Well Driller List

State rules

West Virginia

West Virginia certifies water well drillers and pump installers through the Bureau for Public Health. Legislative rule 64 CSR 19, filed April 13, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026, says it sets certification requirements for water well drillers and pump installers and the issuance of permits for water wells. The rule says no person shall drill, construct, alter, or abandon a water well without a valid West Virginia certification of the proper class. No person shall install, repair, or replace a well pump without a certification of the proper class, except that a property owner may install the pump system and sign the completion record if the owner first passes an exam at 70 percent. The bureau's forms page publishes master, journeyman, and pump installer applications. Local health departments issue the well permit before drilling or abandonment.

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
West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau for Public Health
Who must hold a credential
Certified well driller, in master, journeyman, and apprentice classes, and certified pump installer
Official permit or license page
Official page →

The rule classifies well drillers as master, journeyman, and apprentice. Certification is issued by the commissioner to a person who meets the rule, and it is not transferable. The bureau's forms distinguish a master application, a journeyman application, a pump installer application, an exam application, and a renewal. A Kanawha County health department page states the local step in plain language: residents apply to the local health department for a permit before drilling, modifying, or abandoning a well, and the well must be drilled by a licensed well driller. That county page is an example of the permit path. Other counties use their own health departments.

The rule's purpose is to protect public health, prevent groundwater contamination, and set fair rules for construction and pump installation. It applies where the pump is in a water well or pulls water from one. Because the rule has a sunset date of August 1, 2028, readers should confirm it is still in force when they rely on a specific section. The forms page is the current application set. This record does not copy a roster of certified people and does not copy a fee into the fee field.

A homeowner should ask for the West Virginia certification class and should apply to the local health department for the permit before the driller is scheduled. If the owner wants to set the pump, the rule's 70 percent exam is the condition the text states, and it is not a general permission to drill the well. Abandonment is included in the work that requires certification and, on the county page, a permit. The rule PDF and the bureau forms page are the two state sources used here.

Official resources in West Virginia

Bureau for Public Health forms

Well driller and pump installer certification applications.

64 CSR 19 water well regulations

Certification requirement effective July 1, 2026, and the owner pump-exam exception.

Kanawha County water wells

Example of the local health department permit required before drilling or abandonment.

EPA private drinking water wells

Federal context for private well households.

Key facts for West Virginia

What to do next

  1. Ask for the driller's West Virginia certification class.
  2. Get the local health department permit before drilling.
  3. If you will set the pump yourself, ask the bureau about the owner exam.
  4. Ask for the completion record after the well is finished.

Looking for your city or county in West Virginia?

We haven't found official program-level pages for West 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 West 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.
    West Virginia
    Website →
    Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the West 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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