Artesian and Flow Well Abandonment Permits on the Treasure Coast
A permit is required before any well in Florida is abandoned. We handle it.
A permit is required before any well in Florida is abandoned. This catches people out, because plugging a well feels like removing something rather than building something, and most owners do not expect paperwork to be involved.
The requirement is straightforward and we handle it as part of the job. This page explains what the permit covers, who issues it, and why doing the work without one creates a problem later.
What the Permit Covers
The application records what the well is and how it will be sealed. It typically includes the location, the depth and casing details, the reason for abandonment and the proposed plugging method.
After the work is finished, a completion report is filed recording what was actually done. Those two documents together are the permanent record that the well was properly abandoned.
Who Issues the Permit
The South Florida Water Management District regulates well construction, repair and abandonment across the region, including Martin, St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties. In all three, the district delegates well permitting to a local agency rather than issuing permits directly.
Martin County
In Martin County, well permitting is delegated to the Florida Department of Health in Martin County, which handles permitting and inspection for well construction and abandonment, including artesian and flow wells. Applications for Martin County properties go to the Department of Health office at 3441 SE Willoughby Blvd in Stuart, 772-221-4090.
St. Lucie and Palm Beach Counties
Well permitting in St. Lucie and Palm Beach is also delegated by the district to a local agency in each county. The requirements are the same, only the office you submit to differs. We confirm the right office for your property and submit the application for you.
Either way, we prepare and submit the application. You do not need to work out which office applies to your property.
Why a Permit Matters Beyond Compliance
It is what proves the work was done
A well plugged without a permit leaves no record. When the property sells and a title company or buyer asks for evidence that the well was properly abandoned, there is nothing to show. The usual outcome is that the work has to be redone, properly, under pressure.
It protects you if the well is questioned later
Permitted and documented abandonment closes the matter. An undocumented fill does not, and the obligation stays with whoever owns the property.
It confirms the work met the standard
The permit ties the job to a licensed contractor and a specified method. That is what a lender or a permitting office is looking for when they ask the question.
Who Can Do the Work
A licensed water well contractor. Florida does not permit a property owner, a landscaping company or a general contractor to abandon a well, and a permit will not be issued for work by an unlicensed party.
Brent Pump Works is a licensed water well contractor and has been working on the Treasure Coast since 2004. Wells are abandoned in accordance with Florida Administrative Code 62-532 and district requirements.
If a Well Was Already Filled Without a Permit
This is common and it is fixable. Previous owners filled wells with soil, sand or concrete believing that handled it, and the well remains legally abandoned and undocumented.
The material usually has to come out before the well can be plugged properly, which makes the job more involved than it would have been originally. It is still better to resolve it on your own schedule than during a property sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a permit to fill in an old well?
Yes. Florida requires a permit before any well is abandoned, and the work must be done by a licensed water well contractor. Filling a well without one leaves it legally abandoned with no record that anything was done.
Who issues the permit for my property?
It depends on the county, but in all three the district delegates permitting to a local agency rather than issuing permits itself. In Martin County that is the Florida Department of Health in Martin County. St. Lucie and Palm Beach each go to their own county's delegated agency. We determine which office applies and submit the application.
Do I have to apply for the permit myself?
No. We prepare and submit the application as part of the job. You do not need to deal with the permitting office or work out which one applies to your address.
How long does the permit take?
Processing times vary by office and workload. We submit as early as possible so permitting is not what holds up the work, and we will tell you what to expect for your county.
What happens after the well is plugged?
A completion report is filed with the permitting authority recording how the well was abandoned, and you receive documentation. Keep it with your property records.
A previous owner filled in a well without a permit. What now?
The well is still legally abandoned and there is no record of the work. The fill material usually has to be removed before the well can be properly plugged. It is resolvable, and better addressed before a sale forces the issue.
Can my landscaper or general contractor plug a well?
No. Florida requires a licensed water well contractor, and a permit will not be issued for work by an unlicensed party. Work done otherwise does not satisfy the requirement regardless of how it is finished.
Will the permit record show up when I sell the property?
That is the point of it. A permitted, documented abandonment is what a title company, buyer or lender wants to see. Without it, the well can become a condition of closing years after the work was supposedly done.
Is the permit cost separate from the quote?
No. The permit is accounted for in the estimate we give you. It is not added afterward.
We Handle the Permit
You do not need to work out which office applies to your property. We determine it and submit the application as part of the job.