Hydrogeological Survey
Required before you can drill
A geologist maps the aquifer, marks the drilling point and writes the report the Water Resources Authority needs. Skip it and you risk paying for a dry hole.
FromKES 40,000
Get a quoteKenya's borehole guide
Requirements for Drilling a Borehole in Kenya
The survey, the WRA permit and the NEMA licence, in the order they actually happen.
Get a free quote✓ Countrywide, all 47 counties
Survey first
We drill where the water is
Licensed rigs
Permit checked every job
Permits handled
WRA and NEMA sorted for you
Real market rates
Published per metre
Permits
To drill a borehole in Kenya legally you need three things in this order: a hydrogeological survey report, a permit from the Water Resources Authority, and an environmental licence from NEMA. The permits together cost roughly KES 50,000 and the survey KES 40,000 to KES 90,000.
Drilling without them is illegal. The county can seal the borehole, and you have no recourse against the contractor who drilled it.
What the job involves
2 line items · market rates
WRA and NEMA Permit Processing
Authorisation to drill
The Water Resources Authority permit and the NEMA environmental licence. Drilling without them is illegal and the borehole can be sealed.
FromKES 50,000
Get a quoteThe three steps, in order
First the hydrogeological survey, because both permits depend on its report. Second the Water Resources Authority permit, which authorises abstraction of groundwater at that point. Third the NEMA environmental licence, which covers the impact of the works.
Expect four to eight weeks for the paperwork. The drilling itself is only two to five days, so the permits, not the rig, set your timeline.
What to check before you pay a deposit
Ask the contractor for their WRA licence number and confirm it is current. Ask whether the quote includes the permit fees or leaves them to you, because this is the most common hidden cost in a borehole quote.
Get the permits in your name as the landowner, not the driller's. If the relationship goes wrong you want the authorisation to stay with the land.
Why Proboreholedrillers
One team from the survey to the first glass of water
A borehole is five jobs bundled into one: the survey that finds the water, the permits that make it legal, the drilling, the test that proves the yield, and the pump. We run all five for you, with licensed rigs and a quote broken down line by line, so you know exactly what you are paying for before anyone starts.
- ✦ Survey first, so you drill where the water is
- ✦ WRA and NEMA permits handled for you
- ✦ A quote itemised at real market rates
Do you need a borehole drilled?
Tell us where the plot is and what the water is for. We will handle the survey, the permits and the drilling, and come back to you with the likely depth and what it will cost. Countrywide, all 47 counties.
Get a free quoteQuestions, answered
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for drilling a borehole in Kenya?+
A hydrogeological survey report, a Water Resources Authority permit and a NEMA environmental licence. The survey must come first because both permits depend on it.
How much do borehole permits cost in Kenya?+
Roughly KES 50,000 for the WRA permit and NEMA licence together, on top of the KES 40,000 to KES 90,000 survey.
How long do borehole permits take in Kenya?+
Commonly four to eight weeks from survey report to approval. The drilling itself is only two to five days, so the paperwork sets the timeline.
What happens if I drill without a permit?+
The borehole can be sealed by the authorities and you have no protection if the work is defective. It also makes the borehole a problem when you sell the land.
Explore more
Your own water supply, drilled by licensed contractors. Find out what your site needs and what it will take.
View Home →The step that decides whether your borehole finds water, and the report the Water Resources Authority will ask for.
View Survey →Every line of a borehole quote, priced at the 2026 market rate, so you can tell a fair number from a padded one.
View Cost →The plain version, before you spend a million shillings on one.
View Buyer's Guide →Clean at the source is not the same as safe to drink. What the tests look for and what to do about it.
View Borehole Water →