What does a new gas furnace and AC cost in New Orleans?
Replacing a gas furnace and the AC condenser together, usually with a new indoor coil, had a median applicant-reported cost of $15,400 on New Orleans house permits filed October 2024 through September 2026. Half of those jobs fell between $12,800 and $18,300. That’s well above the $10,700 median for a condenser and electric air handler.
Prices by size
| Size | Permits | Middle half of costs | Median | Median without the largest filer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | 776 | $12,800–$18,300 | $15,400 | $13,000 |
| 2 tons | 35 | $9,500–$16,800 | $12,500 | Too few to say |
| 2.5 tons | 34 | $9,000–$15,400 | $12,600 | Too few to say |
| 3 tons | 150 | $11,700–$18,400 | $15,000 | $11,900 |
| 3.5 tons | 41 | $13,000–$17,500 | $15,000 | Too few to say |
| 4 tons | 125 | $13,000–$19,500 | $16,500 | $14,100 |
| 5 tons | 71 | $15,300–$20,900 | $17,100 | $17,000 |
One company sets much of this market
This is the job the city’s busiest HVAC filer does most. It filed 58% of the gas furnace and AC permits in the window. With its permits taken out, the median falls from $15,400 to $13,000. Both describe real permitted jobs. Which one is closer to your quote depends on who you ask.
Gas furnace, heat strips, or heat pump
Permits show three ways to supply the heating side. A gas furnace pairs with the condenser. An electric air handler with heat strips had a $10,700 median for the whole system. A heat pump moves heat in both directions with one outdoor unit, at a $14,400 median. How heat pumps work in New Orleans covers the tradeoff in operating cost and comfort. Switching from gas to electric can mean electrical work that a like-for-like gas replacement doesn’t need, so get it priced as its own line.
Whatever the choice, the furnace or air handler, coil, and condenser need to be a certified match. AHRI says a system performs as rated only when it is properly matched and correctly installed. If only the furnace has failed, the indoor-unit cost page covers that job.
Reading these numbers
Costs are what the applicant wrote on the permit, for one-system permits filed October 2024 through September 2026 with a reported cost from $1,000 to $60,000. A permit counts here when its description names both a condenser and a gas furnace, or a “complete gas” system. A row needs 30 permits before it shows a price. The full method is on the main cost page.