Getting a water well or pump installer license in Indiana

Getting licensed in Indiana

The license fee is $100 a year for a new license or a renewal, and every license expires on December 31 of the year it is issued.

Applicants must give three references, two of them from drillers, pump installers or licensed plumbing contractors, and must pass a DNR competency exam.

Licensed drillers and pump installers must complete at least six hours of approved continuing education every two years to renew.

Source: One license card

Who needs a license

Indiana law requires a DNR license for anyone who installs or repairs water well pumping equipment.

A person may not work as a water well driller or pump installer in Indiana without a license issued by the DNR Division of Water.

The Indiana well drilling statute and rules do not regulate the pipes and electrical connections between the well and the house, or equipment such as a pressure tank inside the house.

Under 312 IAC 13, a submersible pump must be set deep enough to allow 25 feet of drawdown in a well in unconsolidated deposits and 50 feet in a bedrock well.

Sources: Pump repair needs a license; No license, no work

How owners check a license

The DNR publishes lists of well drilling and pump installation contractors with offices in Indiana, the four nearby states and elsewhere, with addresses and phone numbers.

Only contractors with currently licensed drillers or pump installers are listed. To check one person's license, call the Division of Water at 1-877-928-3755.

The DNR says to always hire a licensed driller or pump installer and compare prices. Indiana requires a home improvement contract for residential work over $150.

The Division of Water lists contractors as a public service and does not recommend particular ones.

Sources: DNR contractor lists; Get a written contract