Well Driller List

State rules

Delaware

Delaware requires a state license for the people and businesses that drill wells and install pumps. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water, issues licenses for water well contractors, pump installer contractors, well drillers, and pump installers. The program uses the Regulations for Licensing Water Well Contractors, Pump Installer Contractors, Well Drillers, Well Drivers, and Pump Installers, 7 DE Admin. Code 7302, together with the Delaware Water Well Licensing Board. Individual license classes named on the division page include general well driller, geotechnical well driller, dewatering well driller, and pump installer. Applications go through a Digital DNREC account and need two professional references from licensed individuals.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Licensing or permitting agency
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water, with the Water Well Licensing Board
Who must hold a credential
Water well contractor, pump installer contractor, well driller, and pump installer licenses
Official permit or license page
Official page →

The division says licenses are required for all persons who perform these tasks in Delaware. The board generally meets monthly, and an application must be received at least 10 business days before the meeting to be placed on that agenda. After the board approves an application, the person is told by email that they may take the examination for that license. There is a separate exam for each license type. Questions cover the scope of the license and both the construction regulations, 7 DE Admin. Code 7301, and the licensing regulations, 7 DE Admin. Code 7302. The page says applicants must score 75 percent or higher to pass.

The licensing regulation, as published by the state, says a person who contracts to drill, bore, core, drive, dig, construct, install, remove, or repair a well must be licensed as a water well contractor. A person who contracts for pump installation, maintenance, or repair must be a pump installer contractor or a water well contractor. Individuals who do the drilling or pump work must hold the matching individual license or be under the direct on-site supervision of someone who does. Contractors must verify employment of the licensed people in the company so those individual licenses can be activated. Licenses are renewed annually.

A property owner hiring a firm should ask for both the company contractor license and the individual driller or pump installer license that will be on site. The construction rules in 7 DE Admin. Code 7301 are the companion to the license. They are the standards the exam covers along with the licensing rules. This record does not list licensees and does not copy a fee. The division's water well licenses page is the place to start an application and to read the current board schedule. Well construction permits, where required, should be confirmed with the Division of Water rather than assumed from the license alone.

Official resources in Delaware

DNREC water well licenses

License types, board review, exam score, and annual renewal.

7 DE Admin. Code 7302 licensing regulations

Who must hold a contractor, driller, or pump installer license.

EPA private drinking water wells

Federal context for private well water quality.

Key facts for Delaware

What to do next

  1. Ask for the contractor license and the individual license of the person who will be on site.
  2. Confirm the application was approved by the Water Well Licensing Board, not only submitted.
  3. Ask which 7301 construction standard applies to the kind of well you need.
  4. Ask how abandonment of an unused well is handled under the state well rules.

Looking for your city or county in Delaware?

We haven't found official program-level pages for Delaware we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Delaware, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    Delaware
    Website →
    Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.
    Your city or county office: Local governments →
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Delaware page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

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