Buying a house with a well, what to check before you close

If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. We'd recommend the same thing either way, and we'll tell you when a free option exists. How we make money

The well becomes your job the day you close.

The EPA says private wells aren't regulated by the federal government or by most states. No agency checks the water after you move in. Whatever the well has in it now, you're buying.

That's why the inspection period matters. It's the one time the seller has a reason to fix a problem or lower the price.

Ask the seller for these papers first.

• The well log. This is the report the driller filed when the well was drilled. It lists depth, casing and yield. See finding your well record.
• Past water test results. A few years of results tells you more than one test.
• Repair and pump records. Ask when the pump and pressure tank were last replaced.
• Any state well disclosure. Some states make sellers disclose wells. Minnesota, for one, requires the seller to tell the buyer and the state about every well on the property, and you can look up past disclosure certificates online.

If the seller has none of this, your own testing and inspection count for more.

Test the water yourself, through a certified lab.

Order the test yourself, or make sure the sample is taken by someone independent of the seller. Use a lab certified by your state for drinking water. Some states and counties test private wells for free or at a discount, so ask your health department first.

At a minimum, the CDC's yearly list applies: total coliform bacteria, nitrate, total dissolved solids and pH. For a home purchase, add the tests the Minnesota Department of Health says every well should have at least once: arsenic and lead. If a baby will live in the house, test for manganese and nitrate too.

Then ask the county health department what's common nearby. That could be uranium, radon or PFAS. Our county pages list what other wells in the area have shown.

Have a well contractor look at the equipment.

A licensed well contractor can check what the National Ground Water Association lists for a yearly well checkup:

• A flow test, to see how much water the well gives and how far the water level drops while pumping
• The pump motor's electrical draw and wiring
• The pressure tank and pressure switch
• The wellhead, cap and seals

The Minnesota Department of Health puts it plainly: wells don't last forever. If the well is old, have it inspected.

Look at the wellhead with your own eyes.

You can check a few things on a walk around the yard:

• The casing should stick up out of the ground. Minnesota says at least 1 foot, and the National Ground Water Association says at least 12 inches.
• The cap should be tight, with no cracks or gaps.
• The ground should slope away from the well so rain doesn't pool around it.
• Septic systems, fuel tanks and chemicals should be well away from it. The National Ground Water Association says at least 50 feet from pastures, kennels and livestock areas.

Watch for a well in a pit below ground. The Minnesota Department of Health calls well pits a serious health hazard, because flood water and runoff can flow straight in. Old unused wells on the property are a problem too. They should be sealed by a licensed contractor.

Use the results in the negotiation.

If a test comes back over a health limit, the EPA says to retest right away to confirm it. Then you have a few choices: ask the seller to fix it, ask for a credit to pay for treatment, or walk away. The Minnesota Department of Health says a one-time bacteria problem, like one from pump work, can usually be cleared with shock chlorination. A well that keeps testing positive probably needs repair or replacement.

Prices vary a lot. The Minnesota Department of Health lists 2017 to 2018 cost estimates for each kind of treatment, from about $10 for a carbon filter at one tap to $12,000 for a whole-house reverse osmosis system.

Questions people ask