A new well in Palo Pinto County, TX typically costs about $5,600 to $12,400 in 2026 for a complete system, because the median new household well filed with the state since 2016 is 200 feet deep. A shallower well near 160 feet runs about $4,500 to $9,900.
Palo Pinto County, around Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto, Gordon, Graford, and the Possum Kingdom area, sits west of Fort Worth in the rocky Cross Timbers, 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 Palo Pinto County?
Most new household wells in Palo Pinto County are 160 to 280 feet deep, with a median of 200 feet. That comes from 864 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) | Palo Pinto County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 864 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 160 to 280 ft |
| Median depth | 200 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 140 ft / over 400 ft |
| Median static water level | 80 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 180 ft |
| Median tested yield | 10 gallons per minute |
Static water sits about 80 feet down in a typical Palo Pinto County well, so the pump is usually set around 180 feet to ride out dry summers.
Which aquifer will my Palo Pinto County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Cross Timbers Aquifer, mostly sandstone in the Strawn Group. TWDB designated it in 2017, and 58 of 62 inventoried Palo Pinto County wells are completed in it. The TWDB Palo Pinto County water planning summary also lists the Trinity for some users.
The Brazos River Conglomerate in the Strawn Group is the source of Mineral Wells’ famous “crazy water” (TWDB).
How much does it cost to drill a well in Palo Pinto County?
Plan on about $5,600 to $12,400 for a complete well at the 200-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 (160 ft) | $4,500 to $9,900 |
| Median (200 ft) | $5,600 to $12,400 |
| Deep (280 ft) | $7,800 to $17,400 |
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. There is no groundwater district fee in Palo Pinto County. 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 200-foot well at $40 per foot is $8,000. Drilling only to 160 feet at the same rate would save about $1,600 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 Palo Pinto County wells?
Expect mineralized water and modest yields. TWDB found Cross Timbers water fresh to brackish, with a median of 839 mg/L dissolved solids and most samples under 3,000 mg/L. Chloride rises in the older rock groups, and some high-chloride spots may come from surface contamination or dissolving salt. The Strawn is the least salty of the groups (TWDB GMR 19-01). Eight new wells in our sample were reported to the state as saline or brackish.
Shallow natural gas in the Strawn Group is the likely source of high methane found in some nearby Parker and Hood County wells (UT Jackson School), so ask about methane too. The median tested yield here is low, so many owners add storage.
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 Palo Pinto County?
Palo Pinto County has no groundwater conservation district, so a household well needs no local permit, registration, or district fee (TWDB district map). It is not part of the Upper Trinity GCD next door, which covers Hood and Parker.
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 salty or brackish have your recent wells near me tested, and what yield should I expect?
- Do you file the State Well Report with TDLR, and will I get a copy?
- 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 Palo Pinto County well pro
Tell us about your project and we will pass it to a licensed local driller who works in Palo Pinto County. Offsprig is paid by the contractor, never by you.
Related Texas well guides
Common questions
Most complete wells in Palo Pinto County should land around $5,600 to $12,400 in 2026, based on the 200-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 Palo Pinto County is 200 feet deep, and the middle half range from 160 to 280 feet. Median static water level is about 80 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
No groundwater permit or district fee is needed for a household well in Palo Pinto County as of October 2026, because the county has no groundwater conservation district. Your TDLR-licensed driller still files a State Well Report.
Most wells draw from the Cross Timbers Aquifer, which TWDB describes as fresh to brackish, with a median of 839 mg/L dissolved solids. Chloride rises in older rock layers. Ask your driller how nearby wells tested, and plan for treatment and storage.
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