Cost to Bring Electricity to Rural Land in Texas (2026)

The cost to bring electricity to rural land in Texas runs about $3,000 to $7,200 for a run under 300 feet, and up to $30,000 or more for a long line extension. Co-ops differ: Bluebonnet covers the first $1,950, Central Texas Electric Co-op the first $3,000, and Pedernales Electric charges the full cost.

Those short-run figures are Medina Electric Cooperative’s published sample estimates. The long-run figure is a Hill Country builder’s published budget range, checked against per-foot co-op tariffs below. Going off-grid instead can make sense, but on our numbers only when the line extension quote climbs past roughly $34,000.

How much does it cost to run power to rural land in Texas?

Expect a few thousand dollars if a line runs along your road and tens of thousands if the nearest primary line is a quarter mile or more away. Distance, terrain, clearing, and your co-op’s allowance set the price.

Medina Electric Cooperative, based in Hondo, publishes these sample costs for a single-phase residential connection to an existing line:

Source: Medina EC cost estimator. Medina notes that take-off poles, meter loop costs, taxes, credits, and terrain change the number. For longer runs, Hill Country builders budget an electrical extension at $5,000 to $12,000 or more, per Texas Building Center in Burnet. Spring Branch builder CMW General Contractors puts it at $5,000 to $30,000 or more depending on distance.

What do Pedernales, Bluebonnet, and Central Texas EC charge for a line extension?

Each co-op prices the job from its own unit costs, then subtracts an allowance if it offers one. The applicant pays the rest up front as a non-refundable contribution in aid of construction (CIAC).

How does Pedernales Electric price a new service?

PEC builds a Cost Calculation from its current material and labor costs, and a residential applicant pays all of it before construction. The PEC tariff’s residential section covers homes, barns, shops, water wells, gate openers, hunting cabins, and RVs. PEC says requests needing construction should be finished within 90 calendar days after you meet all requirements. If the final cost runs over the estimate, the applicant pays the difference.

How does Bluebonnet’s refund work?

Bluebonnet’s tariff section III ties its 30% refund to building a primary overhead line of a 5-pole span, about 1,500 feet, or longer to serve a residence. If a neighbor connects to your new line within three years, you must notify Bluebonnet within 60 days to claim it. That is worth asking neighbors about before you build.

What does CTEC require before it builds?

CTEC stakes extensions over the shortest route for which easements can be obtained and prices them from its standard unit cost schedule, which its tariff definitions say is recalculated around January 15 and July 15 each year. Its new construction process starts with your 911 address, then a staking technician meets you on site and sends a cost sheet. Service for a home under construction is temporary, so CTEC’s $3,000 residential allowance does not apply until the house is finished and occupied.

What makes a rural line extension expensive?

Length is the biggest factor, followed by whether the co-op must build primary line, clear brush, or cross a road. Underground service shifts trenching costs to you.

• Primary vs. secondary line: Bluebonnet extends primary lines (7,200 volts or more) to a transformer that serves your location, per its line extension page. Medina’s samples jump once primary line is needed.
• Clearing: Wood County EC charges $5 per foot for light timber and $10 per foot for heavy timber on top of wire.
• Road bores: WCEC lists $8 per foot for a typical single-phase bore and $24 per foot under a highway, with a 100-foot minimum.
• Underground: PEC’s tariff section 400.7 makes the applicant provide trenches, backfill, conduit, and pad work for underground service.
• Easements: Bluebonnet requires a landowner easement signed before a notary. CTEC adds the actual cost of any needed easement.

Can you get temporary power while you build?

Yes, but you pay the full cost. Every co-op we reviewed treats construction power as temporary and charges for both installation and removal.

PEC’s tariff section 400.13 requires 100% of installation and removal costs up front for non-permanent service. Bluebonnet charges all line extension and removal costs for temporary service, generally 24 months or less. CTEC’s tariff 305.2 limits temporary service to six months and charges actual cost for any location without a well-advanced plan for a residence and an adequate water supply. A practical move is to set your meter pole where the permanent service will go, so the temporary job becomes the permanent one.

How much does it cost to go off-grid instead?

An off-grid solar system with enough battery for a modest homestead costs roughly $50,000 to $60,000 on our estimate, because off-grid homes need days of storage, not hours. That is why grid power usually wins unless the line is long. Our off-grid solar cost breakdown covers system sizes in detail.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2025 benchmark prices a residential 8 kW solar system at $2.95 per watt installed, and the same system with a 13.5 kWh battery at $4.59 per watt (2024 dollars, modeled market price). The difference implies about $13,100 for the battery, or roughly $970 per kWh. NREL’s solar and storage primer says off-grid homes need storage for up to several days and that longer outages are usually better served by a generator.

Grid vs. off-grid: a worked comparison

Assume a homestead that uses 20 kWh a day, a little over half the Texas average of 1,096 kWh a month reported by the EIA. Assume the nearest line is 1,500 feet away.

How we got these: array size is 20 kWh divided by 4.5 sun-hours times NREL’s 0.8 loss factor. NREL puts solar resource at 3.0 to 6.0 kWh per square meter per day across most of the continental U.S. Panel and battery prices come from the DOE benchmark above. The 14.94-cent rate is EIA’s 2024 Texas residential average. We left out rate increases, battery replacement, generator cost, and any tax credits.

Decision rule: on these assumptions, off-grid comes out ahead over 20 years only when your co-op’s quote exceeds about $34,000 (the $55,400 off-grid total minus $21,800 of avoided bills). Below that, pay for the line. Heavy clearing, long distances, or a full-cost co-op like PEC can push a quote past that line. For sizing and equipment prices, see our full guide to off-grid solar cost.

What needs electricity on a rural homestead?

More than the house. Plan your service location around everything that needs power, because extra service points are usually billed at full cost.

• Well pump: a submersible pump is often the biggest single load. See our guide to well drilling in Texas and the cost to drill a well.
• Aerobic septic: aerobic systems need electricity for a compressor, per Cornerstone Septic; conventional systems need none. Compare them in aerobic vs. conventional septic in Texas.
• Barns and shops: CTEC’s tariff says line costs for every service point after the first are paid in full by the applicant.

How do you get a line extension estimate?

Call your co-op, apply for new service, and schedule a staking or line design visit. That visit sets the route, pole locations, and a written cost.

1. Confirm which co-op serves your tract before you buy. Our guide to buying rural land covers what to check.
2. Get a 911 address; CTEC requires it to start.
3. Meet the technician on site. Bluebonnet’s new construction page says you will choose the route and overhead or underground service, and the technician marks poles and equipment.
4. Sign easements and pay the CIAC and fees.
5. Have your electrician install the meter loop to co-op specifications.

Power is one step in the build sequence. See the raw land to homestead checklist for where it falls, and our cost to start a homestead guide for the full budget.

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Weighing a line extension against solar? Tell us your county, your distance to the nearest power line, and what you plan to run, and we’ll pass your request to local electricians and off-grid solar installers who serve your area.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Pedernales Electric charge for a line extension?

Yes. Under PEC’s tariff effective October 1, 2026, a residential applicant pays all costs to extend service to the point of interconnection, up front. PEC also charges a $200 system impact fee, a $50 membership fee, a $50 establishment fee, and a residential deposit of up to $150.

How much is a power pole drop in Texas?

Medina Electric Cooperative’s samples put a connection within 80 feet of an existing transformer pole at about $3,000 to $4,300, and a 280-foot run with three poles at about $5,400 to $7,200. Meter loop costs, taxes, credits, and terrain change the final price.

Is it cheaper to go solar than run power lines?

Usually not for short runs. On our estimate, an off-grid system for 20 kWh a day with two days of battery costs about $55,000, while a 1,500-foot extension at Wood County EC rates plus 20 years of bills totals about $30,000. Off-grid wins when extension quotes exceed about $34,000.

Can I get temporary power on my land while building?

Yes, at full cost. PEC requires 100% of installation and removal costs for non-permanent service. Bluebonnet charges all costs for temporary service of up to about 24 months, and CTEC limits temporary service to six months. Placing the meter pole at the permanent service location avoids paying twice.

How long does it take to get power to rural land?

PEC says new service requiring construction should be completed within 90 calendar days after you meet all requirements, including fees and easements. The staking visit, easement signing, and meter loop inspection come first, so plan several months between your first call and an energized meter.