Buying or selling a home on a private well near Springfield, MO? A well inspection gives both sides a clear picture of the well before closing. A thorough inspection looks at the well record, the cap and casing, the pump, pressure tank and switch, the flow the well delivers, and a water sample for the lab. Tell us the address and the closing date and we'll call you back.
A well inspection checks the paperwork, the visible parts of the well, the equipment and the water. That means looking up the DNR well record if the well was drilled after July 1987, checking the cap and casing, testing the pump, tank and switch, running a flow test, and sending a water sample to a lab. We price inspections by scope and lab tests, and the pricing guide lists what changes the cost. Our findings come in writing, so both sides work from the same report.
A general home inspection may not cover the well itself. The casing hundreds of feet down, the pump at the bottom and the quality of the water can sit outside that scope, yet they are among the most expensive parts of a rural home to fix.
For buyers, an inspection turns unknowns into facts before the money changes hands. For sellers, it answers questions early and avoids a surprise late in the sale. Either way, the findings belong in writing.
Wells drilled after July 31, 1987 were reported to DNR, so their depth and construction are on record. Older wells may have no record at all, which makes the physical inspection matter even more.
Buyers should also ask the seller for what they have: the well record, receipts for pump or tank work, past water test results, and the age of the pump and tank. Those papers fill gaps the inspection cannot see, such as how the well has performed over the years.
We price each inspection by its scope, so there is no flat figure here. The cost depends on how much is checked and how many lab tests are ordered. We tell you what is included when you book.
A water test alone tells you about the water but not about the pump, tank or well. A full inspection covers both. For a purchase, the full inspection is the safer choice, while an owner who only wants to check the water after heavy rain may need the test alone.
If the inspection turns up a waterlogged tank or a tired pump, pressure tank replacement or well pump replacement can be quoted before closing.
Timing matters in a sale. Book the inspection early in the contract period, since a lab result and any repair quotes take time, and a failed bacteria test means disinfecting and testing again. Agree in writing on who handles any repairs the inspection turns up.
Based on DNR well records through 2016, the median household well near Springfield is about 470 feet deep in Greene County, about 520 in Christian and about 345 in Webster. The same records put median casing length at about 145 feet in Greene County and about 105 feet in the other two. Comparing a home's well record with those figures shows whether its well is typical for the area.
Census survey figures show the median Greene County home was built in 1982, so plenty of rural houses on the market predate DNR's 1987 records. In karst ground a sound cap and casing matter more than usual, since sinkholes and losing streams can carry surface water to a poorly sealed well.
Water level matters for the pump. In the same DNR records, the median static water level is about 150 feet below ground in Greene County, about 180 in Christian and about 120 in Webster, and a flow test shows whether the well holds up at the property being sold.
We inspect wells for home sales around Springfield, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Willard, Strafford, Rogersville, Marshfield and Fair Grove.
Call (417) 929-5558 - Mon-Sat 7AM-7PM. Free quotes available.