How well and pump contractors register in Ohio

Getting registered in Ohio

A private water systems contractor registration is good for one calendar year, January 1 to December 31.

The 2026 registration fee is $250.00, or $500.00 if the contractor started work on a private water system before applying.

Each registered contractor files a surety bond of $10,000 or $20,000 with ODH for the registration year.

Registered contractors must carry at least $500,000 in general liability insurance.

To renew a registration, a contractor needs at least six continuing education hours. A current NGWA certified pump installer or certified well driller credential is one accepted way to meet it.

On the ODH registration application, contractors tick the systems they work on: wells, ponds, springs, cisterns, hauled water storage tanks and EPA public water systems.

Contractors also tick the type of work they do: construction, sealing or abandonment, rehabilitation and disinfection, pump and distribution systems, and water treatment or continuous disinfection systems.

Sources: Annual registration with ODH; Registration fee

Who needs a registration

Ohio counts pump installers, along with well drillers, as private water systems contractors whose work requires registration with the Ohio Department of Health.

Anyone in the business of working on a private water system before the discharge side of the pressure tank (or other storage vessel) needs ODH registration.

An employee working under the direct supervision of a registered contractor does not need a separate registration, and neither does someone who helps the owner without being paid.

Since April 1, 2011, a homeowner who wants to build, alter or seal the water system on their own primary or secondary property must also register with ODH, without the bond. Contact both the local health department and ODH first.

The state permit application says every person who works on a private water system, homeowners included, must be registered with the Ohio Department of Health under rule 3701-28-18(A).

After well, pump or distribution work under a permit, the registered contractor's completion form goes to the local health district within 30 days of finishing and before the system gets final approval.

Sources: Pump installers must register with ODH; Homeowners doing their own work must register; Everyone working on a system must be registered; Completion form within 30 days of pump work

How owners check a registration

ODH posts lists of registered private water systems contractors (Ohio based and out of state). They are updated as contractors are added; if a contractor is missing, check back or call the ODH program at 614-644-7558.

The ODH statewide list (a Contractor Activity Status Report, grouped by county) prints columns headed Well, Spring, Pump, Water, Cistern, Pond and Sealing, with an X for each contractor. The list itself prints no legend for these columns.

No work may begin on a private water system until ODH has confirmed the contractor's registration for that year, either on the registered contractor list or by a letter of acceptance.

The permit application asks for the registered contractor's company name and ODH registration number. If you have not chosen one when you apply, you must provide it before work starts.

ODNR's guide for owners says to ask your local health department, or ODH, whether a contractor is registered before you hire.

ODH's list of registered water haulers relies on the local health districts, which register and inspect haulers, to report them.

Sources: ODH registered contractor lists; What the ODH list shows; Contractor named on the permit; Check with the local health department