Borehole Casing & Lining
Borehole casing protects your borehole from collapse and helps keep surface water out. Here are the types, what installed casing costs and what to ask your driller.
Last reviewed . Costs are market indications from published South African price guides, not quotes.
Why Borehole Casing Is Critical
Borehole Casing Cost
Casing is priced per metre installed, on the metres of the hole that actually need it. It is usually run through loose, weathered or unstable ground rather than the full depth, and the driller decides while drilling, so the cased length is often not known until the hole is finished.
Installed casing
R400 - R700 per metre
Most published guides give this range for casing on the metres actually cased. Other guides give R200 - R700 and R400 - R800.
A 40m cased section
R16,000 - R28,000
That is 40m at R400 and at R700 per metre. One guide uses 40m as its worked example.
Charged separately
Ask before you compare
Casing is often charged separately from the drilling rate, so a low per-metre drilling rate may not include it.
Ask the quote to state the casing material, diameter, number of metres and the rate per metre, and how extra metres are charged. Typical domestic casing is often in the 125 to 200mm range, and your driller sets it so the pump fits with clearance. Check the inside diameter before you buy a pump, because it has to pass freely down the casing. See the fullborehole drilling prices guidefor how casing fits into the total.
Casing Types Compared
Steel Casing
R350 - R700/metre installed
R600 - R700 in one price guide. A dated July 2026 KZN South Coast quote lists 177mm steel casing at R350 per metre.
Advantages:
- Very durable
- Handles deep boreholes
- Resistant to collapse pressure
- Long service life
Limitations:
- • More expensive
- • Can corrode in acidic water
- • Heavier to handle
uPVC Casing
R400 - R550/metre installed
From one price guide. Other guides give one range for all casing, R400 - R700 per metre.
Advantages:
- Corrosion resistant
- Lighter and easier to install
- Lower price than steel in published guides
- Smooth interior, less friction loss
Limitations:
- • Lower collapse resistance
- • Not suited to very deep holes (the limit depends on the pipe class)
- • Can crack if mishandled
HDPE Lining
No published price found
Ask for a quote. HDPE is mainly used for relining.
Advantages:
- Flexible, so it handles ground movement
- Chemical resistant
- Good for rehabilitation and relining
Limitations:
- • Lower structural strength
- • Needs support from existing casing
Need Casing or Relining?
Send us the details and we pass your request to companies listed for your area, and they contact you directly. Ask each one which casing they recommend for your geology and depth, and why.
Request a Free QuoteSources
- Borehole Hub: borehole prices 2026 (casing per metre by material, dated KZN steel casing quote)
- Enviroleg: borehole drilling prices in South Africa (casing per metre)
- Waterpoint SA: borehole drilling in Gauteng (casing per metre and the 40m example)
- Borehole Guide: drilling cost per metre (casing charged separately, R400 - R800)
- Kandua: borehole drilling cost in South Africa (casing R200 - R700 per metre)
- Borehole Hub: borehole pump prices (pump must pass freely down the casing)