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What Size AC Do I Need?
Louisiana Sizing Calculator

Tonnage is the first number every AC quote is built on. Estimate yours from square footage, ceilings, insulation, and sun exposure, calibrated for Louisiana's hot, humid climate.

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The Quick Answer, Then the Right One

For a Louisiana home, figure roughly one ton of cooling per 480 to 500 square feet: a 2,000 square foot home usually needs about 4 tons. That's the quick answer. The right answer depends on your ceilings, insulation, sun exposure, and how many people live there, so the calculator below adjusts for all four.

Getting this number right matters more here than most places. Our climate makes humidity removal as important as temperature, and a wrong-sized system fails at exactly that job.

AC Sizing Calculator

Get a quick estimate of what size air conditioning system your home needs, calibrated for Louisiana's hot, humid climate.

How the Estimate Is Built

The calculator starts at 25 BTU per square foot, the working baseline for Louisiana's hot-humid climate, then adjusts: taller ceilings add volume to cool (up to 35% for vaulted rooms), good insulation subtracts load, heavy sun exposure adds it, and each person beyond two adds about 600 BTU. The total converts to tonnage at 12,000 BTU per ton, rounded to the nearest half ton.

Treat the result as the size to expect on a quote, not the size to order. Real sizing accounts for things a calculator can't see: window quality, attic insulation depth, duct condition, and which way your biggest glass faces. That's the in-person evaluation we do before every installation.

Once you have a tonnage in hand, our price tables show what that size costs installed at each efficiency tier, no form required.

AC Sizing Calculator FAQs

How do I know what size AC I need?
System sizing depends on your home's square footage, insulation quality, ceiling height, sun exposure, and more. Our calculator gives a quick estimate from those inputs, but an in-home evaluation provides the most accurate sizing. An oversized or undersized system wastes energy and reduces comfort.
How many square feet does one ton of AC cover in Louisiana?
As a starting point, figure roughly 480 to 500 square feet per ton in our hot, humid climate (about 25 BTU per square foot). A 2,000 square foot home usually lands around 4 tons. Ceilings, insulation, and sun exposure move the number, which is exactly what the calculator adjusts for.
What happens if my AC is oversized?
An oversized system cools too quickly without properly removing humidity, leaving your home feeling cold and clammy. It also short-cycles, which increases wear on the compressor and drives up energy bills. In Louisiana, where humidity is half the battle, oversizing is the more common and more costly mistake.
What happens if my AC is undersized?
An undersized system runs constantly without reaching your set temperature, especially during Louisiana's peak summer heat. You pay for all that runtime, the equipment wears out faster, and the house still never feels right on the hottest afternoons.
Is this the same as a professional load calculation?
No. This is a rule-of-thumb estimate. A proper sizing job (what the industry calls a Manual J load calculation) measures your actual windows, insulation, orientation, and ductwork. We do that evaluation in person during a free installation consultation before we ever quote a system size.

More Free HVAC Tools

System Cost Estimator

Price a system at the size your home needs.

AC Price Tables

Installed prices by tonnage and SEER2 tier.

SEER2 Savings

What a higher-efficiency system saves on your bill.

Repair or Replace

Decide if your current system is worth another repair.

Prefer a Human Answer?

Calculators get you close. Our comfort advisors get you certain. Call (337) 893-5646 or schedule a free in-home assessment.

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