Which HVAC Brands Are Still American-Made? (The Honest Answer)

If you're looking for an HVAC system manufactured entirely in the United States, your options are extremely limited. The reality is that most brands with American headquarters, including Carrier, Trane, and Lennox, manufacture a significant portion of their equipment in Mexico, China, and other countries.

Here's the breakdown of where major HVAC brands actually manufacture their equipment, why the industry went global, and what matters more than where your furnace or air conditioner was assembled.

This table shows the headquarters location, manufacturing facilities, and product strengths for the major HVAC brands sold in the United States. Some brands have U.S. assembly plants, but most source components globally.

Starting in the 1990s and accelerating through the 2000s, HVAC manufacturers moved production offshore to reduce costs. Mexico became the primary destination for North American HVAC manufacturing due to NAFTA (now USMCA) trade agreements, lower labor costs, and proximity to the U.S. market.

By the 2010s, most "American" brands were sourcing components globally (heat exchangers from China, compressors from Japan or Thailand, control boards from Taiwan), even if final assembly happened in the U.S. or Mexico.

Today, very few HVAC manufacturers maintain full vertical integration in a single country. The exceptions are mostly commercial/industrial brands that operate at higher price points.

After 12,000+ installations across the Denver metro, here's what we've learned matters more than where a unit was assembled:

1. Local service and parts availability

If your furnace quits in January at 10pm, can a local technician get a replacement control board or igniter within 24 hours? Brands with strong regional distributor networks (like Carrier, Trane, and Mitsubishi in Colorado) stock common parts locally. Budget brands often require 3-5 day shipping from out-of-state warehouses, leaving you without heat.

2. Warranty backing and manufacturer support

A 10-year parts warranty means nothing if the manufacturer rejects claims on technicalities or requires contractors to submit forms, photos, serial number verification, and wait 4-6 weeks for reimbursement. We've seen "lifetime warranties" from budget brands that are nearly impossible to claim. Premium brands process warranty claims in 3-5 business days.

3. Technician training and expertise

Heat pumps from Mitsubishi and Bosch require specialized training for proper installation and service. If your local HVAC company doesn't have technicians trained on that brand, you'll pay more for service and wait longer for repairs, regardless of where the equipment was made.

4. Equipment quality and performance in your climate

Colorado swings from -10°F winter nights to 100°F summer days, with 15% humidity year-round. Some brands (like Mitsubishi's Hyper-Heat line) are specifically designed for cold climates and deliver 100% rated heating capacity at -13°F, while some U.S.-assembled brands drop to 40-50% capacity below 5°F.

At UniColorado, we install Carrier, Mitsubishi, and Bosch, not because of where they're made, but because they deliver verifiable performance in Colorado winters, have responsive warranty support, and maintain local parts inventory in Denver.

We specialize in three brands for their performance, reliability, and service support, not headquarters location.

We do not install Lennox. While Lennox is headquartered in Texas, we've chosen to focus on the brands above based on over a decade of experience with equipment performance, warranty support, and customer satisfaction.

See our full brand comparison and recommendations at our HVAC brands page.

Trade policy has a significant impact on HVAC equipment pricing, regardless of where equipment is assembled. Here's how tariffs affect the major brands:

Current tariff situation (February 2026)

• China-made components: 10% baseline tariff (implemented April 2025). Affects compressors, control boards, and heat exchangers from Chinese suppliers. Nearly all HVAC brands source at least some components from China.
• Mexico-assembled equipment: Currently 0% tariff under USMCA trade agreement, but subject to political changes. Carrier, Trane, Lennox, and Rheem all assemble residential equipment in Monterrey.
• Japan/Thailand imports: 0-2.5% tariff rates. Affects Mitsubishi, Daikin, and component suppliers. Most heat pump compressors come from Japan or Thailand.

How tariffs affect homeowners

When tariffs increase on imported components or finished equipment, manufacturers pass costs to distributors, who pass costs to contractors, who ultimately pass costs to homeowners. A 10% tariff on Chinese-made control boards translates to roughly 6-10% higher equipment prices after typical distributor and contractor markup (40-50% total).

In 2025, we saw HVAC equipment prices increase 15-30% in Denver due to combined tariffs (10% on China), supply chain disruptions, and copper/steel raw material costs. Where equipment is assembled matters less than where components are sourced; nearly all brands source compressors, control boards, and heat exchangers globally.

Read our detailed breakdown in How Tariffs Will Affect HVAC Prices in 2025.