The short version, with the caveat first
A 2026 cost guide from This Old House puts a typical installed residential well at roughly 3,500 to 15,000 dollars nationwide, with drilling itself at 25 to 65 dollars per foot. Bob Vila's guide gives a national average of about 5,500 dollars and a lower per-foot range, and it lists Texas at 30 to 55 dollars per foot as one example of how states differ.
Those totals fit shallow wells in many parts of the country. Wells in the Gulf Coast aquifer system near Conroe often have to reach water-bearing sand a long way down, so read the depth rows below before you trust the national averages. The how deep are wells guide explains why depth here is a question for your road, not for the county.
Cost by depth
The first three rows come straight from the This Old House depth table for residential wells. The last row is our own arithmetic, shown so you can see the direction of travel when a well has to go deeper than the published tables.
| Depth | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 200 feet | 7,100 to 12,240 dollars | This Old House depth table, drilling only |
| 300 feet | 10,650 to 18,360 dollars | Same table; a common planning depth in many regions |
| 400 feet | 14,200 to 24,480 dollars | Same table; the deepest row it publishes |
| 700 feet | about 17,500 to 45,500 dollars | Derived: 700 feet times the 25 to 65 dollar per-foot range. Not a quote. |
What the drilling price usually leaves out
A well that is only a hole in the ground cannot give you water. Ask every provider whether the number includes each item below, because the guides list them as separate costs.
- Pump: 300 to 2,000 dollars for the equipment in both guides, before labor to set it. See the well pump replacement cost guide for installed figures.
- Pressure tank: Bob Vila lists a storage tank at 100 to 700 dollars, while This Old House lists a large pressure tank at 1,400 to 2,400 dollars. The pressure tank cost guide sorts out why those differ.
- Extra pipe and wire: 50 to 150 dollars per foot to run water and power lines from the wellhead to the house.
- Electrical work: 150 to 500 dollars for an electrician, plus parts.
- Casing: plastic pipe runs 6 to 10 dollars per foot and steel runs 33 to 130 dollars per foot in Bob Vila's figures.
- Permit or registration fees: 5 to 500 dollars in the national guides. Montgomery County has its own paperwork, covered in the permits and registration guide.
- Water testing: 100 to 500 dollars for a professional test, per Bob Vila. See water testing in Montgomery County.
What pushes a quote up
Depth comes first, and every other factor works on top of it. Both guides say hard formations raise drilling cost: Bob Vila adds about 92 percent for partly rocky ground and more than 150 percent for dense rock, and This Old House says clay, bedrock or rocky soil can add up to 150 percent. Most of this part of Texas is sand and clay layers rather than rock, so ask the provider what they expect to drill through.
Distance matters too. A wellhead at the back of a five-acre lot needs a long trench for pipe and wire, and that trench is billed per foot. Wet or wooded ground can slow a rig and add mats or clearing. Moving the well site closer to the house can cut the trench cost, but the district keeps new wells at least 50 feet from the nearest property line, so the choice of site has limits.
How to compare two written quotes
Ask each provider to write the quote as separate lines for drilling, casing, screen, pump, tank, wiring, trenching, permit paperwork and testing. A low total with three lines missing is not a low price.
Ask what happens if the hole has to go deeper than planned, and what happens if the well comes in with less water than the household needs. The answer should be in writing before the rig moves. Also ask who files the state well report and the district paperwork, since the rules guide shows that more than one party can be on the hook.
Where these numbers are weak
All of the per-foot and total figures are national or multi-state averages published by consumer cost guides. We found no published Houston-area or Montgomery County price survey, and we could not find a published statistic for how deep a household well is here. Both gaps are why a written local quote beats any page on the internet, including this one.
Common questions
Is a well cheaper than city water?
Usually not up front. A well is a large one-time cost plus pump and tank replacements over the years, while a utility connection has fees and a monthly bill. If water service reaches your lot, get the connection quote first and compare the two totals.
Does the quote include the pump and tank?
Only if it says so. Both national guides price the pump and tank apart from drilling, so a drilling-only number can look low and leave thousands of dollars still to come.
Why do sources disagree so much?
They sample different jobs. Some count shallow wells in rock-free ground, some count whole systems with treatment equipment. Compare the line items, not the headline totals.
Can I use a lower number to haggle?
You can ask a provider to explain any line that looks far from the ranges here. A calm question about what the number includes tends to work better than quoting a website at them.