Where Willis sits and why it matters for water
The Texas State Historical Association places Willis in north central Montgomery County, eight miles north of Conroe, on the line that carried lumber and tobacco to market from the 1870s. Interstate 45 now runs through the area, and the town was estimated at about 6,710 people in 2021. Growth has pushed houses out into woods that were once timber land, which is why well calls here often involve a house built on old acreage.
Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District covers the whole county, so Willis wells follow the same registration steps as wells in Conroe. The permits guide walks through them.
What the ground and the water are like
Most of Montgomery County has reddish soils with a loamy top layer over deep clay, under a cover of pine and hardwood forest. The county averages about 47 inches of rain a year, which keeps the ground soft in wet spells. A drilling rig is heavy, so ask a provider how they handle a wet driveway.
In the layers below, Willis is in the northern half of the county, where a 1971 Texas Water Development Board report found the Catahoula Sandstone holding fresh water in places, with its thickest fresh sand, 160 feet, about five miles northwest of town. That fresh water usually sits under slightly saline water, so a deep well here is a careful choice. The report also notes that Evangeline water is hardest in or near the aquifer's outcrop area, so ask the lab for a hardness figure when you test. The depth guide explains the layers.
Lots and rules that shape a Willis well job
We could not find a published typical lot size for Willis, so the useful number is the district's: for wells completed since January 1, 2026, the household and livestock exemption asks for a tract of 1.5 acres or larger, with an exception for lots recorded before December 1, 1986. Smaller lots can still get a well, but the district's form asks you to contact the Montgomery County Health Department first.
Every new well sits at least 50 feet from the nearest property line, and Texas AgriLife's guidance puts a well 50 feet from a septic tank and 100 feet from a drainfield. On a narrow wooded lot that can decide where the well goes before anyone has priced it.
Jobs that come up for Willis owners
- Replacing a pump on a well that went in when a family cabin or small ranch was built
- Resizing a pressure tank after a barn, workshop or second house was added to the same well
- A first well for a new house on a cleared lot, with the electric service planned at the same time
- Iron staining or hard-water scale that points to testing, not repair; see water testing in Montgomery County
- Deciding whether to connect to a water supply corporation line or keep the well, which comes down to the well drilling cost against the connection fee
Before you hire a provider
Ask for the license number, and look it up on the state licensing search. Ask who files the district registration and the state well report. Ask for a written scope that lists the pump, tank, wire and trenching separately. If you are buying a place with a well, the well owner FAQ lists what to get from the seller. For nearby towns, see Conroe and Magnolia.
Common questions
Are most Willis homes on wells?
We found no published figure. Some Willis properties have a water utility line and some rely on a private well, so ask the seller or the water provider for your address.
Do I register an old well in Willis?
The district's FAQ says all wells in the county are required to be registered with the district, though its rules list a few exceptions for small older wells. Registering is encouraged either way, because unregistered wells are left out when new wells are reviewed.
Is the water here hard?
It can be. The 1971 state report found Evangeline and upper Jasper water fresh and often hard. Only a lab test on your well can say.
How fast can someone come out?
That is for the provider to say when they call you back. We cannot promise a day or an hour.