Getting a water well or pump installer license in Delaware

Getting licensed in Delaware

A pump installer applicant must be at least 18, have at least one year of experience installing, maintaining and repairing well pumps, and pass a written or oral exam.

A licensed pump installer may only work while employed by a licensed water well contractor or pump installer contractor.

Water well contractors and pump installer contractors must carry liability insurance of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, and $50,000 per occurrence and $50,000 aggregate for property damage.

Applicants must score 75% or higher on the license exam to pass.

All Delaware water well licenses expire on December 31 each year, and renewals must be submitted by November 30 to avoid a lapse.

Pump installers must complete at least 2 hours of continuing education before their license is renewed.

DNREC charges $250 a year for a Water Well Contractor license.

Sources: Four individual license types; Pump installer license requirements; Water well contractor license fee

Who needs a license

In Delaware, well pumps and pumping equipment must be installed by, or under the direct on-site supervision of, a licensed pump installer, plumber or well driller.

A well pump may be repaired by a Delaware licensed pump installer or plumber, apart from the farm well exception.

Repairs to the internal parts of a well itself must be done by, or under the direct supervision of, a Delaware licensed well driller or well driver.

Any business that contracts to install, maintain or repair well pumps in Delaware must hold a pump installer contractor or water well contractor license from DNREC.

A person with a Delaware plumbers license, or working under the direct on-site supervision of a Delaware licensed plumber, well driller, well driver or pump installer, does not need a separate pump installer license to work on well pumps.

Delaware does not require a well permit to repair or rehabilitate a well or its equipment, as long as the well's physical dimensions do not change.

Sources: Who may install a well pump; Pump businesses need a contractor license

How owners check a license

Every well in Delaware must be built by a water well contractor licensed by DNREC through the Water Well Licensing Board.

The Delaware Open Data Portal publishes a dataset of Water Well Contractors and Pump Installer Contractors.

Licensed water well and pump installer contractors must mark their rigs and service vehicles on each side with the company name and the contractor's license number.

Licensed well drillers, well drivers and pump installers must carry a DNREC identification card while working and show it on request.

The DNREC Well Viewer shows DNREC permits and cleanup projects near a well. You can search by well permit number, address or parcel number.

Sources: Wells must be built by a licensed contractor; Open data list of licensed contractors; Look for the license number on the truck