Costs by region. Permits by county. Aquifer depths from the Panhandle to the Gulf. A statewide directory of licensed drillers — and the rules they all answer to.
By Region
What you’ll pay — and how deep you’ll go — depends entirely on which aquifer sits under your property. A 180-ft Edwards well in Boerne and a 900-ft Ogallala well in Lubbock are different businesses entirely.
The Guides
A full breakdown — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, permitting — with regional ranges from Hill Country to the Panhandle.
The answer depends on your county’s groundwater conservation district. Here’s how to find yours, and what to expect when you apply.
Recharge zones, karst geology, and why drilling on the Edwards comes with the strictest rules in the state.
Setbacks from septic systems, property lines, livestock pens, and other wells — what the TCEQ standards actually say.
Air in the lines, sputtering faucets, sediment in the tank. How to tell drought from a failing pump — and what to do next.
Two acres or less — what’s legal, what’s practical, and where setbacks usually kill the project.
By City
Each city page covers the local aquifer, typical drilling depth, the groundwater conservation district that issues your permit, and what drillers in the area actually charge.
Find a Driller
Every contractor in our network holds an active TDLR Water Well Driller license and works within your local groundwater conservation district’s rules. Tell us about the project — we’ll get three quotes back to you within 48 hours.
Get Free Quotes
Three local, licensed drillers will reach out — usually the same day.
Texas Water Law
Texas is the last state where groundwater is still governed primarily by the rule of capture — if you can pump it, you can use it, mostly. But over the last fifty years, the legislature carved out an exception: groundwater conservation districts can permit, meter, and limit production locally. Today, 98 of them cover most of the state.
Whether you need a permit to drill, how deep your well can go, and how many gallons per day you can pump are decided by your district, not by the state. We explain each one.