# Compare New Apartments on 24-Month Cost, Step by Step > Rank your shortlist by what you URL: https://newapartmentsfortworth.com/guide/compare-new-buildings-24-month-cost/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-26 Decision guide # How to Compare New Buildings Side by Side on 24-Month Cost Rank your shortlist by what you'd actually pay over two years: move-in cash, year one after the special, required fees, tolls, parking, and year two at 0% and +3%. Written by New Fort Worth Apartment Team [/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team →](/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team) · Updated October 26, 2026 ![Two new apartment buildings across a Fort Worth street at golden hour](/images/featured/two-new-apartment-buildings-facing-each-other-acro.webp) ## Why compare on 24-month cost? When you’re down to a few buildings on the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) , the headline special stops being useful. Specials lower year one only, and renewals price from base rent. A 24-month view puts both years in one number, along with everything else you’d pay. It’s the fairest way we know to rank a shortlist. Here’s the formula we use: **24-month total = move-in cash + year one after the special + required fees + tolls and parking + year two at 0% and +3%** ## Step 1: Move-in cash List what’s due at signing for each building: deposit, application and admin fees, first month or a prorated month, and any pet fee. Some specials are applied up front as free months, which lowers move-in cash. Others are spread across the lease. ## Step 2: Year one after the special Turn each special into net effective rent. N weeks free equals base × 12 ÷ 52 × N. Net effective equals base × months, minus the free rent, divided by months. On Oct 25, 2026, Domain Benbrook’s $1,320 base with 6 weeks free on 12 months came to $1,167.69 a month. That’s a dated illustration, not a live price. If you’re weighing a house too, our guide on built-to-rent homes vs. new apartments [/guide/built-to-rent-vs-new-apartment/ →](/guide/built-to-rent-vs-new-apartment/) covers how those costs compare. ## Step 3: Required fees Add every required monthly fee: bulk internet, valet trash, pest, and any others. At 12 board buildings on Oct 25, 2026, they ran $36 to $199 a month. Over 24 months, a $100 difference in fees is $2,400. ## Step 4: Tolls and parking If your commute uses a toll road or managed lane, add it. The Chisholm Trail Parkway runs 22 cents a mile with a TollTag, and a daily commute from the Cleburne end is $286.02 a month (NTTA, Jul 1, 2025). Our guide on toll costs [/guide/chisholm-trail-parkway-toll-costs/ →](/guide/chisholm-trail-parkway-toll-costs/) shows how to figure your own. Add parking if it’s a separate monthly line. ## Step 5: Year two at 0% and +3% Year two starts from base rent, plus fees. We show it two ways: if the base holds, and if it rises 3%. For the Domain Benbrook illustration, that’s $1,426 a month at 0% and $1,465.60 at +3%. ![24-month cost comparison chart for four buildings](/images/content/24-month-cost-comparison-bar-chart-for-four-apartm.webp) ## A worked comparison Here’s a labeled illustration with two made-up buildings, to show how the ranking can flip. These are example numbers only. | | Building A | Building B | | --- | --- | --- | | Base rent | $1,400 | $1,300 | | Special | 10 weeks free, 12 months | 4 weeks free, 12 months | | Year one net effective | about $1,131 | about $1,200 | | Required fees | $150 | $60 | | Tolls | $0 | $0 | | Year one monthly total | about $1,281 | about $1,260 | | Year two at 0% (base + fees) | $1,550 | $1,360 | | 24-month total, before move-in cash | about $33,969 | about $31,440 | Building A has the bigger special, and it costs about $2,500 more over two years. That’s the pattern a 24-month view catches. > **The payback warning** > > If a concession addendum asks you to repay free rent when you leave early, a deep special carries more risk. We flag it on every comparison. ## Common mistakes when comparing buildings These are the slips we see most when renters rank a shortlist on their own: - **Comparing net effective without fees.** Two buildings with the same net effective can differ by $100 or more in required fees. - **Using the floor plan’s lowest price.** The unit you want may carry a premium for floor, view, or corner position. - **Forgetting the term.** A special on 15 months spreads free rent over three more months. - **Leaving out the commute.** Tolls and parking belong in the monthly total. - **Ignoring move-in cash.** An up-front special lowers what’s due at signing, which matters if cash is tight. - **Skipping the payback warning.** If you might leave early, a deep special with a repayment clause carries more risk. A simple habit fixes most of these: put every building on the same sheet, with the same lines, filled from written quotes. If a number is missing, mark it “confirming” and get it before you decide. ## How do you run this for your shortlist? Our compare buildings [/tools/compare/ →](/tools/compare/) tool puts two to four buildings side by side with these lines filled in. Or send us your list, and we’ll collect the fee sheets, confirm each special, add your commute, and send the 24-month totals the same day during our hours. ## Learn more about New Build Board We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. See the page [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) ## Questions renters ask about this ### Why compare on 24 months instead of the special? Year two prices from base rent, so the deepest special isn't always the cheapest over two years. Twenty-four months shows both years at once. ### Should tolls count in rent comparisons? Yes. A daily Chisholm Trail Parkway commute from the Cleburne end runs about $286 a month with a TollTag, which can outweigh a rent difference. ### What's move-in cash? What you pay at signing: deposits, application and admin fees, first month's rent or a prorated amount, and any pet fees. ### What is the payback warning? If the concession addendum asks you to repay free rent when you leave early, a deep special carries more risk. We flag it so you can weigh it before signing. ### Do you guarantee the price or my approval? No. The community sets both pricing and approval, and we confirm them in writing before you sign. ## Related guides Guide ### Toll Costs on Your Commute: Chisholm Trail Parkway and TEXpress Lanes The Chisholm Trail Parkway is 22¢ a mile with a TollTag, and ZipCash runs about double. From the Cleburne end, a daily commute is $286.02 a month (NTTA, Jul 1, 2025). Here's how to add tolls to your rent math. [Toll Costs on Your Commute: Chisholm Trail Parkway and TEXpress Lanes →](/guide/chisholm-trail-parkway-toll-costs/) Guide ### Built-to-Rent Home vs. New Apartment: How the Costs Compare Compare a built-to-rent home and a new apartment side by side: rent, required fees, yard and pet terms, utilities, specials, and lease terms, with a calculator to run your own numbers. [Built-to-Rent Home vs. New Apartment: How the Costs Compare →](/guide/built-to-rent-vs-new-apartment/) Guide ### Tour Checklist for a Brand-New Apartment A printable checklist for touring a brand-new apartment: the model vs. the actual unit, STC/IIC 50 sound, HVAC sizing for Tarrant's 101°F design temperature, unfinished amenities, and the 48-hour move-in form. [Tour Checklist for a Brand-New Apartment →](/guide/new-apartment-tour-checklist/) Guide ### Pets in New Fort Worth Apartments: Fees, Rent, and Breed Rules What a pet adds to the true monthly at a new Fort Worth build: monthly pet rent, one-time fees, deposits, and the breed and weight rules that vary by community. [Pets in New Fort Worth Apartments: Fees, Rent, and Breed Rules →](/guide/pets-in-new-fort-worth-apartments/) ## Where to use this ![Aerial view of new apartment communities across the Fort Worth side](/images/content/aerial-view-of-new-apartment-communities-spread-ac.webp) Find ### New Build Board A map and cards for every new community in scope, with the whole price on each card. Open [New Build Board →](/new-construction-apartments/) ![Printed move-in special flyer beside a calculator and lease folder](/images/content/printed-apartment-move-in-special-flyer-beside-a-c.webp) Find ### Fort Worth Apartment Specials Confirmed move-in specials at new buildings, each with base and year two beside it. Open [Fort Worth Apartment Specials →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) ![New apartment community in lease-up with a few furnished balconies](/images/content/new-apartment-community-in-lease-up-with-a-few-fur.webp) Find ### Lease-Up Apartments Buildings in lease-up, with stage, fill curve, and what's actually finished. Open [Lease-Up Apartments →](/lease-up-apartments-fort-worth/) Free to you · Your rent is the same either way ## Get the whole price before you tour Tell us your move date, budget, and where you need to be. We'll make the calls, collect the fee sheets, and do the math for every building that fits. Get my shortlist [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) What happens next: We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.