What is the New Build Board?
You don’t have time to call 20 leasing offices, so we built one place to see them all. On Oct 25, 2026, the board tracked 140 ground-up communities across Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria and Galveston counties, plus board buildings in Waller, Chambers and Liberty.
Every building on the board is true new construction. That means first move-ins from 2024 to 2027, and the building is in pre-leasing, lease-up, or its first 24 months. We leave out renovations, conversions and older buildings with a new name.
Each card answers the questions that change your monthly bill. You’ll see base rent beside any special, the net effective rent, the true monthly cost with required fees, and year two if the base holds. Prices come from the morning feed, and every value shows the date we confirmed it.
What’s on every card?
Cards keep the durable facts next to the daily price, so you can compare buildings fairly.
- Who can rent here. Labels like income-restricted, 55+, student or build-to-rent (BTR) sit above the price, with a source and date.
- Electric. 123 of 140 buildings sit in CenterPoint Energy’s area, where you pick a plan on Power to Choose. Ten are Entergy Texas with no choice.
- Water. 67 of 140 get water from a Municipal Utility District (MUD) or similar district, usually billed by the property.
- Flood zone. 128 are FEMA Zone X, 9 are shaded X, and 3 are Zone AE. We list the zone as a fact, never a verdict.
- Stage and build status. Pre-leasing, lease-up or first 24 months, plus whether phases and amenities are finished. Some phases open under a temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO).
- Houston New Build Score. A 0 to 100 number that rewards deal depth and clear disclosure. No one can pay for it.
How do I use the board to build a shortlist?
Start with what matters most to you. That might be your area, your commute, your pets or your all-in budget. Filter by a label or a building type, then save the cards that fit.
You can compare four buildings side by side. The compare view lines up net effective, true monthly and year two, so a deep special with high fees doesn’t win by accident.
When you’re ready, send the list to us. We call each community and confirm the exact unit, the special, the written fee sheet and who bills the water. During hours, that happens the same day.
Why we date every number
A price on a new building can change overnight. If our morning pull fails, the card shows the last confirmed value and its date. If we have no value, it says so and offers to check today.
How is a new build different on the bill?
New buildings often carry the deepest specials, because they’re filling empty units. That’s good for year one. But renewal is priced from base, so at the board’s median special, year two jumps about 18% (board math, Oct 25, 2026).
New suburban buildings also tend to sit in water districts, and some sit in areas where you can’t shop for electric. Those lines don’t show up in a listing headline. They do show up on our cards, with the date we checked.
Who is the board for?
The board is for renters who’ve already decided on a new apartment and want to choose well. You might be moving for a job at the Texas Medical Center or the Energy Corridor. You might have a dog, a renewal coming up, or a lease ending next month.
Whatever brought you here, the next step is the same. Save a few buildings or send us your move date, and we’ll make the calls.
