RI · wells & permits
Water wells in Rhode Island
Real drilling records, county depth medians, active contractors, and exactly what it takes to pull a well permit in Rhode Island.
The permit, in plain language
RIDOH / local building
216-RICR-50-05-3
- Pre-drill gate
- None — report after drilling
- Fee
- —
- Who files
- Driller or owner may file
- Timeline
- Varies
Confirm current fee with authority
Before the rig arrives
- Confirm parcel allows a private well (vs required public water connection).
- Select a licensed well contractor; obtain owner authorization as required.
- No statewide pre-drill permit for typical domestic wells — confirm local/district overlays.
- Still complete post-drill filing (registration / well log) on the deadline below.
After drilling: Completion report to RIDOH ≤10 days within 10 days → RIDOH / local building
WellMap prepares estimate-backed quote packets and dual-party approvals. It does not issue permits and never auto-submits to government systems. The licensed driller (and/or owner where required by law) is the submitter of record. Verified 2026-07-14.
Top drillers on record
No contractor statistics for Rhode Island yet — several states publish drilling records without contractor names, and a few aren't in bulk form at all. See data & methodology.
County by county
Depth statistics across Rhode Island
Medians from wells with verified total depth. Click a county for its permit authority, fee and filing channel.
| County | Wells | With depth | Median | p10–p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 2,258 | 2,188 | 42 ft | 12–140 ft |
| Providence | 892 | 876 | 52 ft | 16–189 ft |
| Kent | 518 | 496 | 30 ft | 9–128 ft |
| Newport | 6 | 6 | 22 ft | 17–39 ft |
| Bristol | 5 | 5 | 38 ft | 18–172 ft |
| 000 | 1 | 1 | 65 ft | 65–65 ft |