Drilling rig: book hole or borewell drilling, or buy a rig
What exactly you need drilled
Many different jobs hide behind “drilling rig”, and everything depends on which one it is. Holes for fence posts, piles for a foundation, a borewell for water and geological survey work all need different machines. A post-hole auger on a tractor or truck makes dozens of holes a day, while a water borewell is drilled by another, far more powerful and complicated rig.
So first state the purpose clearly, or the offers will be about different things.
What the cost of drilling depends on
- Depth and diameter: a 300 mm hole 1.5 m deep and a 600 mm pile 6 m deep are different jobs.
- Soil: clay, sand, gravel, or rock change the speed a lot.
- Number of holes or metres: on a large volume the price per unit is often lower.
- Access: whether the rig can get onto the plot, and whether there are wires and trees.
- Travel: the distance from the base, especially for a heavy machine.
What to put in your request
- Service or purchase — hire with an operator, or buying a rig.
- Purpose — holes for posts, piles, a water borewell.
- Depth and diameter — up to 50 m, 300 mm.
- Volume — for example 40 holes, or the total metres.
- Location — area, access, type of soil if you know it.
- Chassis and year — if buying, for example a tractor-mounted rig, not older than 2005.
- Budget — for example Rs 500 per hole.
Example: “I need a post-hole auger for 40 holes for fence posts, 300 mm in diameter, 1.2 m deep, loamy soil. A plot on the outskirts of Islamabad, access is clear. Please state the price per hole and the cost of travel.”
How searching on BlaBlaPrice works
You write a request once, and rig owners reply in the chat: which machine, the price per hole or metre, when they can come. Every seller sees where their offer ranks, so they often improve their terms. The best offer, judged on what is offered, is shown first by the system, with reviews next to each. Your phone is hidden until you choose a provider. Read more on the “How it works” page.
How to compare and what to clarify
A price per hole that leaves out travel or a minimum booking is misleading. Ask whether there is a call-out fee, whether extra depth is charged, and what happens if you hit rock or water. For a borewell, ask about the casing pipe, the filter and the paperwork for the borewell, and which works are included in the price.
If you are buying a rig, check the hydraulics, the condition of the auger and the gearbox, and the papers for the chassis. For earthwork around the drilling, look at excavators, and for a wide choice, the “Heavy equipment” section.
What to agree in advance
Agree the result beforehand: the permitted deviation of the holes from vertical, the depth, and whether the spoil stays on site. For a water borewell, clarify who supplies the casing pipes, the pump and the start-up, and whether you get a record of the work done. Rigs are busy in the dry season, so plan the drilling a few weeks ahead. Take a photo of the place and mark where utilities run so that they are not hit during the work.
