Well Drilling Contractor in Knoxville

June 15, 2026

A well drilling contractor handles the specialized work of drilling and constructing water wells, installing and repairing well pumps and pressure tanks, and performing well rehabilitation, water testing, and the proper abandonment of old wells. Around Knoxville, this trade has a strong rural and suburban base. Knoxville is Tennessee’s third-largest city, with a population of roughly 195,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and while the city itself is served by municipal water, the hills and valleys of East Tennessee surrounding it hold many homes, farms, and properties that depend on private wells. Well drilling contractors here typically work across the broader metro and the neighboring counties of the Tennessee Valley, where groundwater is the practical water source beyond municipal service.

The work is licensed at the state level, which is a useful starting point for vetting a contractor. Tennessee requires water well drillers and pump installers to be licensed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) through its Division of Water Resources, under the Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers Licensing Act (TCA Title 69, Chapter 10). The program works alongside the Board of Groundwater Management, which reviews documented experience and exam results before a license is issued. Licenses are granted by class of work, covering water well drilling, pump installation, water treatment device installation, and geothermal closed-loop installation, so a homeowner should confirm a contractor holds the class that matches the project.

Construction and recordkeeping are governed by state rule as well. Minimum well-construction standards are set in TDEC Rule 0400-45-09, which addresses casing, grouting, and protecting a well from contamination, a real concern in East Tennessee’s fractured limestone and dolomite formations. After finishing a well, the licensed driller must file a Water Well Driller’s Report, the well log, with TDEC within 60 days of completion (Form CN-0825). The report records the depth, the formations encountered, the casing used, and the static water level, and it is preserved in the state’s groundwater records. A buyer evaluating a property with an existing well can ask whether this report was filed, and an owner commissioning a new well should expect the contractor to take care of it.

East Tennessee well contractors generally provide new well drilling, pump and pressure-tank installation and repair, water testing for bacteria and minerals, and well rehabilitation to restore yield in older or underperforming wells. Because the region’s limestone and dolomite geology can give variable yields and mineral content, water testing and treatment are frequently part of the package, and well abandonment service is important when an old well is taken out of use. Tennessee’s 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax applies to equipment and materials, reaching roughly 9.25% in Knox County. Consumer disputes over deceptive practices fall under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs, and homeowners can verify a driller’s license through TDEC before any work starts.

Top Well Drilling Contractor Providers in Knoxville

1. Corum Pump Service & Well Drilling, LLC

Address: 7311 Asheville Highway, Knoxville, TN 37924
Phone: (865) 755-4724
Website: https://wellowner.org/contractor/corum-pump-service-well-drilling/
Services: water well drilling, well and booster pump sales and service, water storage tank installation and service, preventive maintenance, down-the-hole camera inspections, production testing, well inspections for buyers
Description: Corum Pump Service & Well Drilling is a Knoxville-based, third-generation family well company, owned by Dustin and Stacey Corum, with roughly a quarter century in operation. The company drills water wells and provides sales and service for well, hand, and booster pumps, along with water storage tank installation, preventive maintenance, and production testing. It also offers down-the-hole camera inspections and well inspections for property buyers, which help diagnose problems in existing wells and document condition during a real estate transaction. Corum serves a broad swath of East Tennessee from its Knoxville location, including Knox, Sevier, Blount, Jefferson, Hamblen, Union, Grainger, Loudon, and Anderson counties, covering both the immediate metro and the rural areas where private wells are common.

2. Joe Samples Well Drilling, Inc.

Address: 1029 Highway 25-32, White Pine, TN 37890 (serves Knoxville and East Tennessee)
Phone: (865) 674-2996
Website: https://www.sampleswelldrilling.com
Services: water well drilling, pump installation, water treatment device installation, well rehabilitation, well abandonment, water testing
Description: Joe Samples Well Drilling, Inc. was founded in 1954 by Joe and Velma Samples in White Pine and is now in its fourth generation as a family-owned business, serving eight counties across East Tennessee including the Knoxville area. The company holds Tennessee driller license #639, which authorizes water well drilling, pump installation, water treatment, rehabilitation, abandonment, and testing, a notably full scope across the licensed classes. It is a member of the Tennessee Water Well Association and the National Ground Water Association and maintains a computer database of well records dating to 1969. The company notes that its crews are paid hourly rather than by the foot, a policy it frames around prioritizing careful work over drilling speed, and it operates a modern fleet of drilling and service equipment.

3. B&R Drilling and Pump, LLC

Address: 1148 Topside Road, Louisville, TN 37777 (serves the Knoxville metro)
Phone: (865) 984-2961
Website: https://brdrill.com
Services: residential and commercial water well drilling, pump installation and repair, water system maintenance, service for shared wells, irrigation, ponds, and farms
Description: B&R Drilling and Pump, LLC is a family-owned well drilling and pump company based in Louisville, just southwest of Knoxville, owned by Chris and Denise Young. The business operates under a family drilling lineage that dates back to 1939 through the former McCall Well Drilling, which the Youngs acquired in 2013, and it describes more than seventy years of family experience in the trade. The company drills residential and commercial water wells, installs and repairs pumps, and maintains existing well systems, serving homes, shared wells, irrigation systems, ponds, and farms. Its service area covers Knoxville and the surrounding communities of Knox, Blount, Loudon, and Anderson counties, among others, including Maryville, Lenoir City, Kingston, and the Sevier County tourist corridor.

Frequently Asked Questions About Well Drilling Contractors in Knoxville

Q: Does a well drilling contractor in Knoxville need a state license?

Yes. Tennessee requires anyone who drills, constructs, or maintains a water well, or who installs or repairs well pumps and treatment devices, to be licensed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) through its Division of Water Resources, under the Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers Licensing Act (TCA Title 69, Chapter 10). Licenses are issued by class of work, so a homeowner should confirm the contractor holds the class that matches the project, whether drilling, pump installation, or treatment.

Q: Are private wells common around Knoxville?

The city of Knoxville is served by municipal water, but the surrounding hills and valleys of East Tennessee contain many homes, farms, and rural lots that rely on private wells. Well drilling contractors serving Knoxville therefore work across the broader metro and the neighboring counties of the Tennessee Valley, where groundwater is the practical water source beyond municipal lines.

Q: What is a well log and will my contractor file one?

A well log, formally the Water Well Driller’s Report (Form CN-0825), records a well’s depth, the rock and soil formations encountered, the casing installed, and the static water level. Tennessee requires the licensed driller to file this report with TDEC within 60 days of completing the well, and it becomes part of the state’s permanent groundwater record. An owner having a new well drilled should expect the contractor to handle this filing, and a buyer can ask whether a report exists for an older well.

Q: How does East Tennessee geology affect well drilling?

The Knoxville area sits over fractured limestone and dolomite formations that can produce variable water yields and mineral content from one site to the next. This geology makes water testing and treatment a common part of well work, and it can influence drilling depth and well construction. Contractors familiar with local conditions often perform production testing to gauge a well’s output and recommend treatment based on water quality results.

Q: What does well rehabilitation involve?

Well rehabilitation restores yield or water quality in an older or underperforming well, using methods that can include cleaning, redeveloping, or fracturing the well to improve flow. Contractors may also use down-the-hole camera inspections to diagnose problems before recommending a repair. When an old well is permanently taken out of service, licensed contractors handle proper abandonment to protect the groundwater supply.

Q: How do I verify a contractor and handle a complaint in Knoxville?

Confirm the contractor’s license through TDEC’s Division of Water Resources licensed-driller records before signing a contract, and ask whether the company will file the required well report. Tennessee’s 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax, reaching roughly 9.25% in Knox County, applies to equipment and materials, so an itemized estimate helps clarify costs. Disputes over deceptive practices can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), while licensing or construction concerns go to TDEC.