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Jesus Sanchez Garcia is a senior writer for USA TODAY Homefront. His expertise focuses on home warranties, with over 50 hours spent reviewing provider sample contracts to understand their benefits. He also regularly performs consumer research, such as surveys and customer interviews with an eye on incorporating data into his writing. Jesus has a bachelor’s in business administration from California State University, Stanislaus, and is still located within California’s vibrant Central Valley. When he is not researching or writing, he enjoys supporting his favorite sports teams, spending time with loved ones and chasing new adventures outdoors.
Carter Gaddis is a senior writer at USA TODAY Homefront. He is an experienced journalist who has written about roofing, sunrooms, title insurance and other home service topics. Carter has contributed to the TODAY SHOW parenting section, CBS SPORTS and ESPN, among other publications. He lives with his family in Central Florida, where he spends most weekends at theme parks or watching English soccer on TV.
With our No. 1 pick,
Liberty Home Guard is our top-rated home warranty company due to its extensive list of optional add-ons and nationwide coverage. 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty is a close second because of its affordability and robust home protection.
Jesus Sanchez Garcia is a USA TODAY Homefront senior writer specializing in home warranty research. He has spent more than 100 hours in research, including analyzing customer reviews and collecting insights from industry experts.
Choosing a home warranty isn’t as black and white as picking the cheapest option. Some companies offer budget-friendly plans yet low payouts for your broken water heater or heating system.
When an essential home system or appliance breaks, you want peace of mind that your home warranty will significantly reduce the expense of repairing or replacing the item. We researched and rated 15 providers to determine which companies provide the best value for the money, depending on your needs. Request a quote from one of our providers below to get started.
Finding the best home warranty company is more complex than simply requesting a quote and signing a contract. Here are some factors to consider when shopping for a home warranty plan.
Look for a home warranty plan that fits your budget, but don’t merely settle for the cheapest plan you find.
Make a list of your appliances and major home systems that could be vulnerable to breakdowns and determine how much it would cost to replace them.
Find a plan that pays reasonable, fair amounts toward repairs or replacement of covered appliances and systems.
Look for patterns of unfavorable customer reviews, but don’t place too much weight on a letter grade or star rating.
Choose a provider that focuses on excellent customer service, including fast, well-executed claims resolution.
After scoring all 15 companies against our proprietary methodology, we gave Liberty Home Guard (LHG) the highest score of 4.6 out of 5 due to its competitively priced plan premiums, service fees and extensive optional add-ons list. 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty followed closely behind at 4.5 for its affordability and extensive coverage.
Elite Home Warranty and American Home Shield (AHS) tied at 4.4. Both offer comprehensive home protection at the expense of higher prices.
Cinch Home Services is our final top pick because it provides the longest list of standard coverage options, but it charges the highest service fees. The table below shows each company’s overall ratings.
You should explore coverage options when shopping for a home warranty and ensure you understand how a home warranty works.
On the surface, each home warranty provider protects similar major appliances and systems. We distinguished companies by the number of add-ons and extra features they offer.
AHS scored the most points in this rating category. Check out each provider’s category score and its number of add-ons in the table below.
We consider AHS the top provider in this category because of its robust coverage options in its entry-level and midtier plans. AHS is available in all states except Alaska and Hawaii, and all of its plans cover rust, corrosion and sediment damage.
If you have kitchen appliances or systems exposed to the elements — such as HVAC systems and washing machines — AHS is a good choice, since 87% of the providers we reviewed typically exclude item breakdowns caused by rust or corrosion.
Elite is another solid option. The company also features robust standard coverage, with the option to fully customize your plan to your needs. This means you can choose which items you’re paying to cover. Other providers require you to purchase a specific plan if you want protection for an item, such as purchasing a systems plan to cover your air conditioning system.
Read the sample contract of each provider you’re considering and pay attention to its exclusions. For example, a provider may say it covers septic systems online but excludes septic tank pumping. A bit of additional research can save you from spending extra on coverage options that won’t fit your situation.
So, you’ve found the right home warranty company that covers your home appliances and systems at a price you can afford. You then discover that the company provides minimal payouts for your broken item.
Since coverage limits are an integral factor in deciding on a home warranty, we rated companies based on their individual coverage limits for covered appliances, systems and add-ons.
First American Home Warranty and AHS scored perfect ratings in this category; First American slightly edged out AHS because of its higher appliance caps. The table below shows each provider’s rating and coverage limits.
Based on the sample contracts for the 15 companies we reviewed, most have coverage limits that range from $500 to $2,000 per claim. First American and AHS exceed those limits for both appliances and systems.
However, some providers don’t pay out their coverage limits on a per-claim basis but rather as an aggregate total. This means that the company will pay up to that total for each covered item.
For example, say you file a claim for a built-in microwave, and your provider’s aggregate limit is $500. You’re responsible for the additional cost if your microwave’s repair or replacement exceeds $500.
You can find a provider’s per-item coverage limits within their service contract. Many providers display sample versions on their websites. Ensure that the coverage limits meet or exceed the cost of replacing your items.
When purchasing a home warranty, it’s not just about finding the lowest price. We looked for companies offering a low average price and solid coverage for core appliances and systems.
2-10 earned a perfect score for price, closely followed by LHG and Select Home Warranty. The table below shows our ratings plus each company’s average monthly and annual premiums.
Based on our comparison of each home warranty company’s basic plan, 2-10 is the best provider for price because of its low monthly premiums and service call fees. An annual 2-10 plan could cost less than replacing a standard home appliance, such as your refrigerator. A fridge replacement could cost from $584 to $10,929, based on appliance retail costs from five major brands.
You can expect to pay an average of $564 annually (or $41 per month) for an entry-level plan, according to our national average. You’ll pay an average of $927 (or $77 per month) for a comprehensive policy.
You also need to factor in service call fees, which you pay every time you file a claim. On average, providers charge $99 per service fee. For example, if you purchase an entry-level plan and file two claims, you’ll pay $762 for the year.
However, the value of a home warranty might not become apparent until you need to use it. For example, if your air conditioner breaks down in July, extreme heat becomes a potential health hazard unless you can repair or replace it quickly.
You can maximize your savings by purchasing an annual plan. Providers offering annual plans tend to reduce the overall price or offer additional months of coverage.
With a reliable home warranty in place, you can lean on the provider to handle the job’s logistics — such as contacting the technician and shipping the AC unit. Without a home warranty, you’d be responsible for everything, which could be time-consuming and stressful.
We surveyed 1,000 homeowners in November 2023, and 40% of them said they signed up for a home warranty after dealing with an expensive breakdown. Weigh your home warranty premium against the potential cost of replacing or repairing major systems and appliances.
Below is a list of appliance and system life expectancies and replacement costs. Life expectancy data is from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Appliance replacement costs reflect the ranges of listed retail prices for five major manufacturers: GE, LG, Maytag, Samsung and Whirlpool. System replacement costs reflect Home Depot pricing.
Home warranty companies build their reputations on getting a repair or replacement job done well and efficiently. Their mission is — or should be — to resolve household breakdowns as inexpensively as possible and with limited stress for the homeowner.
Based on our research, LHG and Elite have the best provider reputations. Both companies have average ratings of 4 out of 5 stars or higher on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot and Google Reviews. These sites give us a glimpse of the experiences real customers have with a provider, whether positive or negative.
Elite is one of only three home warranty companies we’ve reviewed with a BBB rating of A.
The chart below shows how our top providers did based on the reputation subscores in our home warranty review standards. Note that LHG and Elite earned a perfect 5-star rating.
Customer ratings are subjective, of course. Most consumers post complaints, not praise, on review sites.
We sought context for providers’ reputations. Our home warranty survey asked homeowners what home warranty provider they currently had.
AHS, which claims to have “invented the home warranty industry” in 1971, was the most popular selection with 27.1%. This result seems counterintuitive based on the unfavorable customer ratings AHS has drawn on consumer review sites such as Trustpilot and BBB.
Filter the customer reviews listed in the third-party review site to “most recent.” This allows you to see if the company has recent negative reviews.
However, the apparent contradiction illustrates why you should read customer reviews to seek complaint patterns rather than assigning too much weight to a letter grade or star rating.
If you see that customers consistently complain about rejected home warranty claims, ask your customer service representative for an explanation. If they are evasive or blame the customers, it’s a red flag. If they acknowledge the problem and explain their steps to solve it, that’s a good sign.
While most home warranty companies aim to provide satisfactory service, some bad players exist in the industry. Spotting a negligent company is easy if you know what to look for.
Pierce Haley, Esq., executive director of the National Home Service Contract Association, recommends starting online with consumer reviews and seeking word-of-mouth recommendations.
“You can find one that’s a local, you can find one that’s a national company, but the bottom line is read your contract,” Haley said. “Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are complaints against those companies, and then also talk to your friends and neighbors to find out what companies they use and which ones they’ve gotten a great experience from.”
Below is a list of common red flags to be aware of when researching home warranty companies and how to spot them.
Common red flags
Customer service in the home warranty industry is measured by response time, workmanship, availability and flexibility.
Our research shows that 2-10 and Cinch Home Service are the two top providers for customer service — the only two companies to score 5 out of 5 stars on our customer service review standards. Check out our ratings in the chart below.
The most important customer service factor for many consumers with home warranty coverage is how quickly a provider can resolve a repair or a replacement job. The average time needed to resolve a home warranty claim for a repair or replacement was 21 days, according to our survey.
Two companies stood out in our survey results. AHS averaged 12 days to resolve repair jobs, and LHG averaged 10 days to resolve claims requiring an appliance or home system replacement.
The sales representative who offers you a deal and handles your sign-up will not be the person helping you with claims. Still, you should expect the same courtesy and level of service throughout your experience with a provider.
Workmanship guarantees are another important measurement of customer service. These typically cover mistakes made by the service technicians or installers. The average guarantee is 30 days, so anything longer than that is a bonus.
We found that 2-10 offers the most generous workmanship guarantee available — coverage that extends to the life of the plan. Cinch offers a 180-day workmanship guarantee.
One of the most common customer complaints we’ve seen on review sites is a pattern of rejected claims. Sometimes, homeowners miss details in their home warranty plans and file claims the service provider is not obligated to cover. Therefore, you must become familiar with which repairs are covered for your systems and appliances.
Below is a comparison of the claims approval rate for 10 of the leading home warranty companies. While Cinch earned high marks overall for customer service, its 68% claims approval rate among our survey respondents placed it at the bottom.
2-10 (96%) and AHS (94%) led the way.
We asked three experts to share their insights about common home repairs and maintenance along with what to look for when choosing a home warranty.
"The most common home repairs will occur on kitchen appliances and HVAC systems. Kitchens and bathrooms age about every 10 years. Other common home repairs are on the roof and the deck."
"For newer homes, drywall nail 'pops' and paint touch ups are probably the most common and are fairly simple to address.
In homes older than 10 years old, you can expect appliances, water heaters and HVAC systems to show their age."
"One thing people don't do enough of is ask to see examples of a contractor's work in person.
Some contractors are better craftsmen and are more detailed than others. You don’t want to be surprised by the finished product in your home. You should be aligned on the quality you expect of the contractor’s work well before they start on a project — simply looking at pictures of their work won’t suffice.
Make sure you check with the state to verify there are no licensing issues or complaints."
"When you find a contractor, there is no substitute for talking to their past clients and seeing their work.
Beyond that, a couple of good measures of a professional contractor include ‘Are they members of a professional organization like the National Association of Home Builders and the Chamber of Commerce?’ ‘Do they have proof they are licensed and insured?’"
"Proper home maintenance is mostly common sense. Do your maintenance. There are a lot of little things you can do to lessen the risk of costly repairs: change furnace filters, clean your roof and even proper landscaping are some examples."
"Keep the ground around your foundation at a consistent moisture level and change the filters on your HVAC system. If you're a bit more obsessive about repairs, find a home maintenance checklist online to tell you what needs to be done and when."
"Homeowners should expect to pay about 1% of the house value in maintenance and repairs, on average. And if labor prices continue to rise, this rule-of-thumb might underestimate actual costs.
Once you’ve finished your research, it’s time to use your knowledge to choose the right home warranty. The best company for you is the one that offers the coverage you need at a price you can afford.
The best way to know what company or companies meet those criteria is to request quotes from multiple home warranty providers. We recommend Liberty Home Guard as a top home warranty provider that combines affordability, extensive coverage options and excellent customer service.
Home warranties typically don’t cover routine maintenance, commercial property, damage caused outside normal wear and tear, appliance removal and disposal fees, or tampering from the homeowner. We recommend reading your provider’s sample contract to determine what it covers or doesn’t cover before signing your policy.
Wear and tear describes the deterioration of an appliance or system due to regular use over time. Home warranty companies will send in-network technicians to determine if your issue fits this category. Unless otherwise noted in the provider’s sample contract, it will likely exclude breakdowns caused by preexisting conditions and improper installation.
A home insurance policy covers items in your home damaged by theft, natural disasters or storms. A home warranty plan covers items in your home that fail due to normal wear and tear. Both policies could significantly reduce out-of-pocket repair costs because they provide complimentary coverage.
This varies by provider. Most providers cover single-family homes, mobile homes, condos and townhomes. Multifamily homes and apartment complexes are usually not covered. Home warranties also cover rental properties.
The best way to avoid a claim denial from your home warranty is to read and understand the provider’s sample contract. Knowing what it covers and excludes can save you time and sanity when filing a claim. Also, perform routine maintenance on your home items and keep track of any maintenance documentation since some companies ask for this.
We research and rate home warranty providers to help you choose the right one for your budget and home. Our research includes gathering customer insights via consumer surveys, interviewing industry experts, secret shopping all of the companies we review and analyzing customer reviews from third-party review sites such as Trustpilot and BBB.
We compare home warranty providers across the following five categories:
Read our full home warranty company methodology for more information.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
On average, home warranties cost $94 per month and $1,033 per year. We obtained these averages via our November 2023 survey of 1,000 homeowners. We also pulled quotes from many of the home warranty companies we’ve reviewed to calculate national averages, although this yielded lower numbers — $59 per month and $703 per year. Note…
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