Quick answer
It depends on the lab, your state and which tests you order. Published 2026 prices show the range. Penn State’s lab charges $60 for a basic bacteria, pH and TDS package, up to $220 for its most extensive package. Wisconsin’s State Lab of Hygiene charges $35 each for bacteria and nitrate, and $450 for its full homeowner package. Tap Score’s Essential well test is $209. For your area, check with your county health department or a state-certified lab.
On this page
Published price examples (checked October 11, 2026)
| Lab or service | Package | What’s included | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab (PA DEP-accredited) | WD01 Standard | Total coliform, E. coli, pH, total dissolved solids | $60 |
| Penn State AASL | WD04 Agriculture/Septic | Standard package + nitrate-nitrogen | $70 |
| Penn State AASL | WD03 Aesthetics/Corrosivity + lead | Standard + hardness, alkalinity, corrosivity, copper, iron, manganese, first-draw and running lead | $125 |
| Penn State AASL | WD08 Extensive | Standard + hardness, alkalinity, corrosivity, arsenic, barium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, sodium, chloride, sulfate, nitrate-nitrogen | $220 |
| Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene | Bacteria (total coliform/E. coli, presence/absence) | Single test | $35 |
| Wisconsin SLH | Nitrate | Single test | $35 |
| Wisconsin SLH | Arsenic | Single test | $38 |
| Wisconsin SLH | Metals screen | 15 metals plus hardness | $97 |
| Wisconsin SLH | Homeowner Package | Coliform, E. coli, nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, metals screen, hardness, VOC screen, atrazine screen | $450 |
| Tap Score (mail-in) | Essential Well Water Test | 25 heavy metals, minerals, hardness, nitrate, nitrite, coliform and E. coli, and more | $209 |
| Tap Score (mail-in) | Advanced Well Water Test | 114 analytes, including bacteria, metals, nitrates and VOCs; overnight shipping to the lab with a cooler | $399 |
Sources: Penn State AASL fee schedule, Wisconsin SLH prices, effective July 1, 2026, Tap Score product pages (Essential, Advanced).
These are examples, not national averages. Your state lab, county health department or local certified labs may charge more or less. Some counties offer testing directly. EPA notes that county health departments often help with bacteria and nitrate testing (EPA fact sheet). Ask yours what it charges.
What a basic annual test costs
CDC recommends testing every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH (CDC). Using the published prices above:
- Penn State WD04 ($70) covers all four, plus E. coli.
- Wisconsin SLH bacteria plus nitrate comes to $70. pH and TDS are priced separately.
Add other tests when your health department recommends them, such as arsenic, uranium, radon, lead or PFAS. See what to test well water for.
Costs people forget
- Shipping. Wisconsin SLH ships kits free, but you pay return shipping (WSLH). Penn State requires overnight mail, and bacteria samples must reach the lab within 30 hours (Penn State AASL).
- Timing. Neither lab can reliably handle bacteria samples shipped for weekend arrival: Penn State won’t accept bacteria samples on Fridays, and WSLH asks you not to ship on Fridays for Saturday delivery. A sample that arrives too late has to be retaken, so you pay for shipping again.
- Follow-up tests. After a positive coliform result, Penn State suggests confirming with a second sample (Penn State). After shock chlorination, CDC recommends retesting and then follow-up tests at about 2–4 weeks and 3–4 months (CDC). Budget for more than one test in a problem year.
- “Treated water. If you have a treatment system, UGA Extension suggests testing both the water before treatment (raw) and the treated water to check that it’s working (UGA).”
Lab test vs DIY strips
Home test strips cost less up front, but they aren’t a substitute for a certified lab when health decisions are at stake. Bacteria results in particular need careful sampling. Compare the options here:
Mail-in lab option: Tap Score: Essential well water test →. Certified lab directory: EPA.
Can you get help paying?
Some programs cover testing as part of a larger fix. For example, Wisconsin’s Well Compensation Grant lists the water tests that show a well is contaminated as an eligible cost, for income-eligible households (Wisconsin DNR). Ask your state private well program what’s available.
Sources
- Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab, Drinking Water Testing (fee schedule): https://agsci.psu.edu/aasl/water-testing/drinking-water-testing
- Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Public Environmental and Water Testing Prices (effective July 1, 2026): https://www.slh.wisc.edu/environmental/water/public-environmental-and-water-testing-prices/
- Tap Score, Essential Well Water Test: https://mytapscore.com/products/essential-well-water-test
- Tap Score, Advanced Well Water Test: https://mytapscore.com/products/advanced-well-water-test
- CDC, Guidelines for Testing Well Water: https://www.cdc.gov/drinking-water/safety/guidelines-for-testing-well-water.html
- CDC, How to Disinfect Wells After an Emergency: https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/how-to-disinfect-wells-after-an-emergency.html
- EPA, Home Water Testing fact sheet (EPA 816-F-05-013): https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-05/documents/epa816f05013.pdf
- Penn State Extension, Coliform Bacteria: https://extension.psu.edu/coliform-bacteria
- Wisconsin DNR, Well Compensation Grant Program: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/aid/WellCompensation.html
- UGA Extension, Household Water Treatment: Disinfection Methods and Devices (B1487): https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/B1487/water-disinfection-methods-and-devices/
Start here: Private well water testing: the complete guide