Well Permit in Tulare County and Visalia: What to Know Before You Drill

If you are planning a new household well or a replacement, the first question is usually how a well permit in Tulare County works and who you deal with. This page explains the general process, what is changing because of groundwater regulation, and what to ask before you sign anything. We are a referral service, not a driller or a government office. We connect you with independent local well drillers and pump contractors, and nothing here replaces advice from the county or a licensed contractor. Anything we could not verify from an official source is marked confirm with the county.

Who issues well permits near Visalia

Well construction in Tulare County is governed by Part IV, Chapter 13 (“Construction of Wells”) of the Tulare County Ordinance Code. Under that chapter, drilling, deepening, or destroying a well without a permit is prohibited, and applications go to the county Health Officer on forms the county requires. Recent county environmental notices for domestic wells refer to the Health and Human Services Agency’s Environmental Health Division for permit requirements. The county’s Permit Center also tells people that a project relying on a private well may need separate Environmental Health approval, and says it takes applications through its online self-service portal rather than by email. Department names, forms, and portals change, so confirm with the county which office handles your address. The Permit Center’s Visalia office phone listed on the county website is (559) 624-7000.

What the application typically involves

The countyWe could not retrieve the county’s current application form, so treat thisrsquo;s current application form is the final word, so treat this as a general picture and ask the county for the checklist:

• A licensed driller. Drilling, deepening, and destroying wells is done by a contractor holding a California C-57 Water Well Contractor’s license. Check it on the CSLB site as described in how to choose a well driller. In practice the driller often prepares or submits the application, but that varies, so settle in writing who applies and who pays.
• Parcel and site information. Expect to identify the parcel, the proposed well location, and nearby features such as the house, septic tank and leach lines, property lines, and animal enclosures. A sketch or site plan is commonly requested.
• Distances from septic and other sources. The ordinance sets minimum distances between a well and contamination sources. We have not verified the exact numbers, so ask the county for them before you pick a spot. Recent county notices show that when a replacement well could not meet the septic setback, the owner requested an administrative variance and the driller planned a deeper annular seal (100 feet in one recent notice). That is one example, not a rule.
• A fee. The ordinance says the fee is set by Board of Supervisors resolution. We have not confirmed the amount. Our cost guide shows where the permit fits in a total budget, using general estimates.
• Time limits and conditions. The ordinance language we found says permits are valid for one year from issuance and may carry conditions set by the Health Officer. Confirm current terms.

Separately, state law (Water Code section 13751) requires a well completion report to be filed with the Department of Water Resources within 60 days after the work is finished. Drillers normally file this. Ask for a copy for your records, since it documents depth, casing, and construction.

SGMA, groundwater agencies, and new wells

Most of the Tulare County valley floor lies in groundwater basins managed under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) by local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs). Two things are easy to mix up:

• The temporary state orders. Executive Order N-7-22 (March 2022), replaced by N-3-23 (February 2023), told counties to get written verification from the local GSA before permitting certain wells in medium- and high-priority basins. Tulare County’s own materials say these requirements mostly applied to non-domestic wells on the valley floor, with exceptions for certain domestic wells. A county draft document states that Executive Order N-3-24 (September 5, 2024) rescinded these well permitting requirements.
• Local follow-up. The same county draft describes an urgency ordinance to temporarily extend GSA review for certain permits, and says the county plans to update its permanent well ordinance after the state finishes revising its well standards (DWR Bulletin 74). We could not confirm whether that ordinance was adopted or what it says today.

What this means for you: a household well was generally the lighter-touch case, and the heavier review fell on larger agricultural and commercial wells. But the rules have shifted several times and may differ by GSA and basin. Verify with the county, and ask your driller whether any GSA review, fee, or reporting applies to your parcel. Groundwater levels also matter in practice: see dry well help in Tulare County.

Domestic versus agricultural wells

A single-home domestic well and an irrigation or livestock well are treated differently, both by the county and, more heavily, by groundwater agencies, because agricultural wells pump much more water. A well serving several connections can also fall under state drinking water rules instead of the county household well process; the State Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water regulates public water systems. If you plan anything beyond one household, tell the driller and the county up front so you are on the right track.

Replacement wells after a dry well

If your well has gone dry, the options may include lowering the pump, deepening, or drilling a replacement. Deepening and new construction are covered by the same ordinance, so assume you need a permit and ask the county to confirm. Replacement wells are commonly sited close to the old one, which is where septic distance problems appear. Raise it with your driller early. The state’s My Dry Well reporting site and nonprofit help programs are covered on our dry well page.

Inside Visalia city limits versus unincorporated county

Much of the land around Visalia, including areas within its urban boundary, is unincorporated county land, and recent replacement-well notices near Visalia were handled by the county. Whether a parcel inside the city limits needs a city approval, a county permit, or both is something we could not confirm from official sources. If your address is inside Visalia, call the City of Visalia and Tulare County Environmental Health and ask who handles your well. Town-by-town notes are on our areas page.

Timelines and fees

We have not verified an official processing time or fee amount, so we are not giving one. Build in time for the permit, the driller’s schedule, and the pump and electrical work, and ask each driller what recent permits have taken. Do not let anyone start drilling before the permit is issued.

Homeowner checklist

1. Confirm with the county whether your parcel needs a well permit and which office handles it.
2. Ask for the current application checklist, fee, and expected timeline.
3. Locate your septic tank, leach lines, property lines, and animal pens, and ask for the required distances.
4. Check the driller’s C-57 license on CSLB and get an itemized written quote.
5. Put in writing who applies for the permit, who pays, and what happens if the county asks for changes.
6. Ask whether any groundwater agency review, fee, or reporting applies.
7. Do not start work before the permit is issued; keep the permit and your copy of the completion report.
8. Have water tested after the well is finished.

Ready to compare quotes? Use the form to tell us about your property, and independent local providers may contact you. More background: choosing a well driller, well drilling cost, and pozos de agua en Visalia (en español).