A new well in Upshur County, TX typically costs about $13,300 to $29,400 in 2026 for a complete system, because the median new household well filed with the state since 2016 is 475 feet deep. A shallower well near 400 feet runs about $11,200 to $24,800.
Upshur County, around Gilmer, Big Sandy, Ore City, East Mountain, and Diana, is East Texas sand country, where many rural homes outside a water supply corporation’s lines rely on a private well. Below are the real local depths from state well records, the water-quality issues to plan for, the permit rules, and a free way to reach a licensed local driller.
How deep are wells in Upshur County?
Most new household wells in Upshur County are 400 to 560 feet deep, with a median of 475 feet. That comes from 238 new domestic wells drillers reported to the state from 2016 through October 2026 in the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
| Measure (new domestic wells, 2016 to 2026) | Upshur County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 238 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 400 to 560 ft |
| Median depth | 475 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 270 ft / over 630 ft |
| Median static water level | 200 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 353 ft |
| Median tested yield | 25 gallons per minute |
Static water sits about 200 feet down in a typical Upshur County well, so the pump is usually set around 353 feet to ride out dry summers.
Which aquifer will my Upshur County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Carrizo-Wilcox or the Queen City, the two the TWDB Upshur County water planning summary lists for rural supply.
The Queen City Sand is at the surface across nearly 90% of Gregg and Upshur counties, and the Carrizo-Wilcox sand reaches just over 400 feet thick near Diana (TWDB Report 101).
How much does it cost to drill a well in Upshur County?
Plan on about $13,300 to $29,400 for a complete well at the 475-foot median depth. Angi’s 2026 guide puts Texas well drilling at $28 to $62 per foot (Angi), and HomeGuide puts a complete installation, including casing, pump, wiring, and permits, at $30 to $80 or more per foot (HomeGuide). These are estimates from national cost guides applied to local depths, not local quotes.
| Well depth | Estimated 2026 cost at $28 to $62/ft |
|---|---|
| Shallow (400 ft) | $11,200 to $24,800 |
| Median (475 ft) | $13,300 to $29,400 |
| Deep (560 ft) | $15,700 to $34,700 |
Budget separately for water treatment. HomeGuide lists well-water filtration systems at $800 to $4,000 and water softeners at $1,200 to $3,800. There is no groundwater district fee in Upshur County today. For how the line items break down, see what it costs to drill a well in Texas. If your pump ever needs replacing, here is Texas well pump replacement cost.
Worked example: a 475-foot well at $40 per foot is $19,000. Drilling only to 400 feet at the same rate would save about $3,000 up front, but only if the shallower zone gives enough good water. Ask the driller what nearby wells at that depth produced before you choose.
What water quality problems are common in Upshur County wells?
Upshur County has some of the clearest local data on why drillers go deep. TWDB found Queen City iron from 0.02 to 48 mg/L, worst in wells about 100 to 200 feet deep, and Queen City pH from 3.0 to 8.1, with water above 200 feet more corrosive. Carrizo-Wilcox iron was only 0.00 to 0.82 mg/L, with pH 6.9 to 8.7. Its conclusion: iron is “not much of a problem in the Carrizo-Wilcox if the wells are properly constructed” (TWDB Report 101, 1969).
High chloride in the Carrizo-Wilcox was rarely found in Upshur County, except near Big Sandy and Gladewater (TWDB Report 101). Together, that is the case for casing off the Queen City, and the median Upshur well in our sample is 475 feet deep.
For reference, the EPA’s secondary (non-health) guidelines are 0.3 mg/L for iron, 250 mg/L for sulfate and chloride, 500 mg/L for dissolved solids, and a pH of 6.5 to 8.5 (EPA). The Texas Well Owner Network guide recommends testing a new well and retesting yearly. If you plan a tankless water heater, read tankless water heaters on well water.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Upshur County?
Upshur County has no groundwater conservation district, so a household well needs no groundwater permit or district fee. That could change. On July 15, 2026, Upshur voted to join the effort to create a Northeast Texas Groundwater Conservation District, which needs approval from the Legislature in 2027. County Judge Todd Tefteller said it would regulate large producers, not landowners drilling private wells (KLTV).
Statewide, anyone who drills a water well or installs a well pump must hold a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), the well must meet TDLR’s minimum distances from septic systems and other contamination sources, and the driller files a State Well Report for every new well. Those reports are the records behind the depth table above. Septic (OSSF) permits are separate; see aerobic vs conventional septic in Texas.
What should I ask a driller before I hire?
- Are you licensed by TDLR as a water well driller and pump installer? (Check the number at the TDLR license search.)
- What depth have your last few wells near my property reached?
- How do you price it: per foot, or a package with casing, pump, tank, and wiring included?
- Will you case off the Queen City and finish in the Carrizo-Wilcox, and will you test iron and pH after development?
- Do you file the State Well Report with TDLR, and will I get a copy?
- What happens if the first hole does not produce enough water?
If the well tests low, a storage tank can smooth it out; see storage tanks for low-yield wells. For outages, see sizing a generator for a well pump.
Get matched with an Upshur County well pro
Tell us about your project and we will pass it to a licensed local driller who works in Upshur County. Offsprig is paid by the contractor, never by you.
Related Texas well guides
Common questions
Most complete wells in Upshur County should land around $13,300 to $29,400 in 2026, based on the 475-foot median depth of new domestic wells in state records and Angi’s $28 to $62 per foot Texas range. Treatment and district fees are extra.
The median new household well reported to the state from 2016 to 2026 in Upshur County is 475 feet deep, and the middle half range from 400 to 560 feet. Median static water level is about 200 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
No groundwater permit or district fee is needed for a household well in Upshur County as of October 2026. A proposed Northeast Texas GCD would need 2027 legislative approval and is aimed at large producers, not household wells.
Because the shallow Queen City sand is often iron-rich and acidic. TWDB found Queen City iron up to 48 mg/L and pH as low as 3.0, while the deeper Carrizo-Wilcox had little iron and near-neutral pH. Most drillers case off the Queen City.
Sources: depth, water level, yield, and pump data are Offsprig’s analysis of the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report download (pulled October 2026; new wells with proposed use “Domestic,” completed 2016 or later). Water-quality figures come from the TWDB and district reports linked above; older studies reflect conditions when sampled. Costs are estimates from Angi and HomeGuide 2026 per-foot ranges, not quotes. Always confirm current rules with TDLR and your groundwater district.
Updated October 2026 ยท By Paul Michael