El precio hoy. Nuestro precio llave en mano es de $322,000, vigente en septiembre de 2026, para un dúplex de 3 cuartos y 2 baños por lado, 2,496 pies cuadrados, dos pisos. Eso sale a cerca de $129 el pie cuadrado para obra nueva de dos pisos con clasificación de viento, dos cocinas completas y dos sistemas mecánicos independientes.
Súmale la tierra. Los lotes en las zonas donde construimos vienen corriendo entre $40,000 y $70,000, así que la mayoría de los proyectos totalizan entre $362,000 y $392,000.
¿Por qué subió? Materiales y mano de obra de los subcontratistas. Publicamos la fecha del precio por esa razón: quien te enseñe un número de construcción sin fecha te está enseñando un número viejo.
¿Qué incluye llave en mano? Planos, permisos, la construcción completa, acabados estándar, accesorios, electrodomésticos y el certificado de ocupación. Qué no incluye: el terreno, los costos de cierre, y cualquier cosa que agregues por encima del esquema de acabados estándar.
¿Qué mueve el precio? La distribución no cambia entre fachadas. Lo que cambia el número es el exterior: una fachada con balcones cuesta más, y el Camelback, con su levante trasero, cuesta unos $7,000 por encima. También la elevación del terreno, que se determina lote por lote, y las conexiones de servicios.
¿Construir sale más barato que comprar? No siempre en el precio de etiqueta. Casi siempre gana en el costo de cargarlo: el seguro de un edificio nuevo con clasificaciones de viento actuales cuesta miles de dólares menos al año que el de una construcción vieja en la misma parroquia, y no estás presupuestando un techo, un panel eléctrico o una línea de alcantarillado en el año tres.
Straight answers · Greater New Orleans
Everybody dances around this question. Here is how the number is actually built, what is in it, what is not, and where people get surprised.
Get your numbers for your lotOur turn-key builder package for the signature 3/2 + 3/2 duplex — 2,496 square feet of living area, six bedrooms and four bathrooms under one roof — is $322,000 (price effective September 2026), and that price includes plans, permits, survey and the build.
The lot is not in that number. It is the single most common misunderstanding, so we say it first. Lot prices in this metro vary enormously by ZIP code and by what the lot needs. In Greater New Orleans a buildable lot commonly runs $40,000 to $70,000, and the example we use on this site is $50,000. But you do not necessarily need cash for it: with your down payment and pre-approval, the lot may be financed into your loan, subject to lender approval.
| Included | What that means |
|---|---|
| Architectural plans | The proven plan, adapted to your lot and your model |
| Permits | Filed and carried through the city or parish that governs your lot |
| Survey | Boundary and the site work the permit office requires |
| The build | Ground-up construction to modern code and today's wind ratings |
| Louisiana New Home Warranty Act | 1 year on materials and workmanship, 2 on systems, 5 on major structural defects |
When a builder prices a one-off design, the number is a guess dressed up in a spreadsheet. Nobody has built that plan, so nobody knows what it costs until they are halfway into it. That is where change orders come from.
We price a building we have already built. The trades know it. The permit offices have seen it. The plan has survived contact with reality. That is what makes a written price meaningful instead of decorative. See the six models.
The build price is the project. What comes out of your pocket at closing is a different number, and it depends entirely on the loan:
And on a duplex the monthly number is not the monthly number either, because one side pays rent. That math is here.
New construction in this market tends to appraise above total project cost when the lot is bought right — that is the built-in equity people talk about. We will run that estimate with you honestly, on your lot and your ZIP code, and we will tell you when the numbers do not work. Appraised value is determined by a licensed appraiser, not by us, and it is never a guarantee.
The page you are reading is a range and a framework. Your number needs your lot, your ZIP code, your flood determination and your loan. Bring what you have and we will build it with you. The consultation is free and commits you to nothing.
Run my numbers(504) 407-3199 · [email protected]
Investment Property Builders is a home builder — not a lender, a mortgage broker, or a financial advisor. Every figure on this page is an illustration, not a quote and not a promise. Prices depend on your lot, site conditions, plan and finish selections, permitting, and the cost of labor and materials at the time of contract, are subject to change without notice, and become binding only in a written agreement signed by both parties. Appraised values are determined by a licensed appraiser. Rental income is not guaranteed, and real estate can lose value.
Operated by DuCar Construction, LLC — Louisiana Residential License No. 883334, Commercial License No. 63084. 638 Papworth Ave., Suite C, Metairie, LA 70005. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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Numbers current as of September 2026. The build price is ours; the lot and closing ranges are what our clients have actually been paying.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Turn-key build, 3/2 per side, 2,496 sq ft | $322,000 |
| Same build, per square foot | about $129 |
| Uptown or Baja elevation, added | $2,000 or $4,000 |
| Camelback, two-car carport under the raised rear, added | $7,000 |
| Lot, in the areas we build | $40,000 to $70,000 |
| Closing costs and prepaid items, FHA | $8,000 to $14,000 |
| Typical project, build plus lot | $362,000 to $392,000 |
What this does not cover, because it is decided lot by lot: clearing trees and grinding stumps, extra fill beyond the three loads when a lot sits well below the street, utility connections that are farther than they look, demolition, and anything you add beyond the standard finish schedule. Pilings, three loads of fill and a floor raised above the required elevation are already in the $322,000. We price the rest on the specific address, in writing, before you sign.
On a $372,000 project, FHA 3.5% down, 6% illustrative rate.
| Principal and interest | $2,190 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $167 |
| Property tax, Orleans Parish | $415 |
| Homeowner insurance, our own policies | $350 |
| Flood insurance, where a lender requires it | $133 to $175 |
| Full payment, before flood | $3,122 |
Jefferson Parish runs a lower millage than Orleans, so the same building carries cheaper in Metairie, Kenner or the Westbank. Rate shown is for illustration and moves with the market.
Straight answers. Numbers are current as of September 2026.
Our turn-key price is $322,000 as of September 2026 for a 3 bed / 2 bath per side, 2,496-square-foot two-story duplex. Add the land. Lots in our build areas have been running $40,000 to $70,000, so most projects total $362,000 to $392,000.
Materials and subcontractor labor. We publish the date on the price for that reason — anyone showing you a build number without a date is showing you an old number.
Plans, permits, survey, the full build, standard finishes, fixtures, appliances and the certificate of occupancy — plus the pilings, three loads of fill and a floor raised above the required elevation. Not included: the land, tree clearing and stump grinding, extra fill on a low lot, closing costs, and anything you add beyond the standard finish schedule.
Not always on sticker price. It usually wins on carrying cost — insurance on a new building with current wind ratings runs thousands a year less than on old stock here, and you are not budgeting for a roof, a service panel or a sewer line in year three.
Construction itself runs about six months once we break ground. Before that come the permit stage, which depends on the city or parish, and your loan closing. You get the schedule in writing before you sign, and the milestones are on our how-it-works page.
Yes. If you do not have one, finding and securing the lot is part of what we do.
Three do. The Spain, The Lizardi and The Milan build at the $322,000 turn-key number. The Uptown runs $2,000 more for its larger front windows, The Baja $4,000 more for its balconies, and The Camelback $7,000 more for a two-car carport under its raised rear section. The living area behind every one of them is the same 2,496 square feet, 3 bed / 2 bath per side — about $129 a square foot at the base price — so you are paying the difference for the outside, not the living space.
Still have a question? Call (504) 407-3199 or book a free consult. Hablamos español.
What You Pay While It Is Being Built
Two questions come up on every consult and most builders answer neither one in writing. Here they are.
What the build costs you month to month. On a construction loan you pay interest only on the money that has actually been drawn, not on the whole loan. Early on very little is out, so the first payments are small; by the end the full amount is out and the payment is at its largest. On the $372,000 project at 7% — the $322,000 build plus a $50,000 lot financed into the same loan — over about six months that comes to roughly $7,000 to $7,500 in total interest. The lot is drawn at the start, so month one already runs around $300; by the last month, with everything out, it is about $2,170. Your lender sets the actual structure; some roll it into the loan and some bill it monthly. Ask which before you sign.
Whether the price moves. It does not. The plan is already drawn, the selections are already made, and the trades have built this building before. That is the entire reason we sell a short list of elevations instead of designing something new every time. There is no overrun to pass on to you, because there is nothing left to discover.
The one thing that does move the number is you. If you decide mid-build that you want something changed, that is a change order and you pay for it out of pocket — your bank approved a loan amount and it is not going to cover a decision made after closing. The price covers one paint color through the house. If you want a different color in every bedroom, that costs more, and honestly, it is not how we work. Pick it before we start and the number you signed is the number you pay.
Interest figures are an illustration at 7% on a six-month build, not a quote. Construction loan terms, draw schedules and how interest is handled are set by your lender.
The Ground Under It
Every duplex we build sits on pilings, on fill, with the floor raised above the elevation the survey calls for. Water runs past the house instead of standing under it. The base price carries a normal lot. It does not carry every lot, and we tell you which one you have before you sign anything, not after.
So the honest answer to what will my lot cost is: we have to go look at it. We walk the lot, read the topography, count the trees, and tell you the real number in writing. If your lot needs work before we can build, you hear that at the start — not in the middle of the job.
Have us walk your lotDelivered & Appraised
The $410,000 figure on this site is not a projection we picked. It sits inside the range of what our last three duplexes actually appraised for, by licensed appraisers, after they were finished.
| ZIP | Delivered | Model | Living area | Appraised at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70122 | Feb 2026 | The Spain | 2,496 sq ft | $405,000 |
| 70122 | Jun 2026 | The Spain | 2,496 sq ft | $406,000 |
| 70115 | Jul 2026 | The Spain | 2,496 sq ft | $412,000 |
Against a $372,000 project today — $322,000 turn-key construction plus a $50,000 lot — that is $33,000 to $40,000 of equity the day the appraisal comes back. We publish the range, not the best one.
Appraised values are set by a licensed appraiser and depend on the lot, the ZIP code and market conditions at the time. Past appraisals do not guarantee a future one. Addresses are not published.
Your Warranty
This is not a marketing promise we made up. It is state law — La. R.S. 9:3141 — and it binds every builder in Louisiana on every new home. Ask any builder you are talking to whether they put it in writing. Here is exactly what it covers.
The home is free from defects in materials or workmanship, and from anything that does not meet the building standards.
Plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling and ventilating systems are free from defects that fail the building standards. Appliances, fixtures and equipment carry their own manufacturer warranties.
The home is free from major structural defects, whether from failing the building standards or from defects in materials or workmanship.
Each period runs from the warranty commencement date. The Act sets out its own notice requirements and exclusions — we walk you through the full text before you sign, and you get a copy with your closing documents.
Source: Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 9, Section 3144. This is a summary, not legal advice. The statute governs.