Well & Water Testing
Private-well inspection, flow and pressure testing, and certified laboratory analysis, so you understand both the water quality and the system.
Private-well inspection, flow testing and certified lab analysis.
A well raises three questions, not one.
Comprehensive testing to make sure your property is good to go.
Is it safe?
Baseline bacteria and nitrate testing, with expanded panels available where the property warrants them.
Bacteria and nitrate lab testing.
Is there enough?
Flow rate and recovery show whether the well can keep up with what the household will actually demand of it.
Flow rate and recovery testing.
Will it keep working?
Wellhead, casing and cap, pressure tank and switch observations identify the system-condition problems that turn into repair bills.
Wellhead, tank and switch checks.
Choose your level
Start with the baseline evaluation, add the lab panels the property calls for, or fold the whole rural system into one appointment.
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Well + Water Evaluation
- Wellhead, casing and cap
- Pressure tank and switch
- Flow rate testing
- Bacteria and nitrate panel
Expanded Lab Panel
- Everything in the core service
- Arsenic, lead, hardness
- Selected to suit the property
- Plain-language interpretation
- Everything in core
- Arsenic, lead, hardness
- Selected for the property
- Plain-language results
Well + Septic
- Well and water evaluation
- Full septic inspection
- One visit, one report
- Actionable recommendations
- Well + water evaluation
- Full septic inspection
- One visit, one report
- Clear recommendations
Home Inspection – Rural
- Home inspection
- Radon testing
- Septic inspection
- Well and water testing
- Home inspection
- Radon testing
- Septic inspection
- Well + water testing
What each test is actually for.
What each test is for.
A short, honest guide, so you are not buying panels the property does not need.
Bacteria + nitrates
Bacteria
The baseline private-well panel, and the one lenders most often want to see. Included in the core service.
Plus nitrates.
Arsenic
Occurs naturally in parts of Michigan groundwater. It has no taste, smell, or color, so testing is the only way to know.
Natural and invisible.
Lead
Worth running where the plumbing or fittings raise a question. Not automatically necessary on every private well.
Older plumbing risk.
Hardness + iron
Usability and equipment information rather than a health risk. Useful if you are budgeting for treatment.
For treatment.
Numbers, and what they mean.
What the numbers mean.
- Well-system observations with flow and pressure data
- A certified laboratory report
- Plain-language interpretation of every result
- Documentation suitable for lender and transaction use
- A clear next step if bacteria fails or performance is weak
- Flow and pressure data
- Certified lab report
- Plain-language results
- Lender-ready documentation
- Clear next steps if it fails
Spring melt and heavy rain
Surface-water intrusion affects private wells intermittently, which is exactly when a lot of Northern Michigan wells fail a bacteria test.
Runoff can fail a bacteria test.
Seasonal use
A well that sits unused for eight months behaves differently from one in daily use, and we test with that in mind.
Idle wells test differently.
Rural systems work together
Well and septic conditions belong to the same property system. Evaluating one without the other leaves half the picture.
Test well and septic together.
Lab timing matters
Results take days, not hours. On a transaction, book early so testing does not become a closing surprise.
Results take days. Book early.
Frequently asked questions.
What is included in the standard water panel?
A certified laboratory panel for bacteria and nitrates, alongside the wellhead, pressure tank, flow and recovery evaluation. That is the $275 core service.
How long do lab results take?
Bacteria and nitrate results typically come back within a few business days. Expanded panels for arsenic and metals take longer. We build that into the schedule so it does not hold up your closing.
Is water testing required by my lender?
Most federally backed lenders require a bacteria and nitrate test on a private well, and many require a satisfactory result before closing. Some counties add requirements at time of sale. We will confirm what applies to your address.
What happens if bacteria is detected?
A failed bacteria test is often fixable with shock chlorination and a retest. Persistent problems may need treatment equipment. We tell you which category you are likely in, and we do not sell treatment systems, so there is no incentive to inflate it.
What is in the standard panel?
A certified laboratory panel for bacteria and nitrates, alongside the wellhead, pressure tank, flow and recovery evaluation. That is the $275 core service.
How long do lab results take?
Bacteria and nitrate results typically come back within a few business days. Expanded panels for arsenic and metals take longer. We build that into the schedule so it does not hold up your closing.
Does my lender require it?
Most federally backed lenders require a bacteria and nitrate test on a private well, and many require a satisfactory result before closing. Some counties add requirements at time of sale. We will confirm what applies to your address.
What if bacteria is found?
A failed bacteria test is often fixable with shock chlorination and a retest. Persistent problems may need treatment equipment. We tell you which category you are likely in, and we do not sell treatment systems, so there is no incentive to inflate it.
Do you test arsenic, lead, hardness or iron?
Yes, as expanded panels. Arsenic is worth testing for specifically in parts of Michigan. Lead is worth running where the plumbing raises a question. Hardness and iron are usability rather than health information.
What flow rate is considered adequate?
It depends on the household. A four-bedroom home on a two-gallon-per-minute well is a problem you want to know about before you own it, which is why we measure flow and recovery rather than just sampling the water.
Do you test municipal water?
We can, though it is rarely necessary since municipal supplies are tested continuously. It is worth it if you suspect an issue with the plumbing inside the house, such as lead.
Can I bundle well, water and septic?
Yes, and most rural buyers do. Both systems in one visit, in one report, at a bundled price.
Do you test arsenic or lead?
Yes, as expanded panels. Arsenic is worth testing for specifically in parts of Michigan. Lead is worth running where the plumbing raises a question. Hardness and iron are usability rather than health information.
What flow rate is adequate?
It depends on the household. A four-bedroom home on a two-gallon-per-minute well is a problem you want to know about before you own it, which is why we measure flow and recovery rather than just sampling the water.
Do you test municipal water?
We can, though it is rarely necessary since municipal supplies are tested continuously. It is worth it if you suspect an issue with the plumbing inside the house, such as lead.
Can I bundle well and septic?
Yes, and most rural buyers do. Both systems in one visit, in one report, at a bundled price.
Do not just test the water. Understand the entire system.
Get the baseline evaluation, add the lab panels the property needs, or bundle the full rural system inspection.