Home Warranty Claims
Filing a claim sounds simple. When things go wrong - denied claim, three-week wait, $800 on a $7,000 HVAC job - knowing what to do next is the difference between getting paid and getting nothing.
Claim guides
14
Service fee
$75-$125
Filing window
30-60 days
The Claims Process - Overview
Something breaks
File a claim
Call or go online within the required window - usually 30-60 days of the failure.
Pay the service fee
$75-$125 when scheduling, regardless of outcome.
Contractor dispatched
Company sends a tech from their network - or you use your own if on a reimbursement plan.
Diagnosis submitted
The tech files a report. The company's review team approves or denies based on that report.
Approval or denial
Approved claims proceed to repair/replacement up to the coverage cap. Denied claims go to dispute.
Why Claims Get Denied
The three most common denial reasons - and what to do about each.
Pre-existing condition
Most commonCompany claims the failure existed before your policy started. The most disputed - and most abused - denial category.
Improper maintenance
Technician found neglected maintenance: dirty coils, unchanged filters, no annual tune-up documentation. Most policies require maintenance as a coverage condition.
Non-covered component
The specific failed part isn't listed in the covered-components section, even if the overall system is covered. Exclusions are explicit; unlisted = excluded.
Approved Doesn't Mean Fully Covered
The HVAC cap is the binding constraint - not the approval status.
$7,500
HVAC replacement cost
$3,000
Coverage cap (example)
$4,600+
Your out-of-pocket
This is why the cap matters more than the monthly premium. No-cap policies like AFC Home Club produce materially different outcomes than $1,500-$3,000 capped alternatives - on a single HVAC claim.
Claims Guides
Researching Before You Buy?
The best claim outcome is choosing a company with high caps and a clean denial history before anything breaks. See which companies actually pay out.
Claims processes, timelines, and consumer rights vary by company and state. This guide reflects general industry practices as of June 2026.