Traut Companies Notification Form

Minnesota Department of Health, Protecting Your Well

             Steps in installing your new water system
             
             1. Receive & review proposal
             2. Sign & return proposal, including the following:
                   a. Fill out Traut Companies notification form
                   b. Copy of legal description from abstract
                   c. Home, work and cell phone numbers to stay in touch
                       with you
                   d. Down payment
             3. Traut Companies will contact you to schedule well installation
             4. Well location needs to be staked in area cleared for rig 
                 access
             5. Utilities need to be located, Traut will locate all public utilities, 
                 but the owner is responsible for locating all private ones
             6. Well is drilled
             7. Traut Companies will inform you about the well depth, capacity and water quality 
                     (If needed, a water treatment system will be recommended at this time)
             8. Sleeve for waterline must be installed before basement floor is poured
             9. Trench is dug; install pitless and waterline to house
             10. After basement floor is in we can install the pump and pressure tank
             11. Any water treatment purchased from Traut Companies is installed with the pump and pressure tank
             12. Electrician will hook up to system
             13. Miscellaneous items: sealing existing well, start-up system, and follow-up on water test
    

Note: Excavation & Electrical are not included in bid

Wells in Central Minnesota range in depth from 60 to 150 feet. The well takes approximately one day to drill; the hook up can normally be completed in a day.

Traut Companies has access to the State of Minnesota Well records which can be used to help determine what the approximate depth and construction of your new well should be.

Traut Companies is a fully licensed water well contractor in the State of Minnesota and we carry insurance for our industry.

For more information on residential well drilling contact:
Traut Companies
141 28th Ave. South
Waite Park, MN 56387
Phone: 320-251-5090
Toll Free: 800-728-5091
FAX: 320-259-0594

Email: drill@trautwells.com

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: What are some important things that I should consider in my selection of a drilling contractor?

Answer: Be an educated consumer and ask questions. Always consider prices but never let prices alone determine your choice. More often than not, the cheapest price may not be the best price.

Ask yourself, is the company a Class "A" contractor?  Do they have experience in what you are looking for? Look not only at the company's experience but the driller's experience as well. After all, he will be the one that is actually drilling your well. What types of guaranties do they offer? Anybody can offer guaranties but do they actually stand behind them? In most cases, you will be able to narrow your choices considerably from these questions.

Once you have put the drilling contractors on a "short list", request a meeting with them to go over any concerns or questions you may have. You can tell a lot about someone if you are able to communicate with them face to face. The drilling contractor will have to look at your site to see if there are any problems getting the equipment in and out, so perhaps this would be a great time to meet your potential well drilling contractor. Meeting someone in person will answer a lot of questions for you without having to ask the questions. By the end of your meeting more than likely you will have obtained a pretty good idea as to the contractor's character, integrity, and honesty, and you will find that your selection may have become much easier.

Don't be afraid to discuss financial matters with your drilling contractor. After all, he is in business to make money, you are in the process of spending money, and you want to know that you have made the correct choice in your selection of a drilling contractor.

Question: Can I be assured of having a certain quality or quantity of water in my well?

Answer: Of the thousands of wells Traut Companies has on file, we may be able to give you some idea of what to expect for your area.  But until your well is actually installed, there is no way to determine either the quality or quantity of water that will be found in your well prior to the actual drilling of your well. Once your well has been completed you will know the quantity of water encountered.  You will not know the quality of the water until it has been tested. Each county is different as far as water quality testing is concerned. Some counties only require bacteria testing; while a few require testing for as many as 125 parameters. This is something that you would need to speak with your local health department official about.

There are generally 3 main components that will affect your water quality.  In most cases they can be treated through filtration systems. The 3 biggest areas of concern are Iron, Hardness and nitrates. Once the water quality has been analyzed, appropriate filtration systems can be recommended. Once again, use a professional for these services or you could wind up paying huge sums of money for a filtration system that you don't need or for a filtration system that simply will not do the job for you. Ask your drilling contactor if they offer these services.

Question: After calling several contractors, I find that the prices vary somewhat. Is the cheapest price the best price?

Answer: In most cases, NO! There is a difference in the quality of work being done and this certainly applies to the water system installation as well as the well installation. You may not see it but it is there. In most cases you will get what you pay for and by the time you realize you have a problem it is too late. The cost for unnecessary repairs will be far greater then the cost of having your system installed properly by a professional.

One final thought, you may have the best well around but if the water system is not designed and installed properly, you will have a lifetime of problems. Don't take your well and water system lightly. Trust your installation to a professional contractor that is versed in all phases of the well and water system operation.

Question: I have been offered a "package" deal for my well and water system installation. Please explain what this is and is it a good deal for the customer?

Answer: A "package" deal is a proposal where certain well companies will offer the customer a set firm price for the drilling of the well and the complete water system installation. One fee for all services rendered. You probably have heard the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". On very few occasions have we seen a package deal that favored the customer. First of all, a drilling contractor, in most instances, has no way to know the depth of your well until it has been completed and only after the well has been completed can the water system be sized and priced accordingly. If it is done prior to this information being known, your best interests are not being considered. If the well goes deeper than what the contractor figured, corners could be cut in order to make up what the contractor lost.  In some instances drilling companies have removed their equipment from the property once a certain depth had been obtained due to finding no water.  They decided to cut their losses at that point. READ THE FINE PRINT!

If you accept a "package deal", be prepared to accept a water system that could be undersized. Rarely, if ever, will a water system be oversized in a "package deal".  An undersized water system will lead to bad water pressure, low yields and premature pump failure due to an undersized pressure tank in most cases.

These are only a few of the questions that you may want to ask the prospective drilling contractor.  The answers to these questions will certainly help you choose your contractor.