A new well in Rains County, TX typically costs about $7,100 to $15,600 in 2026 for a complete system, because the median new household well filed with the state since 2016 is 252 feet deep. A shallower well near 220 feet runs about $6,200 to $13,600.
Rains County, around Emory, Point, East Tawakoni, and the land between Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork, is East Texas sand country, 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 Rains County?
Most new household wells in Rains County are 220 to 304 feet deep, with a median of 252 feet. That comes from 30 new domestic wells drillers reported to the state from 2016 through October 2026 in the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database. Rains has far fewer filings than its neighbors (30 since 2016), so treat these numbers as a rough guide.
| Measure (new domestic wells, 2016 to 2026) | Rains County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 30 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 220 to 304 ft |
| Median depth | 252 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 180 ft / over 402 ft |
| Median static water level | 70 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 168 ft |
| Median tested yield | 30 gallons per minute |
Static water sits about 70 feet down in a typical Rains County well, so the pump is usually set well below that to ride out dry summers.
Which aquifer will my Rains County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Wilcox Group of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer and, for some rural supply, the Nacatoch Aquifer, per the TWDB Rains County water planning summary. The Queen City Sand is absent in Rains County (TWDB Report 169).
Report 169 says the Wilcox crops out in eastern Rains County, while western Rains sits on the Midway Group, mostly calcareous clay whose top marks the approximate base of fresh water. That is why Rains wells run shallower and why lot location matters so much here. Nacatoch water, where it is used, is generally alkaline, soft, and high in sodium bicarbonate (TWDB).
How much does it cost to drill a well in Rains County?
Plan on about $7,100 to $15,600 for a complete well at the 252-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 (220 ft) | $6,200 to $13,600 |
| Median (252 ft) | $7,100 to $15,600 |
| Deep (304 ft) | $8,500 to $18,800 |
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. 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 252-foot well at $40 per foot is $10,100. Drilling only to 220 feet at the same rate would save about $1,300 up front, but if that shallow water is acidic or iron-rich, an iron filter and pH neutralizer can eat much of the savings. Ask the driller which zone a shallow well would land in before you choose.
What water quality problems are common in Rains County wells?
Iron, low pH (acidic water), and sometimes hydrogen sulfide are the common issues in East Texas sand aquifers. TWDB describes high iron and manganese as characteristic of much of the Carrizo-Wilcox, and notes excessive iron and high acidity in the northeast part of the Queen City.
TWDB Report 79 explains the pattern with three zones, and says the same zoning appears elsewhere in Northeast Texas:
- Zone A (shallow): low in minerals but acidic, with pH usually about 5.0 to 6.5. It corrodes metal pipe and fixtures and yields only small amounts of water.
- Zone B (intermediate): also low pH, typically with iron above 0.3 ppm. This is the zone most owners want to case off.
- Zone C (deeper): alkaline water, pH about 7.1 to 8.0, and rarely high in anything. Most Carrizo-Wilcox water comes from this zone.
In Report 169’s sampling across Rains and Van Zandt counties, only 53 percent of wells were under the 0.3 mg/L iron guideline, and excessive iron and acidity was a frequent problem in sands at intermediate depths. Some shallow wells also had high nitrate, so test shallow water for nitrate and bacteria.
The EPA’s secondary (non-health) guidelines are 0.3 mg/L for iron and a pH of 6.5 to 8.5 (EPA). Iron above that stains laundry and fixtures. The Texas Well Owner Network guide notes that hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs, can corrode pipes and blacken fixtures, and that if the smell comes only from hot taps, the water heater’s anode is the likely cause, not the well. If you plan a tankless unit, read tankless water heaters on well water.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Rains County?
Rains County has no groundwater conservation district, so a domestic well needs no groundwater permit or district fee. As of July 20, 2026, Rains County had not yet signed on to planning for a proposed regional Northeast Texas district (Wood County Monitor), though it was expected to consider it.
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), 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, and which sand did you screen?
- How do you price it: per foot, or a package with casing, screen, pump, tank, and wiring included?
- How will you keep the shallow, acidic zone and the iron-rich zone out of my well?
- Will you test for iron, pH, and hydrogen sulfide after development, and what treatment do you recommend if they are high?
- 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.
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Related Texas well guides
Common questions
Most complete wells in Rains County should land around $7,100 to $15,600 in 2026, based on the 252-foot median depth of new domestic wells in state records and Angi’s $28 to $62 per foot Texas range. Shallow wells cost less but may need iron or pH treatment.
The median new household well reported to the state from 2016 to 2026 in Rains County is 252 feet deep, and the middle half range from 220 to 304 feet. Median static water level is about 70 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
No groundwater permit is needed in Rains County as of October 2026 because it has no groundwater conservation district. Your TDLR-licensed driller files the State Well Report, and septic rules still apply. A regional district is being planned nearby, but Rains had not joined as of July 2026.
In the Carrizo-Wilcox and Queen City sands, acidic shallow water dissolves iron minerals in an intermediate zone. TWDB Report 79 found deeper, alkaline water is usually low in iron, so many drillers case off the shallow zones. Iron above 0.3 mg/L stains fixtures but is not a health standard.
That smell is hydrogen sulfide. The Texas Well Owner Network says it can come from bacteria in low-oxygen groundwater or from a magnesium anode in the water heater. If only the hot taps smell, check the water heater first. If cold water smells too, test the well and ask about treatment.
Sources: depth, water level, yield, and pump data are Offsprig’s analysis of the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report download (pulled October 15, 2026; new wells with proposed use “Domestic,” completed 2016 or later). Costs are estimates from Angi and HomeGuide 2026 per-foot ranges, not quotes. Always confirm current rules with TDLR and your county.
Updated October 2026 ยท By Paul Michael