Buying Acreage Near Boerne: Wells, Septic & Access
May 21, 2026
May 21, 2026
If you are buying acreage near Boerne, the land itself can be just as important as the house you hope to build. A beautiful tract may still come with questions about water, septic, access, and recorded restrictions that affect what you can do now and later. The good news is that with the right due diligence, you can spot issues early and move forward with more confidence. Let’s dive in.
Buying acreage in Kendall County is not the same as buying a typical neighborhood home. You are not only looking at views, boundaries, and improvements. You are also checking whether the property can legally and physically support a homesite, driveway, water source, and wastewater system.
In Kendall County, the County Engineer’s Office plays a major role in that process. The office handles address assignment, driveway and access permits, on-site sewage facilities, subdivision platting, property division, and floodplain matters. That means several key pieces of your due diligence may run through county review instead of a single utility provider or city department.
The county also requires buyers and owners to pay attention to permit order. Kendall County says a Development Permit is required before development and before septic or well permits, and the 911 Rural Address and Access Permit must be issued first. For many acreage buyers, that sequence matters more than they expect.
One of the first questions to answer is how you will legally access the property. In Kendall County, an Access Permit is required before constructing or modifying a driveway that connects to a public county road. If the tract fronts a private roadway, that driveway permit is no longer required, but an address request is still required.
This is one reason acreage due diligence should begin early in the contract period. A tract can look simple on a map but still involve multiple approvals in sequence. Kendall County encourages pre-application meetings, which can be especially helpful if you are buying from out of town or trying to understand the path for a future build.
A practical first step is confirming jurisdiction and the order of approvals. You want to know whether the property is in unincorporated Kendall County, whether county development rules apply, and whether the tract falls inside the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District. Those answers shape what comes next.
Water is one of the biggest acreage questions near Boerne. In Texas, groundwater is treated as a property right, but local groundwater conservation districts can still regulate well spacing and production. For acreage near Boerne, that local district is Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District.
That district’s rules are especially important if you plan to rely on a private well. For certain exempt domestic and livestock wells, Cow Creek limits one exempt well per 10 acres of contiguous tract and caps production at 25,000 gallons per day, or 17.36 gallons per minute. The district also says the exemption does not apply when the water is used for a platted subdivision.
This can affect both current use and future plans. If you think you may want to split the land later, well spacing and district rules deserve a close look before closing. What works for one homesite today may not fit your long-term goals.
A common mistake is assuming a registration or permit means the well will automatically produce enough water. Cow Creek states that registration is not a guarantee of groundwater availability. In simple terms, approval to register a well is not the same as proof of performance.
That is why existing well records matter. The Texas Water Development Board provides tools that can help locate well reports by address, grid, or legal description. These reports can show details like owner name, date drilled, depth, and proposed use, which gives you more context when evaluating an existing well.
If the property uses a private well, water quality should be part of your due diligence. The Texas Water Development Board says private well owners are responsible for water-quality problems because the state does not regulate private well water quality. It also recommends testing based on local conditions.
For you as a buyer, that means asking for any recent test results early. If there are no recent results, you may want to plan testing during your option period so you understand the condition of the water supply before closing.
Texas requires a license to drill a water-related well and to install a pump for a water-related well. That makes professional review especially important if the tract has an older well, incomplete records, or signs that repairs may be needed.
Well location also matters because wells and septic systems must maintain required separation distances. Texas technical guidance says the separation must be 50 feet from a septic tank and 100 feet from drain fields or spray areas when minimum well construction requirements are met. On a smaller or irregular tract, those distances can influence where a homesite actually works.
If the property will rely on an on-site sewage facility, septic should never be treated like a routine box to check later. In Texas, permits are required for septic systems and holding tanks, and a permit and approved plan are required to construct, alter, repair, extend, or operate an OSSF. Local programs can also be stricter than state minimums.
In Kendall County, the Engineer’s Office is the local authority for OSSF matters. The county says it will approve or deny an application within 30 days of receipt. For aerobic systems, the county also requires an Affidavit to the Public recorded at the County Clerk’s office and a maintenance contract signed by the property owner.
What matters most for buyers is that septic approval depends on the actual site. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality describes the site evaluation as a survey of the lot, a soil analysis in the proposed disposal area, and identification of other criteria needed to determine whether the tract is suitable for an OSSF.
Many buyers hear about a septic “10-acre rule” and assume it applies automatically. It does not. To qualify, the tract must receive a site evaluation by a licensed site evaluator or Professional Engineer, serve a single-family dwelling on a tract of 10 acres or larger, keep all OSSF parts at least 100 feet from the property line, dispose of effluent on the property, and contain only one dwelling.
That is why septic feasibility should happen during the option period, not after closing. Soil, setbacks, and lot layout can all change what type of system is possible, where it can go, and what it may cost.
Acreage buyers sometimes assume fewer rules apply outside a typical subdivision. In reality, recorded restrictions can still shape how you use the land. In unincorporated Kendall County, property restrictions are recorded on the deed filed at the County Clerk’s office.
That means listing remarks are not enough. You should review the recorded deed, the plat, and any associated county records to understand whether the tract has limits on use, improvements, building locations, or other property-related rules.
If the tract is in a platted subdivision or planned development, HOA or POA documents may also matter. Under Texas law, restrictive covenants and related documents can be part of dedicatory instruments, and copies may be obtained from the county clerk. In practice, some restrictions may appear in subdivision documents, others in the deed, and some in both.
Easements deserve close review because they can affect access, utility placement, and future development plans. They may also matter for groundwater rights or shared-well arrangements. Cow Creek GCD forms define a well owner broadly enough to include rights arising from ownership, contract, lease, easement, or another estate in the land.
If a proposed well or future subdivision would be closer than district spacing rules allow, Cow Creek says you may need a waiver or easement from affected owners. The district also says a notarized deed, plat, and waiver may need to be filed with the Kendall County Clerk before drilling or subdividing, and an amending plat may be required if the property is in a recorded subdivision.
Kendall County also has an active conservation-easement program aimed at open space and water quality. If you are buying acreage near Boerne, it is smart to confirm whether a conservation easement already affects the tract. That kind of easement can limit future use.
This is especially important if you are buying for a lifestyle build today but want flexibility later. Before you close, make sure you understand whether the land carries any restrictions that could affect additional improvements, division, or other future plans.
When you are under contract on acreage, timing matters. Many of the most important answers come from records, site reviews, and local offices, not from photos or seller comments alone.
Here is a practical due-diligence sequence for acreage near Boerne:
With acreage, the challenge is often not one major issue but several smaller issues that connect. A well location can affect septic layout. Septic setbacks can change the usable homesite. Access or recorded restrictions can reshape what you can build or divide later.
That is why local coordination matters so much. A strong real estate team can help you stay organized while you work with the county engineer, county clerk, Cow Creek GCD, title company, surveyor, licensed water-well driller or pump installer, and a licensed site evaluator or Professional Engineer.
When you buy acreage near Boerne, clear answers upfront can save time, money, and frustration later. If you want a local team that can help you evaluate land opportunities, coordinate the moving parts, and keep your purchase on track, connect with Lisa Guzman.
San Antonio's top-producing real estate agents whose journey to success has been nothing short of extraordinary. With a relentless commitment to education and a mastery of strategic marketing, The Lisa Guzman Group has propelled herself to the pinnacles of excellence within the industry.