New Report: 50% of HVAC Systems Included in Claims Were Repairable

HVAC Claim Risks and Trends for Insurers in HVACi 2025 Annual Claims Report

CHARLOTTE, NC—March 24, 2026—Half of HVAC and refrigeration equipment included in 2025 claims could be repaired, and another 20% were determined to be functioning properly at the time of assessment.

These findings are among the trends in the newly released HVACi 2025 Annual Claims Report, which analyzes data and risks property and casualty insurance carriers faced when handling claims involving HVAC and refrigeration systems.

“In 2025, HVAC and refrigeration equipment assessed by HVACi represented a total exposure of more than $1.25 billion,” said Paul Whitmore, Alpine Intel executive vice president of specialty assessments. “Each claim carries the risk of indemnity leakage if resolutions are based on inaccurate causes of loss or unnecessary replacements. These conditions are not isolated. Our teams encounter them daily across the country.”

HVAC Investigators (HVACi), the nation’s leading HVAC and refrigeration assessment company for insurance carriers and part of Alpine Intel’s suite of services, has presented claims data from its assessments each calendar year for more than a decade. The report aims to help carriers better understand how this equipment could impact their processes, resolutions, and policyholder experiences in 2026 and beyond.

Carriers take particular interest in the report’s trends regarding shifts in reported versus actual causes of loss, fluctuations in parts and labor costs, and patterns in repair-versus-replace frequency.

Key findings in the HVACi 2025 Annual Claims Report include:

• Hail and lightning were the most reported causes of loss. However, those were often inaccurate, and systems with verified damage from these perils typically don’t require full system replacements.
• Nearly half of all reported perils were recategorized following HVACi’s assessments.
• Almost 40% of evaluated HVAC equipment was determined to have a cause of loss not typically covered by insurance policies.

This year’s report also features a section on HVAC claims from the 2025 California wildfires. It contains data on average claimed amounts, system types often reported, and the scope of repairability for the 75% of claimed equipment that could be returned to pre-loss condition through a repair.

The full HVACi 2025 Annual Claims Report provides claims data for residential, multi-system large loss, and commercial insurance claims. Request your complimentary copy today.

About HVACi: HVAC Investigators (HVACi) provides a better all-in-one HVAC and refrigeration system claims solution and desktop pricing review option for insurance carriers. HVACi simplifies how claims are handled by leveraging an extensive in-field network, innovative processes, and engineering best practices to produce objective, timely, and actionable assessment reports.

About Alpine Intel: Alpine Intel is dedicated to innovation across the property, auto, liability, and workers’ comp insurance fields—helping customers reach peak performance throughout the policy life cycle. It includes their operating brands, HVACi, StrikeCheck, National Fire Experts, Donan Engineering, Component Testing Laboratories, VRC Investigations, The Robison Group, TechLoss Consulting & Restoration, BSC Forensics, Mecanica Scientific Services, and HMI. Alpine Intel is respected as the industry leader for its scale and track record of conducting expert, specialized, and accurate investigations nationwide.

Contact:  

Katie Roudabush
Chief Marketing Officer, Alpine Intel
kroudabush@alpineintel.com
704-235-3043