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Home › Buying a House With a Well: Water Testing Checklist · Last checked 2026-10-21

Buying a house with a well: a testing checklist

  1. Check your state's law. New Jersey requires testing as a condition of sale under the PWTA, and closing can't happen until both parties have reviewed the results. [source] Virginia has no such regulation, though testing is part of a standard contract. [source]
  2. Ask your lender. VAHWQP notes lead and nitrate are required by some lenders. [source]
  3. Test the basics. Coliform and E. coli bacteria are standard practice in Virginia home sales. [source] EPA's yearly baseline is total coliform, nitrates, TDS and pH. [source]
  4. Use a certified lab. The EPA says to use labs certified for drinking water testing. [source]
  5. Get the well records. In Virginia, completion reports for wells built after 1990 are public records at local health departments. [source]
  6. Look around the property. EPA links nearby activities to tests. For example, intensive agriculture suggests nitrate, nitrite, pesticides and coliform, and gas drilling suggests chloride, sodium, barium and strontium. [source]
  7. Know what a failed test means. In NJ, a failed result doesn't by itself block the sale, but lenders or buyers may require treatment. [source]

This is a general checklist, not legal or real-estate advice. Ask your agent, attorney and lender about your transaction.

Prefer a mail-in kit? Tap Score says its samples are analyzed through SimpleLab's network of over 250 accredited US laboratories. [source] See Tap Score well water tests (TODO: affiliate link placeholder – not active yet)

FAQ

Is a well water test required to buy a house?

It depends on the state. New Jersey requires it under the PWTA; VAHWQP says Virginia has no such regulation, though testing is part of a standard contract and some lenders require it.

Sources

  1. NJDEP – Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) (accessed 2026-10-21)
  2. VAHWQP – Private Water Supply Protection in Virginia (accessed 2026-10-21)
  3. US EPA – Protect Your Home's Water (accessed 2026-10-21)
  4. NJDEP – Q&A on PFOA, PFOS and PFNA for private well owners (accessed 2026-10-21)

Informational only, not health, medical, legal or real-estate advice. Programs and fees change; confirm with the official source. See our disclaimer and affiliate disclosure.