A new well in Guadalupe County, TX typically costs about $7,200 to $15,900 in 2026 for a complete system, because the median new household well filed with the state since 2016 is 256 feet deep. A shallower well near 100 feet runs about $2,800 to $6,200.
Guadalupe County, around Seguin, McQueeney, Marion, Kingsbury, and New Berlin, sits east of San Antonio, where the Edwards limestone gives way to the Carrizo-Wilcox sands, 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 Guadalupe County?
Most new household wells in Guadalupe County are 100 to 340 feet deep, with a median of 256 feet. That comes from 788 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) | Guadalupe County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 788 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 100 to 340 ft |
| Median depth | 256 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 46 ft / over 395 ft |
| Median static water level | 70 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 160 ft |
| Median tested yield | 30 gallons per minute |
Static water sits about 70 feet down in a typical Guadalupe County well, so the pump is usually set around 160 feet to ride out dry summers.
Which aquifer will my Guadalupe County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer or the shallow Leona gravels in most of the county, or the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer in the west. The TWDB Guadalupe County water planning summary lists the Carrizo-Wilcox for rural supply.
The split matters for rules too. The western part of the county is Edwards Aquifer Authority territory, and the rest is the Guadalupe County GCD, which covers the Carrizo, Wilcox, and Leona (GCGCD).
How much does it cost to drill a well in Guadalupe County?
Plan on about $7,200 to $15,900 for a complete well at the 256-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 (100 ft) | $2,800 to $6,200 |
| Median (256 ft) | $7,200 to $15,900 |
| Deep (340 ft) | $9,500 to $21,100 |
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. District fees are minimal: none for a household well in the GCGCD area, or the EAA’s $25 construction permit in the west. 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 256-foot well at $40 per foot is $10,300. Drilling only to 100 feet at the same rate would save about $6,300 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 Guadalupe County wells?
Iron is the classic problem in the sands. TWDB’s county study found Wilcox iron from 0.01 to 38 ppm, above 0.3 ppm in 33 of 38 samples, and noted many rural systems were built to remove it. Carrizo water was high in iron and often acidic, and Wilcox water below about 200 feet was generally fresh (TWDB Report 19, 1966 data).
Avoid shallow Leona and alluvium wells for drinking. The same study found nitrate from 1.8 to 752 ppm in those wells, with 13 of 19 samples above 45 ppm, and very hard water. In the west, fresh Edwards water is hard but low in dissolved solids, while south and east of the fresh-saline line it turns salty with hydrogen sulfide (TWDB Report 19; 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 Guadalupe County?
Most of the county is in the Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District. A household well that cannot pump more than 25,000 gallons a day is exempt from permits, with no acreage minimum. The driller files a Notice of Intent to Drill first, and the well is registered after completion (GCGCD). The district’s law bars any fee on a well used only for domestic or livestock water (Texas Special District Local Laws Code 8833.102). In the western part of the county, the Edwards Aquifer Authority requires every Edwards well to be registered and a $25 well construction permit to drill into or through the Edwards (EAA).
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?
- Will you case off the shallow Leona gravels, and will you test for iron and nitrate after development?
- Will you file the Notice of Intent to Drill, and is my land in the GCGCD or the Edwards Aquifer Authority area?
- 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 Guadalupe County should land around $7,200 to $15,900 in 2026, based on the 256-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 Guadalupe County is 256 feet deep, and the middle half range from 100 to 340 feet. Median static water level is about 70 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
A household well in Guadalupe County is permit-exempt, but your driller must file a Notice of Intent to Drill with the Guadalupe County GCD, and the well is registered afterward with no fee. In the western Edwards area, the Edwards Aquifer Authority requires registration and a $25 construction permit.
The Carrizo and Wilcox sands are naturally iron-rich. A TWDB county study found Wilcox iron up to 38 ppm and above 0.3 ppm in most samples. Deeper Wilcox water was usually fresher, and many rural systems include iron removal.
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 ยท By Paul Michael