TL;DR
Well pump and pressure tank removal is priced mostly by weight and access, and the pressure tank is the heavy part. A full-size 80-gallon captive air tank weighs 100 to 140 pounds empty and can hold another 200 pounds of water if it has not been drained.
The other complication is location. Well equipment lives in crawl spaces, pump houses, unfinished basement corners, and buried pits, which are the four least convenient places in any property to move something heavy out of.
Shut Down and Drain Before Anything Moves
Kill the breaker to the pump first and verify it is dead. Well pumps run on 240-volt circuits in most homes, and the pressure switch is live even when the pump is idle.
Then close the isolation valve and open a hose bib or the tank drain to bleed pressure. A pressurized tank holds 40 to 60 psi, and breaking a union on a charged system sprays hard enough to hurt.
Once flow stops, tip the tank to dump the remaining water. Skipping this step is how a two-person job becomes a four-person job in the middle of a crawl space.
Pressure Tanks: Weight and Type
Older galvanized tanks have no internal bladder and are heavier for their volume, often 120 to 200 pounds in the larger sizes. They rust from the inside out, and a failing one gets noticeably heavier with sediment.
Modern captive air tanks use a rubber bladder inside a steel shell. A 20-gallon tank runs 30 to 50 pounds, a 44-gallon around 60 to 80, and an 80-gallon 100 to 140.
Bladder tanks can also hold trapped water on the bladder side that will not drain through the plumbing port. If a tank feels heavy after draining, that is why, and it is not worth fighting. Tell the hauler it is a wet unit.
Getting to the Equipment
Crawl space installations are the hardest. A tank has to be walked out on its side through an access hatch that is often 24 inches by 30 inches, which means the tank fits but a person carrying it does not have room to stand.
Pit installations are their own hazard. Buried pump pits are confined spaces and can hold low oxygen or accumulated gas, and nobody should climb into one without ventilating it and having a second person topside. This is not a place to improvise.
Pump houses and basements are the easy version, usually a straight carry with a dolly. If your equipment is in one of those, the job is short.
Submersible Versus Jet Pumps
A jet pump sits above ground next to the tank, weighs 30 to 70 pounds, and unbolts from its base. It is the simple case.
A submersible pump hangs at the bottom of the well casing on a drop pipe, sometimes 100 to 400 feet down. Pulling one is a well contractor task requiring a pump hoist, not a junk removal task, and it should be scheduled with the driller who services the well.
Once a submersible is on the surface, hauling it away is straightforward. It is a steel and stainless cylinder with a copper-wound motor, and it scraps well.
Well Equipment Removal Pricing
Industry Baseline Range
| What is being priced | Published national range |
|---|---|
| Junk removal, what most homeowners spend per load | $150 to $350 |
| Junk removal, full national range | $70 to $570 |
Source: HomeGuide, "Junk Removal Prices" national cost guide.
These are industry baseline ranges for planning only and may not reflect Otesse's price. Otesse pricing is calculated for your specific home and ZIP code, so enter your ZIP in the price box on this page for your instant price.
Current Market Reality
Quotes run above baseline when the equipment is in a crawl space, when an old galvanized tank is full of sediment, or when the removal is bundled with other water treatment gear. Pairing it with old water softener disposal in one visit is usually cheaper than two separate trips.
| Pushes the price up | Pulls it down |
|---|---|
| A crawl space or pit removal | A basement or pump house with easy access |
| A tank that still holds water or sediment | A tank drained before the visit |
| Several components in one job | The pressure tank alone |
| A separate trip for other water gear | Bundling a softener or filter into the same visit |
Every load is different, so the real number depends on volume, weight, access, and what is in the pile. Enter your ZIP in the price box on this page for your instant price.
Scrap Value and What Gets Recovered
Steel tanks, brass fittings, copper pipe, and the copper windings in a pump motor all have scrap value. A galvanized tank is mostly steel, which pays modestly, while the brass tank tee and the pump motor carry the higher per-pound rates.
A hauler who separates materials will route all of it to a metal yard rather than a landfill. If you are handling it yourself, knowing where to take scrap metal is the difference between a small check and a tipping fee.
Resale is limited. A working jet pump of recent vintage occasionally sells to a hobbyist or a small farm. Tanks almost never sell, because nobody wants to inherit an unknown bladder.
What to Cap and Leave Behind
The well casing and the pitless adapter stay. Cap the casing so nothing falls in, especially if the well will be reused or inspected later.
Leave the electrical junction box in place with the conductors capped, and leave the pressure switch mount unless a plumber is redoing the whole manifold. Abandoning a well entirely is a regulated process in most states and usually requires a licensed contractor and a filed decommissioning report, so do not improvise that part. The same care applies when clearing out plumbing fixture disposal during a larger remodel.
FAQ
How much does it cost to remove a well pressure tank?
A drained tank in a basement or pump house is the simplest version of this job. Adding a jet pump raises the cost, and crawl space and pit removals cost the most because of the access difficulty and the crew size required.
How heavy is a well pressure tank?
A 20-gallon bladder tank is 30 to 50 pounds, a 44-gallon is 60 to 80, and an 80-gallon is 100 to 140 pounds empty. Older galvanized tanks weigh more for the same volume. Any tank that has not been fully drained can carry a couple hundred pounds of water.
Can I remove the pump and tank myself?
An above-ground jet pump and a drained tank in an accessible space are within reach for two people with basic tools. Do not attempt a submersible pull without a hoist, and do not enter a buried pump pit. Pits are confined spaces with real oxygen and gas hazards.
Is a well pump worth anything as scrap?
Yes, modestly. The steel housing scraps at a low rate, but the copper motor windings, brass fittings, and copper pipe are worth more per pound. A whole system of tank, pump, and manifold makes a worthwhile scrap load, though the credit rarely covers the removal cost.
Do I need to cap the well after removing the equipment?
Cap the casing so debris and animals cannot get in, yes. Fully abandoning a well is different and is regulated in most states, typically requiring a licensed contractor to seal it and file paperwork. Removing equipment is not the same as decommissioning the well.
Getting It Hauled Out
If the tank has rusted through or the system is being replaced, the old iron still has to leave the property. Otesse junk removal can take it from there.
Tell the crew where the equipment sits and how you get to it when you get a quote, because access sets the price here more than size does.
