A new well in Gonzales 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 260 feet runs about $7,300 to $16,100.
Gonzales County, around Gonzales, Nixon, Waelder, and Smiley, sits southeast of San Antonio on the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers, 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 Gonzales County?
Most new household wells in Gonzales County are 260 to 440 feet deep, with a median of 360 feet. That comes from 548 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) | Gonzales County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 548 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 260 to 440 ft |
| Median depth | 360 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 168 ft / over 510 ft |
| Median static water level | 90 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 160 ft |
| Median tested yield | 50 gallons per minute |
Static water sits about 90 feet down in a typical Gonzales County well, so the pump is usually set around 160 feet to ride out dry summers.
Which aquifer will my Gonzales County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, which the TWDB Gonzales County water planning summary lists for most water systems, or the Queen City and Sparta sands above it.
Gonzales County wells are productive: the median tested yield in our sample is 50 gallons per minute, the highest in this batch.
How much does it cost to drill a well in Gonzales 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 (260 ft) | $7,300 to $16,100 |
| Median (360 ft) | $10,100 to $22,300 |
| Deep (440 ft) | $12,300 to $27,300 |
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. The Gonzales County UWCD fee table lists no fee for an exempt 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 260 feet at the same rate would save about $4,000 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 Gonzales County wells?
TWDB says Carrizo-Wilcox water is hard where the aquifer is unconfined and generally softer where it is confined, usually under 1,000 mg/L dissolved solids (TWDB). Queen City water averages about 300 mg/L in the recharge zone (TWDB).
Iron is the usual nuisance in the shallower sands: TWDB says excess iron is common throughout the Sparta (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 Gonzales County?
Most of Gonzales County, about 576,000 acres, is inside the Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District, so check whether your tract is in the district. All water wells drilled in the district must be registered, and a copy of the State Well Report goes to the district. A well used only for household, livestock, or poultry water that cannot produce more than 25,000 gallons a day (17.5 gpm) is exempt from drilling and operating permits, and exempt wells do not have to meet the district’s property-line spacing rules (GCUWCD rules, Revision 13.0, November 11, 2025). The rules’ fee table lists no fee for registering an exempt well; the registration form is on the district’s forms page. The district has posted draft rule revisions for 2026, so confirm current rules with its office.
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 sand will you finish in, and will you test for iron and hardness after development?
- Is my tract inside the Gonzales County UWCD, and will you register the well 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 Gonzales County well pro
Tell us about your project and we will pass it to a licensed local driller who works in Gonzales County. Offsprig is paid by the contractor, never by you.
Related Texas well guides
Common questions
Most complete wells in Gonzales 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 Gonzales County is 360 feet deep, and the middle half range from 260 to 440 feet. Median static water level is about 90 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
A household well in Gonzales County that pumps under 25,000 gallons a day (17.5 gpm) needs no permit from the Gonzales County UWCD, but it must be registered, and the driller sends the district the State Well Report. The rules list no fee for exempt wells.
Generally, yes. The median tested yield of new household wells filed since 2016 is 50 gallons per minute, with static water about 90 feet down, per TWDB driller reports. Most tap the Carrizo-Wilcox; the shallower Sparta often carries excess iron.
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 USGS sources linked above. 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