A new well in Brazoria County, TX typically costs about $10,100 to $22,300 in 2026 for a complete system, because the median new household well filed with the state since 2016 is 360 feet deep. A shallower well near 230 feet runs about $6,400 to $14,300.
Brazoria County, around Angleton, Alvin, Manvel, Sweeny, West Columbia, and Danbury, runs from the south Houston suburbs to the Gulf, 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 Brazoria County?
Most new household wells in Brazoria County are 230 to 460 feet deep, with a median of 360 feet. That comes from 3,477 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) | Brazoria County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 3,477 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 230 to 460 ft |
| Median depth | 360 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 150 ft / over 548 ft |
| Median static water level | 60 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 140 ft |
| Median tested yield | 60 gallons per minute |
Static water sits about 60 feet down in a typical Brazoria County well, so the pump is usually set around 140 feet to ride out dry summers.
Which aquifer will my Brazoria County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Chicot Aquifer, the top layer of the Gulf Coast Aquifer, which the Brazoria County GCD describes as mostly fresh in the county, with the Evangeline Aquifer below it. The TWDB Brazoria County water planning summary lists the Gulf Coast Aquifer for rural water systems.
The Chicot is split into upper and lower units, typically separated by clay (BCGCD management plan). Which sand your driller screens is the main reason depths here vary so much.
How much does it cost to drill a well in Brazoria County?
Plan on about $10,100 to $22,300 for a complete well at the 360-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 (230 ft) | $6,400 to $14,300 |
| Median (360 ft) | $10,100 to $22,300 |
| Deep (460 ft) | $12,900 to $28,500 |
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 Brazoria County GCD fee for a single-family household well. 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 360-foot well at $40 per foot is $14,400. Drilling only to 230 feet at the same rate would save about $5,200 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 Brazoria County wells?
Salt is the local limit. The district says dissolved solids in the Chicot rise toward the Gulf and the groundwater becomes unusable near the coast (BCGCD management plan, May 2025). TWDB notes that saltier zones along the coast can come from saltwater intrusion caused by pumping, oil field brine, or salt domes (TWDB).
Arsenic is the one to test for. A U.S. Geological Survey study of 91 Houston-area supply wells in the Evangeline and Chicot aquifers found arsenic from 0.58 to 23.5 micrograms per liter, with a median of 2.7, so most wells were well under the federal limit of 10 but some were over it (USGS SIR 2015-5071). A later USGS survey of the whole Texas Gulf Coast aquifer system found arsenic and manganese were the only trace elements above human-health benchmarks (USGS Fact Sheet 2020-3010).
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 Brazoria County?
Brazoria County is covered by the Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District. One well on private property that serves no more than four single-family homes and is used only for domestic purposes needs no permit, but every new well must be registered with the district before drilling, and the State Well Report is due within 60 days (BCGCD rules, amended December 14, 2023). State law bars the district from charging any fee or requiring a meter on a well that serves only one single-family home for domestic use (Special District Local Laws Code 8826.103). New wells follow TDLR’s state spacing rules.
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.
Do irrigation and farm wells in Brazoria County need a permit?
Not if the well is used only for agriculture. Brazoria County GCD Rule 3.4 exempts from permits a well used only for agriculture, one well on a tract larger than 10 acres that cannot produce more than 25,000 gallons a day and serves only a home or livestock and poultry, and one well serving up to four homes for domestic use (BCGCD rules). Rule 3.5 also frees agriculture-only wells and single-home domestic wells from district fees and meters.
Watering a lawn, family garden, or orchard on the same lot as the house counts as domestic use. Landscape irrigation for a business counts as commercial use, which is not exempt and needs a permit before drilling. An exempt well that later changes to a non-exempt use loses its exemption (Rule 3.4). Exempt or not, every new well must be registered with the district before drilling.
How do I know if my Brazoria County well needs service?
Test it every year and after any storm flooding. The EPA advises testing a private well annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH, and testing right away after a flood, after any repair, or when the water’s taste, odor, or color changes (EPA). A salty taste calls for chloride, sodium, and dissolved-solids tests, which matters near the coast here; add arsenic as well.
At the wellhead, the EPA says to check for a cracked or corroded casing, a broken or missing cap, and settling or cracks in the surface seal. If floodwater reached the well, do not drink from it and have a well contractor disinfect it before the pump goes back on (EPA). Pressure that drops or swings, a pump that cycles on and off quickly, or sputtering taps usually point to the pump, pressure tank, or switch; our well pump replacement cost guide shows how to tell which.
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?
- How salty are wells near me at different depths, and will you test for arsenic and chloride after development?
- Will you register the well with the Brazoria County GCD before drilling and send them the State Well Report?
- 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 a licensed Brazoria County water well driller
Tell us about your project and we will pass it to a licensed local driller who works in Brazoria County. Offsprig is paid by the contractor, never by you.
Related Texas well guides
Common questions
Most complete wells in Brazoria County should land around $10,100 to $22,300 in 2026, based on the 360-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 Brazoria County is 360 feet deep, and the middle half range from 230 to 460 feet. Median static water level is about 60 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
No permit or fee is needed for a household well in Brazoria County, but it must be registered with the Brazoria County GCD before drilling and the State Well Report filed within 60 days. State law bars the district from charging fees or requiring meters on single-family domestic wells.
The Chicot Aquifer gets saltier toward the Gulf. The Brazoria County GCD says its water becomes unusable near the coast, and TWDB links coastal salinity to saltwater intrusion, oil field brine, and salt domes. Ask your driller how deep nearby wells found fresh water.
Not if it is used only for agriculture. Brazoria County GCD Rule 3.4 exempts agriculture-only wells from permits, and Rule 3.5 exempts them from district fees and meters. Landscape irrigation for a business is commercial use and needs a permit. Every new well must still be registered before drilling.
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 · By Paul Michael