In 2022, 49% of Americans said they couldn’t cover a $400 emergency without going into debt. With a recession headed our way, coming up with ideas to save money and plan for the unexpected is more important now than it’s ever been.
That’s where a home warranty plan can help—it protects your investment and reduces repair costs that could drive you into debt. However, comparing home warranties can be confusing and time-consuming. Exclusions, coverage limitations, and service fees are just a few of the essential factors to research.
To make it easier on you and give you a better understanding of what to look for, we evaluated the most popular companies in the industry and compiled a list of the top home warranty providers.
Our Top 10 Best Home Warranty Companies:
Our Review Methodology: Evaluating the Best Home Warranty Companies
It’s important that you get the best advice and information when comparing home warranty companies. That’s why, in addition to the major criteria in our list below, we also considered public customer reviews and drew on industry expertise to recommend only top-quality services. Our methodology is based on the following factors:
- Average annual premium
- Number of contractors
- Service call fee
- When service requests can be made
- Coverage span
- Types of available plans (premier, gold, platinum, etc.)
Our Top 10 Best Home Warranty Companies – Quick Reviews:
Choice provides full coverage for less
Choice Home Warranty is a budget-friendly option ideal for first-time homeowners. Choose between their customizable Basic Plan (12 items) and Total Plan (16 items) to receive up to $3,000 in coverage for each successful claim.
Jake Hill, CEO of DebtHammer, highlights that Choice Home Warranty is also “especially helpful for owners of older homes” since they don’t “deny coverage based on the age of your home’s systems or appliances.”
Instead of varying their service fees, they only charge a flat $85 per claim. You also get your first month free if you’re a new customer.
Why we chose Choice Home Warranty: A stand-out from other services, Choice Home Warranty responds swiftly to queries and claims, delivers reliable customer service, and has affordable annual premiums.
Our experience: We were impressed with Choice Home Warranty’s fast turnaround time when submitting online and phone claims. The support specialists we worked with were knowledgeable and quickly provided helpful information.
Select offers affordable premiums and fees
Select Home Warranty provides competitively priced coverage for most major appliances and systems. Their premiums start at just $36/month, which is more affordable than other home warranty companies.
Jennifer Spinelli, real estate professional, investment advisor, and founder and CEO of Cash For Houses, calls Select Home Warranty “reliable and trustworthy.” She adds that she no longer worries about “costly repairs or replacements due to breakdowns or malfunctions.”
Three different plans are available and all of them include free roof leak coverage. However, Select Home Warranty’s services aren’t available in Nevada, Washington, or Wisconsin.
Why we chose Select Home Warranty: Their affordable premiums and minimal fees elevate them above their competitors. It’s also convenient that they offer two months free with their annual plan.
Our experience: We were particularly impressed with Select Home Warranty’s 24/7 friendly phone support and free roof leak coverage.
Customizable plans with adjustable service fees
Operating since 1971, American Home Shield is the largest and most established company in the US home warranty market, with over two million members.
Tommy Gallagher, former investment banker and founder of Top Mobile Banks, was “impressed with the range of contractors they have available and the quality of service they provide.”
Choose from their three customizable plans—ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum. The ShieldSilver plan only covers 14 major systems, while the ShieldGold plan covers 23.
For additional perks, ShieldPlatinum comes with complete system and appliance coverage. This includes cost-saving add-ons like free HVAC tune-ups, unlimited A/C refrigerant, coverage for rooks leaks and code violations, and higher payout caps for repairs and replacements.
Why we chose American Home Shield: They operate in 47 states and Washington DC, and you can customize your plan. American Home Shield automatically covers duplicate items, plus older items with rust or corrosion.
Our experience: We found American Home Shield to be an excellent option for anyone seeking highly customizable plans and access to an extensive network of contractors. We could easily find a plan that suited our needs.
