Well Cost per Foot Normalizer
Turn a well quote into an apples-to-apples cost per foot — divide the total you were quoted by the well depth — and turn any $/ft figure back into a total.
Calculator
$10,300.00 over 200 ft is $51.50/ft. Use it to compare quotes on an apples-to-apples basis — and to turn any $/ft figure back into a total (depth × $/ft). Note some quotes bundle casing and the pump into the per-foot number and some do not.
Well quotes are hard to compare because they mix a per-foot footage rate with fixed items like the pump and the pressure tank. The quickest way to line up two bids is to reduce each to a single cost per foot: total divided by depth. This tool does that, and runs the reverse — depth times a $/ft rate — so you can turn any advertised per-foot number back into a real total.
Formula
Two directions of the same identity:
cost per foot = total cost ÷ depth
total = depth × cost per foot
Both use only your own figures — there is no reference price. Remember that a normalized $/ft is only comparable if the two totals include the same scope.
Worked example
A finished well cost $10,300 and reached 200 ft. The normalized rate is $10,300 ÷ 200 = $51.50/ft. Running it the other way, a 200 ft well at $51.50/ft is back to 200 × $51.50 = $10,300 — the check that proves the division.
Now suppose a competitor advertises “$28/ft.” For the same 200 ft that is only 200 × $28 = $5,600 — far below the finished total, a strong hint that the $28 covers footage only and leaves out the pump, tank, wiring and trenching.
Comparing quotes fairly
The number is only meaningful when the scope matches. A bundled $/ft that already includes the casing, pump and pressure tank will always look higher than a footage-only rate; that does not make it the more expensive job. Before you trust a per-foot comparison, list what each quote includes and exclude the fixed items, or add them to both.
To build a full estimate from scratch instead of normalizing an existing one, use the well drilling cost calculator, which keeps footage and fixed line items separate. This is a planning estimate on your numbers, not a bid.