An HVAC warranty claim checklist is the short list of facts a tech collects at the unit so the office can build the claim later. The claim forms and portal guides we checked from Carrier Enterprise, Lennox, Daikin, Goodman, Trane and Ferguson ask for much the same core set: the unit's model and serial number, the install date, the failure and repair dates, the owner's name and address, the failed and replacement part numbers, and a real diagnosis. Compressor and full-unit claims often ask for serial numbers and rating-plate photos too. Most of that is easiest to get while the tech is still standing at the unit. Policies are the manufacturers' and distributors' own and can change.
Last checked: October 23, 2026 · Sources are numbered and listed at the end.
The HVAC warranty claim checklist (one page for the truck)
| # | Capture before you leave | Why the claim needs it | Who asks for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A clear photo of the unit's rating plate (nameplate), with the model and serial readable | Portals look up the unit and its coverage by serial number. A photo settles typos later. | Ferguson (required on full-unit claims)8, Warranty Express (if a claim goes to review)6 |
| 2 | Unit model number and serial number | Every form we checked asks for the serial. | Carrier Enterprise1, Lennox3, Daikin5, Goodman and Amana7, Trane10, Ferguson8 |
| 3 | The matching unit: outdoor unit model and serial if the claim is for an indoor coil; air handler model and serial if it's for a heat strip | Some coil coverage depends on the outdoor unit it's matched with. | Lennox3, Goodman and Amana7, Trane (certain condensing units)10 |
| 4 | Install date, if you can find it on site | Coverage depends on when the unit went in. | Carrier2, Lennox3, Goodman and Amana7, Trane10 |
| 5 | Failure date and repair date | Claim deadlines count from one of these two dates. | Carrier Enterprise1, Lennox (failure date)3, Goodman and Amana (date of service)7, Trane (failure date)10 |
| 6 | Owner's name, service address and phone. Owner-occupied home, rental or business? Original owner? | Coverage can differ by application type and owner. | Carrier2, Lennox3, ICP11, Ferguson8 |
| 7 | Failed part number and replacement part number, with quantity | The part numbers tie the claim to the part you bought and the part that failed. | Carrier Enterprise1, Lennox3, Daikin5, Goodman and Amana7, Trane10 |
| 8 | Which part caused the failure (one part) | ServiceBench lets you mark only one "causal part." | Carrier Enterprise1 |
| 9 | A written diagnosis: what failed, how you confirmed it, what you did. Never just "bad." | Carrier Enterprise says not to write "broke," "bad" or "damaged." | Carrier Enterprise1, Lennox3, Goodman and Amana7, Trane10 |
| 10 | Compressor job: the failed and new compressor serial numbers, plus a photo of each compressor's rating plate | Compressor claims ask for serials, and some ask for photos. | Lennox4, Ferguson8, Carrier2, Goodman and Amana7, Trane10 |
| 11 | Sealed system opened: the filter drier you replaced, and its part number | Goodman's form says if the drier isn't replaced, labor reimbursement is rejected. | Goodman and Amana7 |
| 12 | Full unit swap: the authorization number, before you swap | Unit exchanges need approval first. | Ferguson8, Goodman and Amana7 |
| 13 | The failed part, tagged with the job and kept | Some brands want it back, on a clock. | Lennox3, Daikin9, Trane (compressor tag)10, Ferguson8 |
Policies are the manufacturers' and distributors' own and can change. Check the linked source.
Download the printable checklist (PDF, one page)
What info do I need for an HVAC warranty claim?
Here's each item on the checklist, and what the published forms actually say.
The unit: rating-plate photo, model and serial
Start with the rating plate. In ServiceBench, Carrier Enterprise says to begin every claim by checking warranty coverage with the unit's serial number alone.1 Ferguson's form requires a photo of the failed unit's rating plate on full-unit claims and asks for the new unit's plate too.8 When a Warranty Express claim goes to manufacturer review for "serial # validation," the help page says to be ready to attach a copy of the serial plates.6
A photo is quick. A wrong digit in a serial number can cost the office a lot longer.
The matched system: outdoor unit for a coil, air handler for heat strips
Lennox's Warranty Data Sheet asks for the outdoor unit's serial and model when the claim is for an indoor coil, and the air handler's when it's for a heat strip.3 Goodman's claim form asks for the outdoor unit's model and serial when you service an indoor coil or blower cabinet, because "some coil warranties are dependent upon the outdoor unit match."7 Trane's form asks for the condensing unit's model and serial to apply the special coverage on certain condensing units.10
If you're on a coil job, shoot both plates.
The dates: install, failure, repair
Carrier's claim training says coverage is driven by the install date and the application type.2 Lennox, Goodman and Trane all have an install date on the form.3710
The failure date and the repair date matter even more. ServiceBench wants both, and Carrier Enterprise says the two must be within 90 days of each other.1 Some brands count the filing window from the failure date and some from the repair date. Our HVAC warranty claim deadlines table lists which is which.
Write the failure date as the day the system actually quit, not the day you got there.
The owner and the address
ServiceBench asks for the customer's information, the application type, and whether this is the original owner.2 ICP's reference sheet splits application types into owner-occupied residential, other residential (such as a rental) and commercial.11 Ferguson requires a valid homeowner name and address on every claim.8
The tech is the one who knows if it's a rental or a business. Write it down.
The parts: failed, replacement, and which one caused it
The Carrier Enterprise, Lennox, Daikin, Goodman and Trane forms all ask for the failed and replacement part numbers.135710 Get them off the part or the box before either one goes in the dumpster.
ServiceBench also asks for the "causal part," meaning the part that caused the failure. Only one part gets that check. If more than one part caused it, Carrier Enterprise says to mark the one that was more labor-intensive to change out.1 The tech knows which one that was. The office usually doesn't.
Carrier Enterprise also says to use factory authorized parts, and that competitor or aftermarket parts need Tech Support pre-approval.1 If the tech used a substitute, the office needs to know.
Compressors and full units: serials, plate photos, authorization
Compressor claims ask for more. Lennox says complete compressor serial numbers are always required, and pictures of the compressor serial numbers are required for warranty validation.4 Ferguson asks for a photo of the failed compressor's rating plate and the new one's.8 Carrier's training says the failed and replaced part serial number field is only for compressors.2 Goodman's form has a line for the failed and new compressor or motor serial.7
For a full unit swap, get approval first. Ferguson says prior authorization is required for all unit exchanges, and without it no claim will be filed.8 Goodman's form has a field for a special authorization number.7
If the sealed system was opened, list the filter drier. Goodman's form says the drier must be replaced and its part number listed on sealed-system claims, and that failing to replace it will result in rejection of any labor reimbursement.7
The diagnosis: write what failed and what you did
This is where claims get thin. ServiceBench asks the tech to answer three diagnosis questions, and Carrier Enterprise says not to use simple explanations like "broke," "bad" or "damaged." Be concise, but descriptive.1 Goodman's form has two boxes: reason for failure and service performed.7 Lennox's data sheet has a reason-for-failure column for each part.3 Trane asks for a reason for failure and a fault code.10
A good note says what failed, how you confirmed it, and what you replaced. "Capacitor bad" is not a diagnosis. Write down what you measured and what it should have read.
The failed part: tag it and keep it
Don't toss the old part until you know whether it has to go back. Lennox says failed parts that aren't returned must be held with a copy of the claim for 60 days after replacement.3 Under Daikin's policy effective January 1, 2026 (as republished by a distributor), required parts must be received by Daikin within 30 days of the claim submission date, or the whole claim is denied.9 Trane's form says a compressor tag return is required for all warranty compressors.10 Ferguson says its warranty team or your branch will tell you when a part needs to be returned.8
Tag the part with the job number and the unit serial. Put it where the office can find it.
What the office fills in after the job
Some of the claim isn't the tech's job. The office usually handles it.
- The parts invoice. Carrier Enterprise says to file only after the order is invoiced, and the account number and part number on the claim must match your Carrier Enterprise invoice.1 Ferguson requires a Ferguson invoice for all claims.8 Goodman's form asks for the parts source and invoice number.7
- The coverage check. Carrier and ICP both say to check warranty coverage and the unit's claim history before you start, to avoid a duplicate claim.1211
- The deadline. Windows run from 30 to 90 days, depending on the brand and the supply house. See the claim deadlines table for Carrier, Lennox, Daikin and Goodman and Ferguson.
- Questions back from the reviewer. Warranty Express gives the dealer 15 days from the date notes are added to a claim to attach documents, or the claim will be rejected.6 This is when that rating-plate photo pays off.
How to make the checklist stick
This is a habit you run in your own shop.
- Put one page in every truck. Lennox publishes its own Warranty Data Sheet for exactly this: print it, send copies with your techs, and have them fill it in on site.3 Use theirs for Lennox jobs, or the table above for everything.
- Make the photo set standard. Unit rating plate, matched unit's plate, and both compressor plates on a compressor job. Same order every time.
- Don't close the ticket without the diagnosis. The office should be able to read it and know what failed without calling the tech.
- Tag and shelve failed parts. One spot in the shop, labeled by job.
The checklist is what goes into a packet. Want to see a real one, built from your own jobs?
Questions? [email protected]
FAQ
What info do I need for an HVAC warranty claim?
The claim forms we checked ask for the unit's model and serial number, the install date, the failure and repair dates, the owner's name and address, the failed and replacement part numbers, a written diagnosis, and often the parts invoice. Compressor and full-unit claims often ask for serial numbers and rating-plate photos too.
Do I need photos for an HVAC warranty claim?
Often, yes. Ferguson requires a photo of the failed unit's rating plate on full-unit claims and asks for both compressor rating plates on compressor claims. Lennox requires pictures of compressor serial numbers. Warranty Express may ask for serial plate copies if a claim goes to manufacturer review.
What should the tech write in the diagnosis?
Say what failed, how you confirmed it, and what you replaced. Carrier Enterprise says not to use simple explanations like "broke," "bad" or "damaged." Goodman's claim form asks for the reason for failure and the service performed.
How long should we keep the failed part?
Until you know whether it has to go back. Lennox says failed parts that aren't returned must be held with a copy of the claim for 60 days after replacement. Daikin's 2026 policy says required parts must be received within 30 days of the claim submission date. Policies are the manufacturers' and distributors' own and can change.
Who fills in the invoice and account numbers?
Usually the office. Carrier Enterprise says the account number and part number on the claim must match your Carrier Enterprise invoice, and Ferguson requires a Ferguson invoice for all claims. The tech's job is the unit, the dates, the parts and the diagnosis.
Sources
- [1] Source: Carrier Enterprise, "How do I file a Standard Warranty Claim in ServiceBench?" Last checked October 23, 2026. help.carrierenterprise.com
- [2] Source: Carrier, "Warranty Claiming Onboarding" (Warranty Process Team, January 2020). Last checked October 23, 2026. web.archive.org (August 2, 2024 copy of cpdcetraining.com)
- [3] Source: Lennox, Warranty Policy, including the Warranty Data Sheet (LennoxPros partner resources, revised July 12, 2018). Last checked October 23, 2026. lennoxpros.com
- [4] Source: Lennox, Warranty Quick Reference Guide (LennoxPros partner resources). Last checked October 23, 2026. lennoxpros.com
- [5] Source: Daikin Comfort Technologies, "Warranty Express: Claim Types" (2025). Last checked October 23, 2026. hvaclearningcampus.com
- [6] Source: Warranty Express Helpdocs, "My claim is in Mfg. review, what do I do?" Last checked October 23, 2026. warrantyexpress.helpdocsite.com
- [7] Source: Goodman, Warranty Claim Form and completion procedures (RF000007-A, Revision 4); the Amana form is the same. Last checked October 23, 2026. goodmanmfg.com (Goodman) · goodmanmfg.com (Amana)
- [8] Source: Ferguson, "HVAC Warranty Submission" and its FAQs. Last checked October 23, 2026. ferguson.com
- [9] Source: HVAC Distributors, "Updated Warranty Claim Submission and Parts Return Policy Effective January 1, 2026," republishing Daikin's notice (posted December 26, 2025). Last checked October 23, 2026. hvacdist.com
- [10] Source: Trane, "Instructions for Online Warranty Credit Request (WCR) Through ComfortSite" and the Warranty Credit Request form. Last checked October 23, 2026. comfortsite.com (instructions) · comfortsite.com (form)
- [11] Source: ICP warranty training reference sheet (distributor-facing). Last checked October 23, 2026. shareddocs.com
General information, not legal advice. Check the current policy for your brand and distributor.
Carrier, Carrier Enterprise, ServiceBench, Lennox, LennoxPros, Daikin, Goodman, Amana, Warranty Express, Trane, ComfortSite, ICP and Ferguson are trademarks of their respective owners. Named for reference only; no affiliation or endorsement implied.
