A new well in Johnson County, TX typically costs about $11,200 to $24,800 in 2026 for a complete system, because the median new household well filed with the state since 2016 is 400 feet deep. A shallower well near 240 feet runs about $6,700 to $14,900.
Johnson County, around Cleburne, Burleson, Joshua, Alvarado, Godley, and Venus, sits south of Fort Worth where the Cross Timbers meets the Blackland Prairie, 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 Johnson County?
Most new household wells in Johnson County are 240 to 500 feet deep, with a median of 400 feet. That comes from 1,119 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) | Johnson County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 1,119 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 240 to 500 ft |
| Median depth | 400 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 200 ft / over 640 ft |
| Median static water level | 260 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 357 ft |
| Median tested yield | 15 gallons per minute |
Static water sits about 260 feet down in a typical Johnson County well, so the pump is usually set around 357 feet to ride out dry summers.
Which aquifer will my Johnson County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Trinity Aquifer, mainly its Twin Mountains and Paluxy layers, with the Woodbine in the east. The TWDB Johnson County water planning summary lists both for rural water systems.
The median tested yield in our sample is only 15 gallons per minute, so many Johnson County owners add a storage tank.
How much does it cost to drill a well in Johnson County?
Plan on about $11,200 to $24,800 for a complete well at the 400-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 (240 ft) | $6,700 to $14,900 |
| Median (400 ft) | $11,200 to $24,800 |
| Deep (500 ft) | $14,000 to $31,000 |
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. Add the Prairielands GCD’s $500 registration fee and $37.40 county filing fee. 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 400-foot well at $40 per foot is $16,000. Drilling only to 240 feet at the same rate would save about $6,400 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 Johnson County wells?
Hardness, iron, and fluoride are the issues to plan for. In a TWDB study of the North-Central Texas Cretaceous aquifers, Twin Mountains wells on the outcrop gave hard water high in iron, about 22% of roughly 700 samples topped 1,000 mg/L dissolved solids, and more than 230 samples had fluoride above 1.6 mg/L. The Paluxy was often hard, and fluoride rose downdip (TWDB Report 269, 1975 to 1978 sampling).
In the east, TWDB says the upper Woodbine yields little water and tends to be very high in iron, while the lower zones yield more (TWDB).
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 Johnson County?
Johnson County is covered by the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District, which also covers Ellis, Hill, and Somervell counties. Every new household well must be registered and approved before drilling. A household well that can produce 17.36 gpm or less and is used only for domestic, livestock, or poultry use needs no permit, meter, or water-use fees. Each well needs at least 2 acres per household served, and a well of that size must be at least 50 feet from the property line and 100 feet from other registered wells in the same aquifer layer (Prairielands GCD rules, effective April 21, 2025). The registration fee is $500 per new well, non-refundable (Prairielands fees), plus a $37.40 county clerk filing fee for exempt wells (registration application).
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?
- Which Trinity layer will you finish in, and will you test for fluoride and iron after development?
- Will you file the Prairielands GCD registration, and does my tract meet the 2-acre and spacing rules?
- 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.
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Tell us about your project and we will pass it to a licensed local driller who works in Johnson County. Offsprig is paid by the contractor, never by you.
Related Texas well guides
Common questions
Most complete wells in Johnson County should land around $11,200 to $24,800 in 2026, based on the 400-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 Johnson County is 400 feet deep, and the middle half range from 240 to 500 feet. Median static water level is about 260 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
A household well in Johnson County that pumps 17.36 gpm or less needs no permit, but it must be registered with the Prairielands GCD and approved before drilling. The fee is $500 plus a $37.40 filing fee, and you need at least 2 acres per home served.
Water levels in the Trinity Aquifer here are deep. The median static water level in new household wells since 2016 is about 260 feet, so drillers go to a median of 400 feet and set pumps around 357 feet, per TWDB driller reports. Yields are often low.
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