Best Home Warranty

If you’ve ever bought a home, you know that homeowners insurance is part of the deal. Unfortunately, your homeowners' insurance policy doesn’t extend to the valuable systems and appliances in your home. Depending on your policy, it also may not cover damage to your roof or HVAC system. A home warranty can help you fill some of the gaps in your homeowner's insurance policy and provide protection for your home’s most expensive systems that goes beyond the usual bounds of limited-peril coverage.

But what should the average consumer look for in a home warranty policy and what exactly do these policies cover? We’ve created a quick guide that includes the best home warranty companies in the U.S.

The Best Home Warranty Companies

• Best for Coverage for Normal Wear and Tear: Choice Home Warranty
• Best for Multiple Plans: American Home Shield
• Best for Home Component Repairs: Home Warranty of America

Now that you know what to look for in a policy, it’s time to start comparing plan providers. Read on to learn more about some of our favorite home warranty providers to kick off your search.

1. Best for Coverage for Normal Wear and Tear: Choice Home Warranty

With Choice Home Warranty you're guaranteed 24/7 service. Say your heating system quits in the middle of the night, you can call Choice Home Warranty at any time. A plan with CHW typically covers plumbing, electrical, heating systems, some kitchen appliances, fans and garage doors.

If you want to upgrade your coverage to include air conditioners, refrigerators, washers, and dryers you can opt-in to their complete plan. They also offer customizable plans so you can cover just want you want.

Bonus: if you purchase any single payment home warranty plan today they will pay for your first month at no cost to you!

2. Best for Multiple Plans: American Home Shield

Another long-standing home warranty product provider, American Home Shield offers combination policies for as little as $55 a month depending on location.

Its team includes over 15,000 technicians and service specialists across the United States. American Home Shield is an outstanding choice if you have something unique you want to protect. The company offers a unique “Build Your Own” plan option that allows you to pick and choose specific appliances and systems you want to protect. Affordable coverage, clear policy limit and inclusion charts and coverage available for everything from your HVAC system to your doorbell, American Home Shield is a strong contender for the title of best home warranty provider.

3. Best for Home Component Repairs: Home Warranty of America

Home Warranty of America specializes in providing homeowners with plans as soon as possible. Its 24/7 customer service and online quote process speed up the quest for home warranties.

Plans are available for a little over $50 a month. HWA also offers a massive range of additional protections for pools, spas and water softeners you can add on to your plan for less than $12 each.

You won’t need to order a home inspection to secure a policy from HWA. Its terms have no restrictions on the age and condition of appliances under your warranty. Chances are that HWA has a plan that suits your needs.

What is a Home Warranty?

A home warranty is a contract that covers repairs and replacements on your home’s systems and appliances. Home warranties differ from home insurance policies in a number of ways, mostly in regard to what they cover and what circumstances warrant a payout. We'll go over the unique attributes of each below, remembering that a real estate professional may recommend both, but home protection comes in several guises.

Home Warranty vs Home Insurance

When you purchased your home, you may have been required to buy a homeowners insurance policy by your lender as a condition of the sale. Yes, homeownership can be expensive, but you can’t get away from a homeowners policy—and you wouldn’t want to.

Homeowners Insurance

A homeowner's insurance policy provides financial compensation for accidental damage done to your home. The types of accidents that warrant a payout are usually referred to as perils.

Some of the most common types of perils include fires and burglaries, electrical storms and some other types of natural disasters. Most homeowner's insurance policies include a deductible. This is a set amount you pay for your damages before your insurance takes care of the remainder of the bill.

For example, let’s say that you have a kitchen fire in your home that causes $5,000 worth of damage and you have a homeowner's insurance policy with a $500 deductible. After you file a claim with your insurer, an inspector assesses the damage and approves your claim.

Then, your insurance company deducts your deductible from your total payout and writes you a check to finish repairing the damage. Most homeowner's insurance policies include coverage for the interior and exterior of your home as well as your possessions. Most policies also have a limit on the amount you can recover for items you own.

Home Warranties

If your HVAC system or plumbing system (household systems) just stops working from normal wear and tear or a malfunction, and damage isn’t caused by a natural disaster or burglar or another covered peril, it likely won't be covered by your homeowner's insurance. If the central air you invested in fails right as the manufacturer's warranty expires, but you have no idea why, you may not have a case to make a claim to your home insurance company.

In these instances, you’ll need a home warranty policy if you want any assistance paying to repair your systems. Accidental damage and extended service warranties are often included with home warranty plans, but you want to ensure that home repairs that concern you most are covered.

Plus, home warranties might be used for repair costs that were uncovered just before the home sold, depending on the deal you work out with the agent or seller. Generally seen as a home buyers warranty, many home sellers will offer a warranty to “sweeten the pot” at the time of sale.

The home warranty service will take your service calls, send a professional to help you and either charge a fee or deductible. At times, visits from professionals are fully covered.

How Do Home Warranties Work?

Home warranties are service contracts that ensure the repair or replacement of home appliances and systems within a certain period of time. You don’t have to prove that a covered peril caused your heating system to stop working.

Home warranties are usually sold in 12-month contracts. You can also buy appliance add-ons through many home warranty providers. Most contracts include a nominal flat service charge per visit to discourage nuisance calls.

What Home Warranties Cover

Home warranties cover repairs due to general use and aging as well as more dramatic accidents that aren't covered by your home policy.

How to Make a Home Warranty Claim

Once you've determined that your broken AC or plumbing isn't covered by your homeowner's insurance but IS covered by your warranty, get in touch with your service provider to make an appointment. From there, they'll come and assess the damage and whether they are able to repair it.

If the repair technician determines that the system is broken beyond repair, he or she will arrange for a replacement system to be installed for just the cost of your service charge.

Types of Warranty Coverage for Your Home

If you have homeowners insurance, you probably already know that there are multiple types of home insurance policies, ranging from liability coverage to dwelling coverage. In the same way, there are also multiple types of home warranties.

Home protection plans can vary, but they tend to offer similar home repair options. While response times from a service provider may vary, you still want more coverage—not less. Some of the most common home warranties you may want to purchase include:

Appliance Plans

As its name suggests, appliance plans cover your home’s major appliances. Most appliance plan providers lay out the appliances covered under the service contract when you choose a policy. They often include appliances like your washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator and more.

Though most appliance plans don’t extend to small appliances like blenders and food processors, you may be able to add on small appliance coverage with certain companies.

Systems Plans

Systems plans cover the systems that keep your home running, including your HVAC system, plumbing, electrical wiring, mounted air conditioning systems, etc.

These may include tune-ups and regular maintenance or they may be limited only to repairs or replacements, depending on your policy provider.

Combination Plans

These offer you protection for both your appliances and your systems for one convenient price.

How Much Does a Home Warranty Cost?

Unlike homeowners insurance, mortgage lenders never require borrowers to purchase home warranties. As an optional form of coverage, home warranties are usually less expensive than home insurance packages. They range in price from $300 to $600 a year.

Certain homeowners can expect to pay more for their coverage depending on what types of appliances are in their homes. For example, if you need your pool or spa to be included in your home appliance coverage, anticipate paying a little more.

Your warranty usually includes a service charge. A service charge is a flat amount you pay per instance for every breakdown or repair that you need.

Your service charge may be included on your plan in lieu of a deductible or in addition to it. Make sure to read through your entire policy before you lock in. Understand how much you’ll be responsible for paying if something in your home needs to be repaired.

What to Look for in a Home Warranty

With so many options, choosing a home warranty can be difficult. Look for these three factors when comparing plans to find the one that’s right for you.  

Protect Your Investment With Extra Coverage

Planning ahead for some of the most common issues can help you protect yourself financially in the event of an emergency. Having a home warranty isn’t required but it can be smart, especially if you live in an older home or you don’t stay as up-to-date with your home maintenance as you should. Just like when you’re shopping for home and auto insurance, make sure you get a few quotes and thoroughly read all policy options before you choose a company.

Frequently Asked Questions