6 Best-in-Class Home Warranties of 2024: Costs, Coverage, Ratings

The best home warranty providers offer a variety of coverage options, transparent pricing, good customer support and large coverage caps on customer claims. Your best option depends on your anticipated home repair needs and what’s most important to you.

Best overall: Liberty Home Guard

Several factors help Liberty Home Guard claim the title for best overall home warranty, including plan options, allowing customers to choose their own technicians and high customer satisfaction ratings.

What we like

With system-only, appliance only and comprehensive plans, customers can choose the coverage they want without paying for coverage they don’t need. Plans also include coverage for more items than many competitors’ plans. One aspect that stands out for Liberty Home Guard is its customer ratings, which are higher on average than many of the other home warranty companies we’ve researched. It’s also available in all 50 states.

What we don’t like

Liberty’s coverage limit is only $500 each for electrical and plumbing, which is relatively low compared to competitors. Although the company guarantees a technician’s work for 60 days, which is more than some competitors, it’s not the longest guarantee we’ve seen. And the company won’t pay to repair a wall, floor or ceiling if a technician has to cut into one to repair a covered system.

Liberty Home Guard offers three plans:

• Appliance Guard: Covers appliances such as your refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, and clothes washer and dryer. 

• Systems Guard: Covers air conditioning, heating, electrical, plumbing and ductwork.

• Total Home Guard: Covers both appliances and systems.

Best for inclusive coverage: American Home Shield

Most home warranty companies don’t pay for repairs if a covered item malfunctions because of a lack of maintenance; American Home Shield, however, does. This little bit of extra coverage might come in handy for homeowners who aren’t skilled at routine maintenance on systems and appliances or don’t have years of maintenance records to provide.

What we like

American Home Shield can offer competitively low monthly premiums in some areas, making it more affordable for some customers than its competitors. The company has higher coverage limits than many other home warranty companies, paying up to $5,000 for HVAC systems, $3,000 each for electrical and plumbing and $2,000 to $4,000 per appliance, depending on your plan. It’ll also pay up to $1,000 to repair ceilings, floors or walls that technicians cut through during repairs, which is relatively high in the industry. You can also hire your own technician if the company approves your request in advance.

What we don’t like

AHS monthly premiums can vary widely between ZIP codes, and two customers living in the same city can pay a difference of $30 for the same plan. The company only offers a short 30-day repair guarantee and its customer satisfaction ratings are on the low side among companies we’ve researched.

American Home Shield offers three plans:

• ShieldSilver: Covers heating, air conditioning, electrical and plumbing.

• ShieldGold: Covers items included in ShieldSilver, plus kitchen appliances and a washer and dryer.

• ShieldPlatinum: Covers items included in ShieldGold with a higher coverage cap, plus roof leak repairs; comes with a few other benefits.

Best for high coverage limits: First American Home Warranty

Most home warranties have limits on what they’ll pay toward certain repairs, but First American Home Warranty’s unlimited coverage makes it unique. The company has no cap on HVAC, electrical and plumbing repairs (except for the water heater), which means it’ll pay a repair bill regardless of the cost if it approves your claim.

What we like

Aside from repairs without coverage caps, First American Home Warranty has three service fee options customers can choose from when purchasing a plan: $75, $100 and $125. The higher the service fee, the lower the monthly premium. This lets customers tailor the monthly cost to their budget.

Even though First American does cap how much it’ll pay toward appliance repairs, its limit is $3,500 to $7,000 per appliance, depending on the plan, which is high compared to competitors. The company also repairs walls, floors and ceilings to a rough finish if a contractor has to cut through one and concrete if it’s damaged during a repair (though the limit for this service is based on your plan).

What we don’t like

In its cheapest plan, First American Home Warranty includes heating systems and ductwork,but not coverage for air conditioning systems. It also has a big difference in customer satisfaction depending on the source, with over four stars with Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs but only 1.77 out of 5 stars with the Better Business Bureau. The company doesn’t let customers choose their own repair technicians and it only provides a short 30-day repair guarantee.

First American Home Warranty has three plans:

• Starter Plan: Covers plumbing, electrical and heating systems, plus several kitchen appliances. 

• Essential Plan: Includes items covered in Starter Plan, plus air conditioning systems, water heaters and a few more appliances. 

• Premium Plan: Includes items covered in the Essential Plan plus higher-end appliances that are usually not covered and a few additional perks.

Runner-up for high coverage limits: Choice Home Warranty

Choice Home Warranty comes in second for high coverage limits, covering up to $3,000 each for HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as appliances. Although it’s not as much as First American’s coverage, it’s decently more than many of Choice’s competitors’ coverage.

What we like

Along with good coverage limits, Choice pays up to $500 toward roof leak repairs and to fix walls, floors and ceiling if a technician has to cut into them to make a covered repair. It also has service fees that are on the lower end compared with competitors, charging customers $75 to $100 per service call. The company is available in 49 states.

What we don’t like

Choice has only two plans, both of which are comprehensive, so you can’t get coverage just for appliances or systems. The company also only guarantees repairs for 30 days, a shorter time frame compared with some competitors. While Choice earns decent customer satisfaction scores on Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs, it gets low marks with Better Business Bureau.

Choice Home Warranty has two plans:

• Basic Plan: Covers heating, electrical, plumbing, water heaters and kitchen appliances except the refrigerator.

• Total Plan: Includes items in the Basic Plan, plus air conditioning, refrigerator and clothes washer and dryer. 

Best basic plan coverage: Old Republic Home Protection

When it comes to offering good coverage in the simplest way, Old Republic Home Protection does it with its Basic Plan. We like this option because it includes nearly everything a comprehensive plan should cover with a few exceptions, beating out competitors’ basic plan coverage.

What we like

Old Republic Home Protection has no limit on electrical repairs and pays up to $6,500 per system for HVAC repairs, which is above most competitors’ limits. Its appliance limit of $3,500 to $7,000 puts it ahead in the market, though actual coverage depends on your plan. You can choose your own technician if the company approves in advance, and it earns solid customer review ratings across multiple websites.

What we don’t like

The Basic Plan covers heating systems and ductwork, but it doesn’t cover issues with air conditioning systems. To get that coverage, you have to pay an extra monthly fee or move up to the Deluxe Plan. We also found that the company’s coverage limit for plumbing repairs is low, only paying $1,500 toward leaks and $600 for toilets rather than a general limit for all plumbing issues. And Old Republic only gives customers a 30-day repair guarantee.

Old Republic Home Protection has three plans:

• Basic Plan: Covers heating systems and ductwork, plumbing, most electrical systems and all major appliances, except clothes washers and dryers . 

• Deluxe Plan: Includes items covered in Basic Plan, plus air conditioning systems, faucets, showerheads, shower arms, garage door parts, remote control transmitters, key pads and washer and dryer sets. 

• Elite Plan: Includes items covered in the Deluxe Plan but increases the appliance coverage limit from $3,500 to $7,000 per appliance and includes a pre-season HVAC tune-up.

Best repair guarantee: 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty

2-10 Home Buyers Warranty comes out on top for repair guarantees by warrantying all repairs for the term of your plan. That means if it pays to repair a covered item early on in your coverage, the company will fix the item for free for the remainder of your plan if the initial repair fails. This far exceeds most home warranty repair guarantees of 30 or 60 days.

What we like

The company offers an appliance-only plan, so you can avoid paying for coverage you don’t need if you’re not worried about home systems. 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty’s service fees max out at $100, which is lower than some competitors’ fees of up to $150 per service call. The company also says on its website that it’ll contact a technician within 24 hours if an issue qualifies as an emergency.

What we don’t like

2-10’s coverage limits are comparable to several other companies’ limits, covering up to $2,000 each for air conditioning, heating, electrical and plumbing systems. However, it has specific limits for each appliance instead of the same limit for every appliance. It pays up to:

• $2,000 toward a refrigerator.

• $1,000 for a range, oven or cooktop.

• $500 toward a dishwasher.

• $500 for a built-in microwave.

The limit for a dishwasher might be a tight fit if you need a full replacement. The company doesn’t pay to repair walls, ceilings or floors if a technician has to cut into one to make a repair, and it has relatively low customer satisfaction reviews compared to its competitors.

Best for pre-existing conditions: Cinch Home Services

Cinch Home Services is one of the few home warranty companies that covers pre-existing conditions. This means it won’t deny a claim solely because a covered appliance or system has an issue that began before you purchased the home warranty plan. However, to qualify, the pre-existing condition had to be difficult for you to detect.

What we like

Cinch Home Services is the runner-up on repair guarantees — its 180-day guarantee is longer than most companies’ warranties and only second to 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty’s guarantee. If a repair technician has to damage a ceiling, wall or floor to make a plumbing repair, the company will pay up to $1,000 to fix the surface.

What we don’t like

The company’s maximum coverage for a plan’s term is $10,000, which is lower than many competitors’ total coverage. Cinch also has some of the highest service fees among the home warranty companies we’ve researched, ranging from $100 to $150 per service call. The company only repairs damage if a technician cuts into walls, floors or ceilings for a plumbing repair; if it’s an issue outside of plumbing, you’ll have to repair the surface on your own.

Cinch has three plans:

• Appliances covers kitchen appliances, including refrigerators, built-in microwaves, dishwashers, ranges, cooktops, ovens and more. It also covers washer and dryer sets.

• Built-in Systems covers major home systems, including electrical systems, plumbing systems, HVAC systems and ductwork. Items covered include water heaters, toilets, sump pumps, attic fans, ceiling fans, garage door openers, garbage disposals, instant water dispensers, doorbells, central vacuums, built-in whirlpool/jetted tubs and smoke detectors.

• Complete Home combines the Appliances and Built-in Systems coverage into one plan.

When selecting home warranty providers for inclusion in this roundup, NerdWallet considered companies with the largest market share and highest search volumes (as a proxy for consumer interest).

» MORE: Do you need a home warranty? How to decide

Other companies we considered

Although these companies didn’t make our list, they offer a variety of plan options and coverage limits.

Select Home Warranty

Select Home Warranty's low coverage caps keep it out of our top picks. It covers HVAC repairs up to $3,000 but only pays $500 toward electrical, plumbing and appliance repairs. It has three plans and charges between $75 and $100 per service claim.

Home Service Club

Home Service Club didn't earn a spot in our top picks because of its so-so coverage limits on electrical and plumbing and low customer ratings on several consumer websites. It has two plans available, which pay up to $2,000 for HVAC (combined for air conditioning and heating systems), $500 for electrical and $750 for plumbing repairs. It also covers up to $4,250 for appliance repairs, but each appliance has its own limit. Although leak repairs coverage is up to $2,000, the company only pays $200 per claim.

OneGuard Home Warranty

OneGuard is owned by American Home Shield and only provides AHS plans. While its coverage compares favorably to competitors, it didn't make our top picks because it's only available in three states.

Landmark Home Warranty

Landmark is also owned by American Home Shield and offers AHS plans. Like OneGuard, it compares favorably to the competition. But because the company only serves six states, we didn't include it in our top picks.

How do home warranties work?

A home warranty is a plan you can purchase to help cover the cost of repairing or replacing appliances or systems in your house. It is sold by a third party, not a manufacturer, and kicks in when certain items malfunction or stop working altogether. Home warranty plans usually cover appliances only, systems only or both (a comprehensive plan).

With a home warranty, you can submit a claim to have a covered item repaired or replaced. You’ll have to pay a service fee to have a technician come out, which is generally $75 to $125 per claim. Usually, the home warranty company dispatches a technician to your home within 48 hours of receiving your claim. In some cases, you have the option of choosing your own technician and getting reimbursed.

Depending on the technician’s report, the home warranty provider will approve the claim and cover the repair or replacement — up to the coverage caps defined in your plan — or deny the claim. Even if the claim is denied, you’ll still have to pay the service fee. There are several reasons a company might deny a claim, such as poor maintenance by an owner.

Unlike homeowners insurance, home warranties generally cover repairs and replacements of appliances and systems due to regular wear and tear. Homeowners insurance, by contrast, covers losses due to unforeseen events such as house fires or thefts.

» MORE: How to budget realistically for home repairs

Is a home warranty worth it?

A home warranty can be worthwhile if you:

• Anticipate steep repair or replacement expenses for your home systems and appliances due to wear and tear.

• Have systems and appliances that aren’t covered by manufacturer warranties.

• Prefer to have a third party source technicians rather than finding them on your own. 

A home warranty can minimize how much you’ll have to pay to repair or replace qualifying issues, which can save you money. However, if your appliances or systems aren’t well-maintained or have been modified, there’s a higher chance that your claims will be denied. And systems and appliances still under manufacturer warranty generally aren’t covered.

If the appliances and systems you have would be excluded for any of these reasons, it would be more cost-effective to contribute to an emergency fund rather than pay premiums on a home warranty. Or you might opt for an appliance-only or systems-only plan rather than a comprehensive plan.

Before signing up, check the service agreement and review the exclusions to make sure you’re getting the needed coverage.

» CHECK IT OUT: NerdWallet's best home warranties in California and best home warranties in Texas

How we choose the best home warranties

We research home warranty companies by comparing multiple factors, including plans, coverage limits and service agreement terms and conditions. By comparing benefits across the industry, we identify companies and plans that we believe are the best options for homeowners.

While NerdWallet has partnerships with some home warranty companies, our writers are uninvolved in the business side of those partnerships and maintain editorial independence when selecting which companies to recommend to our readers.