Is all well with your well contractor? Don’t take it for granted

You’re having a little trouble with your well. But, you’ve called a well company and you’re confident everything will turn out fine once your well professional shows up. Hopefully, you’re right. Unfortunately, that’s not guaranteed.

The unfortunate truth is that some well companies know wells, and well maintenance and repair, better than other companies. Even more discouraging is the reality that some well companies aren’t, well, quite as trustworthy.

John Matthesius, the owner here at McHenry Water Well & Pump was recently called by someone who wanted to abandon a well. They told John about the price they were quoted by another McHenry County well company that had come out to look at the job.

John said that he’s usually a little lower but would be happy to come out and take a look, as he wasn’t comfortable giving a firm price without looking at the job. The price could vary primarily based on the depth of the well. With a well that was 150-feet deep or more, the price would be higher than a shallower well.

Based on the price the other company quoted, John expected to find a deep well. Instead, he found a 20-foot well and was able to knock the price down considerably.

“The customer didn’t know how deep the well was, or didn’t know what to expect to pay to abandon a well,” John said. “The other well company appears to have tried to take advantage of the customer’s ignorance of pricing for well work. Their price had a whole lot of profit built in.”

By giving the customer an honest price, based on the actual depth of the well, John developed the kind of good will he has with the vast majority of his clients. Realizing that honesty pays in more ways than one, including a clear conscience, John has no doubt that he handled the job the right way.

“The customer was clearly happy with the news that she was saving several hundred dollars,” said John. “It kind of makes you feel good when you can make a difference in someone’s life that way.”

Wells are abandoned for several reasons. For instance, someone may tie into city water, they’re demolishing a home and need to cap the well, a well has gone dry and they need to drill a new well.

“I never give a firm quote without coming out to measure the well and look at the project first,” John said. “Customers have a right to know what to expect.”