • Downhole Camera
  • Geothermal
  • Irrigation Wells
  • Pump Installation
  • Pump Repair
  • Well Abandonment
  • Well Drilling
  • Well Repair

(Self-Employed)

Verified license

NC · Guilford County

License 2453 Active

  • Downhole Camera
  • Geothermal
  • Irrigation Wells
  • Pump Installation
  • Pump Repair
  • Well Abandonment
  • Well Drilling
  • Well Repair

See all 596 licensed contractors in North Carolina

Your county

Fees, sampling schedules and the local geology are different in every county. Open yours for the details.

North Carolina well water questions

How do I get my well tested through the county?

Call your county environmental health office. Most will send a sampler to your home or hand you bottles with instructions, then submit the sample to the State Laboratory of Public Health. Results usually take two to four weeks.

Is a well test required when selling a house in North Carolina?

Not by the state. FHA, VA and USDA loans require one, and buyers increasingly ask for a bacteria, nitrate and metals panel as part of the inspection.

My water is blue-green staining the tub. Is that a well problem?

It is usually low pH water dissolving copper from your own pipes, which is common in the Piedmont’s granite aquifers. A pH test confirms it and a neutralizing filter fixes it. Test for lead too, since the same water pulls lead from older solder and fixtures.

What does a new well cost in North Carolina?

Depth drives the price. Piedmont bedrock wells commonly run 300 to 500 feet; coastal plain wells are shallower but need more casing. Expect quotes by the foot, plus the pump, pressure tank and the county permit.