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Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Florida Well Pump Repair: Permits, Rules & Costs

About 12% of Floridians, an estimated 2,460,300 people, supplied their own household water in 2015, according to USGS county water-use data, and those households pumped about 176.92 million gallons of groundwater a day. Replacing the pump on one of those wells runs $974 to $2,821, per Angi, and in Florida the paperwork for a pump-only job is usually nothing at all.

That is because state law draws a line at the wellhead. Florida Statutes § 373.303 defines well construction to exclude pumps and pumping equipment, so the pump, pressure tank, switch and controls are a contractor's job, while the casing, screen and depth belong to the well permit system run by the water management districts and, in a few counties, by the county health department.

Permits

Florida Statutes § 373.303 also defines a well repair as altering or replacing any part of the well below ground. Those repairs, new wells and abandonments need a permit before work starts, and only a water well contractor licensed under Chapter 62-531, F.A.C. can pull it. Florida DEP keeps the state permit application and completion report under Chapter 62-532, F.A.C.

Who issues the permit depends on the county. SWFWMD says local agencies issue well construction permits in Manatee, Sarasota and Marion counties; in Marion that is the Florida Department of Health under a 2026–2031 agreement. Elsewhere the water management district or the county health department issues them. Lake County's FY2026 fee schedule lists $100 for a private potable well, $75 for an irrigation well and a $300 late-application fee.

Step 1: find out whether the fault is above ground or in the well. Step 2: for pump, tank, switch or control work, get an itemized quote from a licensed contractor. Step 3: for casing, screen or depth work, the licensed well contractor applies for the permit before starting. Step 4: disinfect and test the water after any work that opens the well.

Local conditions

The Floridan aquifer, held in limestone, supplies most private wells in the central part of the state, from Marion County south through Lake County, and its water is typically hard, so scale on switches and check valves is a routine repair.

Summer heat drives pump run time: NOAA normals list 110.3 days a year at or above 90°F at Ocala and 73.4 at Lisbon in Lake County, with most rain falling in the summer storm season and dry spring months doing the most damage to tanks.

Lightning is the other Florida pump killer; control boxes and capacitors near the coast and across the central ridge fail most often in June through September.

Groundwater conditions vary within a single county: shallow wells in the sand around the lakes near Clermont draw close to the water table and can suck air in drought, while deep wells into limestone west of Ocala stay wet but deliver hard water with some iron, and sediment from a failing screen near the rivers can wear a pump out early.

What drives local prices

  • Published ranges: Angi puts a pump replacement at $974 to $2,821 and a typical repair at $373 to $1,624.
  • Pump type: a shallow-well jet pump runs $450 to $1,500 installed and a constant-pressure system $1,300 to $4,000, per Angi.
  • Depth: beyond 150 ft Angi's depth band rises to $2,000 to $10,000, because pipe and wire must be pulled and reset.
  • Local permits stay off most bills: a county fee such as Lake's $100 well permit applies only when the well itself is repaired.
  • Irrigation wells double the equipment on many Florida lots, and each has its own pump and tank.

Common jobs

  • Submersible pump replacement on household and irrigation wells
  • Pressure tank replacement after waterlogging
  • Control box and capacitor replacement after lightning
  • Pressure switch cleaning and replacement in hard water
  • Well disinfection and bacteria testing after repairs

Service area

County pages so far cover Marion County (Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon) and Lake County (Clermont, Leesburg, Eustis, Tavares).

Permit offices named on each county page: DOH-Marion for Marion County and DOH-Lake Environmental Health for Lake County, plus the relevant water management district.

Communities: Ocala, Dunnellon, Belleview, Clermont, Leesburg, Eustis, Tavares, Mount Dora

If it is an emergency

No water? Check the breaker, the pressure gauge and the pressure switch, turn off irrigation, then call a licensed local well pro. County permit offices are listed on each county page.

Questions about Florida

Does Florida require a permit to replace a well pump?

Not a well construction permit. Florida Statutes § 373.303 excludes pumps and pumping equipment from well construction. Check with your city or county on electrical or plumbing permits.

Who can repair the well itself?

A water well contractor licensed under Chapter 62-531, F.A.C., who must get the well permit before starting.

How many Floridians rely on private wells?

USGS county data for 2015 estimate 2,460,300 residents on self-supplied household water, about 12% of the state.

Which Florida counties do you cover?

Marion and Lake so far. Each county page lists the permit office, local fees and the conditions that wear pumps out there.

Sources

County pages in Florida

Fees and rules change; confirm with the office named above. Compare part and labor prices in the well pump replacement cost guide, or run the estimator for your well.

Other locations we cover

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