Pumps Sized to the Tested Well
Well pump installation starts with the yield test and the house. Pump depth, horsepower and wire size get matched to the numbers, not guessed. See how we handle pump installs in Milwaukee on new and existing wells.
Well Drilling Services
Expert Residential Well Drilling in Milwaukee, WI
Residential well drilling Milwaukee homeowners call us about usually comes down to one of three jobs: a new well on an outlying lot that city water never reached, a replacement for a well that finally quit, or sealing an old one the right way. Herr Well Drilling has done all three since 1964, working out of our shop in Dousman.
Most of the city drinks Lake Michigan water through Milwaukee Water Works, so private wells here are the exception. The people who still have one tend to be careful about who works on it. We return calls within 24 hours and get quotes out in 24 to 48 hours, Monday through Friday.
Where a Private Well Still Makes Sense Around Milwaukee
Inside the city grid, a water main runs down nearly every street. Out on the edges of Milwaukee County it is a different picture: acreage parcels on the southwest side of the county, older homes that went up before a main reached their road, and new builds on lots outside a utility service area. Those are the properties where residential well drilling Milwaukee County still makes practical sense, and they are where most of our metro well work happens.
If you have been searching residential well drilling near me from one of those addresses, start with a phone call. We will ask what is on the lot now, whether a neighbor has a well, and what the house needs. Then we tell you plainly whether new water well drilling is the right move or whether something smaller fixes the problem.
Drilling Milwaukee County Wells Into Dolomite or Deep Sandstone
Under the clay and glacial till around Milwaukee sits Silurian dolomite, and below that the deep sandstone aquifer. Most household wells finish in the dolomite. The sandstone has been pumped hard by the metro for over a century and carries naturally occurring radium in places, which is a big part of why the City of Waukesha switched to Lake Michigan water in 2023. Which layer a well draws from shapes every residential well drilling Milwaukee estimate we write.
For a new well installation we pull the state construction reports for neighboring wells first, so the depth estimate comes from what nearby holes actually found. Residential water well drilling then means steel casing seated into rock, grouted from the bottom up, and a measured yield test before any pump is ordered. Work by our Milwaukee well drilling contractor crew follows that same order on every lot.
Well Pumps and Pressure Tanks for Milwaukee Homes
Repair or Replace an Older Pump
A bad pressure switch or a worn control box is a well pump repair. A pump that is corroded, burned out or 25 years old is usually a well pump replacement. Our Milwaukee pump replacement page covers what that visit looks like, and our well service and repair work covers the smaller fixes.
Pressure Tank Installation That Saves the Pump
A waterlogged tank makes a pump start and stop every few seconds, which wears it out fast. Pressure tank installation is often the cheapest way to add years to a pump that is otherwise fine.
Inspections, Water Testing and Sealing Old Milwaukee Wells
Selling or buying a house with a well in Milwaukee County usually means a well inspection and water testing for the lender. We check the casing, cap, pump, tank and wiring, then collect samples for a certified lab. Water well testing covers bacteria and nitrate at minimum, and we add arsenic when the buyer or lender asks. Regular well water testing after that is cheap insurance.
Plenty of Milwaukee houses connected to city water decades ago and simply capped the old well, sometimes in a basement pit. A capped well is not a sealed one. Wisconsin requires unused wells to be filled and sealed, and our well abandonment work includes pulling the old equipment, grouting the hole and filing the state report. Booking water well service in Milwaukee is also how most customers handle water well repair and routine well maintenance.
If an older well has lost output to mineral scale or sediment, well rehabilitation can bring it back without drilling a new hole. That process is laid out on our well development and rehabilitation page.
Why Milwaukee Homeowners Trust a Four-Generation Drilling Family
John Herr Sr. bought the first rig in 1964. His son John Jr. drilled wells on the side while working at American Motors, then went at it full time and incorporated the company in 1969 with his wife Marcia running the office. Their daughter Theresa and her husband Greg Domres ran it for years after that, and their four children, Nathan, Adam, DJ and Kendel, own and run it now.
We drill under Wisconsin DNR licensing and carry full insurance, and the same family that answers the phone is on the rig. That matters on residential well drilling Milwaukee jobs, where the owner has one well and wants it done once. Typing residential well drilling near me from a Milwaukee address brings up shops from all over; we would rather earn the call by telling you what the job really needs. We do the same work out west, like new wells around Watertown, and south in Muskego's lake neighborhoods.
One honest note: we are not a 24-hour emergency outfit. Our hours are 8 to 5 on weekdays, and every call gets a callback within 24 hours.
Residential Wells From Milwaukee Out to Waukesha
Past the Milwaukee city line we drill and service private wells in West Allis, Brookfield, New Berlin, Muskego and Waukesha. Pick your community to see the local details.
Milwaukee Residential Well Questions
Can I drill a private well inside Milwaukee city limits?
Where a Milwaukee Water Works main already serves your street, a new private well rarely makes sense and needs local approval before anyone drills. Most of our residential well drilling Milwaukee work is on properties outside that service area. Call us with the address and we will tell you which side of the line you are on.
How deep is a typical residential well around Milwaukee?
It depends on where the dolomite gives good water under your parcel. Before we quote, we review state construction reports for neighboring wells so the estimate reflects what nearby wells actually hit, not a guess.
Do you take emergency well calls after hours?
No. We work Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and we return every call within 24 hours. If your water is out, call as early in the day as you can so we can get you on the schedule.
How quickly can I get a quote for a new well?
Quotes go out within 24 to 48 hours of our first conversation. For a new well we may ask a few questions about the lot, the house and any old well on the property first.
Do I need a well inspection to sell a home in Milwaukee County?
Most lenders require an inspection and a water test for bacteria and nitrate when a property with a private well changes hands. We inspect the system, collect samples for a certified lab and give you the paperwork the lender wants.
What happens to my old well if the house is on city water now?
Wisconsin requires unused wells to be filled and sealed by a licensed contractor. We pull the pump and pipe, fill the hole with grout or bentonite from the bottom up and file the state filling and sealing report for you.
Is radium a concern for private wells near Milwaukee?
It can be for wells that draw from the deep sandstone aquifer, which carries naturally occurring radium in parts of the metro. Shallower dolomite wells are usually less affected. A lab test is the only way to know for your well.
Can you replace my well pump even if you did not drill the well?
Yes. We service, repair and replace pumps and pressure tanks on wells drilled by anyone. We look at the whole system on the visit so you are not paying for a second trip.
Milwaukee, WI Residential Well Service Area
Herr Well Drilling covers Milwaukee and the rest of Milwaukee County from Dousman, about 40 minutes west on I-94. Our shop is at W295 Herr Road, Dousman, WI 53118.
Herr Well Drilling, Inc.
Plan Your Milwaukee Well With the Herr Family
Tell us about the property and what the house needs. We return calls within 24 hours and send a free quote within 48, with no sales pressure.