How much does it cost to drill a well in Idaho?
Depth is almost the whole answer, and depth varies enormously. A median-depth well runs about$2,300 in Lemhi County and $23,000 in Kootenai County — a difference of more than 10x, for the same job.
These figures come from 208,243 well records the State of Idaho holds, retrieved 2026-09-29. Each county's median depth is multiplied by a published statewide rate of $35–$60 per foot. Borehole only.
Price a specific parcel freeCost by county, most expensive first
| County | Median depth | Typical cost | Range you might hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kootenai | 380 ft | $13,500–$23,000 | $5,100–$41,000 |
| Elmore | 351 ft | $12,500–$21,000 | $2,000–$37,500 |
| Lincoln | 345 ft | $12,000–$20,500 | $8,200–$35,500 |
| Clearwater | 305 ft | $10,500–$18,500 | $4,200–$37,000 |
| Lewis | 305 ft | $10,500–$18,500 | $4,400–$40,500 |
| Latah | 298 ft | $10,500–$18,000 | $4,400–$30,000 |
| Benewah | 301.5 ft | $10,500–$18,000 | $5,100–$31,500 |
| Nez Perce | 300 ft | $10,500–$18,000 | $3,600–$48,000 |
| Idaho | 275 ft | $9,600–$16,500 | $3,500–$36,000 |
| Jerome | 270 ft | $9,500–$16,000 | $6,300–$26,000 |
| Clark | 256 ft | $9,000–$15,500 | $3,500–$31,500 |
| Boundary | 240.5 ft | $8,400–$14,500 | $2,000–$33,500 |
| Cassia | 234 ft | $8,200–$14,000 | $2,100–$42,000 |
| Power | 230 ft | $8,100–$14,000 | $3,700–$27,500 |
| Boise | 226 ft | $7,900–$13,500 | $2,800–$27,500 |
| Owyhee | 215 ft | $7,500–$13,000 | $2,200–$40,500 |
| Oneida | 213 ft | $7,500–$13,000 | $2,600–$25,000 |
| Bonner | 205 ft | $7,200–$12,500 | $2,000–$32,500 |
| Bonneville | 200 ft | $7,000–$12,000 | $3,500–$24,000 |
| Adams | 201 ft | $7,000–$12,000 | $3,000–$25,500 |
| Franklin | 201 ft | $7,000–$12,000 | $2,600–$26,500 |
| Gooding | 192 ft | $6,700–$11,500 | $3,500–$18,000 |
| Twin Falls | 180 ft | $6,300–$11,000 | $2,600–$28,000 |
| Fremont | 180 ft | $6,300–$11,000 | $2,600–$24,000 |
| Teton | 185 ft | $6,500–$11,000 | $2,900–$25,000 |
| Minidoka | 168 ft | $5,900–$10,000 | $1,200–$23,000 |
| Bannock | 165 ft | $5,800–$9,900 | $2,800–$22,000 |
| Camas | 160 ft | $5,600–$9,600 | $2,600–$20,500 |
| Bear Lake | 157 ft | $5,500–$9,400 | $1,600–$24,000 |
| Caribou | 145 ft | $5,100–$8,700 | $1,300–$20,500 |
| Canyon | 140 ft | $4,900–$8,400 | $2,100–$19,500 |
| Butte | 140 ft | $4,900–$8,400 | $2,100–$22,000 |
| Jefferson | 120 ft | $4,200–$7,200 | $2,200–$15,500 |
| Ada | 119 ft | $4,200–$7,100 | $1,400–$21,000 |
| Bingham | 119 ft | $4,200–$7,100 | $2,300–$13,500 |
| Valley | 109 ft | $3,800–$6,500 | $1,500–$18,500 |
| Blaine | 103 ft | $3,600–$6,200 | $1,400–$15,500 |
| Custer | 100 ft | $3,500–$6,000 | $1,500–$18,000 |
| Madison | 98 ft | $3,400–$5,900 | $2,100–$16,500 |
| Washington | 93.5 ft | $3,300–$5,600 | $1,200–$21,000 |
| Gem | 85 ft | $3,000–$5,100 | $1,000–$14,500 |
| Payette | 83 ft | $2,900–$5,000 | $1,100–$16,500 |
| Shoshone | 77 ft | $2,700–$4,600 | $800–$25,000 |
| Lemhi | 66 ft | $2,300–$4,000 | $1,100–$18,500 |
What a per-foot quote does not include
Drillers price the borehole per foot. Everything else is quoted separately, and it adds up: casing, the pump and pressure tank, electrical and trenching, permits and site work. When you compare two quotes, check what each one covers before you decide one is cheaper.
Why the range matters more than the average
In Twin Falls County most wells run 75 to 470 ft. At the same per-foot rate that is $2,600 to $28,000 — a five-figure spread inside one county. Two parcels a mile apart can land at opposite ends of it.
That is the risk you carry when you make an offer, and it is why a county average is orientation rather than a budget. The wells nearest a specific parcel are the evidence that actually matters. Check a location to see them.
Where these numbers come from
Idaho drillers must file a report for every well, and the Idaho Department of Water Resources publishes them. WellDepth reads that database directly — 208,243 records — and computes each county's median from its own wells. Records under 18 feet are excluded as data-entry errors, following IDWR's own definition of a permittable well.
The per-foot rate is a published statewide figure, not a quote from any county, so treat every number here as an estimate for framing a budget. Get written quotes from at least two licensed Idaho drillers before you rely on a figure.