Howdy Reader

By now you already know why drilling is expensive from the driller’s side.

It’s one of the reasons why chasing the lowest quote can land you a borehole that lasts only 3 years before drying up, or worse, a useless borehole that swallows your finances whole.

But what does a cheap quote actually hide?

Have you been scrolling through Facebook ads from drillers charging 5500 KES per metre, or maybe 5800 KES per metre? Some even throw in flexible payment plans on top of that price.

Doesn’t the deal seem too good to be true?

When you spot a price like that, be certain, not just certain, but 100 percent certain, corners are getting cut somewhere on your project. Let me show you exactly how.

These drillers aren’t being generous with you. They stay profitable no matter how low they quote, but the difference comes out of your pocket. You just won’t discover it until later.

Let me show you how these crooked drillers steal your metres, leaving you with a borehole that fails in under 2 years.

Here’s how it works. The rods that go into the ground come in a fixed length, in this case 6 metres each. So if a borehole’s estimated drilling depth is 180 metres, you’d need 180/6, which gives you 30 rods and 33 rods if it's 200 metres.

So how do dishonest drillers exploit your lack of knowledge?

They already know from the hydro-geological survey that your borehole’s aquifer starts around 160 metres and ends at 200 metres. And they use that knowledge against you.

To give you a lifetime of reliable water, the driller needs to drill all the way to 200 metres.

But these con artists dressed up as drillers stop at 170 to 180 metres, since water is already flowing by then. Even you, the landowner, will feel relieved, there’s finally water on your property.

What you don’t know is they’ll charge you for the full 200 metres, not the 170 or 180 they actually drilled. That means 20 to 30 metres get stolen straight from your pocket.

Let’s run the numbers. At a quoted rate of 5800 KES per metre, that’s a loss of 116,000 to 174,000 KES. And it’s not just money you’re losing, you’re risking a borehole that could dry up in under 2 years.

That’s not even their only trick. They’ll also cut corners on casings, gravel packing, and pump testing, I’ll show you exactly how in my next email.

To protect yourself, you’ve got two options.

The hard way: hire someone to count the rods on-site and cross-check the depth against the survey yourself. Tedious, and it means micromanaging someone through the entire project.

Or the easy way: partner with a driller who quotes a fair price that covers the whole process honestly, while still earning enough profit to stay in business.

Don’t get me wrong, choosing an expensive driller doesn’t guarantee expert work either. You can pay 7500 KES per metre and still end up with a useless borehole.

It comes down to choosing a driller who shows you everything in plain sight, without you ever needing to follow up or micromanage them.

I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you, Reader. So please reply to this email if you’ve got any questions, or if something comes to mind.

Talk soon,
James