01
Septic: the measured numbers
A Texas A&M AgriLife program in the Lampasas River watershed replaced 20 failing systems: 15 conventional averaged $8,881 and 5 aerobic averaged $12,480, in work reported in 2022. A 2023 Texas State University report on a Hill Country watershed collected installer figures of $10,000, $14,000, and $18,000 for one low-pressure retrofit, and expected advanced drip systems to run over $20,000. These are replacement jobs from a few years ago, so a new system on a rocky site today needs its own quote.
02
Septic: what is reported today
One Texas septic referral site says it surveyed more than 85 licensed installers in early 2026. It reports $6,300 to $10,000 for conventional systems statewide and $14,000 to $22,000 for aerobic in the San Antonio and Hill Country area. It connects visitors to installers, so read that as a reported range. EPA's national guidance, from 2018, puts new conventional systems at about $3,000 to $15,000 and alternative systems often at $10,000 to $30,000.
03
Why the site sets the price
A soil and site evaluation decides what a lot can use. Aerobic systems, used where soils cannot treat conventional effluent, were 55 percent of new Texas installs in 2016. Texas also sizes flow by the house: 300 gallons a day for 3 bedrooms under 2,500 square feet and 375 for 4 bedrooms under 3,500, before water-saving devices. Lot rules differ too. Travis County requires one acre for a home on septic, and Blanco County's subdivision rules call for 5 acres when a lot has both a well and a septic system.
04
Septic permit fees
Hays County lists $610 for a single-family system (schedule effective January 2026). Blanco County lists $300, or $375 with a licensed professional design, plus a $40 to $60 filing fee (October 2025). Burnet County charges $250 for most systems and $400 for aerobic. Travis County's January 2026 schedule shows $712 for a private system up to 500 gallons a day and $1,262 for an engineered one, and a newer schedule may now apply. Near Lake Travis, LCRA can be the permitting authority instead.
05
Aerobic systems have a yearly cost
TCEQ requires a maintenance contract with a licensed provider for the first two years, with reports at least every four months, or every six with an electronic monitor, and some permitting authorities require more. The Texas State report expects about $500 a year for a drip system contract. The referral site reports $300 to $500 a year, plus $100 to $300 in electricity.
06
Wells: reported prices disagree
We found no standard well price from any groundwater district, the Texas Water Development Board, USGS, or AgriLife. A 2025 Hill Country Alliance paper lists $50,000 to $70,000 or more for a drilled 450-foot well system. KUT reported in March 2026 that a deeper well can top $75,000, lowering a pump can cost $1,500, and replacing one is usually around $7,500. Online cost guides show $10,000 to $25,000 for typical wells, based on national averages. They may describe different depths and scopes.
07
Look up the neighbors' wells
Driller reports from nearby wells tell you more than any average. The Texas Water Development Board's Groundwater Data Viewer lets you search recent well reports by 911 address or street, and older paper reports are scanned in a TCEQ viewer. The Hays Trinity district tracks monthly water levels on 38 wells, with hydrographs on its map, and the Blanco-Pedernales district links a public well database.
08
Well fees and drought limits
Hays Trinity charges $1,000 for a new exempt well, Southwestern Travis County $500 per proposed well with no registration fee, Blanco-Pedernales $500 for a registered well, and Barton Springs/Edwards $450 for an exempt-well application. Central Texas GCD's board sets its fees, so call the district. Hays Trinity's data as of November 2, 2026 showed the Emergency stage with 40 percent curtailment, and its rules limit new wells in Stage 3 or 4 to replacements and exempt uses.
09
Rainwater as the alternative
Hill Country Alliance's 2025 estimates run $30,000 to $45,000 or more for a family of 3 or 4 with 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of storage, including tanks, filtration, disinfection, pump, and installation. A Texas State University study found that a 3,000-square-foot roof with 30,000 gallons of storage can meet indoor household needs across Texas, even in a drought of record. Equipment and installation labor are exempt from Texas sales tax.
10
What to ask for in a quote
For septic: who did the soil evaluation, what system and size the price assumes, and whether design, permit, electrical, rock work, and the first maintenance contract are included. For a well: the depth assumed, the price per foot past that depth, casing, pump, pressure tank, trenching to the house, and who files with the district. Compare written scopes, not headline totals.