Well Drilling Contractor in Nashville

June 15, 2026

A well drilling contractor does work that a general plumber or hardware store cannot: 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. For property owners around Nashville who rely on groundwater rather than a municipal connection, that work is the difference between dependable water and an unusable tap. Nashville is Tennessee’s largest city, with a population of roughly 715,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and most homes inside Davidson County draw treated surface water from Metro Water Services. Because of that, well drillers in this market typically serve the surrounding metro and the rural and suburban fringe of Middle Tennessee, where municipal lines do not reach.

The work itself is regulated, and that matters when choosing a contractor. In Tennessee, water well drillers and pump installers must be licensed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) through its Division of Water Resources, under the state’s Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers Licensing Act (TCA Title 69, Chapter 10). The same program oversees the Board of Groundwater Management, which reviews driller qualifications. Licensing covers several classes of work, including water well drilling, pump installation, water treatment device installation, and geothermal closed-loop installation, so a homeowner should confirm that a contractor holds the specific license class for the job at hand.

State rules also dictate how a well is built and documented. Minimum well-construction standards are set out in TDEC Rule 0400-45-09, which governs casing, grouting, and the separation of a new well from potential contamination sources. After a well is finished, the licensed driller must file a Water Well Driller’s Report, the well log, with TDEC within 60 days of completion (Form CN-0825). That report records the well’s depth, the formations encountered, the casing used, and the static water level, and it becomes part of the state’s permanent groundwater record. A buyer evaluating a property with an existing well can ask whether this report was filed, and a homeowner commissioning a new well should expect the contractor to handle it.

Service offerings in the Nashville market generally span new well drilling, pump and pressure-tank installation and repair, water testing for bacteria and minerals, well rehabilitation such as acidizing or hydrofracturing to restore yield, and geothermal loop drilling for heating and cooling. Middle Tennessee’s limestone geology can produce variable yields and hard water with iron or sediment, so many contractors also install filtration and treatment equipment. On the consumer side, Tennessee’s standard 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax applies to equipment and materials, reaching roughly 9.75% in Davidson County. 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 standing through TDEC’s licensed-driller records before signing a contract.

Top Well Drilling Contractor Providers in Nashville

1. Henry Drilling LLC

Address: 1401 Adams Street, Franklin, TN 37064 (serves the Nashville metro; dedicated Nashville line 615-383-5523)
Phone: (615) 794-1784
Website: https://www.henrydrillingandpump.com
Services: water well drilling, well pump installation and service, water filtration and treatment, geothermal heating and cooling installation, pond aeration, irrigation systems
Description: Henry Drilling LLC is a family-owned and operated water well company that traces its history back to 1945, giving it more than seventy-five years in the Middle Tennessee groundwater trade. Based at its Franklin headquarters, with dedicated phone lines for the Nashville and Columbia areas, the company serves a wide band of Middle Tennessee counties including Davidson, Williamson, Wilson, Sumner, Rutherford, Cheatham, Robertson, Dickson, Hickman, Maury, Bedford, and Marshall. Its work spans residential, commercial, and government clients, covering new well drilling, pump installation and repair, and water filtration and treatment, alongside a substantial geothermal practice. The company lists affiliations and partnerships including the National Ground Water Association, the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, Franklin Electric, and Energy Star, and it operates on a standard Monday-through-Friday schedule.

2. Carter Services

Address: 5305 Big Springs Road, Lebanon, TN 37090 (serves the Nashville metro and surrounding Middle Tennessee)
Phone: (615) 484-0193
Website: https://www.carterservicestn.com
Services: water well drilling, well pump service and installation, water testing and treatment, water delivery and bulk storage, geothermal, plumbing, electrical
Description: Carter Services is a family-owned and operated company based in Lebanon, on the eastern side of the Nashville metro in Wilson County, drawing on second-generation experience under owner Jameson Carter. The company handles residential, farm, and commercial water systems, combining well drilling and pump work with water testing and treatment, water delivery, and bulk storage systems. Its core service footprint covers Wilson County communities such as Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, Watertown, Gladeville, and Statesville, with broader work across Middle Tennessee. Because the firm also offers plumbing and electrical services, it can address the full chain from the well and pump to the connections inside a home, which is useful for owners managing a new water system from the ground up.

3. Hawkston Drilling, LLC

Address: 2410 Park Plus Drive, Columbia, TN 38401 (serves the Nashville area and beyond)
Phone: (931) 486-4677
Website: https://hawkston.com
Services: water well drilling, air and fluid rotary drilling, sonic drilling, direct push technology, geothermal drilling, monitoring well installation, soil and groundwater sampling
Description: Hawkston Drilling, LLC is a Columbia-based drilling company that serves the Nashville area as part of a broad regional footprint across the eastern United States, with the firm licensed to operate in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Alongside residential water well drilling, the company runs a substantial geotechnical and environmental practice, offering air and fluid rotary drilling, sonic drilling, and direct push (GeoProbe) work, as well as monitoring well installation and soil and groundwater sampling. Its equipment fleet includes track-mounted sonic rigs, direct push machines, and air rotary units with down-the-hole hammers, reflecting a company that handles both water supply wells and more technical subsurface projects. That range makes it a fit for water well needs as well as for projects that require specialized drilling methods.

Frequently Asked Questions About Well Drilling Contractors in Nashville

Q: Does a well drilling contractor in Nashville 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 work class, so a homeowner should confirm the contractor is licensed for the specific service needed, whether that is drilling, pump installation, or treatment.

Q: Do many Nashville homes actually use wells?

Most homes inside Davidson County are served by Metro Water Services and draw treated surface water rather than groundwater. Private wells are far more common on the rural and suburban edges of the metro and in the surrounding counties, where municipal lines do not extend. For that reason, well drilling contractors serving Nashville generally focus their work on the wider metro area and the outlying parts of Middle Tennessee.

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. A homeowner having a new well drilled should expect the contractor to handle this filing.

Q: What services do well drilling contractors provide beyond drilling?

In addition to drilling and constructing new wells, contractors in the Nashville market typically install and repair well pumps and pressure tanks, test water for bacteria and minerals, and rehabilitate underperforming wells through methods such as acidizing or hydrofracturing. Many also install water treatment and filtration equipment to address the hard water, iron, and sediment common in Middle Tennessee’s limestone geology, and some offer geothermal loop drilling for heating and cooling systems.

Q: How do I verify a Nashville well contractor before hiring?

Confirm the contractor’s license through TDEC’s Division of Water Resources licensed-driller records, and ask whether the company will file the required well completion report. Request a written scope of work and warranty terms before any drilling begins. Tennessee’s 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax, reaching roughly 9.75% in Davidson County, applies to equipment and materials, so an itemized estimate helps clarify costs.

Q: How do I file a complaint about a well drilling contractor in Nashville?

Complaints about deceptive business practices can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Concerns specific to licensing or well construction standards can be directed to TDEC’s Division of Water Resources, which administers driller licensing and the well-construction rules under TDEC Rule 0400-45-09. Keeping the signed contract, the well report, and payment records strengthens any complaint.