How deep are water wells in Marfa, Texas?

Q: How much does a water well cost in Marfa?

At the median depth (304 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $10,000 to $24,500, by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas driller prices. The real price comes from a licensed driller's quote.

Q: How deep is the water in Marfa?

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 202 feet below the surface (47 wells). The level moves with drought and from one well to the next.

Q: Do I need a permit to drill a well in Marfa?

Marfa is inside the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District. Groundwater conservation districts in Texas can require registering or permitting a new well, keeping set distances from property lines and other wells, and paying fees. Rules differ from district to district: ask the district before drilling.

Home water wells in and around Marfa, Texas are typically 283 to 347 feet deep (median 304 ft, 52 wells reported since 2001). Estimated cost of a complete well at the median depth: $10,000 to $24,500.

Updated every day from Texas Water Development Board driller reports. Last update: November 11, 2026, using the state file of November 10, 2026.

See the wells and layers at an exact point Presidio County

Under Marfa, Presidio County

The well and the water are the median of 52 real wells. This atlas does not have a state layer model for this area yet.

Home wells in and around Marfa

Each dot is a home well from a state driller report, colored by depth. Tap one for its details and official report. Tap an empty spot to see what is under that point.

See underground

Well depth (ft)

<100
100
200
300
400
600
800+

Dashed line: Marfa and about 2 miles around it

Key figures

Typical depth (middle half): 283 to 347 feet
Median depth: 304 feet
Deepest 10% are past: 400 feet
Water level (median): 202 feet; 47 wells
Yield (median): 35 gpm; 52 wells, gallons per minute
Wells used: 52; Since 2001
Inside the city limits: 21; the rest within 2 miles
All years on file: 52; median 304 ft, since 2002
Confidence: Standard (30 or more wells)

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 202 feet below the surface (47 wells).

The well and the water are the median of 52 real wells. This atlas does not have a state layer model for this area yet.

Which formation do wells in Marfa draw from?

We cannot say yet for Marfa. This atlas assigns layers with the TWDB layered models processed so far (the Northern Trinity and Woodbine model, the Hill Country Trinity model, the northern Gulf Coast Aquifer model and the High Plains Aquifer System model), and none covers this area with enough wells. The depth, water level and yield on this page do come from the real wells here.

See the aquifers mapped under Presidio County

Depth over time

Too few wells per period in and around Marfa to compare depth over time. Since 2002, 52 home wells have been reported, with a median of 304 feet.

Period	Median depth (ft)	Wells
2001–2005	under 10 wells	4
2006–2010	under 10 wells	8
2011–2015	under 10 wells	9
2016–2020	300	15
2021–2025	under 10 wells	7
2026	under 10 wells	9

What a well costs in Marfa

At the median depth for Marfa (304 feet), a complete home well would cost roughly $10,000 to $24,500: $25 to $60 per foot for drilling, casing and seal, plus $2,500 to $6,500 for the pump, pressure tank, controls and hookup at the well. Across the whole middle half of depths (283 to 347 feet) the range runs from $9,500 to $27,500. This is TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas prices, not a quote, and it leaves out trenching and the line to the house. Get prices from at least two licensed drillers.

Where it sits

Wells in Presidio County
Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District (groundwater district)
City · 30.3107, -104.0255

Nearby places

Median depth of home wells in each place.

Fort Davis 172 ft
Alpine 300 ft
Marathon 301 ft
Balmorhea 50 ft

All Texas cities and towns

Common questions

How deep do you have to drill a well in Marfa, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Marfa, Texas are typically 283 to 347 feet deep (median 304 ft, 52 wells reported since 2001). One in ten goes past 400 feet. The depth a given tract needs depends on where it sits and what layers the driller hits.

How much does a water well cost in Marfa?

At the median depth (304 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $10,000 to $24,500, by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas driller prices. The real price comes from a licensed driller's quote.

How deep is the water in Marfa?

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 202 feet below the surface (47 wells). The level moves with drought and from one well to the next.

Do I need a permit to drill a well in Marfa?

Marfa is inside the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District. Groundwater conservation districts in Texas can require registering or permitting a new well, keeping set distances from property lines and other wells, and paying fees. Rules differ from district to district: ask the district before drilling.

How these numbers are made

We count new and replacement domestic (home) wells whose coordinates fall inside the place boundary or within 2 miles of it. We use the last 10 years when there are at least 30 wells; otherwise all since 2001. The median is the middle well and the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

These are depths of real wells drilled nearby, not a promise about any property. Groundwater can change over short distances and with drought. A licensed water well driller can tell you what to expect on a specific tract.

Read the full methodology · Download the data (CSV, CC BY 4.0)

How to cite

TerraFunded (2026). Texas Well Atlas: Underground. From Texas Water Development Board driller reports and groundwater availability models (data as of November 10, 2026). https://terrafunded.com/wells/places/marfa-tx. License CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24126380.