I am new to the home building process and was wondering what is the average cost per sq. foot to build a house these days in New Orleans? I know that costs will vary depending on finishes and extras, but I was just wondering what the average is on "normal" finishes (eg. hardwood and/or tile floors, granite countertops, etc.). Thanks for any insight.

You are probably looking at $110 to $125 as a good base.

You can get that down to around $100 / sq ft if you shop around for people who put up modular homes. These are solid homes. Note that some companies post higher costs for the houses and require less extras, others give you less included but when you put in stuff to make it nice you are still around $100 sq ft.