The cheapest and most expensive Idaho counties to drill a well
Lemhi County is the cheapest place in Idaho to drill a median-depth well at roughly $2,300–$4,000 for the borehole; Kootenai is the most expensive at $13,300–$22,800. Both are estimates from measured depths and a published $35–$60 per-foot rate, and both exclude casing, pump and electrical.
Every county ranked by estimated borehole cost, computed from its own measured median depth and a published per-foot rate.
By WellDepthPublished
The ranking
Depth is the dominant cost driver, so ranking counties by cost means ranking them by depth and applying a rate. These use the published statewide figure of $35–$60 per foot, borehole only.
Every figure here is an estimate with its method shown. It is not a quote, and no driller has priced any of these parcels.
| # | County | Median depth | At the median | Across the typical range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kootenai | 380 ft | $13,300–$22,800 | $5,100–$8,700 – $23,900–$41,000 |
| 2 | Elmore | 351 ft | $12,300–$21,100 | $2,000–$3,500 – $22,000–$37,700 |
| 3 | Lincoln | 345 ft | $12,100–$20,700 | $8,200–$14,100 – $20,700–$35,500 |
| 4 | Clearwater | 305 ft | $10,700–$18,300 | $4,200–$7,200 – $21,700–$37,100 |
| 5 | Lewis | 305 ft | $10,700–$18,300 | $4,400–$7,500 – $23,500–$40,300 |
| 6 | Benewah | 301.5 ft | $10,600–$18,100 | $5,100–$8,700 – $18,400–$31,600 |
| 7 | Nez Perce | 300 ft | $10,500–$18,000 | $3,600–$6,200 – $28,000–$48,000 |
| 8 | Latah | 298 ft | $10,400–$17,900 | $4,400–$7,500 – $17,500–$30,000 |
| 9 | Idaho | 275 ft | $9,600–$16,500 | $3,500–$6,000 – $21,000–$36,000 |
| 10 | Jerome | 270 ft | $9,500–$16,200 | $6,300–$10,700 – $15,100–$25,800 |
| 11 | Clark | 256 ft | $9,000–$15,400 | $3,500–$6,000 – $18,400–$31,600 |
| 12 | Boundary | 240.5 ft | $8,400–$14,400 | $2,000–$3,500 – $19,400–$33,300 |
| 13 | Cassia | 234 ft | $8,200–$14,000 | $2,100–$3,600 – $24,500–$42,000 |
| 14 | Power | 230 ft | $8,100–$13,800 | $3,700–$6,300 – $15,900–$27,300 |
| 15 | Boise | 226 ft | $7,900–$13,600 | $2,800–$4,900 – $16,100–$27,600 |
| 16 | Owyhee | 215 ft | $7,500–$12,900 | $2,200–$3,700 – $23,600–$40,500 |
| 17 | Oneida | 213 ft | $7,500–$12,800 | $2,600–$4,400 – $14,700–$25,200 |
| 18 | Bonner | 205 ft | $7,200–$12,300 | $2,000–$3,400 – $18,900–$32,400 |
| 19 | Adams | 201 ft | $7,000–$12,100 | $3,000–$5,100 – $14,900–$25,500 |
| 20 | Franklin | 201 ft | $7,000–$12,100 | $2,600–$4,400 – $15,400–$26,500 |
| 21 | Bonneville | 200 ft | $7,000–$12,000 | $3,500–$6,000 – $13,900–$23,900 |
| 22 | Gooding | 192 ft | $6,700–$11,500 | $3,500–$6,000 – $10,500–$18,000 |
| 23 | Teton | 185 ft | $6,500–$11,100 | $2,900–$5,000 – $14,700–$25,200 |
| 24 | Twin Falls | 180 ft | $6,300–$10,800 | $2,600–$4,500 – $16,500–$28,200 |
| 25 | Fremont | 180 ft | $6,300–$10,800 | $2,600–$4,500 – $14,000–$24,000 |
| 26 | Minidoka | 168 ft | $5,900–$10,100 | $1,200–$2,000 – $13,500–$23,100 |
| 27 | Bannock | 165 ft | $5,800–$9,900 | $2,800–$4,800 – $13,000–$22,200 |
| 28 | Camas | 160 ft | $5,600–$9,600 | $2,600–$4,500 – $12,100–$20,700 |
| 29 | Bear Lake | 157 ft | $5,500–$9,400 | $1,600–$2,800 – $14,000–$24,000 |
| 30 | Caribou | 145 ft | $5,100–$8,700 | $1,300–$2,300 – $12,000–$20,600 |
| 31 | Canyon | 140 ft | $4,900–$8,400 | $2,100–$3,600 – $11,300–$19,400 |
| 32 | Butte | 140 ft | $4,900–$8,400 | $2,100–$3,600 – $12,800–$21,900 |
| 33 | Jefferson | 120 ft | $4,200–$7,200 | $2,200–$3,700 – $9,100–$15,600 |
| 34 | Ada | 119 ft | $4,200–$7,100 | $1,400–$2,500 – $12,400–$21,200 |
| 35 | Bingham | 119 ft | $4,200–$7,100 | $2,300–$3,900 – $8,000–$13,700 |
| 36 | Valley | 109 ft | $3,800–$6,500 | $1,500–$2,500 – $10,700–$18,300 |
| 37 | Blaine | 103 ft | $3,600–$6,200 | $1,400–$2,400 – $9,100–$15,600 |
| 38 | Custer | 100 ft | $3,500–$6,000 | $1,500–$2,500 – $10,500–$18,000 |
| 39 | Madison | 98 ft | $3,400–$5,900 | $2,100–$3,600 – $9,600–$16,500 |
| 40 | Washington | 93.5 ft | $3,300–$5,600 | $1,200–$2,000 – $12,200–$20,900 |
| 41 | Gem | 85 ft | $3,000–$5,100 | $1,000–$1,700 – $8,400–$14,500 |
| 42 | Payette | 83 ft | $2,900–$5,000 | $1,100–$1,900 – $9,600–$16,500 |
| 43 | Shoshone | 77 ft | $2,700–$4,600 | $800–$1,300 – $14,700–$25,200 |
| 44 | Lemhi | 66 ft | $2,300–$4,000 | $1,100–$1,800 – $10,800–$18,500 |
Median depth from 141,748 records, multiplied by a published statewide rate. Excludes casing, pump, pressure tank, electrical and trenching. Estimate, not a quote.
What the ranking leaves out
A per-foot rate is the one number that travels. Everything else that makes water usable is quoted separately, and the separate parts frequently cost more than the hole.
Rates also move with rig type, haul distance, scheduling and how hard the rock is. A remote parcel in a deep county can price well above anything in this table.
Ask about these
- Ask each driller for a written per-foot rate and an explicit list of what the quote excludes.
- Ask what happens if the well has to go deeper than estimated, and whether there is a cap.
What a county figure cannot tell you
A county median describes the wells people drilled and reported, not the ground under one parcel. Groundwater varies over short distances, and these records sit on other people’s property.
Use a county figure to know which questions to ask and roughly what to budget. Use the records near a specific point to know how much that budget could move. Neither is a substitute for a written quote from a licensed Idaho driller.
Sources
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