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Borehole drilling quotation
By Ironstone Boreholes. Updated 20 October 2026.
A fair borehole drilling quotation lists every part of the job on its own line: the drilling rate per metre and the depth it is priced to, the steel and PVC casing, the pump, and what you pay if the hole is dry. For an 80 m household borehole at the national average of R330 a metre, the borehole itself comes to about R51,000, and about R84,540 with a tank, stand, pressure pump and lockable cover. If a quote gives you one round number with no lines, ask for the lines before you pay a deposit.
- Drilling, national average
- R330 /m
- 80 m borehole, lined and pumping
- R51,000
- With water to the house
- R84,540
- Quotation
- Free
What does a borehole drilling quotation look like?
Here is a sample quotation for an 80 m household borehole at our national average rate, line by line, the way ours are written. Your own quote uses the rate and depth for your plot.
| Line on the quotation | Price |
|---|---|
| Drilling, 80 m at R330 a metre | R26,400 |
| Steel casing at the top | R1,500 |
| PVC casing, 80 m | R11,600 |
| Pump for a 80 m hole | R11,500 |
| Borehole, lined and pumping | R51,000 |
| 5,000-litre tank | R6,940 |
| 3.5 m tank stand, installed | R21,800 |
| Pressure pump for the house | R2,950 |
| Lockable steel cover | R1,850 |
| Total with water to the house | R84,540 |
Two lines are often left off and added later: the siting survey (R3,000 to R15,000, worth it on rock) and the water test (R800 to R2,500, before anyone drinks the water). Extra steel casing, needed only when solid rock starts deep, runs about R350 to R750 a metre. Full price list: borehole drilling prices.
What should a borehole quotation include?
- The rate per metre and the depth it is priced to. “R330 a metre” means nothing without a depth. A quote should say what happens past that depth: the same rate, or a stop to agree with you first.
- Casing as its own lines. Steel casing through the loose ground at the top and PVC casing for the rest of the hole. An unlined hole can collapse onto the pump.
- The pump, its size and the depth it hangs at. The pump should be sized to the depth and to the yield the hole gives, not just the biggest motor available.
- A yield test. Measures how much water the hole can safely give, so the pump doesn’t run it dry.
- What you pay if the hole is dry. Normally the drilling, but not the pump or the full casing. Get it in writing before the rig arrives.
- What is not included. Electrical connection, tank, stand, plumbing to the house, water test and any city consent.
- When the price is valid and when the rig can come. Steel and pump prices move, so a quote usually holds for a set number of days.
How do you compare two borehole quotes?
Put them on the same footing before you look at the total. Most of the difference between two quotes comes from the depth each one is priced to, not from the rate.
- Same depth. A quote priced to 60 m will look cheaper than one priced to 100 m, but if the water is at 90 m the first one ends up costing more.
- Same casing. Check both include steel at the top and PVC casing the full depth.
- Same pump. Compare the pump’s size and the depth it is rated for.
- Same dry-hole terms. One quote may charge the full amount for a dry hole, another only the drilling.
Figures of R500 to R1,500 a metre you see online are usually all-in prices spread over the depth. Split them into lines and they are often close to the numbers above.
Warning signs in a quotation
- One total with no lines, or a rate per metre with no depth.
- A promise of water. Nobody can guarantee water before drilling. A siting survey lowers the risk; it doesn’t remove it.
- No casing, or casing only “if needed” with no price.
- Most of the money up front before the rig is on site.
How do you get a borehole drilling quotation?
Type your address into our quote tool and you get a line-by-line quotation for your plot in a few seconds, with the depth and the rate for your area. Or send us your area on WhatsApp. A site visit then confirms the spot, the depth and the final price before any drilling starts. Quotations are free.
Questions people ask
What should a borehole drilling quotation include?
The drilling rate per metre and the depth it is priced to, the steel and PVC casing, the pump and the depth it hangs at, a yield test, what you pay if the hole is dry, and what is not included (tank, stand, electrical connection, water test).
How much is a borehole drilling quote?
The quotation itself is free. For an 80 m borehole at the national average of R330 a metre, the quote comes to about R51,000 lined and pumping, and about R84,540 with a tank, stand and pressure pump.
Why are borehole quotes so different?
Mostly because each one is priced to a different depth, and some leave out the casing or the pump. Compare quotes at the same depth with the same casing, pump and dry-hole terms.
Do I pay if the borehole is dry?
You pay for the drilling of a dry hole, but not the pump or the full casing. A good quotation says this in writing before drilling starts.
Related
Where these numbers come from
- Ironstone Boreholes drilling and pump rates for Limpopo, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, last updated 12 October 2026
Get a price for your borehole
Type your address and see the price line by line, with the water records around your plot. A site visit confirms the spot, the depth and the final price before any drilling starts.