Well inspections and flow tests for buying or selling rural Colorado property
A well inspection tells you what a private well can actually deliver before you buy, sell or build on a property. It checks the well, pump, controls and well pressure tank, and a flow test measures how many gallons per minute the well produces. Kuntz Pump & Well Supply does well inspections and flow tests for homes, farms and ranches across Northeast Colorado.
Why a well inspection matters
On a rural property, the well is the water supply. A pump near the end of its life, a failing pressure tank or a well that cannot keep up with demand can turn into an expensive surprise after closing. An inspection gives buyers and sellers a clear picture while there is still time to plan.
Some lenders want a well inspection before they will finance a property on a private well, and many buyers ask for one. It is easier to schedule it well ahead of a closing date than to rush it at the end.
What a well inspection covers
We look over the system from the wellhead to the pressure tank. That includes the condition of the wellhead and well cap, the pump controls and pressure switch, the well pressure tank and its air charge, and the visible plumbing. A well cap that is cracked, loose or missing can let insects, surface water and debris into the well, so it is one of the first things we check.
What a well flow test tells you
A flow test runs the well and measures how many gallons per minute the well and pump deliver. Just as important, it shows whether the flow and pressure hold steady while the water keeps running, or whether they fall off.
That tells you whether the well can keep up with what you plan to use it for: a household, a shop, livestock or all three. A well that tests fine for a small family may not be enough for a larger home or a growing herd. In that case, we can talk through drilling a new well.
Check the well permit before you buy
In Colorado, every well's permit spells out what the water may be used for. The Colorado Division of Water Resources keeps these permit files, and its free well permit search can often find the permit even for an older well. The file can include the original application, the allowable uses, and the well construction and pump installation reports.
This matters because permits vary. A household use only permit covers indoor use in one single-family home and does not allow outside watering or livestock. A domestic and livestock permit allows more, but still has limits. If you plan to keep horses, water a garden or add a second home, make sure the permit allows it before you count on the well.
After a sale, the new owner should update the owner of record on the well permit with the Division of Water Resources, using its change of owner form.
When to get a well inspected
The most common reasons are buying or selling a property on a private well, or a lender asking about the well. Owners also call when they plan to add a house, shop or livestock, when an older well has no records, or when pressure or flow seems lower than it used to be.
What to have ready
Have the property address, access to the wellhead and the well pressure tank, and the well permit number if you have it. Let us know why you need the inspection and any deadline, such as a closing date.
If the inspection finds a problem
If the inspection turns up a worn pump, a failing well pressure tank or bad controls, we can repair or replace them. We walk you through what we found first, so you can decide how to handle it, whether that means fixing it before closing or working it into the sale.
Well inspections across Northeast Colorado
Kuntz Pump & Well Supply is based in Atwood and serves Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Washington, Phillips and eastern Weld counties. We hold Colorado water well construction and pump installation license #1574. Call (970) 522-2035 or send a request with the property location and your closing date, and we will set up an inspection.
