Best Home Warranties in Virginia 2024
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The best home warranties in Virginia give homeowners competitive premiums, service fee options, high coverage limits and good heating system coverage. We compared over 150 quotes in Virginia and read through service agreements to determine which home warranty companies offer the best plans for homeowners. So grab a Mountain Dew and let us guide you through the best home warranty options this side of the Appalachian Trail.
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How we chose the best home warranty companies in Virginia
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 Virginia homeowners.
Nerdy Tip: We rated the home warranty companies on this page based on their coverage in Virginia. If a company also offers home warranty plans in several other states, you'll see an overall rating for those offerings as well.
Best for high coverage limits: First American Home Warranty
on First American Home Warranty's website
NerdWallet rating for national coverage | 3.0 NerdWallet rating |
NerdWallet rating for Virginia coverage | 3.0 NerdWallet rating |
HVAC coverage | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
Coverage limits | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Premium cost | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
Price | $42 to $82 depending on plan. |
First American Home Warranty stands out among competitors thanks to no caps for HVAC, electrical and plumbing repairs — that means approved repairs for these items will be covered regardless of price (as long as none of the repairs meet exclusions). The company also covers between $3,500 and $7,000 for appliance repairs, depending on the plan you choose.
Why high cover limits matter. Simply put, the higher the coverage limits, the more a home warranty company will pay for an approved repair. Home warranty plans with high coverage limits give you more room for potential coverage to save you more money.
What we like about First American Home Warranty
We like that First American has three comprehensive plans for customers who want a variety of coverage, as well as two service fee options of $100 and $125 for budget-conscious consumers. The company also covers heating systems in every plan.
What we don’t like about First American Home Warranty
Because First American’s three plans are comprehensive, customers who want less coverage for specific items might find they’re paying for coverage they don’t need. The company also has mixed customer ratings on Trustpilot and Better Business Bureau and guarantees its repairs for only 30 days.
Read our full review of First American Home Warranty.
Best for single higher-cost repairs: Cinch Home Services
on Modernize's website
NerdWallet rating for national coverage | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
NerdWallet rating for Virginia coverage | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
HVAC coverage | 1.0 NerdWallet rating |
Coverage limits | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Premium cost | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Price | $32.99 to $61.99 depending on plan. |
Many home warranties limit individual repairs (such as only paying up to $3,000 for HVAC repairs) and cap total coverage, known as an aggregate limit, such as only agreeing to pay up to $25,000 for all repairs in a given year. However, Cinch Home Services doesn’t have a per-item cap; instead, the company will pay up to $10,000 for all approved repairs regardless of which type or how many that includes. This means customers are likely to get more coverage for approved repairs that come with higher price tags than they would with other home warranty companies.
Why an aggregate-only coverage limit matters. An aggregate coverage limit can give customers more room to cover more expensive repairs compared to coverage limits for individual types of repairs. If an aggregate-only plan pays more toward an expensive repair than other coverage limit plans, that means less money you have to pay out of pocket for the repair.
What we like about Cinch Home Services
Cinch offers three plans along with three service fee options of $100, $125 and $150, so you can choose which plan and service fee best fits your budget. The company also provides a 180-day repair guarantee, a much longer guarantee than many of its competitors’ coverage.
What we don’t like about Cinch Home Services
Cinch’s service fees are higher than many of its competitors’ fees, and the company aggregate limit of $10,000 is lower than some competitors’ aggregate limits. (For example, 2-10 Home Buyers has an aggregate limit of $25,000 but caps how much it pays toward certain types of repairs.) Additionally, Cinch doesn’t cover heating systems in its cheapest plan, and it has mixed customer satisfaction scores: 1.13 with Better Business Bureau and 3.9 with Trustpilot.
Read our full review of Cinch Home Services.
Best for flexible service fees: 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
on Modernize's website
NerdWallet rating for national coverage | 3.0 NerdWallet rating |
NerdWallet rating for Virginia coverage | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
HVAC coverage | 1.0 NerdWallet rating |
Coverage limits | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Premium cost | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Price | $35 to $61 depending on plan. |
Compared with competitors’ service fees, 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty offers lower service fee options that include $65, $85 and $100. As with many companies that offer flexible fees, the higher the service fee, the lower your monthly premium.
Why flexible service fees matter. Flexible service fees let you choose how much you’ll pay each time a repair technician visits your home. Your choice often adjusts your monthly premium as well, which means you can adjust your plan to better fit your budget for the term of the home warranty plan.
What we like about 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
We like that 2-10 is also competitive with its monthly premiums compared with many home warranty companies’ quotes. The company offers decent coverage limits for heating, heating, plumbing and electrical systems at $2,000 for repairs to each system. It also guarantees its repairs for the life of your service agreement.
What we don’t like about 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
Because 2-10’s cheapest plan only covers appliances, you’ll have to buy a more expensive plan if you want to cover heating system repairs. Moreover, its appliance-only plan covers fewer items than many of its competitors’ comparative coverage, and it has a mix of customer satisfaction scores online.
Read our full review of 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty.
Best for repair guarantee: AFC Home Warranty
Call AFC Home Warranty
on AFC Home Warranty's website
NerdWallet rating for Virginia coverage | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
HVAC coverage | 1.0 NerdWallet rating |
Coverage limits | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Premium cost | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Price | $29.58 to $72.16 depending on location. |
AFC Home Warranty is our pick for the best repair guarantee — the company doesn’t charge customers a service fee if an approved repair fails before the end of a contract. This is much longer than many competitors’ repair guarantees, which trend toward 30-day and 60-day guarantees.
Why a repair guarantee matters. A home warranty company’s repair guarantee keeps you from paying another service fee if an approved repair fails. So the longer the repair guarantee, the more protected you are against paying a service fee for a repeat repair.
What we like about AFC Home Warranty
AFC offers three service fee options ($75, $100 and $125) for its four plans, giving customers flexibility in their monthly premiums. The company also doesn’t limit its coverage for HVAC repairs, which can come in handy for heating system coverage.
What we don’t like about AFC Home Warranty
AFC’s website only shows two service fee options — $75 and $125 — so customers who want a quote with the $100 service fee have to call the company and speak with a representative. Additionally, the company caps its coverage limits for electrical and plumbing systems at $500 each, which is relatively low compared with many competitors’ coverage limits, and AFC’s cheapest plan doesn’t cover heating systems. The company also has low customer ratings on Trustpilot and Better Business Bureau.
Best for heating system coverage: Old Republic Home Protection
on Modernize's website
NerdWallet rating for national coverage | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
NerdWallet rating for Virginia coverage | 3.5 NerdWallet rating |
HVAC coverage | 3.0 NerdWallet rating |
Coverage limits | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Premium cost | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
Price | $45 to $85 depending on plan. |
Among the companies we’ve considered, Old Republic Home Protection wins for heating system repairs. Coverage is included in the company’s cheapest plan, which is not the case with every home warranty company, and it covers up to $6,500 in approved repairs. Additionally, coverage includes connected ductwork and the heat pump, which are major parts that could cause problems for homeowners.
Why heating system coverage matters. Some homeowners heat their homes all day during the winter, and this constant work can wear out a heating system quickly. Because HVAC repairs can cost a pretty penny, homeowners who want coverage for their heating systems will want to pay attention to HVAC coverage caps.
What we like about Old Republic Home Protection
Along with covering heating systems in its basic plan, we like that Old Republic has two service fee options of $100 and $125. The company’s basic plan also covers a decent variety of items, including systems and appliances. We also like that there's no limit for approved electrical repairs and between $3,500 and $7,000 of appliance coverage, depending on your plan. Finally, the company has good customer satisfaction scores online.
What we don’t like about Old Republic Home Protection
We don’t like that Old Republic doesn’t offer a service fee option that’s cheaper than $100, and it limits its plumbing coverage for toilets to $600. Additionally, the company offers only a 30-day repair guarantee.
Read our full review of Old Republic Home Protection.
Best systems-only plan: American Home Shield
on American Home Shield's website
NerdWallet rating for national coverage | 4.5 NerdWallet rating |
NerdWallet rating for Virginia coverage | 3.5 NerdWallet rating |
HVAC coverage | 3.0 NerdWallet rating |
Coverage limits | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Premium cost | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
Price | $29.99 to $119.99 depending on plan. |
Our pick for the best systems-only coverage is American Home Shield, which is the only company in this list that covered heating, ductwork, electrical, plumbing and water heaters in its systems-only plan. The company also pays up to $5,000 for HVAC repairs and $3,000 each for electrical and plumbing systems.
Why systems-only coverage matters. If you’re only worried about your major home systems, having the widest breadth of coverage is ideal to get the most out of your plan. Because home systems can be expensive to repair, high coverage limits are important as well.
What we like about American Home Shield
American Home Shield offers some of the most competitive monthly premiums among the companies that we considered for this list. The company also has three plans with two service fee options and competitive coverage limits that include $2,000 to $4,000 for appliances, depending on your plan.
What we don’t like about American Home Shield
American Home Shield offers competitive premiums in some areas, but the company’s quotes vary by ZIP code; this means one customer might pay as much as $30 more per month than another customer in the same city buying the same coverage. We wish American Home Shield had a service fee option that was cheaper than $100, and we don’t like that the company’s repair guarantee is for only 30 days. Additionally, American Home Shield’s customer satisfaction scores are relatively low.
Read our full review of American Home Shield.
How much does a home warranty cost in Virginia?
Our research shows that the average cost in Virginia for a home warranty is $55.57 per month plus service fees. When comparing home warranty costs in Virginia, we requested quotes from four zip codes across Virginia for the companies we considered for this review. We compared over 150 quotes for home warranty coverage in Virginia. Here are the highlights of what we found:
Average cost for a home warranty in Virginia: $55.57 per month.
Cheapest quote: $29.58 per month.
Most expensive quote: $119.99 per month.
Average cost of cheapest plan: $35.76 per month.
Average cost of highest plan: $80.36 per month.
Median cheapest plan: $34.00 per month.
Median highest plan: $77.08 per month.
Buy a home warranty in Virginia
The best home warranty for Virginia 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 Virginia, 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 Virginia.
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 Virginia. 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.