What Kiowa Wells Cost, Produce, and Require

How deep are wells around Kiowa?

How much water do wells make near Kiowa?

Kiowa well depth reflects Denver Basin geology

Kiowa wells are commonly deeper than a shallow domestic well. The median reported depth is 315 feet, and the middle half runs from 235 to 390 feet. That gives a driller a useful starting range for a bid, but not a promised completion depth. A well reaching the 90th-percentile depth is 509 feet, and the deepest record reaches 2,256 feet.

Nearly half of the wells, 49%, fall between 300 and 600 feet. Another 37% are between 100 and 300 feet, while 8% exceed 600 feet. Only 6% are under 100 feet. The records identify Denver Basin aquifer wells throughout the dataset, with Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson appearing often. Some permits instead name an unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifer, where results can be less predictable.

Most Kiowa wells report usable production

The reported median yield near Kiowa is 12.0 gallons per minute, with the middle half between 10.0 and 15.0 gallons per minute. That is a stronger production profile than many buyers expect from a rural well, but yield is only one part of the water-supply picture. Storage, pump sizing, pressure equipment, and the permitted use also matter.

Of the records with a pump yield, 71% report 5 to 15 gallons per minute and 26% report more than 15 gallons per minute. Three percent report 1 to 5 gallons per minute, and 0% are under 1 gallon per minute. Ask for the actual well construction and pumping records rather than relying only on a neighborhood average.

Water levels in Kiowa deserve a closer look

The median static water level is 140 feet below the ground surface, with the middle half from 98 to 185 feet. This is the resting water level, not the depth of the well and not necessarily the level while pumping. A contractor uses that information to help select pump equipment and estimate the work required to reach the water.

The decade series moves from 120 feet below surface in the 1980s to 130 feet in the 2010s and 166 feet in the 2020s. That pattern indicates deeper measured water levels in the newer records. It is a warning to investigate, not proof that every Kiowa parcel has a declining water table. Measurement locations, aquifers, well construction, and seasonal conditions can differ.

Permit history shows steady drilling around Kiowa

Kiowa has a long permit history. Records show 16 permits from the 1950s, 19 from the 1960s, 108 from the 1970s, and 150 from the 1980s. Activity increased to 296 in the 1990s, 404 in the 2000s, and 431 in the 2010s. The 2020s account for 271 permits so far, with the newest permit year listed as 2025.

The most frequently represented driller is Hamacher Well Works Inc, also listed with Alan Ray Hamacher, with 382 records. Hier Drilling Co Inc, including Bruce A. Hier, appears on 120. Parker Drilling/Pump Service Inc, including Tommy E. Thrasher, appears on 92. Those names help identify local records, but they are not a substitute for checking current licensing, availability, and references.

Estimated cost to drill a Kiowa well

The local cost model uses a typical drilling rate of $50 to $70 per foot in Denver Basin sedimentary bedrock. At the 315-foot median depth, the drilled hole alone works out to about $15,800 to $22,000. That is the excavation portion, not the complete water system.

A finished well with pump, pressure tank, trenching, and electrical is estimated at $21,800 to $34,000 at the median depth. A deeper-than-expected hole, difficult access, casing and grout requirements, power distance, or unusual site conditions can move the final price higher. Get the bid in writing and ask what happens if the hole must go deeper or the first target does not produce enough water.

Kiowa buyers should check water, septic, and site risks

Environmental records show 16 PFAS sampling or contamination sites and 4 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites within about 10 miles. That does not establish contamination at a specific well, but it supports getting a water-quality test and reviewing nearby site history. The mapped records show 0 historic mine features, so mining is not the main risk identified in this dataset.

Low-yield wells and dry holes remain possible even where the local median looks favorable. Confirm the well location, casing, grout, production test, and static water level. Before building, also verify separation from septic components, property lines, driveways, and the proposed house. DWR permitting, exempt household-use rules, and augmentation requirements can affect what the well may legally supply.

A practical plan for buying or building near Kiowa

Start with the parcel's DWR permit and construction records, then compare nearby wells in Kiowa, Elizabeth, Elbert, and Ponderosa Park. Franktown, Brick Center, and The Pinery can provide broader regional context, but the closest wells are usually more useful for estimating depth and aquifer behavior. Look for agreement among depth, yield, water level, and construction details rather than relying on one record.

For a purchase, make the well inspection and water test part of due diligence. For a new build, have the driller, septic designer, excavator, and electrician coordinate the well location and access before work begins. Confirm the approved use with Colorado DWR. A domestic well may serve household needs, but stock, irrigation, and additional structures can involve different permit conditions or water-right requirements.

Well permits by decade near Kiowa

What a new well costs in Kiowa, CO

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 (390 ft) would run roughly $25,500–$39,300. See the full Colorado well cost guide.

Environmental sites mapped within about 10 miles

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.

Buying land near Kiowa? 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 Kiowa 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.

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.

• Instant Online Report, $99 — type the address and get a buildability read on the spot: parcel, terrain and slope, soil and septic outlook. Cheap enough to run on every lot you're shopping.
• Desktop Report, $500 — a contractor's from-the-desk feasibility read: Regulation 43 and county code, GIS parcel data, terrain, flood and drainage, soil and septic viability, setbacks and buildable envelope, nearby well depths from our 591,000-well database, the likely driveway route, and a preliminary site-development cost breakdown.
• On-Site Report, $2,000 — everything above, then boots and a drone on the actual ground: house pad and septic zone located, access and winter conditions checked, rock and soil observed in person, a 15 to 20 page written opinion you can hand a lender or seller. Credited toward your project if you build with us.

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.

Common questions about wells in Kiowa

Keep researching

More in Elbert County

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

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