OR landowner water well bonds.
$300 flat. Soft pull.

Before you drill, deepen, or decommission a well on your own land, Oregon's Water Resources Department wants a $10,000 bond on file — unless you hire a licensed well constructor. Ours is $300 flat, 3% of the bond amount, with one soft credit pull that never touches your score.

Required by the Water Resources Department before a landowner constructs their own well
Fixed amount, fixed price — $10,000 bond, $300, no quote process
Soft credit pull only — never affects your score, and the rate stays 3% either way
A-ratedA.M. Best carriers1–2 daystypical issuance1–3 yrterms available
Trusted by industry leaders
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Three steps to your permit.

Your landowner well permit waits on this bond. Here's the whole process:

TODAY · 5 MINUTES

Apply once, online

Business or property-owner details and an effective date. The only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.

WITHIN 48 HOURS

Reviewed & approved

Most of these clear quickly; if underwriting needs anything, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. The credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score.

1–2 BUSINESS DAYS

File with the Water Resources Department

Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your landowner well construction permit application. Wet-ink originals mailed when the Department insists.

The whole pricing page.

$10,000 bond × 3% = $300, one-time per term. Fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.

1-year term
$300
2-year term
$600
3-year term
$900
About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Oregon lets a landowner construct, alter, convert, or abandon a water supply well on their own land without a Water Supply Well Constructor's license — but only with a landowner permit and a $10,000 bond on file first. The bond is a compliance guarantee that the work meets Oregon's well-construction standards.

It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Oregon (the obligee). If your well work violates ORS 537.505 to 537.795 or the Water Resources Commission's construction rules and someone is harmed — including the state, by having to remediate — they can recover against the bond.

The bond covers each well for three years after the well report is filed. Only the owner of record, an immediate family member, or a non-well-drilling full-time employee may run the rig under a landowner permit. If the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety — so do the work to standard and the bond is a formality.

OAR 690-205-0155 / OAR 690-205-0175The Oregon Water Resources Commission requires a landowner permit and a $10,000 surety bond (or irrevocable letter of credit) before a landowner constructs, alters, converts, or abandons a water supply well, under OAR 690-205-0155 and 690-205-0175, conditioned on compliance with ORS 537.505 to 537.795. The $10,000 amount is set by rule; a $5,000 bond is referenced for certain smaller permits — confirm the figure on your permit application.

You need this bond if you're

A landowner drilling your own well rather than hiring a licensed well constructor
Deepening or altering an existing well on property you own
Abandoning or decommissioning a well under a landowner permit
A property owner with the equipment and an immediate-family or employee operator

Five minutes. The whole thing.

These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.

Start the application →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

How much is the Oregon landowner's water well bond? +
The premium is $300 — a flat 3% of the $10,000 bond amount, the same for every landowner. The $10,000 is set by rule, so there is no quote process.
Do I pay the $10,000? +
No. You pay $300. The $10,000 is the surety's maximum liability if a valid claim is made — it's not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.
Why does Oregon require this bond? +
Because a landowner constructing their own well isn't a licensed, bonded well constructor. The bond gives the Water Resources Department a financial backstop that the work meets ORS 537.505 to 537.795 and the Commission's construction standards.
Is there a credit check? +
Yes — one soft credit pull, which never affects your score. It's the only extra step beyond the application, and it informs approval, not price. The rate is a flat 3% either way.
How long does the coverage last? +
The bond covers each well for three years after the well report is filed. You can buy a 1, 2, or 3-year term; we send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out so nothing lapses by surprise.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Your well permit waits on one document.

$300 flat, five-minute application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.

Your premium @ 3%$300
Apply now →