Ellicott well buyer guide

Ellicott, Colorado Well Depth, Yield, and Cost

Colorado Well FinderWells by countyEl Paso County › Ellicott

Buying land near Ellicott means evaluating the well record, not just the view from the lot. Within about five miles, Colorado DWR records show 1,468 permitted wells, including 748 recorded as constructed. Among the wells that report results, the median depth is 160 feet and the median reported yield is 11.7 gallons per minute.

Those figures are useful for planning, but they are not a guarantee for one parcel. Ellicott-area wells reach several named or unnamed aquifers, and the local record includes both shallow and much deeper holes. Check nearby permits, water rights, septic options, and the exact building site before you commit.

1,468wells in DWR permit records
160 ftmedian well depth
115–355 ftmiddle half of well depths
11.7 gpmmedian pump yield
123 ftmedian depth to water
2025newest permit on record

Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for permitted wells within 5 miles of Ellicott. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.

How deep are wells around Ellicott?

16% under 100 ft58% 100–300 ft18% 300–600 ft8% 600+ ft
Depth statisticFeet
25th percentile115
Median160
75th percentile355
90th percentile563
Deepest on record1,110
Aquifer named on permitsWells
unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer686
Arapahoe228
Quaternary Alluvium211

How much water do wells make near Ellicott?

0% under 1 gpm3% 1–5 gpm72% 5–15 gpm25% 15+ gpm
Yield statisticgpm
25th percentile10.0
Median11.7
75th percentile14.1
Median depth to water123 ft
Median water level by decadeDepth to water
1950s28 ft
1960s65 ft
2010s145 ft
2020s170 ft

Ellicott well depths and the Denver Basin ground

Ellicott wells have a median reported depth of 160 feet. The middle half runs from 115 to 355 feet, so a driller bidding a new well should not treat the median as a fixed target. Most recorded wells, 58%, fall between 100 and 300 feet. Another 18% are between 300 and 600 feet, while 8% exceed 600 feet. The deepest record reaches 1,110 feet.

The ground is described in the cost model as Denver Basin sedimentary bedrock. Permits identify Denver Basin aquifer wells throughout this area, with 686 wells associated with unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifers, 228 with the Arapahoe, and 211 with Quaternary Alluvium. Nearby results in Yoder, Falcon, Peyton, or other surrounding areas can provide context, but the closest wells to your lot matter most.

What an Ellicott well is likely to produce

Reported well yield is strong in this record, with a median of 11.7 gallons per minute and a middle half from 10.0 to 14.1 gallons per minute. Seventy-two percent of wells reporting yield fall between 5 and 15 gallons per minute, and 25% report more than 15 gallons per minute. Only 3% report between 1 and 5 gallons per minute, and none report under 1 gallon per minute.

That does not mean every new hole will match the median. Only 384 wells report a pump yield, compared with 1,468 permitted wells overall. Ask for the neighboring well completion reports, pumping information, and any production test. A good yield still needs suitable storage, pump sizing, and water quality for the home you plan to build.

Ellicott water levels and the record over time

Among 113 wells reporting static water level, the median depth to water is 123 feet. The middle half is 81 to 198 feet below the surface. That depth affects casing, pump setting, electrical work, and the amount of trenching or equipment needed during construction.

The decade medians show deeper reported water levels over time: 28 feet in the 1950s, 65 feet in the 1960s, 145 feet in the 2010s, and 170 feet in the 2020s. This pattern suggests water was measured deeper in the more recent records, but it is not proof of a uniform decline. The wells, locations, aquifers, and measurement conditions may differ. A buyer should obtain the current static level and pumping information for the specific well rather than rely only on the historical series.

Who has drilled around Ellicott, and when

Permit activity spans the area’s older rural development through current construction. Records show 36 permits from the 1950s, 79 from the 1960s, 124 from the 1970s, 239 from the 1980s, 200 from the 1990s, 233 from the 2000s, 98 from the 2010s, and 95 from the 2020s. The newest permit year in the record is 2025.

The most active listed drillers are Kunau Drilling LLC, with 256 records; M & B Drilling Co., with 207; and Hamacher Well Works Inc., with 171. Those counts describe permit records, not a guarantee of current availability or workmanship. Confirm licensing, insurance, scheduling, casing and grout specifications, testing, and exactly what the bid includes before selecting a contractor.

What a new Ellicott well may cost

The local drilling model uses a rate of $50 to $70 per foot for the Denver Basin sedimentary bedrock. At the 160-foot median depth, the drilled hole works out to about $8,000 to $11,200. A finished system with pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is estimated at $14,000 to $23,200.

Use the 115-to-355-foot middle-half depth range when comparing bids. A price based only on the median may be too low for a parcel that resembles the deeper nearby wells. Get a written allowance for mobilization, casing, grout, development, water testing, disposal, and difficult access. Confirm whether the quoted number covers only drilling or the complete usable water system.

Ellicott risks: water quality, dry holes, and septic layout

Low yield is not the main warning in the reported results, but incomplete reporting means the record cannot eliminate dry-hole or poor-production risk at a particular lot. Fractured-bedrock conditions can be unpredictable, and a nearby successful well does not guarantee the same result. Require a clear drilling and testing plan before work begins.

Environmental review also matters. Within about ten miles, the map shows 7 PFAS sampling or contamination sites and 34 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites. That does not establish contamination at your property, but it supports testing the finished well for the contaminants relevant to the site and its land use. Keep the well, septic system, leach field, drive, and house location coordinated. Confirm El Paso County and state setbacks, septic approval, and the permit’s allowed household, stock, or irrigation use.

A practical Ellicott lot-buying and building check

Start with the closest permitted wells, not a countywide average. Review their depths, aquifers, static levels, yields, construction details, and use. The local permit mix is 67% domestic or household, 29% stock, 19% irrigation, and 4% monitoring, so confirm that a neighboring record is comparable to the home you want.

Before closing, make the well permit and completion record part of the inspection file. Test the existing water, verify pump performance, locate the septic system, and ask an experienced driller to price a replacement or new well using nearby depths. If you are building, confirm access for the rig and delivery equipment, then coordinate well, septic, driveway, utilities, and the house pad. In an over-appropriated basin, ask the water attorney or county about augmentation and the permitted use before assuming a domestic well solves every water need.

Well permits by decade near Ellicott

Decade permittedWells
1950s36
1960s79
1970s124
1980s239
1990s200
2000s233
2010s98
2020s95
Most active drillers on recordWells
Kunau Drilling Llc (Kunau, Timothy R.)256
M & B Drilling Co. (Mateyka, John E.)207
Hamacher Well Works Inc (Hamacher, Alan Ray)171

What a new well costs in Ellicott, CO

Estimated cost of a new well · Ellicott, CO · median depth 160 ft
State & county well permit DWR application + county fee
$100–$400
Drilling, casing & grouting 160 ft × $50–$70/ft in Denver Basin sedimentary bedrock
$8,000–$11,200
Pump, pressure tank & install scales with depth
$3,000–$8,000
Trenching, water line, electrical, water test
$2,100–$8,400
Typical finished total
$14,000–$23,200

How this is built: the median permitted depth here times the per-foot range for this ground, plus the normal system costs. A lot at the 75th-percentile depth (355 ft) would run roughly $23,750–$36,850. See the full Colorado well cost guide.

Environmental sites mapped within about 10 miles

7PFAS sampling / contamination sites
0historic mine features
34EPA Superfund & cleanup sites

Counts come from EPA, USGS and state datasets layered on the Colorado Well Finder map. A count is not a verdict on any one well; it tells you what to test for.

See every well near a specific address in Ellicott

The numbers above are the area average. Your lot is one point on the map. Search the address to see the real depth, yield and aquifer of each permitted well around it.

Map wells near Ellicott
Building or improving land near Ellicott?

Tri-Lakes Contracting

Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Ellicott and nearby rural areas with access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems, and custom homes. Bring the well, septic, access, and building plans together before construction starts.

Licensed Colorado custom home builder · licensed driveway & excavation contractor · licensed septic installer

Buying land near Ellicott? Know what it costs to build before you buy the dirt.

A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Ellicott can carry the same asking price while one needs an $80,000 driveway and a $45,000 engineered septic the other doesn't. The well numbers on this page are the start of that answer. A Tri-Lakes Site Feasibility Report is the rest of it: a licensed general contractor, excavator and septic installer reads the parcel the way we would if we were about to build on it, and puts the real cost in writing before your money is committed.

What the wrong lot can cost you · the things a listing never mentions
Long or steep driveway & access
$25k–$80k+
Rock excavation & extra earthwork
$15k–$60k+
Engineered / advanced septic instead of conventional
+$20k–$40k
Water & long utility runs
$10k–$50k+
A feasibility report
from $99

Spend a little to know. Or gamble a lot to guess. Realtors sell the view and inspectors look at houses that already exist. We're the people who'd build it, so we catch what quietly turns a "great deal" into a budget disaster: bad access, buried rock, steep grade, soil that won't pass for a normal septic, water that's a fortune to reach. And if the lot is good, you've already got a builder ready to do the work, driveway to drywall.

Under contract, comparing parcels, or a realtor with a rural listing whose buyers keep asking "what will it cost to build here?" This is the due-diligence step almost everyone skips, and the one that saves the most.

Tell us about your project

Driveway, site work, septic or a build near Ellicott. Licensed GC, excavator and septic installer.

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Common questions about wells in Ellicott

How deep are wells in Ellicott, Colorado?

The median reported well depth near Ellicott is 160 feet. The middle half runs from 115 to 355 feet, while 16% are under 100 feet and 8% exceed 600 feet. The deepest record is 1,110 feet. Those ranges are useful for budgeting, but the nearest comparable wells and aquifer records are more important for a specific lot.

How much does it cost to drill a well in Ellicott?

The local cost model uses $50 to $70 per foot. At the 160-foot median depth, the drilled hole is estimated at $8,000 to $11,200. A finished well including pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is estimated at $14,000 to $23,200. A deeper-than-median site, difficult access, or extra construction requirements can change the bid.

How much water do Ellicott wells produce?

The median reported yield is 11.7 gallons per minute, with the middle half between 10.0 and 14.1 gallons per minute. Seventy-two percent of reporting wells produce 5 to 15 gallons per minute, and 25% report more than 15. Only 384 wells report a yield, so these results describe the record rather than guaranteeing a new well.

Is well water safe to drink in Ellicott?

The permit map does not prove that any individual well is safe or unsafe to drink. It shows 7 PFAS sampling or contamination sites and 34 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites within about ten miles. Test an existing or new well, especially for contaminants relevant to the property, and repeat testing after construction or changes in nearby land use.

Are Ellicott well water levels getting lower?

Reported static water levels are deeper in newer decade records: 28 feet in the 1950s, 65 feet in the 1960s, 145 feet in the 2010s, and 170 feet in the 2020s. That suggests deeper measured water levels over time, but it does not prove a uniform decline because locations, aquifers, wells, and measurement conditions differ. Check the specific well’s current level.

Keep researching

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All wells in El Paso County — county-wide depth, yield and cost figures.

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Driveway, septic, site work or a build near Ellicott?Licensed GC, excavator & septic installer. Tell us what you need — 30 seconds.