Choosing an AC and heating company in New Orleans: what to ask

By Gail Barlow, HVAC Guides Editor · Updated September 2026

Verify the basics yourself

Licensing and insurance are worth confirming directly rather than taking on trust. Louisiana licenses mechanical contractors through the state licensing board, and you can look up a contractor's status yourself. Ask for a certificate of insurance before any significant job. A company that hesitates to provide either is telling you something.

Also check that the name and address the company gives you match their listings. Consistency is a small but real sign of an established business.

Questions to ask on the first call

• How is the diagnostic or service call priced, and is it credited toward the repair?
• Will I get the repair price before any work starts?
• Do you answer after hours, and what does an after-hours visit cost?
• For replacements: do you perform a load calculation, and do you pull the permit?

Clear, specific answers to those four questions are a good sign. Vague answers, or a refusal to discuss pricing until someone is at the door, are not.

What a good diagnosis looks like

A careful technician measures before naming a part: refrigerant pressures, temperatures, amperage and airflow. They explain what failed and why, and they separate what must be fixed now from what can wait. You should be able to understand the explanation without a background in HVAC.

If a technician replaces parts one after another until the system works, you are paying for their guesses.

Red flags worth walking away from

Refrigerant added without any leak search, especially if it happened last summer too. Pressure to replace a system on the first visit without a repair option in writing. A replacement quote with no model numbers, no mention of the indoor coil, and no permit. A price that changes significantly once the work has started, without a clear reason. Any claim that the company does not need a permit for a replacement.

Comparing replacement quotes

For a replacement, get two or three written quotes and compare them line by line. Check the equipment model numbers, whether the coil and line set are replaced, whether a new drain pan and float switch are included, whether the permit is included, and how the system was sized. The cheapest quote often leaves one of those out.

After-hours and emergency service

Many companies advertise around-the-clock service. The useful questions are whether a person answers the phone at night, how calls are prioritized, and what the after-hours cost is. Published local sources describe after-hours premiums of roughly $100-$325. Knowing the number in advance lets you decide whether a problem can safely wait until morning.

Maintenance plans and follow-through

Many companies offer maintenance plans, and a good one is worth having in this climate. The useful questions are what each visit actually covers, whether the company keeps records of your system from visit to visit, and whether plan members get priority on repair calls in the first heat wave. A plan that consists of a quick filter change and a sales pitch is not worth the fee.

Follow-through matters as much as the first visit. Ask what happens if a repair does not hold: will the company come back, and on what terms? Ask how warranty paperwork is handled after a replacement, and whether the equipment is registered with the manufacturer on your behalf. These are small things, but they separate companies that plan to be around in five years from those that do not.

Finally, notice how the company treats you on the phone. Clear answers, a straight price and no pressure on the first call are usually how the rest of the relationship goes.

Reviews and references

Read reviews for patterns rather than stars. Look for mentions of clear pricing, technicians who explained the problem, and companies that returned to fix something that did not work. A handful of detailed reviews describing real jobs are more useful than a large number of one-line ratings.