Best Home Warranties in California 2024

The best home warranties in California provide homeowners with affordable service fee options, high coverage limits and a variety of plans. We compared over 150 quotes in California and read through service agreements to find the best home warranty companies for Californians.

How we chose the best home warranty companies in California

Although most homeowners want coverage for similar items, each state brings with it a unique set of factors that can make some home warranty plans more relevant than others. Here are a few factors that we considered when choosing which home warranty companies are the best for California homeowners.

First American Home Warranty is our pick for the best option for high coverage limits — the company doesn’t have any caps for repairs to common HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. So as long as a repair is covered by your plan, First American will pay for it regardless of the price. Its only caps are for appliance repairs, which range from $3,500 to $7,000, depending on your plan.

What we like about First American Home Warranty

In addition to the company’s lack of coverage caps for home systems, we like that First American lets customers choose between two service fee options ($100 and $125). It also has three comprehensive plans and competitive premium pricing.

What we don’t like about First American Home Warranty

We wish First American had non-comprehensive plans available for customers who want more specific coverage. We don’t like that its repair guarantee is for only 30 days and that its most basic plan doesn’t cover air conditioning systems. (However, for a few dollars more a month, customers can bump up to the second-tier plan, which does cover air conditioning systems.)

Read our full review of First American Home Warranty.

We chose 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty as the best for flexible service fees because, compared with the other companies we considered for this list, it has the most options and the lowest price available for service fees. Customers can choose among $65, $85 or $100 for their service fees, and higher service fees come with lower monthly premiums.

What we like about 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty

In addition to flexible service fee options, 2-10 Home Buyers offers competitive monthly premiums compared with the other companies on our list. The company’s coverage limits are decent, covering up to $2,000 each for HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems.

What we don’t like about 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty

As an appliance-only plan, 2-10’s cheapest plan doesn’t cover air conditioning systems, which means you’ll have to buy a higher plan for HVAC coverage. Additionally, 2-10’s basic plan doesn’t cover as many items as some of its competitors’ similar plans. The company also has mixed customer ratings online.

Read our full review of 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty.

Old Republic Home Protection is at the top of this list for customer satisfaction. With a Better Business Bureau score of 3.38 and a 4.0 with Trustpilot, the company has higher ratings than many of its competitors. Satisfied customers say they appreciate Old Republic’s quick response time and knowledgeable repair contractors.

What we like about Old Republic Home Protection

We like that Old Republic offers customers a choice between two service fees ($100 and $125). The company’s cheapest plan also covers a good variety of appliances and systems compared with its competitors. Old Republic doesn’t limit coverage for approved electrical repairs and pays between $3,500 and $7,000 for approved appliance repairs, depending on your plan. The company also has good customer satisfaction scores with Trustpilot and Better Business Bureau.

What we don’t like about Old Republic Home Protection

We don’t like that Old Republic excludes air conditioning system coverage from its cheapest plan; however, you can pay an additional fee to add it to the basic plan if you don’t want to buy a more expensive plan. Additionally, Old Republic’s cheapest service fee is $100, which is higher than some of its competitors' service fees. The company also limits plumbing coverage to $600 for toilet repairs or replacements and gives customers a 30-day repair guarantee.

Read our full review of Old Republic Home Protection.

American Home Shield is our pick for the best air conditioning system coverage. As the only home warranty company on our list that covers air conditioning systems in its cheapest plan, American Home Shield pays up to $5,000 for air conditioning systems and covers repairs for every component of permanently installed systems.

What we like about American Home Shield

American Home Shield offers two service fee options for three plans, giving homeowners flexibility when it comes to finding a plan that fits their budgets. The company also covers up to $3,000 each for approved electrical and plumbing repairs and $2,000 to $4,000 for appliance repairs, depending on your plan. It also has some of the most competitive monthly premiums among the companies on this list.

What we don’t like about American Home Shield

We dislike that American Home Shield varies pricing by ZIP code (even in the same city), which means that one customer could pay as much as $30 more than another customer in the same city for the same coverage. The company’s cheapest service fee is $100, and it offers a 30-day repair guarantee, which is shorter than some of its competitors’ guarantees. Additionally, American Home Shield’s customer ratings online are relatively low.

Read our full review of American Home Shield.

Super Home Warranty takes the prize for the best comprehensive coverage among the home warranty companies on our list. The company’s coverage caps for systems and appliances is competitive, and its most basic plan covers a wide range of items. With three to four plan options (depending on where you live), customers can choose how comprehensive their plans will be.

What we like about Super Home Warranty

Super Home Warranty has impressive coverage that includes no coverage caps on HVAC and plumbing repairs, up to $5,000 for electrical repairs and $3,000 each for appliances. The company’s Lux plan, which is the most expensive, removes the cap on electrical repair coverage and increases appliance coverage to $10,000. Super Home Warranty’s only service fee price is $75, which is cheaper than many competitors’ fee options.

What we don’t like about Super Home Warranty

Super Home Warranty’s cheapest comprehensive plan doesn’t cover air conditioning systems; however, customers can get the next tier of coverage, which includes air conditioning coverage, for a slightly more expensive monthly premium. Additionally, our research shows that some customers are offered three plans, and other customers are offered four plan options. The company’s repair guarantee is for only 30 days, and it has mixed customer satisfaction reviews — 3.4 on Trustpilot and 2.6 with Better Business Bureau.

How much does a home warranty cost in California?

Our research shows that the average cost in California for a home warranty is $65.97 per month plus service fees. When comparing home warranty costs in California, we requested quotes from four zip codes across California for the companies we considered for this review. We compared over 150 quotes for home warranty coverage in California. Here are the highlights of what we found:

• Average cost for a home warranty in California: $65.97 per month.

• Cheapest quote: $29.99 per month.

• Most expensive quote: $169.00 per month.

• Average cost of cheapest plan: $42.66 per month.

• Average cost of highest plan: $100.33 per month.

• Median cheapest plan: $40.50 per month.

• Median highest plan: $91.00 per month.

Buying a home warranty in California

The best home warranty for California homeowners depends on several factors. Most homeowners need to consider their budgets, which items they want covered, how much they can afford in service fees for each technician visit and what coverage limits they’re comfortable with.

You pay a monthly premium and a service fee. You'll pay a premium every month but only a service fee when a technician visits your home. Not all companies charge service fees in California, but they can be as high as $150 per service call.

Home warranties don't cover every repair. Similar to how homeowners insurance excludes certain repairs, homeowners warranties don't pay to fix everything. Your service contract should clearly outline what isn't covered by your plan, and some companies might have coverage specific to California.

Most home warranty plans typically cover appliances and systems. Comprehensive coverage usually covers a mix of certain appliances and major systems, but which items are covered vary by plan. Some companies offer appliance-only and systems-only plans for more limited but specific coverage.

Home warranties usually don’t cover natural disaster damage in California. It’s uncommon for home warranty companies to repair covered items that experience weather-related damage, such as appliances affected by floods. This is usually covered by homeowners insurance and clearly stated in home warranty agreements as an exclusion.

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