A new well in Wood County, TX typically costs about $13,300 to $29,400 in 2026 for a complete system, because the median new household well filed with the state since 2016 is 475 feet deep. A shallower well near 200 feet runs about $5,600 to $12,400.
Wood County, around Quitman, Mineola, Winnsboro, Hawkins, and Alba, 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 Wood County?
Most new household wells in Wood County are 200 to 560 feet deep, with a median of 475 feet. That comes from 275 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) | Wood County |
|---|---|
| Wells in the sample | 275 |
| Typical depth range (middle half) | 200 to 560 ft |
| Median depth | 475 ft |
| Shallowest 10% / deepest 10% | under 81 ft / over 697 ft |
| Median static water level | 100 ft below ground |
| Median pump setting | 272 ft |
| Median tested yield | 40 gallons per minute |
The wide spread is not noise. Wood County wells tend to fall into two groups: shallow wells under about 200 feet, and deep wells in the 475 to 697 foot range. The water-quality section below explains why many owners pay for the deeper hole.
Which aquifer will my Wood County well tap?
Your well will most likely draw from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer and the Queen City Aquifer, per the TWDB Wood County water planning summary. The county study, TWDB Report 79, calls the upper sands the Sparta-Queen City aquifer.
Report 79 found that excessive iron was the most common chemical problem in both aquifers, but that it follows a predictable pattern, so careful well construction can find water that is relatively free of iron. It also noted rare high sulfate, chloride, or nitrate at shallow depths, likely from sewage or oil-field brine disposal near the county’s oil fields.
How much does it cost to drill a well in Wood County?
Plan on about $13,300 to $29,400 for a complete well at the 475-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 (200 ft) | $5,600 to $12,400 |
| Median (475 ft) | $13,300 to $29,400 |
| Deep (560 ft) | $15,700 to $34,700 |
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. 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 475-foot well at $40 per foot is $19,000. Drilling only to 200 feet at the same rate would save about $11,000 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 Wood 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.
Report 79 is the best primary source on this pattern, and it was written about Wood County. It is worth reading before you choose a depth.
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 Wood County?
Wood County has no groundwater conservation district, so a domestic well needs no groundwater permit or district fee. Wood County is one of 10 counties that had signed on by July 20, 2026 to plan a regional Northeast Texas district over the Carrizo-Wilcox (Wood County Monitor). It would need 2027 legislative approval, and supporters say it would regulate large commercial pumpers rather than household wells.
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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Tell us about your project and we will pass it to a licensed local driller who works in Wood County. Offsprig is paid by the contractor, never by you.
Related Texas well guides
Common questions
Most complete wells in Wood County should land around $13,300 to $29,400 in 2026, based on the 475-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 Wood County is 475 feet deep, and the middle half range from 200 to 560 feet. Median static water level is about 100 feet, per the TWDB Submitted Driller’s Report database.
No groundwater permit is needed in Wood County as of October 2026 because it has no groundwater conservation district. Your driller must hold a TDLR license and files a State Well Report. Wood County has joined planning for a regional district that would need 2027 legislative approval.
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