A new well in Bandera County, TX typically costs about $14,300 to $31,600 in 2026 for a complete system, because the median new household well filed with the state since 2016 is 510 feet deep. A shallower well near 450 feet runs about $12,600 to $27,900.
Bandera County, around Bandera, Medina, Pipe Creek, Lakehills, Tarpley, and Vanderpool, is Hill Country ranch land northwest of San Antonio, 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 Bandera County?
Most new household wells in Bandera County are 450 to 640 feet deep, with a median of 510 feet. That comes from 1,055 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) | Bandera County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 1,055 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 450 to 640 ft |
| Median depth | 510 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 400 ft / over 780 ft |
| Median static water level | 220 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 420 ft |
| Median tested yield | 30 gallons per minute |
Static water sits about 220 feet down in a typical Bandera County well, so the pump is usually set around 420 feet to ride out dry summers.
Which aquifer will my Bandera County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Trinity Aquifer, which the TWDB Bandera County water planning summary lists for rural water systems along with the Edwards-Trinity (Plateau) Aquifer in the uplands.
Bandera County wells run deep and fairly consistent: half of new household wells in the sample landed between 450 and 640 feet.
How much does it cost to drill a well in Bandera County?
Plan on about $14,300 to $31,600 for a complete well at the 510-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 (450 ft) | $12,600 to $27,900 |
| Median (510 ft) | $14,300 to $31,600 |
| Deep (640 ft) | $17,900 to $39,700 |
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. Add the BCRAGD’s $500 registered-well 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 510-foot well at $40 per foot is $20,400. Drilling only to 450 feet at the same rate would save about $2,400 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 Bandera County wells?
TWDB says Trinity Aquifer water is generally fresh but very hard where the aquifer is at or near the surface, and that dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride tend to rise as the aquifer gets deeper (TWDB).
Watch for gypsum. In the state records, 279 of 1,055 new household well reports in Bandera County (about 26%) flagged injurious water, and nearly all of those listed gypsum, the sulfate-bearing beds in the Glen Rose layer. Ask your driller how they case and seal that zone off, and test for sulfate after the well is finished.
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 Bandera County?
Bandera County is covered by the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District (BCRAGD). A household or livestock well that cannot pump more than 25,000 gallons a day is exempt from permits, but it must be registered and approved before drilling, and the tract must not already have a working well. Tract size depends on when the land was platted: no minimum for tracts platted before September 1, 2002; 5 acres or more for tracts platted from September 1, 2002 through August 31, 2022; and 10 acres or more for tracts platted on or after September 1, 2022. On a smaller tract, the well needs a district permit instead (BCRAGD rules, October 17, 2024). Exempt wells must sit at least 50 feet from the property line and 100 feet from existing wells. An approved registration is good for 90 days, with one 90-day extension, and the driller has 60 days after completion to file the well log. The district’s posted fee schedule lists $500 for a registered (exempt) well and $1,500 for a permitted well (BCRAGD fees). Its permitting page still posts an August 2024 drought moratorium on new non-exempt permit applications, which runs until the board lifts it (Resolution 08152024), so call the district first if your tract is below the size limit.
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?
- How deep is the gypsum zone near my land, how will you seal it off, and what have your recent wells tested for sulfate?
- Will you file the BCRAGD registration, and does my tract meet the size rule for its plat date?
- 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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Related Texas well guides
Common questions
Most complete wells in Bandera County should land around $14,300 to $31,600 in 2026, based on the 510-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 Bandera County is 510 feet deep, and the middle half range from 450 to 640 feet. Median static water level is about 220 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
A household well in Bandera County is permit-exempt if it pumps under 25,000 gallons a day and the tract meets the size rule for its plat date: none before September 2002, 5 acres through August 2022, 10 acres after. You must register with the BCRAGD before drilling; the fee schedule lists $500.
Gypsum beds in the Glen Rose layer of the Trinity carry sulfate. About 26% of new household well reports filed with the state since 2016 in Bandera County flagged injurious water, nearly all gypsum, per TWDB driller reports. Ask how the driller will seal that zone off.
Sources: depth, water level, yield, pump, and injurious-water 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 sources linked above. District rules and fees were checked on each district’s own site on October 29, 2026. 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