Heating, Cooling & HVAC Warranties

HVAC Warranties: Registration Is Everything

HVAC warranties are the most complex in the home improvement category, and registration is the most consequential action you can take. All four major brands on this page — Carrier, Trane, Goodman, and Rheem — offer a 5-year base warranty for unregistered units, which doubles to 10 years if you register within 60 days of installation. On a $4,000–8,000 HVAC system, that's the difference between 5 and 10 years of compressor coverage on a component that costs $1,500–2,500 to replace.

Critically: HVAC warranties never include labor. The manufacturer covers the cost of the defective part; you pay the licensed technician to install it. Your HVAC installer's separate workmanship warranty (typically 1–2 years) covers labor during the early period. After that, a home warranty plan with system coverage is the practical way to address the labor gap — which is why home warranties are strongly recommended for homeowners with aging HVAC systems.