Worst Home Warranty Companies (2024)

Monthly cost: $29–$89

We recommend American Home Shield (AHS) for homeowners seeking protection for their older homes, systems, or appliances. It’s one of the few providers that offers coverage for preexisting conditions and physical damage, which most companies in this review exclude.

We scored American Home Shield 4.4 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how we rated it in key categories.

• Coverage (4.7 out of 5): AHS scored high for its comprehensive coverage, even for damaged items.
• Value (4 out of 5): AHS lost points for its bundled plan pricing, which is slightly higher than other providers.
• Trustworthiness and Transparency (4.25 out of 5): AHS lost points for its lower customer review scores, which fall below a 3-star average.
• Availability and Service (4.7 out of 5): AHS earned a high score for its prompt claim process and 24/7 claims line.

American Home Shield offers three plans: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum. After reading the American Home Shield sample contract, we discovered the company includes a $5,000 coverage cap for systems, one of the highest in this review. Its highest plan, ShieldPlatium, includes roof-leak coverage as part of its standard coverage. Many home warranty companies only offer this coverage as an add-on feature. The company also offers coverage for items with preexisting conditions and damage from rust, corrosion, and sediment.

Here are details on each of American Home Shield’s plans:

• ShieldSilver: This system-only plan includes major home systems, such as heating, cooling, and electrical.
• ShieldGold: The next plan covers major systems and appliances, such as garbage disposals, plumbing, and water heaters.
• ShieldPlatinum: The highest plan offers ShieldGold coverage and adds additional benefits, such as roof-leak repairs and HVAC tune-ups.

AHS charges slightly higher for its plans compared to other providers including LHG and Select Home Warranty. AHS’s online quote tool lets us toggle between service call fees of $100 or $125. We noticed that when we chose the higher service call fee, our monthly payment lowered and vice versa. Unlike LHG, AHS only offers monthly pricing for its plans.

American Home Shield provides the least add-ons with only six options. Other providers in this review, such as First American Home Warranty and AFC Home Warranty, offer 12 or more options. You’ll pay $10.00 monthly to add roof-leak coverage to your ShieldSilver or ShieldGold plan. Additional add-on selections include the following items:

• Electronics protection plan
• Pools and built-in spa equipment  
• Septic pumps

One of our team members tested the AHS claims process and said he found it very efficient. He said he received a text and email confirmation immediately after submitting his online claim. Five minutes later, the service technician connected with him to schedule a next-day appointment. Our team member said the repairs took two hours, and he only paid the service call fee.

AHS customer reviews also praised the company for its quick claims turnaround time and courteous technicians. Other homeowners were disappointed with the high number of denied claims and the need for multiple technician visits to accomplish a single repair job.

Monthly cost: $42–$82

We recommend First American Home Warranty if you own high-end appliances due to its high appliance coverage caps. The company also offers a suite of add-ons plus a plan upgrade that covers miscellaneous fees home warranties typically don’t cover.

We scored First American Home Warranty 4.6 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how we rated it in key categories.

• Coverage (4.7 out of 5): First American scored well for its high appliance and unlimited systems coverage caps. 
• Value (4 out of 5): First American lost points for its slightly higher service call fees. 
• Trustworthiness and Transparency (4.8 out of 5): The company scored well for its excellent reputation and 3-star average customer reviews. 
• Availability and Service (4.3 out of 5): First American lost points for its restrictive service technician policy.

First American Home Warranty offers three plans: the Starter Plan, the Essential Plan, and the Premium Plan. We reviewed First American’s sample contract and noted that although most systems receive unlimited caps, water heaters max out at $1,000. First American is the only provider offering comprehensive plans, while other companies offer a mix of specialized and comprehensive protection.

Some essential home systems and appliances, such as air conditioners and clothes washers and dryers, don’t come with the Starter Plan’s basic coverage. Other providers in this review include these key systems in their standard plans. You can add central AC coverage as an add-on, but you must choose a higher plan for washer and dryer protection. You can also add the First American Upgrade to the Essential and Premium plans for added protection for preexisting conditions. It’s the only provider, besides AHS, that offers these protections.

Here are more details about First American’s plan coverage:

• Starter Plan: The lowest plan offers appliance and system coverage for some major items, such as built-in microwaves, heating systems, and refrigerators.
• Essential Plan: The next plan tier includes Starter Plan items, plus air conditioning, ceiling/attic/exhaust fans, and clothes washers and dryers.
• Premium Plan: The highest covers all items in the Essential Plan, plus luxury appliances, roof leaks, and window air conditioning units

First American plans are slightly higher, with pricing closer to American Home Shield. It offers $75, $100, or $125 service call fees for better pricing customization. Our sample quote included the highest service fee, which helped lower our plan costs.

First American includes 12 add-on options, including roof-leak protection for $8.33 per month, lower than some providers. Expect to pay $8.33 per month when adding roof-leak coverage for the Starter Plan and Essential Plan. You can add the First American upgrade to the Essential and Premium Plan at no charge.

First American offers the following add-on coverage:

• HVAC tune-ups
• Up to three additional refrigerators
• Up to two pools/spa equipment

Our team member used First American to repair a broken garage door opener. He said the claim process took less than two minutes to complete online. After submitting his online claim on a Friday, he received a text with his technician’s information 30 minutes later. The technician contacted our team member to set a repair appointment for the following Monday. His repairs took less than 30 minutes, and he only paid the service call fee.

We also read online reviews to get a complete picture of the First American customer experience. Homeowners complemented the skilled technicians and less-than-24-hour claims processing. First American fell short with several homeowners concerning faulty repairs and low-quality replacement parts.

Monthly cost: $49–$59

We recommend Liberty Home Guard for homeowners with specific coverage needs. The company offers item-specific and comprehensive coverage plans and over 40 add-ons, more than any other provider we reviewed.

We scored Liberty Home Guard 4.5 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how LHG rated in key categories:

• Coverage (4.7 out of 5): LHG scored high for its extensive add-on catalog and plan coverage. 
• Value (4.25 out of 5): LHG lost points for its unclear service fee policy and inflexible fee options. 
• Trustworthiness and Transparency (4.8 out of 5): LHG scored high due to its A rating with Better Business Bureau (BBB) and excellent third-party customer review scores. 
• Availability and Service (4.3 out of 5): LHG lost points for its inflexible service contractor policy.

Liberty Home Guard offers three service plan options: Appliance Guard, Systems Guard, and Total Home Guard. Most home warranty companies offer at least three plans to offer better variety. After reviewing the Liberty Home Guard sample contract, we discovered the company offers $2,000 caps for most appliances and systems, which falls within the industry standard. However, electrical and plumbing systems only receive $500, which is lower than other companies, except for Select Home Warranty. All covered repairs include a 60-day workmanship guarantee, double the 30-day industry standard.

We detailed LHG’s coverage plans below:

• Appliance Guard: This appliance-only plan covers nine major appliances, such as dishwashers, clothes washers, and dryers. 
• Systems Guard: Its system-only plan includes six essential built-in systems, such as air conditioning, heating, ductwork, and water heaters. 
• Total Home Guard: The highest plan tier combines the Appliance Guard and Systems Guard for comprehensive home coverage.

Liberty Home Guard offers midrange pricing for its monthly and annual plans. Unlike providers with flexible service call fees, LHG assigns a service call fee to your account based on your plan, add-on selections, and location. When we ran a sample quote for LHG, the expected service call fees were not mentioned during our sign-up process. According to the representative we spoke with, service fees range from $65–$125 and are revealed after completing the sign-up.

Liberty Home Guard offers 42 add-on options, including unique protection such as floor cleaning and generator coverage. Most providers only offer eight to 12 add-on options.  The company offers midrange pricing, ranging from $3.00 to $35.99 per month. Popular coverage options include the following items:

• Limited roof-leak protection
• Professional series appliances
• Window washing/cleaning

When we called for a sample quote, we connected with an LHG representative in under 30 seconds. The online chat feature works quickly, but we were initially connected to an automated bot. We had to ask to speak to an agent twice before being connected to a real person. We also learned that LHG will send one of its in-network service technicians to repair your appliances. The company will let you select your own if no technicians are in your area.

Reviewing hundreds of LHG customer reviews shed light on the fact that many customers appreciated the efficient claims process and helpful staff. However, negative reviews pointed out the company’s “hidden” depreciated value clause and lower-than-expected payouts. We recommend reviewing sample contracts thoroughly to understand a company’s exclusions and policy details.

Monthly cost: $44–$47

We recommend Select Home Warranty for budget-conscious homeowners looking for baseline home warranty protections. The company offers plans priced below $50 per month and free roof-leak coverage. 

We scored Select Home Warranty 4.3 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how we rated it in key categories.

• Coverage (3.7 out of 5): Select rated low for its coverage caps, which fall well below the industry standard.
• Value (5.5 out of 5): Select earned a perfect score for its affordable plan pricing.    
• Trustworthiness and Transparency (4.5 out of 5): We deducted points for its low review scores across multiple third-party review sites.
• Availability and Service (4.3 out of 5): Select scored lower in this category for its longer claims processing time frame.

Select Home Warranty offers three plan options: Bronze Care, Gold Care, and Platinum Care. Select stands out by offering roof-leak repair coverage in each protection plan. We also noted in Select Home Warranty’s sample contract that the company offers a generous $3,000 cap for HVAC systems but only $500 for all other items. These caps fall well below other reviewed companies, including AHS and AFC Home Warranty,  and the industry standard.

Here are more details about Select Home Warranty’s plans:

• Bronze Care: The lowest plan covers major appliances only, such as clothes washers and dryers, garbage disposals, refrigerators, and cooktops.
• Gold Care: This plan covers six major home systems, such as air conditioning, heating, plumbing, electrical systems, water heaters, and ductwork. 
• Platinum Care: Its highest plan covers all the appliances and built-in systems in the Bronze and Gold Care plans, plus garage door openers, plumbing stoppages, and ceiling fans.

Select offers low-cost pricing for annual and monthly plans. The company charges a $60–$75 service call fee per claim, less than other providers such as AHS. However, similar to LHG, you cannot choose your service call fee. We discovered via secret shopping that Select offers its lower service call fee as an over-the-phone deal only.

Select offers nine add-on options priced $9 and lower, well below most competitors. For example, you can add pool coverage for $8.33 per month versus $20 or more with other providers. However, coverage caps are lower than other providers, offering only $400 of protection. Select add-on coverage options include the below items:

• Central vacuums
• Septic pumps 
• Stand-alone freezers

When we spoke with Select customer service representatives, we learned that the company prefers resolving plan issues and processing claims over the phone. We also discovered that Select will assign a service technician from its network of contractors. If no technicians are in your area, the company will let you choose your own. However, the company must approve the choice before the repair process begins.

Reading online reviews told us that homeowners appreciated Select’s user-friendly claims process and helpful sales staff. Unfortunately, several customers noted poor customer service, including long wait times and frequent denied claims.