In Riga and the Riga region we install the water source for a new house and build the system up to the utility room so that it fits the house design. In your request, say what stage the construction is at and whether the house has a design.
Why the water source should come first
- Construction needs water for concrete, mortar, plaster and cleaning. A spike well (“spice” in Latvian) or a borehole replaces carting water in cans from the very first season.
- The drilling rig and the excavator need access. Once the fence, paving and lawn are finished, this becomes harder and more expensive.
- The water test can be done in good time and the filters chosen before the utility room is laid out.
- If it turns out there is little water or it is unsuitable, there is time to choose another source without changing the house plan.
Spike well, borehole or mains water
If there is a water main in the street, first find out the connection options and conditions from the water utility: connecting to mains water. If there is none, the choice is usually between a spike well and a borehole.
A spike well suits sites where the groundwater is close to the surface and consumption is not high. A borehole takes water from deeper layers, and the amount of water usually depends less on drought. Comparison: spike well or borehole.
What to allow for in the house design and the foundation
- An entry through the foundation or the floor slab: a protective sleeve at the utility room position that comes out below the frost depth.
- A utility room that stays above zero all year, with electricity for the pump, space for the pressure tank and filters, and a way to drain the filter backwash water.
- A separate circuit breaker for the pump. For a submersible pump the cable goes in the same trench as the water pipe.
- The shortest route from the source to the house, if possible not under a future driveway and away from where a septic tank is planned.
- A source location that can still be reached later, when the pump needs replacing or the borehole needs cleaning.
We mark the source location and the route on the plan. Then you will not damage the water pipe when digging trenches for other utilities or planting trees.
Documents for a new well or borehole
A water abstraction well and a borehole, including a spike well, are first-group engineering structures. For a new structure you submit an explanatory memorandum (paskaidrojuma raksts) to the municipal building authority (būvvalde). If the borehole is deeper than 20 m or you plan to take more than 10 m³ of water a day, the drilling company obtains a licence from the State Environmental Service (VVD) before the work (state fee €35.57). After the borehole is created, the drilling company prepares the borehole passport, and the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVĢMC) approves it within 10 working days. The LVĢMC fee is €115.34; it is a fee set by the state, not our price.
Municipal practice differs, and VVD explanatory materials use different terms in places, so check with your building authority before the work. If the house has a building design, check whether the water source and the water supply are already included in it. More detail: borehole registration.
Cabinet Regulation No. 500 (General Construction Regulations), Annex 1 (first-group engineering structures); Cabinet Regulation No. 253 (engineering structures), point 6.², sub-point 1 (explanatory memorandum); LBN 222-15, point 64 (a driven well is a borehole); the law “On Subterranean Depths”, Section 11(1), point 2; Cabinet Regulation No. 1055, point 2.13 (fee €35.57); Cabinet Regulation No. 696 on subsoil licences, points 13 and 16, and LVĢMC service 09-35 (borehole passport, 10 working days); Cabinet Regulation No. 752, Annex, point 2.1 (€115.34, VAT not applied). Sources: likumi.lv, lvgmc.lv, checked 03.11.2026.
How we work on a new build
- Plan We look at the plot and the design and agree on the source location, the route and the entry.
- Source We install a spike well or a borehole. For the construction period a temporary pump and tap can be connected.
- Water pipe Once the foundation is ready, we lay the pipe from the source to the entry below the frost depth.
- Plant room Once the house is roofed and the room does not freeze, we install the pump with the pressure tank and pressure switch, and the filters chosen by the test.
How much does water supply for a new house cost
The total price depends on the source and the distance to the house. Spike well installation costs from €350 (without the pump, pressure tank and connection to the house). A borehole costs from €65/m, a borehole ~30 m deep from €2,000. Installing a submersible pump costs from €200 (pump extra).
We price the water pipe and the utility room once the plan is ready. On a new build the price is often lower because there is no lawn or paving to restore and the entry has a ready sleeve. All prices: prices.