Well Driller List

State rules

Virginia

Virginia certifies water well systems providers through the Board for Contractors. Code section 54.1-1129.1 sets three levels. A trainee needs at least one year of full-time practical experience in drilling, installation, maintenance, or repair of water wells or water well systems under a certified master. A journeyman needs at least three years of that experience. A master needs at least six years. The board's regulation 18VAC50-30-44 adds 24 hours of formal vocational training for the journeyman exam and 48 hours for the master exam. Renewal requires at least eight hours of continuing education in technical aspects of construction, the statutes and regulations, and business practices. A contracting business that wants the water well/pump specialty must have a certified provider and then apply for the contractor classification.

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
Virginia Board for Contractors, Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
Who must hold a credential
Certified water well systems provider at trainee, journeyman, or master level; contractors also need the water well/pump specialty
Official permit or license page
Official page →

Section 54.1-1130 says an individual who wants certification files a written application and the board's fee, and, unless exempt, takes an oral or written exam on water well systems and the relevant statutes and regulations. The board issues the certificate after a successful exam. The certified-provider application published by the legislative information system states a $175 fee and lists examination and grandfathering paths for master, journeyman, and trainee. Those amounts are on the form and are not stored in the fee field of this record. The board's address on the contractor requirements sheet is 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23233.

The requirements sheet says a business applying for the water well/pump specialty first submits the water well systems provider certification application. After the board approves it, the qualified individual schedules the exam. After the certificate is issued, the business submits a contractor license application or an additional classification application. Certification of the person and licensure of the business are sequential, not the same document. A customer should ask for both when a company is selling the job, and should ask whether the person on site is a trainee, a journeyman, or a master.

The statute's continuing education topics are a useful hiring question: technical construction, the legal rules, and business practices. Eight hours are required as a condition of renewal or reinstatement. The board can also require more education after a violation. This record does not copy a roster of certificate holders. The code section, the qualification regulation, and the board's application are the three official texts used here. Local well permits, where a county requires them, are a separate question from this state certification.

Official resources in Virginia

Virginia Code 54.1-1129.1

Trainee, journeyman, and master certification and continuing education.

18VAC50-30-44 qualifications

Experience and vocational-training hours for each exam level.

Virginia Code 54.1-1130

Application and examination for the water well systems provider certificate.

EPA private drinking water wells

Federal context for private well households.

Key facts for Virginia

What to do next

  1. Ask whether the person is a trainee, journeyman, or master provider.
  2. Ask for the company's water well/pump contractor specialty as well as the certificate.
  3. Confirm the eight hours of continuing education were completed for renewal.
  4. Ask the locality whether a separate well permit is required.

Looking for your city or county in Virginia?

We haven't found official program-level pages for Virginia 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 Virginia, 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.
    Virginia
    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 Virginia 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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