Research · updated 2026-08-14 · download the county-level CSV
Colorado Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Colorado means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 24 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 290,365 official DWR well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 170 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $3,240–$5,400. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Colorado
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | 360 ft | 225 ft–544 ft | $20,400–$34,000 |
| Elbert | 360 ft | 261 ft–465 ft | $22,920–$38,200 |
| El Paso | 300 ft | 260 ft–360 ft | $21,300–$35,500 |
| Phillips | 272 ft | 218 ft–305 ft | $18,000–$30,000 |
| Cheyenne | 270 ft | 193 ft–325 ft | $14,340–$23,900 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Colorado
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilpin | $24,000–$40,000 | $10,000–$26,000 | 250 ft |
| Elbert | $22,920–$38,200 | $9,550–$24,830 | 360 ft |
| Clear Creek | $22,500–$37,500 | $9,375–$24,375 | 252 ft |
| Teller | $21,600–$36,000 | $9,000–$23,400 | 250 ft |
| El Paso | $21,300–$35,500 | $8,875–$23,075 | 300 ft |
Download the full county table (CSV)
How to read this
- Depth is measured; cost is modeled. Depths are the median of recorded drilled depths per county. Cost applies published Colorado per-foot drilling rates to that local median depth — a planning estimate, not a quote. Actual bids vary with geology, casing, site access, and water depth.
- Counties below 30 records are excluded so a thin sample can't produce a misleading superlative.
- Records are drilling events from the state database, which include some replacement and abandoned wells; deeper counties reflect real local geology (bedrock, aquifer depth).
Sources & methodology
- Colorado well records: DWR (refreshed weekly; see our general methodology).
- Percentiles (p25/median/p75) computed per county; cost from published per-foot rate ranges applied to the local median depth.
The county table is free to use with attribution to Colorado Well Data (coloradowelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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