Selling a Home With a Private Well Near Lake Travis

Can you sell a home with a private well in the Lake Travis area?

Absolutely. The key is making sure you have the right information ready before buyers start asking questions.

That means knowing where your well is registered, finding the original well report if possible, testing the water early, and completing the required Texas water disclosure.

A private well usually isn't the problem.

Not knowing anything about the well is what makes buyers nervous.

I've seen buyers hesitate on acreage properties simply because nobody could answer basic questions.

How deep is the well?
How old is the pump?
Has the water been tested?
Is that old pipe near the fence another well?

The home itself may be perfectly fine. But when buyers don't have answers, they start thinking about worst-case scenarios.

The good news is that most of this information can be gathered before you ever put the home on the market.

If you're selling in Spicewood, along Hamilton Pool Road, in unincorporated Travis County, or anywhere around Lake Travis with a private well, here's what I recommend doing first.

First, Make Sure You Actually Have a Private Well

This sounds simple, but it's worth checking.

Many homes in Lakeway, Hudson Bend, Bee Cave, and Steiner Ranch receive treated water through a local water district.

Private wells are more common on larger properties around Spicewood, the Hamilton Pool corridor, and other unincorporated areas around Lake Travis.

And some properties have both.

For example, the house may use district water while a private well handles irrigation, livestock, or another structure on the property.

If there is a well on the property, you still need to know about it and disclose what you know.

Texas Has a New Water Disclosure Form

One of the biggest changes for Texas sellers happened on July 1, 2026.

TREC Form 61-0, called the Seller's Disclosure About Groundwater and Surface Water Rights, became effective statewide.

This is separate from the regular Seller's Disclosure Notice.

The form asks sellers what they know about things like:

• Whether the property is inside a groundwater conservation district
• How many wells are on the property
• Whether those wells are being used, capped, plugged, or abandoned
• Well registration or permit information
• Whether groundwater rights were previously sold, leased, or separated from the property
• Ponds, tanks, and other surface water rights

This is information you don't want to start looking for after you already receive an offer.

I recommend gathering it during your listing preparation.

One important detail: groundwater rights in Texas can sometimes be separated from ownership of the land.

If you're not sure what your deed says, don't guess. Check before completing the disclosure.

Check Whether Your Well Needs To Be Registered

If your home is in southwestern Travis County, it may fall under the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District.

The district requires existing wells within its jurisdiction to be registered, and registration for an existing well is currently free.

The district also has an online map that can help you confirm whether your property is inside its boundaries.

If you're farther west toward Burnet County or south toward Hays County, your property may fall under a different groundwater district with different requirements.

There are two good reasons to handle this before listing.

First, the TREC water disclosure asks for information about the district and well registration.

Second, buyers feel much more comfortable when there is a clear record for the well.

A documented well feels like a known part of the property.

An undocumented well feels like another question the buyer has to solve.

Create a Simple Well and Water File

One of the best things you can do as a seller is put all of your well information in one place.

Texas well drillers have been required to file well reports with the state since 1965.

Those reports can include useful information such as the well depth, casing, and other details from when the well was drilled.

If you don't have your original report, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation maintains well records, and your groundwater district may also be able to help.

Try to gather:

• Well depth and approximate drilling date
• Original driller's report
• Pump age and replacement receipts
• Pressure tank or storage tank information
• Water treatment equipment, such as a softener, UV system, filtration system, or reverse osmosis
• Service records
• Past water test results
• Approximate flow rate or well yield, if you have it

Put everything together in one PDF or folder.

Then when a buyer asks, "What do we know about the well?" you have an answer ready.

That's much better than trying to track everything down during escrow.

Test the Water Before You Get an Offer

If your buyer is using FHA, VA, or USDA financing, water testing may be required.

Those loan programs require water from a private well to meet applicable health standards.

Testing commonly looks for things like:

• Coliform bacteria
• Nitrates
• Nitrites
• Lead

The sample generally needs to be collected by a disinterested third party rather than the homeowner or real estate agent.

Lenders may also have requirements for how recently the test was completed.

There can also be minimum-distance requirements between the well, property lines, septic tanks, and septic drain fields.

That matters on older acreage properties around Lake Travis where the well and septic system may have been installed many years ago.

This is why I would rather deal with testing before the home is under contract.

If a problem shows up during the buyer's option period, it can quickly become part of the negotiation.

If you find it before listing, you have time to figure out what needs to be done, correct the issue if needed, and have updated information ready for buyers.

Same issue.

Much better timing.

Don't Ignore an Old or Unused Well

Some larger Lake Travis area properties have more than one well.

You may have an older well that hasn't been used in years or one that a previous owner simply capped and forgot about.

Don't assume it doesn't matter.

Texas law makes property owners responsible for abandoned or deteriorated wells.

There are rules for properly plugging or capping them, along with reporting requirements.

The new TREC water disclosure also asks sellers about abandoned, capped, and plugged wells.

So if you have an old well on the property and you're not sure what its status is, find out before you list.

It's much easier to address it ahead of time than have the buyer discover it during inspections.

Be Ready for Questions About Drought and Shared Wells

Two other issues come up often with well properties around Lake Travis.

Drought Conditions

Groundwater districts can set drought stages and ask property owners to reduce water use based on aquifer conditions.

Before listing, check the current drought stage for your district.

Buyers researching wells around Lake Travis may already have questions about groundwater and the Trinity Aquifer.

Being able to give them accurate information helps reduce uncertainty.

Shared Wells

If your well supplies more than one property, or if your home gets water from a well located on somebody else's property, gather the paperwork early.

You may need:

• A written shared well agreement
• A recorded easement
• Details about access
• Maintenance responsibilities
• How costs are shared

Lenders may require a recorded agreement.

A handshake agreement between neighbors may have worked for years, but lenders usually want something in writing.

Will a Private Well Hurt My Home's Value?

Not necessarily.

Around Lake Travis, especially on acreage, private wells are not unusual.

What can hurt a sale is uncertainty.

A buyer will usually feel much better about a well when they can see:

• It's registered
• The original well information is available
• The water was recently tested
• The pump age is known
• Maintenance records are available

Without that information, buyers may start thinking about expensive possibilities.

Will the well run dry?

Will the water fail testing?

Does the pump need to be replaced?

Could a new well cost thousands of dollars?

When buyers can't answer those questions, they may build that risk into their offer.

This can be especially important for buyers moving from areas where private wells aren't common.

I work with California buyers relocating to the Lake Travis area, and for many of them, owning a private well is completely new.

Giving them clear information makes the property much easier to understand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to test my well water before selling a home in Texas?

Texas does not require every seller to test private well water simply because they're selling the home.

But financing can change that.

FHA, VA, and USDA loans may require water quality testing, and many conventional or cash buyers may request testing during their option period.

Testing before you list can help you avoid surprises later.

Do I have to register my well before selling?

That depends on the groundwater district where your property is located.

For example, existing wells within the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District are required to be registered.

Registration also makes it easier to answer questions on the Texas water disclosure.

What if there is an old well on my property that nobody uses?

Don't ignore it.

Texas property owners can be responsible for abandoned or deteriorated wells, including properly plugging or capping them.

The TREC water disclosure also asks about wells that are abandoned, capped, or plugged.

It's worth getting the correct information before putting the home on the market.

Thinking About Selling a Lake Travis Home With a Private Well?

Homes with private wells aren't difficult to sell.

They just take a little more preparation.

If you're thinking about selling in Spicewood, Bee Cave, Lakeway, or anywhere around Lake Travis, and you're not sure what paperwork you have for your well, let's go through it before your home hits the market.

The more we can answer upfront, the fewer surprises we'll have once a buyer comes along.

Call or text me to schedule a private consultation.

Amanda Zito, REALTOR®
Real Broker, LLC
TX TREC #840088 | CA DRE #01740063
SoldByZito.com

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Groundwater district rules, TREC forms, and lender requirements can change. Confirm current requirements with your groundwater conservation district, real estate agent, lender, and a Texas real estate attorney when appropriate.