What Is the Cost per Foot to Drill a Water Well in Texas?
Quick Answer
Water well drilling in Texas costs $25–$65 per foot. North Texas averages $30–$55/ft, with hard limestone counties at the higher end.
Water well drilling in Texas is priced per foot, and that rate varies significantly depending on where you are and what the drill is going through. In North Texas, expect to pay $30–$55 per foot for drilling, with the per-foot rate rising as formation hardness increases.
How Per-Foot Pricing Works
The per-foot rate covers the cost of drilling the borehole — labor, equipment time, and wear per foot drilled. The final well cost is calculated as:
Total Cost = Mobilization Fee + (Drilling Rate × Depth) + (Casing Rate × Depth) + Pump System
A typical example for a 300-ft well in Wise County:
| Item | Unit Rate | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobilization | flat (typical $500–$2,000) | 1 | $1,200 |
| Drilling | $38/ft | 300 ft | $11,400 |
| 6” Steel casing | $22/ft | 300 ft | $6,600 |
| Well development | flat | 1 | $800 |
| Pump + pressure tank | flat | 1 | $4,200 |
| GCD Permit (Upper Trinity GCD) | $600 + $100 deposit | 1 | $1,000 |
| Total | $25,200 |
Example only — actual costs vary by contractor and site conditions.
Mobilization fees vary $500–$2,000 depending on rig travel distance from the contractor’s yard. The $1,200 shown here is mid-range for Wise County.
Per-Foot Rates by Formation Type
Formation hardness is the biggest determinant of cost per foot in North Texas.
| Formation Type | Counties | Typical Drilling Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy/alluvial | Hunt, Kaufman, Rockwall, Grayson | $28–$40/ft |
| Soft limestone | Dallas, Navarro, Ellis | $32–$45/ft |
| Medium limestone | Wise, Denton, Cooke, Erath | $38–$50/ft |
| Hard limestone | Parker, Hood | $48–$65/ft |
Palo Pinto County (Cross Timbers / Pennsylvanian) is fracture-dependent and priced case-by-case; it is not assigned a fixed tier.
What Casing Adds to the Per-Foot Cost
Casing — the steel or PVC pipe that lines the borehole — is typically priced separately from drilling. In North Texas, expect:
- 6-inch steel casing: $18–$28/ft
- 6-inch PVC casing: $10–$16/ft (used in softer, stable formations)
- 8-inch steel casing: $24–$36/ft (larger yield, requires larger borehole)
Most domestic wells use 6-inch steel casing. Deeper wells in hard rock may require 5-inch casing inside a larger borehole (telescoping completion), which adds cost.
What the Per-Foot Rate Doesn’t Include
When comparing quotes based on per-foot rates, confirm that these additional items are accounted for:
- Well development (surging and pumping to clear drilling fluid and maximize yield)
- Submersible pump and motor
- Pressure tank and control box
- 240V electrical wiring
- Pitless adapter and sanitary wellhead
- GCD or TDLR permit fees
A quote of “$40/ft” for a 350-ft well is $14,000 in drilling — but the complete project with casing, pump, and electrical may be $22,000–$26,000.
Get a Written, Line-Item Quote
The most reliable way to compare contractors is to ask for a written quote that breaks out mobilization, drilling rate, casing rate, and all other items separately. We provide line-item estimates for properties across all 19 counties in our North Texas service area.