Updated Jan 31, 2023
Updated Jan 31, 2023
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Good air quality, proper interior temperature control, and general ventilation play an essential role in leading a comfortable and healthy home life. Each of these functions is regulated by your HVAC system — short for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Within these three interrelated home systems are many smaller, more complex components that require regular tune-ups to stay in working condition.
Here are our top picks for HVAC coverage.
House Method’s team of home warranty experts evaluated 40+ home warranty plans nationwide, specifically scouting companies with versatile HVAC maintenance coverage, accessible customer service, and overall positive feedback from current policyholders.
Our final line-up for the best home warranty companies for HVAC are:
Why Trust House Method
House Method’s Experts collected and analyzed 2000+ critical data points to identify what makes a great home warranty company in the eye of the consumer. Our reviews team used this data to assess over 60 home warranty providers for coverage extent, annual cost, and national availability to provide unbiased reviews so homeowners can confidently navigate key decisions about their homes.
Currently protecting the systems and appliances of over 1.6 million homes across the U.S., Choice Home Warranty (CHW) is our first pick for premier home warranty HVAC coverage. This provider keeps its policy breakdown simple by splitting its standard coverage into two plan levels — the Basic Plan and the Total Plan.
While both the Basic Plan and Total Plan offer coverage for household heating systems and ductwork, only the Total Plan includes air conditioning system coverage. Choice Home Warranty supports emergency services for HVAC breakdowns outside of regular business hours and offers a generous coverage cap of $3,000 per year for heating and cooling maintenance (via the Total Plan).
With the Total Plan, CHW will cover heat pumps, floor furnaces, electric baseboards, hot water circulating heat, air ducts, and more. Items like chimneys, wood stoves, and insulation are not covered within Choice’s HVAC category.
Fill out this form or call 929-400-6164 to get a free quote from Choice Home Warranty.
Read our full Choice Home Warranty review for more.
Select Home Warranty (SHW) is an ideal service provider if you’re searching for a budget-friendly home warranty for HVAC systems coverage. This company is popular for its unique seasonal discounts and a lower-than-average service call fee of just $60.
Select Home Warranty offers three different standard plan levels — Bronze Care, Gold Care, and Platinum Care. HVAC coverage begins at the Gold level, which spans air conditioning, ductwork, and heating systems with a $2,000 annual maximum on HVAC-related repairs and replacements.
Exclusion-wise, some of what Select won’t cover includes solar or geothermal heating systems, air purifiers, humidifiers/dehumidifiers, and portable air conditioning units.
Be aware that some of Select’s systems plan policy limits tend to be lower than those of competing providers. When the policy limits are lower, the chances of the plan covering the costs of an expensive HVAC repair are quite a bit less.
Get a free quote from Select Home Warranty or call 888-370-3953. Read our full Select Home Warranty review for more details.
Founded in 1971, American Home Shield (AHS) is often recognized as the torch-bearer of the home warranty industry. With AHS, you’ll have exclusive access to a pre-screened network of top HVAC contractors and repair personnel in your area.
American Home Shield’s standard home warranty plans are available in three coverage options — a systems plan and two catch-all combo plans that offer appliance and system coverage at different depths.
Full-spectrum HVAC coverage is included in all three policy tiers and doesn’t include a dollar limit for repairs or replacements. American Home Shield’s most comprehensive plan level, Shield Platinum, also includes one free pre-season HVAC tune-up per year and unlimited A/C refrigerant.
Unlike some other leading providers, AHS includes geothermal components, wall air conditioners, room heaters, and cable heat in its HVAC coverage terms. AHS will cover up to $1,500 per contract term for approved HVAC-related repairs on geothermal HVAC systems.
Get a free quote online from American Home Shield or call 888-365-2839.
To learn more about AHS, read our American Home Shield review.
Founded in 2008, The Home Service Club (HSC) is an ideal home warranty option for homeowners who recently purchased a fixer-upper, as HSC won’t deny coverage for older appliances or home systems.
The Home Service Club offers two different plan types — Standard and Comprehensive. By enrolling in the Standard Coverage Plan, you’ll be covered for central air conditioning and heating, but not ductwork. The Comprehensive Plan, however, includes heating, cooling, and ductwork.
HSC has a long list of covered HVAC items for all systems under a five-ton capacity. Still, like every home warranty provider, it won’t cover everything. Things like fireplaces, built-in heat lamps, A/C window units, water-damaged ductwork, and insulation aren’t coverable.
HSC has quick coverage with a brief 10-day waiting period — two weeks shorter than competing providers — for HVAC system protection. It will pay up to $2,000 per year for access, diagnosis, repairs, and replacements of covered HVAC components.
Get a free quote online from The Home Service Club, or call 800-842-9334.
Continue reading about HSC in our complete The Home Service Club review.
Liberty Home Guard (LHG) maintains a credible reputation and high scores with the Better Business Bureau, namely an accredited A rating and 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 900 customer reviews.*
With live 24/7 customer service, if you go with Liberty Home Guard for HVAC coverage, you’ll have no issue submitting a claim, getting in touch with a representative, or making adjustments to your policy.
Customers will need to purchase the Systems Guard or Total Home Guard package for HVAC coverage. Liberty Home Guard has a coverage limit of up to $2,000 for diagnosis, repair, and replacement per covered HVAC item.
Liberty Home Guard’s HVAC coverage excludes geothermal and solar heating systems, however its policies cover ducted central and wall air conditioning systems that have up to a 5-ton capacity. All HVAC maintenance is subject to a two-month workmanship guarantee for all LHG-sponsored repairs and replacements.
Get a free online quote from Liberty Home Guard, or call 866-451-2281.
Continue reading about LHG in our Liberty Home Guard review.
As one of the most expensive items in the home to repair or replace, finding quality HVAC coverage through a home warranty can easily save you thousands of dollars when something stops working properly. Here are some key points to consider to ensure you’re getting the most out of your home warranty:
A home warranty is a service contract that covers any necessary repairs or replacements of your home’s major appliances and systems as they endure wear and tear over time from regular use.
Nearly all home warranty companies offer HVAC coverage as a standard item, though providers sometimes reserve ductwork for the more comprehensive levels of their coverage. A home warranty for air conditioners is occasionally offered separately as an optional add-on, but those instances are few and far between.
Any home with an HVAC unit will benefit from a home warranty that covers HVAC. Even homes without traditional central air conditioning or heating can benefit from HVAC coverage through a home warranty.
We highly recommend HVAC system coverage for homeowners living in states with harsh seasonal climates. During peak summer temperatures in states like Florida, Hawaii, Texas, or California, a dead air conditioning system could be unbearably inconvenient and a safety hazard. HVAC coverage is also wise for those in states like Alaska, Maine, or New York, where heating is an essential need during bitterly cold winters.
So long as the total replacement cost remains within your policy’s annual coverage limit for HVAC parts and components, a home warranty may cover the cost for a system replacement. Still, the average cost of replacing a full HVAC system ranges between $3,500 and $10,000. Given that a standard home warranty typically only includes up to $3,000 in HVAC coverage per year, it’s likely that you’ll still need to pay a portion of the cost out of pocket.
from our #1 home warranty warranty provider
Depending on what type of plan you have, the services and appliances covered will vary. Typical HVAC inclusions across top-rated providers include:
Limitations on covered HVAC items are relatively consistent between different home warranty companies. Still, it’s crucial to study the fine print of any home warranty plan that piques your interest to guarantee you know what you’re paying for.
Most home warranty HVAC coverage explicitly excludes:
The best way to decide if a home warranty is right for you is to consider the annual cost of basic home warranty coverage relative to how much you’ll have to shell out for a potential appliance or home system breakdown.
Because HVAC coverage is usually the main facet of even the most bare-boned policies, you won’t have to go all out to protect your home’s heating, cooling, and ventilation. And given that deterioration of your everyday appliances and systems is inevitable, with a home warranty, you’ll benefit from peace of mind knowing that unexpected issues around your home will never go unfixed. Our experts recommend Choice Home Warranty as the top provider of HVAC protection, but it would be best to get quotes from 2-3 companies and compare them before choosing one.
A homeowners insurance policy is meant to protect homeowners whose homes and other assets sustain damage from large-scale disasters like hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, etc. If perilous circumstances like these damage your HVAC system, it will likely be covered as part of your homeowner’s insurance.
However, you won’t get the same service and attention for minor breaks and repairs from normal wear and tear with a homeowners insurance policy. This is where the home warranty stands out as a better option for specific systems or appliances like HVAC.
An HVAC home warranty will require you to pay an upfront service fee that will act as a deductible. When you call to let your provider know that you’re having an issue, they will dispatch a technician to handle the repair work, who will collect your service fee at the first home visit.
This service fee is all you’ll need to pay for a repair, so long as the repair cost falls within the policy’s limits.
With some policies, the HVAC coverage may be an add-on, but you’ll find it itemized as a standard item for the most part. If you are purchasing a home in California, Alaska, Hawaii, or New York, there will be different base coverage options depending on where you live.
Unfortunately, a home warranty provider will not help you if you have pre-existing air conditioning or HVAC issues. You will have to have all problems taken care of before signing up for your policy.
Let’s say, for instance, your water heater decides to stop producing hot water. You will be able to sign up for a home warranty policy for your HVAC, but until your water heater is fixed (out of your own pocket), your home warranty will not cover the hot water heater. It’s in your best interest to get your home in great shape and sign up for a proper plan to keep it that way.
No. A manufacturer’s HVAC warranty only covers your system for a limited period of time — usually just the first year of ownership — and strictly applies to factory flaws and defects. HVAC coverage through a home warranty, however, offers renewable coverage year after year for breakdowns caused by normal wear and tear over time.
Why Trust House Method
House Method’s Experts collected and analyzed 2000+ critical data points to identify what makes a great home warranty company in the eye of the consumer. Our reviews team used this data to assess over 60 home warranty providers for coverage extent, annual cost, and national availability to provide unbiased reviews so homeowners can confidently navigate key decisions about their homes.
At House Method, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader.
To create this rating system, our team spent hours researching over 60 companies, analyzing 2500+ key data points, getting the thoughts and opinions of 1000+ homeowners, and speaking to home warranty company representatives directly. We also dug into the fine print on each company’s service agreement to ensure no detail was left out.
We developed an objective home warranty review and rating methodology to score each home warranty company based on several criteria. We used a five-point scale with a point index ranging from 0.00 to 1.00. The minimum awardable value is 0.0, and the maximum is 1.00. These numeric points are translated into star ratings, using whole star increments between one and five.
Here is a quick breakdown of our five core scoring categories:
*Better Business Bureau ratings are accurate as of November 2022.
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