The process
Nine steps, in order, with the part nobody tells you at each one. This is the whole process from the first phone call to the day your tenant moves in.
Start at step oneStep 01
Free, no obligation. We map your goal, your budget and which loan path fits — FHA, VA or conventional. If the honest answer is "not yet," we say that, and we tell you what would have to change.
Step 02
Before the lot, before the plan. Everything downstream depends on what a lender will actually do for you. No bank? We have connections with several and we will connect you — we are not the lender and we receive no compensation for the introduction.
Step 03
Zoning that permits two units, size and setbacks that fit the building, flood zone pulled, utilities and site conditions priced. We find it if you do not have one. A lot that fails any of those is not a bargain at any price.
Step 04
The living area is the same on all six. The elevation is yours. The six models are here. The lot sometimes rules one out, which is why this comes after the lot and not before it.
Step 05
Scope, price, selections, milestones and timeline, in writing, signed by both of us. Nothing before this point is binding on either side — and a price that is not in a signed agreement is not a price.
Step 06
We adapt the plan to your lot, order the survey, and file with whichever office has jurisdiction — City of New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, Kenner, Gretna, Slidell or St. Tammany. They do not move at the same speed, and we tell you which one you are in before you buy the lot.
Step 07
Ground-up, to modern code and today's wind ratings. You get milestones, not silence. This is the stage where most people's horror stories come from, and it is the stage a proven plan protects you through: the trades have built this building before.
Step 08
A licensed appraiser determines value — not us, not your lender, and not a calculator on a website. Then you close.
Step 09
You move into one side, or you rent both. We refer trusted local property managers if you want one, and investors building to ten or more doors with us can apply for in-house management. More on that here.
Longer than buying a resale. Construction itself runs about six months once we break ground, and the permit stage before it varies by jurisdiction. You will need somewhere to live in the meantime and we will say so at step one, not step six. What we will not do is give you a timeline we do not believe.
1. Buying the lot first. The single most expensive mistake. Zoning, flood zone and setbacks decide everything, and they are checkable before you spend a dollar.
2. Skipping pre-approval. Every plan built on a loan you have not confirmed is a guess.
3. Believing a number that is not in writing. Ours or anybody's.
It costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and you will leave it knowing whether this works for you. That is the entire point of it.
Book the consultation(504) 407-3199 · [email protected]
Investment Property Builders is a home builder — not a lender, a mortgage broker, or a financial advisor. This page describes our general process; your project's steps, timeline and requirements depend on your lot, your lender and the authority with jurisdiction, and all of those change. Nothing here is a quote, a timeline commitment, or a guarantee. A price becomes binding only in a written agreement signed by both parties. Appraised value is determined by a licensed appraiser.
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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Straight answers. Numbers are current as of September 2026.
Qualify with a lender, pick and verify a lot, choose a plan, sign a build agreement with a price and a schedule, permit, build, inspect, close, occupy. We walk each of those with you.
We do. We are a licensed Louisiana contractor — Residential 883334, Commercial 63084.
Within reason. Changes after permitting cost time and money, so we push hard to settle selections before the drawings go in.
Construction financing releases funds in stages tied to completed milestones, verified by inspection. Your lender sets the schedule; we build to it.
You get told early, in writing, with the reason. Weather, inspections and utility connections are the usual causes. We would rather give you a real date than a comfortable one.
Still have a question? Call (504) 407-3199 or book a free consult. Hablamos español.
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.