For an HVAC problem in a newly built home that isn’t an emergency, start with the builder’s warranty contact or the administrator named in your closing packet. Find out who arranges the inspection and who approves any repair. A manufacturer, the installing contractor or a separate service-contract company may also be involved, but each one answers a different coverage question.
Before you agree to paid work, find out who’s handling the claim, which contractor can come out and what you might owe.
Safety comes before the claim
Never wait on warranty paperwork in an emergency. If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside to fresh air and call 911. Stay out until responders say you can go back in. If there’s a fire, get out and call 911. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 from a safe distance. Don’t flip switches, use a phone or light anything until you’re well away, and call us once it’s been made safe. Sort out the claim once everyone is safe.
Separate the four kinds of coverage
Your paperwork may hold several promises from different providers:
- Builder warranty: check the new-home documents for covered defects, notice requirements and who arranges repairs. The FTC explains that builder warranties can cover HVAC workmanship and materials, with terms that vary by component.
- Manufacturer warranty: check the certificate for the equipment. A covered replacement part can still leave other repair costs for you to pay.
- Installer workmanship or labor coverage: look for a separate commitment from the installing contractor that says whether it covers fixing installation work, the labor to replace a failed part, or both.
- Paid home warranty or service contract: find its claims instructions. The FTC describes these as separately purchased service contracts, which can carry service fees, exclusions and reimbursement limits.
Put the records together
Keep these in one folder before a routine service call:
- Builder warranty, claims contact and the home purchase date
- Installation invoice or the builder’s equipment record
- Model and serial numbers for the indoor and outdoor equipment
- Manufacturer certificates and registration confirmations
- Any separate labor agreement or service contract
- Maintenance receipts, earlier repair reports and the date the problem started
Use the paperwork you have, or labels you can reach safely. Don’t take equipment panels off to collect numbers. Write down what’s happening, which rooms are affected and any message on the display. A photo of the thermostat helps, and you don’t have to diagnose anything.
Check with each provider which date starts its coverage period. The home purchase date, the installation date and the equipment manufacture date are three different records.
Follow the right claim route
Report a possible construction defect through the builder’s process. If the builder sends you to the installer or the manufacturer, ask them to email you the reason, the referral and the claim status. Get a claim number and keep the referral with your records.
For a manufacturer claim, follow the equipment certificate. Carrier’s August 2026 R-454B condensing-unit warranty, for example, sends owners to the installer or a Carrier dealer first. It doesn’t cover diagnosis or repair labor, and for a newly built home it counts the installation date as the day you bought the home from the builder. Those are that certificate’s terms, so check which certificate covers your equipment. Our Carrier warranty lookup guide shows how to check a Carrier unit’s coverage.
For separate installer labor coverage, call the company named in that agreement. Check whether the repair falls under its promise, and whether it needs to inspect the equipment before another contractor works on it.
If you plan to use a paid service contract, ask its administrator how dispatch works before you book on your own. Get any required authorization for that contractor and that work.
Ask these questions before you authorize work
Use this list with the coverage provider and the service company:
- Who opens the claim and who approves the repair?
- Does the provider have to send a network contractor, or can I choose one?
- Does the authorization cover diagnosis only, or the repair too?
- What do I pay for diagnosis, dispatch, labor, refrigerant or anything else?
- Will the provider pay the contractor directly, or do I pay and ask for reimbursement?
- What documentation and approval number should be on the estimate and invoice?
Get a written estimate that shows what the warranty covers and what you’d pay. If coverage isn’t decided yet, have the service company explain what you’d owe before you approve work. Keep the approval separate from the appointment confirmation.
For urgent service once the immediate hazard has been dealt with, use the provider’s emergency claims line if it has one. If nobody answers, keep a record of your attempts and ask the contractor on site to document the condition and the work needed.
Send a claim notice that works
Follow the provider’s notice instructions. Include your claim number if you have one, the equipment details, when the problem started and what you’ve noticed. Attach the records they ask for, and ask who will arrange the inspection. Save the notice you sent and any reply. Keep the email. A voicemail isn’t a record.
For symptom information, see our HVAC repair guide. If the builder’s coverage has ended, or your provider lets you choose the contractor, book a visit. The $99 diagnostic is credited toward the repair, and you get a written estimate before any work starts. Bring the claim number if you have one.
Key takeaways
- For a problem that isn't an emergency, start with the builder's warranty contact and ask who approves the repair.
- Builder, manufacturer, installer and service-contract coverage are separate promises with separate contacts.
- A covered part can still leave you paying for labor. Carrier's August 2026 R-454B certificate excludes diagnosis and repair labor.
- Get a claim number and keep the emails. A voicemail isn't a record.
Related questions
Who do I call first about an HVAC problem in a new home?
Does a manufacturer warranty cover the labor?
What if a CO alarm goes off or I smell gas?
Need help with your system? Call (925) 999-4095 or book a visit. Repair diagnostics are $99, credited toward the repair. Installation assessments are free.
Further reading
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