re: Outside AC Unit question for the know it alls

I would guess 4 ton, but replace with same size as the old unit unless you have reason to believe it is not big enough. We changed our 5-ton unit about 6 months ago. Went with Carrier and latest SEER rating (14 or 15, I think) and also changed out furnace. Total damage was about $7,400. If you don't do the furnace you can probably knock off about $1K. For a 4-ton unit, maybe you're looking at another $0.5-1K off?? Not sure. This is just one data point (Houston). The key is to get three bids and make sure every contractor knows there is competition for the work.