As more subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are being installed throughout the South Plains of Texas for cotton production, irrigators are concerned about the high cost of installation and the relative benefits of alternative designs. Studies have been conducted at the TAES research facilities at Halfway, Texas to determine the agronomic impacts of SDI design uniformity on cotton production. This study analyzes the effects of relaxing SDI uniformity design standards on returns on investment for irrigated cotton producers. For this study, the authors considered six different designs with three different uniformity standards and two different water application rates. The results show that return on investment and net present value are higher for high uniformity designs if the amount of water available allows water to be applied at near full ET rates. At lower levels of water application, designs utilizing lower uniformity designs show more favorable returns on investment and net present values.