Borehole Drilling in Pretoria

Where you live in Pretoria decides more than the price. East of the city, boreholes go down 30m–80m through Pretoria Group shale and quartzite, and a complete residential system typically costs R40,000–R90,000. To the south, Centurion and Irene sit on dolomite, and the City of Tshwane prohibits drilling in the suburbs it has listed. Check your suburb against that list first, then compare quotes.

What a Pretoria Borehole Costs: a Real 2026 Quote

Most price guides give you ranges compiled from published price lists. The figures below come from an itemised quote issued by a working Pretoria driller in 2026.

The published estimate for Pretoria (Zone C) is R600–R1,200/m. Both dated quotes we hold, this one and one from the KZN South Coast, come in at R320/m. Treat R320/m as the realistic floor for a straightforward stand, and the estimate as the upper bound for hard rock, difficult access or a deep hole. The price guide shows both quotes in full.

Where the City of Tshwane Prohibits Drilling

The City's borehole notification form is explicit: “Drilling boreholes in suburbs underlain by dolomite bedrock is prohibited due to the risk of dolomite instability.” The suburbs it names are:

• Valhalla
• Erasmia
• Laudium
• Claudius
• Hennopspark
• Bronberrick
• Wierdapark
• Eldoraigne
• Clubview
• Die Hoewes
• Lyttelton
• Doornkloof
• Zwartkop
• Highveld
• Irene
• Cornwall Hill
• Monument Park
• Pierre van Ryneveld
• Rietvalleirand
• and adjacent farm portions

That covers Irene and most of Centurion, and reaches into the east at Monument Park and Pierre van Ryneveld. Dolomite can dissolve into cavities underground, and changing the groundwater level above them is a known trigger for sinkholes. If your suburb is listed, a favourable survey or a willing contractor does not change the City's position.

Borehole Costs by Suburb

Indicative installed costs from each suburb guide, grouped by the ground under them. They are estimates; the quote above is the dated figure.

What the City of Tshwane Requires

For household use, Tshwane asks you to notify it of a new or existing borehole on the domestic form (“Notification of an existing or new borehole on a stand within a proclaimed township”), rather than apply for a permit. The form sets these conditions:

• Attach a City of Tshwane municipal account statement no older than three months. Accounts more than 90 days in arrears need a payment arrangement first.
• Borehole plumbing must be a separate network, never connected to the municipal supply. Isolation or non-return valves are not accepted as separation.
• Put a sign outside the property, next to the municipal water meter, showing that a borehole exists.
• Water may only be used on the property where the borehole is drilled, and may not be sold.
• No borehole may be sunk inside a municipal servitude.
• The owner is responsible for testing the water for its intended use. Metering and keeping monthly records is recommended.
• Any use beyond the list above needs a geohydrological report by a registered professional and national DWS authorisation.

Download the domestic or non-domestic form from the City's boreholes application page. Nationally, household use falls under Schedule 1 of the National Water Act; our DWS registration guide covers when DWS registration or a licence applies.

Pretoria North, Montana and Akasia

We do not have suburb guides for the northern suburbs yet, so there is no local depth or cost data on this site for Pretoria North, Montana, Akasia or Wonderboom. None of them appear on Tshwane's dolomite list. A survey is the only reliable way to get a depth estimate for your stand.

Listings that serve the northern suburbs: Nkwe Drilling (Pty) Ltd and Drillko Borehole Specialists.

Borehole Drillers Serving Pretoria

Directory listings that name Pretoria or its suburbs in their service area. Ratings are the businesses' Google scores.

Water Use, Pumps and Testing

Tshwane's form lists the uses it supports: small-scale non-commercial gardening, bathing, washing cars, cleaning driveways and pavements, filling swimming pools, flushing toilets, washing laundry. It excludes human consumption on health grounds and leaves testing to the owner. Test before relying on the water for anything, and read the water testing guide for which panel to ask for; it lists SANAS-accredited labs, including one in Pretoria.

For what a replacement pump costs by size, see the borehole pump price guide. If you already have a borehole and the pump is struggling, start with the pump maintenance guide before calling out a repair, and see the drilling process guide for how a new installation is sized to the yield test.

Frequently Asked Questions

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