Louisiana Due Diligence and Inspection Period (2026)

The Louisiana due diligence and inspection period, in short: in the 2026 Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell, it starts the first day after acceptance and runs the number of calendar days written in, ending early once the seller receives the buyer's repair request. The seller then has 72 hours to respond, and calendar days end at 11:59 p.m.

More on this topic: Contract deadlines by state, every guide in one place.

This guide uses the Louisiana Real Estate Commission's mandatory 2026 form (Rev. 01/2026), with line numbers so you can check your copy. It's general information, not legal advice; the executed agreement controls. Other states: see the deadlines in a purchase contract, Colorado contract deadlines explained or the Utah REPC due diligence deadline.

Key takeaways

• The DDI period is a blank: it starts the first day after acceptance and expires the agreed number of calendar days after that, or when the seller receives the buyer's request, whichever is earlier (lines 178–182).
• The seller has 72 hours to respond to a request; the buyer then has 72 hours to accept, take the property as is, or terminate (lines 217–242).
• If the buyer doesn't answer in time after a seller response, the agreement is null and void and the deposit goes back to the buyer: silence ends the deal, it doesn't waive the objection.
• The deposit is due within 72 hours of notice of acceptance; failing to deliver it is a default (lines 123–127, 139).
• New for 2026: time is of the essence and every calendar day ends at 11:59 p.m. (CST) (lines 416–418).

What is the due diligence and inspection period in Louisiana?

It's the buyer's window to inspect the property and investigate everything else that matters, and to walk away or ask for repairs. The agreement lists the usual inspections (termites, mold, roof, systems, sewer and septic, square footage) and other due diligence such as schools, insurability, flood zone, zoning and the seller's Property Disclosure Document; all testing must be nondestructive (lines 192–200). The seller provides utilities and immediate access, and the period is extended day for day if it doesn't (lines 183–186).

The property is sold in its apparent current condition: the seller doesn't have to make repairs, including lender-required ones, unless the parties agree (lines 172–176). Doing nothing before the period expires counts as accepting the property's condition (lines 187–190).

When does the Louisiana DDI period start and end?

It commences on the first day after acceptance and expires the number of calendar days written in after commencement, or when the seller receives the buyer's request, whichever is earlier (lines 179–182). That second trigger matters: sending a repair request ends the inspection period, so the buyer should finish inspecting first, because the form allows a single request.

Read literally, “10 calendar days after commencement” with acceptance on the 3rd starts on the 4th and ends on the 14th, a day later than counting 10 days from acceptance. The form doesn't settle this, so agree on the date with both agents when the contract is signed and write it down. The new 2026 deadlines clause makes time of the essence and ends every calendar day at 11:59 p.m. (CST) in Louisiana; changes must be in writing and signed by all parties (lines 416–418).

How do the buyer's request and the 72-hour responses work?

Before the period expires, the buyer can choose Option 1, a written termination that makes the agreement null and void with the deposit returned, or Option 2, a single, signed, complete written list of deficiencies and desired remedies, the “BUYER'S Request” (lines 202–214). Option 2 then runs on hours, not days:

1. The seller gives a signed written response within 72 hours of receiving the request (lines 217–220).
2. If the seller doesn't respond, the buyer has 72 hours from when the response was due to accept the property as is or terminate; if the buyer says nothing, the agreement is null and void and the deposit is returned (lines 221–229).
3. If the seller refuses some or all remedies, the buyer has 72 hours from receiving the response, or from when it was due, whichever is earlier, to accept the response, accept the property as is, or terminate (lines 230–239).
4. If the buyer doesn't answer the seller's response in time, the agreement is automatically null and void, deposit to the buyer (lines 240–242).

Once the buyer has answered, the seller doesn't have to fix anything more without a new written agreement (lines 244–246). LREC publishes a suggested Inspection Response Addendum for these exchanges. See the repair request process.

What other deadlines are in the Louisiana agreement?

If the Property Disclosure Document is delivered after the buyer makes an offer, the buyer can terminate or withdraw for up to 72 hours after receiving it, with the deposit returned, as the LREC disclosure form explains under La. R.S. 9:3196 et seq.

What does a Louisiana DDI timeline look like?

Here's one worked through, assuming notice of acceptance arrives at acceptance:

The dates are illustrative; the executed agreement controls. Nothing in the form moves a deadline that falls on a weekend.

What happens if you miss a deadline in Louisiana?

It depends which side misses it. A buyer who lets the DDI period lapse without terminating or sending a request accepts the property's condition. A buyer who fails to send loan application documentation on time lets the seller terminate (lines 100–103). Failing to deliver the deposit is a default (line 139), and either side's default lets the other declare the agreement null and void or sue for specific performance or 10% of the price as stipulated damages (lines 317–336). The agreement lists when the deposit goes back to the buyer automatically, including a timely DDI termination (lines 146–164). See what happens if you miss a contingency deadline.

Which Louisiana forms go with these deadlines?

The 2026 form also adds a buyer broker compensation paragraph and drops cash as a deposit method, per LREC's redline.

How do you track the Louisiana DDI period without missing it?

Write down the acceptance date and time, agree how the DDI end date is counted, and enter it with its 11:59 p.m. cutoff. Then add the hour-based dates as they happen, with the time of day: the deposit, the seller's 72 hours once the request is received, and the buyer's 72 hours once the response arrives or comes due.

In Closingbird, the leases are “5 days after acceptance”, counted from the day after, and the walk-through window is “5 days before closing”, with closing set to the Act of Sale. Closingbird counts whole days, not hours, so for the deposit and the 72-hour responses, set a fixed date and note the time. When the buyer's request ends the DDI period early, mark that deadline met. Contract reading covers about the first 12,000 characters of a long document, so check that every date in the eleven pages came through (see how contract reading works). Each owner gets a morning reminder. See deadline tracking.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the due diligence period in Louisiana?

As long as the parties write in. The 2026 agreement has a blank for the number of calendar days; there's no default.

Does a repair request end the Louisiana inspection period?

Yes. The DDI period expires when the seller receives the buyer's request, if that's earlier than the agreed end date (lines 179–182).

How long does a Louisiana seller have to respond to repairs?

72 hours from receipt of the buyer's request (lines 217–220).

What happens if the buyer doesn't respond to the seller?

The agreement becomes null and void automatically and the deposit is returned to the buyer (lines 240–242).

When is the deposit due in Louisiana?

Within 72 hours upon notice of acceptance, and failure to deliver it is a default (lines 123–127, 139).

Run it in Closingbird

Upload a Louisiana agreement, set the DDI end date you agreed on, and let Closingbird remind each owner before every deadline. Start a free trial (14-day free trial, no credit card required) or see pricing.

Related reading

• The deadlines in a purchase contract
• Colorado contract deadlines explained
• Georgia due diligence period
• The earnest money deadline
• Deadline tracking in Closingbird

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules and prices change, and many vary by state, so confirm with the source, your state's real estate commission or your broker before you rely on them.

• Louisiana Real Estate Commission: Forms (2026 Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell and Property Disclosure listed as mandatory forms; checked October 21, 2026)
• Louisiana Real Estate Commission: 2026 Louisiana Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell (Rev. 01/2026, clean copy)
• Louisiana Real Estate Commission: 2026 Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell, redline against the 2024 form
• Louisiana Real Estate Commission: 2026 Property Disclosure Document (clean copy), which states the buyer's 72-hour right under La. R.S. 9:3196 et seq.