5 best home warranty companies for HVAC coverage

American Home Shield is one of the few home warranty providers to offer HVAC coverage with its lowest-priced plan, with malfunctions and refrigerant included in its ShieldSilver plan. Its ShieldPlatinum plan covers unlimited AC refrigerant and includes a discount for an annual HVAC tune-up.

The HVAC coverage across all three plans is essentially the same, with two exceptions: The ShieldPlatinum plan includes a discounted annual HVAC tune-up and covers unlimited AC refrigerant. AHS offers lower monthly premiums for customers who choose a service call fee of $125 rather than $100. 

• ShieldSilver ($30 to $40 per month): This plan covers HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems.
• ShieldGold ($50 to $60 per month): The ShieldGold plan covers AC and heating, everything else in the ShieldSilver plan, and appliances, clothes washers and dryers.
• ShieldPlatinum ($80 to $90 per month): AHS’ most expensive plan combines the coverage of the other two plans. It also includes unlimited AC refrigerant and an annual HVAC tune-up.

Add-on options: AHS offers only six add-ons, including electronics protection for $15 per month and coverage for a guest unit.

Other factors that influence coverage: The annual limit for covered air conditioning items is $5,000, but it drops to $1,500 for geothermal and/or water source heat pumps, glycol, hot water or steam heating systems. AHS will cover up to $1,000 should the technician need to cut through concrete to access any system components. AHS also covers component or part upgrades if a repair or replacement requires it to comply with seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER), heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF) or refrigerant standards. AHS also offers members discounts through its new HVAC program.

American Home Shield carries a B rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has a customer rating of 2.1 out of 5 stars.

On the consumer review site Trustpilot, AHS averages 2.2 out of 5 stars with more than 5,500 reviews. Many negative reviewers focus on customer service, but an AHS representative typically responds to all reviews, good or bad. AHS invites customers who reviewed the company poorly to contact AHS customer service directly via a dedicated email address.

First American Home Warranty offers two higher-priced plans that include HVAC coverage. To receive HVAC coverage with its lowest-priced plan, you must purchase an optional add-on. One of the provider’s highlights is that its coverage cap for HVAC systems is unlimited.

First American Warranty includes full AC coverage with its two higher-priced plans and offers HVAC coverage as an add-on option with its Starter Plan. 

• Starter Plan ($42 to $57 per month): First American’s base plan covers select kitchen appliances, electrical,  some HVAC systems and plumbing components. It does not cover the entire AC system or some major appliances, such as clothes washers and dryers.
• Essential Plan ($52 to $67 per month): This plan covers everything in the Starter Plan, plus AC systems, clothes washers and dryers, garage door openers and water heaters.
• Premium Plan ($67 to $82 per month): The Premium Plan covers everything included in the Essential Plan, plus garbage disposals and other plumbing components, window AC units and additional garage door components such as springs.

Add-on options: First American offers up to eight add-ons, including central air conditioning for $8 per month or $100 when paying annually. For the Starter Plan and the Essential Plan, First American also offers an annual AC system tune-up as an add-on for an additional $2 per month or $25 per year.

Other factors that influence coverage: First American offers tiered pricing for its monthly premiums based on the service call fee you select. For example, the lower monthly premium for the Essential Plan is available if you choose the $125 service call fee option. The Essential Plan premium jumps to $67 if you select a service call fee of $100. First American also offers a $75 service fee with a higher monthly premium.

First American Home Warranty holds a B rating with BBB and has earned a consumer rating of 1.8 out of 5 stars.

First American fares better with the consumer review site Trustpilot, where customers rate the provider an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars. In fact, over 60% of the more than 13,500 customer reviews on Trustpilot awarded 5 stars.

Elite Home Warranty offers HVAC coverage in its midtier and highest-priced plans. It also offers an HVAC maintenance plan as an optional add-on. Elite’s systems coverage caps fall between $1,000 and $4,000, depending on your chosen plan. Its 90-day workmanship guarantee is among the longest in the industry — and it allows homeowners to select their own technicians.

Elite Home Warranty is a relative newcomer in the home warranty industry, but since its founding in 2020, it has carved a niche for itself among the top providers thanks to affordability and conscientious customer service. Elite’s standard service call fee is $70. The annual premium is reduced by $30 if you choose a $100 service call fee and by $50 if you choose a $130 service call fee. 

• Elite Appliances ($38 to $45 per month): This plan covers kitchen appliances such as dishwashers and refrigerators, and clothes washers and dryers.
• Elite Systems ($42 to $50 per month): This plan covers HVAC and other major systems, including plumbing and electrical.
• Elite Complete ($46 to $60 per month): This plan covers everything included in the Appliances and Systems plans.

Add-on options: Elite offers its HVAC maintenance plan as an add-on for $299 per year. It also offers coverage for 30 add-ons at an additional monthly cost. Add-ons offered include annual maintenance for appliances and systems, and coverage for lawn sprinklers, limited roof leaks and pools and spas.

Other factors that influence coverage: Elite’s coverage caps for appliances are $500–$3,000, depending on the plan, and $1,000–$4,000 per claim for systems. Elite’s plans stipulate that it charges an additional $80 to repair pro-series appliances — sometimes classified as commercial grade — which are defined as high-end appliances suitable for professional or at-home use.

Elite Home Warranty holds an A+ rating on BBB and is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars with consumers on the site. 

Consumers who have reviewed Elite on the customer review site Trustpilot rate the company 4.7 out of 5 stars. Most consumer reviews of Elite, whether on BBB or Trustpilot, praise the company for its attentive and knowledgeable customer service during the shopping and onboarding stage.

Liberty Home Guard’s two highest-priced plans feature some of the most complete HVAC protection in the industry, including coverage for two AC condensers and handlers or two window-mounted AC units. It also covers HVAC ductwork. LHG does offer coverage for refrigerant recharges, but only up to $10 per pound.

Two of Liberty Home Guard’s plans cover air conditioning and heating systems.  

• Appliance Guard ($50 per month): This plan covers major household appliances, including clothes washers and dryers, refrigerators and dishwashers.
• Systems Guard ($55 per month): This covers AC, heating, plumbing and electrical systems, but no home appliances. Coverage includes either ducted electric central AC, two wall or window units, or two ductless mini-splits.
• Total Home Guard ($60 per month): This combination of appliance and systems coverage makes up LHG’s most comprehensive plan.

Add-on options: Liberty Home Guard offers 42 add-ons, but none directly relate to HVAC coverage. It does offer an outdoor generator option for $20 per month.

Other factors that influence coverage: LHG limits payouts to $2,000 per item under its coverage plans. Also, the 60-day workmanship guarantee compares favorably with most home warranty providers. LHG also charges $65–$125 for service calls, depending on the size of your home and the level of your coverage plan.

Liberty Home Guard’s A rating on BBB was changed to N/R (“not rated”), but it holds a BBB customer review rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. In March 2024, LHG responded to losing its A rating with a statement that the company’s customer satisfaction levels remain the highest relative to its scale. LHG also stated that in February 2024, it received the lowest number of cancellation requests in its history.

In a 5-star BBB review posted in late 2023, Rebecca W. praised LHG for offering her the option of hiring a contractor of her choice for plumbing repair on Thanksgiving weekend. 

In a 1-star BBB review from the same week, Nick B. wrote that he was caught off guard by LHG’s coverage restrictions for a broken furnace and recommended that consumers read the fine print of their service contract.

Cinch Home Services offers two plans with HVAC coverage, which protects cooling and heating units of up to a 5-ton capacity and includes a maximum of two units. Cinch covers easily accessible ductwork and other components and will pay up to $1,000 to diagnose, repair or replace ductwork that is only accessible through concrete walls, floors or ceilings.

Cinch’s three plans cover appliances, systems or both. The Premier Upgrade Package is an add-on that covers code violations and increases coverage limits.

• Appliances ($39 to $49 per month): This plan covers kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers and microwaves, as well as clothes washers and dryers.
• Built-in Systems ($44 to $56 per month): This plan covers AC systems, as well as electrical, plumbing, water heaters and other major systems. It also covers components such as ceiling fans, garage door openers and smoke detectors.
• Complete Home ($55 to $67 per month): This comprehensive plan bundles the covered items and systems from the Appliances and Built-in Systems plans.

Add-on options: Cinch offers six add-ons for all of its plans, including a combination pool/spa add-on and a septic tank add-on. It offers a Premier Upgrade Package for $13 per month.

 Other factors that influence coverage: According to its sample service agreement, Cinch limits payouts for AC and heating units up to 5 tons and covers two units per agreement. Cinch limits its payout for HVAC service to $1,500 for access, diagnosis, repair and replacement of the covered HVAC components. The company pays up to $10 per pound for refrigerant.

Cinch Home Services holds a B+ with the BBB, but BBB consumer reviewers only rate Cinch 1.1 out of 5 stars.

Cinch rates slightly better on the consumer review site Trustpilot, with 3.8 out of 5 stars. Of more than 3,000 customer reviews on Trustpilot, over 50% are 5-star reviews and over 30% are 1-star reviews.