Well Pump Pull and Set Cost in High Point NC

Homeowners in High Point ask the same question almost every week: what does it cost to pull my well pump? The honest answer is that pull-and-set labor on a residential well in High Point ranges from about $650 to $1,800 before any parts, and the spread comes down to four things: depth, pipe material, whether the well is in good shape, and access to the well head.

This guide explains what drives those numbers so you can compare quotes without getting surprised at the end of the job.

What Pull and Set Means

A submersible well pump sits at the bottom of the well, usually 100 to 400 feet down in the High Point area. It is suspended on a length of drop pipe (the pipe that carries water to the surface) plus a safety rope and the electrical wire that powers it. To service it, the entire assembly has to come out of the casing.

Pull and set is the labor of disconnecting the well head, lifting the pump, pipe, rope, and wire up out of the casing in 20 foot sections or as one continuous run, doing whatever work the job needs, and reversing the process to set it back. It does not include the pump itself, the wire, the pipe, the pressure tank, the switch, or any of the parts a tech might replace while it is out.

What Drives the Price in High Point

Four variables move the cost up or down on a Guilford County job. Knowing them lets you read a quote intelligently.

• •Depth of the pump (more pipe and wire to handle)
• •Pipe material (poly is fast, galvanized or schedule 80 is slow)
• •Casing condition (rust, scale, or a stuck pump add hours)
• •Access (well in a tight pit or under a deck slows everything down)

Depth: The Biggest Single Factor

Most High Point wells set somewhere between 180 and 280 feet, but we see plenty as shallow as 100 and a few as deep as 500. Every additional 100 feet adds rope, wire, pipe, and time. A 150 foot pull can be done by one tech in under two hours. A 400 foot pull needs a second tech, a hoist, and most of the morning.

If you do not know your depth, look at the original well log. North Carolina requires drillers to file one with the county, and a copy is sometimes in your closing paperwork. If not, a tech can estimate depth from the casing diameter and the pump start time during a service call.

Pipe Material

Most residential pumps in High Point are hung on 1 inch black poly pipe in continuous coils. Poly is light, flexible, and pulls fast. A 200 foot poly pull is straightforward.

Older homes sometimes have galvanized steel pipe in 20 foot threaded sections. Pulling galvanized means unscrewing every joint as it comes up, which takes a pipe wrench and a much longer day. A galvanized pull at the same depth as poly can cost almost double in labor.

Schedule 80 PVC is in between. It pulls cleanly but the joints need to be unglued or cut, and resetting requires fresh glue and dry time. We size pipe replacements during the submersible well pump installation on every job and match what the well needs.

Casing and Pump Condition

A pump that comes up smoothly takes the listed amount of time. A pump that is stuck on a scaled casing, wedged on a torque arrestor, or fouled with iron bacteria can turn a two hour job into a full day. We have pulled pumps in Jamestown and High Point that took three techs and a truck-mounted hoist because the iron crust had effectively cemented the assembly into the steel casing.

There is no way to know in advance. A reputable shop quotes the standard pull with a clear hourly rate if anything goes sideways. Be careful of low quotes that do not list a contingency. The fine print usually has one.

Access at the Well Head

Wells in the front yard with the head capped at grade are easy. Wells inside a covered pump house with a 6 foot ceiling are a nightmare for pulling 20 foot sections. Wells that got buried under a deck addition after the fact need the deck partially removed first. Each of these adds time and sometimes equipment.

If you are planning a deck, patio, or shed near the well, leave 10 feet of clear vertical space above the cap. That single planning step saves thousands across the life of the well.

Typical Pull and Set Price Ranges in High Point

These are real ranges for jobs we run in the High Point area. They are pull-and-set labor only, before any parts.

• •150 ft poly, open access: $650 to $850
• •250 ft poly, open access: $900 to $1,200
• •350 ft poly, open access: $1,200 to $1,500
• •Galvanized pipe, any depth: add 30 to 60 percent
• •Stuck pump or pump house access: hourly after standard pull

What Else Usually Gets Replaced

If a pump is being pulled, most of the consumables in the well should be replaced while it is out. The labor to do them later is the same as doing them now, which means parts only is a real discount.

Plan on a new check valve, torque arrestor, splice kit, and safety rope on most jobs. If the drop wire is original and over 15 years old, replace it. If the pressure tank is more than 10 years old and the bladder feels soft, do it now. See our pressure tank replacement and well pump replacement cost pages for parts pricing.

Common Mistakes

Three patterns burn High Point homeowners: hiring a handyman to pull a pump (they almost always damage the casing or drop something downhole), accepting a flat quote with no hourly contingency, and replacing only the pump while reusing 20 year old wire and pipe. All three guarantee you will be paying twice within a few years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pull my own pump to save money? Almost never worth it. The drop pipe and wire have to come up under control, and dropping any of it down the casing turns a $1,000 job into a $5,000 fishing job. Even experienced trades who do not work on wells regularly damage the casing or the cap. Hire a well contractor.

How long does a pull and set take? A standard 200 to 250 foot poly pull in High Point with open access is two to three hours for a two-tech crew. Add an hour for each 100 feet beyond that. Galvanized pipe doubles the time. Stuck pumps are open-ended and billed hourly.

Do I need a permit? Permit requirements in Guilford County depend on whether you are replacing in kind or modifying the system. Like-for-like pump replacement on an existing well generally does not require a permit. New well construction or major changes do. Any reputable installer in High Point handles the permit question as part of the quote.

What if you find more wrong than expected? We stop, photograph the issue, call you, and quote the additional work before continuing. No surprise charges on the invoice. The hourly contingency rate in the quote covers the time, but the parts and the decision are yours.

Final Thoughts

A pull-and-set in High Point is a known job with a known price band. Ask for depth, pipe material, and a contingency rate up front. Use the pull to refresh the wear parts and you get another 10 to 15 years out of the system.

We work all of Guilford County. See the High Point well pump repair page or the Guilford County service area for response times, and call us for a quote on your well.