Many homeowners dread the thought of plumbing disasters — and a home warranty can help give you peace of mind, especially if you don’t have the savings to cover an unexpected expense from a home system or appliance breakdown.
While homeowners insurance may step in when catastrophic water damage results from a plumbing issue, a home warranty will fill in the gaps of homeowners insurance. These gaps include breakdowns of systems and appliances like your air conditioner or dishwasher, and the plans can help alleviate the financial burden of needed repairs that result from malfunctions due to normal wear and tear.
We at the Home Media reviews team have thoroughly researched the best home warranty companies across the industry, evaluating factors such as affordability, coverage for plumbing items and industry reputation. With this information, we have confidently arrived at the best home warranty companies for your home’s plumbing.
The 4 Best Home Warranty Companies for Plumbing
Here are the top home warranty providers for plumbing concerns:
Compare the Best Home Warranty Companies for Plumbing
See how the best home warranty companies for plumbing compare on key metrics.
*Range demonstrates the least expensive plan to the most expensive plan.
**A service fee is a one-time payment typically between $60 and $125, with some fees as high as $150. This fee covers the service you receive and is typically paid directly to your service contractor.
Note: All pricing information used in this article is pulled from sample quotes that we at the Home Media reviews team obtained for a single-family home smaller than 5,000 square feet in Toms River, N.J. Your quote may be different depending on the location of your home, the square footage of your home and your coverage selections, so we recommend requesting a quote from a few different companies to compare plan pricing in your area.
American Home Shield
Availability: 49 (all but Alaska)
Year founded: 1971
American Home Shield (AHS) is one of the oldest home warranty providers in the industry. AHS stands out for its comprehensive policies, high coverage caps on built-in systems and appliances, and its coverage for roof-leak repairs when you enroll in ShieldPlatinum.
3 Things to Know About American Home Shield
- Roof-leak coverage up to $1,500: AHS will cover roof-leak repairs up to $1,500 when you select ShieldPlatinum.
- Rust and corrosion coverage: Unlike many other providers, AHS covers damage due to rust and corrosion.
- Generous coverage caps: AHS does not impose coverage caps on built-in systems. Coverage for appliances is capped at $3,000 with ShieldGold and $6,000 with ShieldPlatinum.
Plans and Coverage
All three of AHS’s plans cover plumbing. ShieldSilver is AHS’ systems-exclusive plan, and ShieldGold and ShieldPlatinum expand upon that coverage by including home appliances. AHS’s plumbing coverage includes interior plumbing lines, toilets, faucets and valves, whirlpool tub motors and water heaters.
AHS’s add-on options include the following items:
- Electronics Protection Plan
- Pool or spa
- Guest unit up to 750 square feet
- Septic pump
- Well pump
Cost
According to our quote, AHS’s prices range from $55–$100 per month. Your quoted price will depend on the plan you select, your location and your chosen service call fee.
Get a quote: To request a free quote from American Home Shield, fill out this quick quote form or call 844-529-9298.
To learn more: American Home Shield review
Liberty Home Guard
Availability: 48 (all but Washington and Wisconsin)
Year founded: 2019
Liberty Home Guard was founded in 2019. Despite its relatively recent entry into the industry, Liberty Home Guard stands out by offering an accessible customer service experience and dozens of unique add-on options.
3 Things to Know About Liberty Home Guard
- $2,000 coverage cap per covered item: Liberty Home Guard will provide up to $2,000 in coverage for each covered item, including plumbing.
- Live-chat customer service: Customers can reach out to customer service with the convenient live-chat feature built directly into its website.
- 30 add-on options: Customers can choose from 30 add-on options, including coverage for septic system pumping, sump pumps, well pumps and plumbing fixtures.
Plans and Coverage
Liberty Home Guard’s three plans include Appliance Guard, Systems Guard and Total Home Guard. Appliance and Systems Guard exclusively cover appliances and systems, respectively. Total Home Guard packages the two plans into a comprehensive plan.
Liberty’s extensive list of add-on options includes the following items:
- Pool and spa
- Sump pump
- Well pump
- Central vacuum
- Additional spa
- Septic system pumping
- Stand-alone freezer
- Limited roof-leak coverage
- Lighting fixtures
- Re-key services
- Gutter cleaning
- Pest control
- Floor and carpet cleaning
- Water softener
- Lawn sprinkler system
- Electronics protection
- Swamp cooler
- Ejector pump
- Second refrigerator
- Trash compactor
- In-fridge ice maker
- Freestanding ice maker
- Wine cooler/fridge
- Saltwater pool
- Generator
- Plumbing fixtures
- Grinder pump
- Water dispenser water line
- Instant hot water dispenser
- Reverse osmosis system
Read more
Cost
Liberty Home Guard will assign a service call fee between $65 and $125. Unfortunately, Liberty Home Guard is not very transparent about how service call fees are assigned or how a customer can find out their assigned service call fee before purchasing a policy. We were told that customers can reach out to an agent during the quote process for additional information.
Your assigned service call fee will depend on your location, service call fee and add-on options. According to our quote, the plans are between $45 and $55 per month.
Get a quote: To request a quick quote from Liberty Home Guard, fill out this simple LHG quote form.
To learn more: Liberty Home Guard review
America’s 1st Choice Home Club
Availability: 49 (all but Hawaii)
Year founded: 2009
America’s 1st Choice Home Club (AFC Home Club) stands out for its impressive plan variety. Customers can choose from four plans, which is more than the typical two or three plans offered by the competition. AFC Home Club customers can also benefit from additional perks, such as free credit alerting monitoring and flexible service call fees.
3 Things to Know About America’s 1st Choice Home Club
- Up to $500 for plumbing systems: According to AFC Home Club’s service agreement, plumbing problems — such as visible interior leaks and breaks of water supply pipes — are covered up to $500.
- Up to $200 for plumbing stoppages: AFC Home Club will cover plumbing stoppages up to $200, and these costs will be deducted from the total plumbing allowance of $500.
- Flexible service call fees: Customers can adjust their monthly fees to fit their budget by choosing a $75, $100 or $125 service call fee.
Plans and Coverage
AFC Home Club offers four plans, three of which cover plumbing systems. The Platinum Plan takes plumbing coverage one step further by covering faucets and plumbing stoppages.
AFC Home Club’s add-on options include the following items:
- Tankless water heater
- In-ground pool
- Stand-alone freezer
- Sump pump
- Double oven
- Central vacuum
- Ice maker
- Hot water dispenser
- Septic system
- Well pump
- Built-in microwave (included in Platinum Plan)
Cost
According to our quote, you can expect to pay between $36 and $50 for plumbing coverage. Your monthly costs will depend on your service call fee selection, plan and home’s location.
Get a quote: To request a quote from AFC Home Club, fill out this quick quote form.
To learn more: AFC Home Club review
Select Home Warranty
Availability: 46 (all but Nevada, New Mexico, Washington and Wisconsin)
Year founded: 2012
Select Home Warranty is a budget-friendly home warranty provider with plans less than $50 per month, including roof-leak protection and a guaranteed quick response to the claims it receives. Select’s Platinum Care plan covers 16 built-in systems and appliances, including plumbing stoppages.
3 Things to Know About Select Home Warranty
- Up to $500 in plumbing coverage: Select will provide up to $500 in coverage for plumbing issues.
- Quick response: Customers will receive a response to their claim within 24 hours.
- Plans less than $50: Select’s plans range from $41–$47 per month.
Plans and Coverage
Select Home Warranty offers three plan options: Bronze Care, Gold Care and Platinum Care. Bronze Care covers appliances such as your laundry machines. Gold Care covers systems such as your heating and plumbing. Platinum Care combines all the items covered into one package and adds coverage for your plumbing stoppages and garage door opener.
Select offers optional coverage for the following items:
- Central vacuum
- Lawn sprinkler system
- Pool
- Septic system
- Spa
- Stand-alone freezer
- Sump pump
- Well pump
Cost
Select charges a $75 service call fee when you file a claim. Based on our quote, you can expect to pay $41 per month for systems-only or appliance-only coverage and $47 per month for combination coverage.
Get a quote: To request a personalized quote from Select Home Warranty, fill out this simple Select Home form or call 888-370-3956.
To learn more: Select Home Warranty review
The Bottom Line
The Home Media reviews team has carefully selected and vetted all the providers featured on this list. When making your final selection, we recommend that you request a quote and read the sample contracts for at least three providers to compare and contrast available plans and pricing for your specific situation. Your needs will depend on the age of your plumbing, the state of its maintenance history and your reason for seeking home warranty protection. It is also beneficial to speak to a customer service representative directly to answer any lingering questions or concerns before choosing your policy.
We recommend that you start by requesting quotes from American Home Shield and Select Home Warranty. American Home Shield doesn’t stipulate a coverage cap on built-in systems, such as your plumbing. Select Home Warranty offers affordable plans and a quick claim response time within 12 business hours.
Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Home Warranty Companies
Our consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information — as such, we create a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best home warranty companies. This system accounts for a wide range of ranking factors, and we collect data on dozens of home warranty providers to grade the companies on each factor. The end result is a cumulative score for each provider — companies that score the most points top the list.
To ensure our research is as thorough as possible, we call every major home warranty provider directly and speak with representatives to get quotes, specifics on coverage options, availability based on location and additional information. We also review sample contracts to better understand what each plan covers and to identify limitations. In addition, we simulate the process of reaching out to each company’s customer service team to evaluate their level of helpfulness and ability to solve problems.
Once we gather all relevant data, we use the following scoring system to grade each home warranty company on a 100-point scale:
- Overall plan options (25 points possible): Companies that offer a variety of plan options are more likely to meet consumer needs. Thus, we award more points to providers that offer more plans and greater flexibility.
- Cost (25 points possible): Monthly fees and service fees are both taken into consideration. The lower the fees, the higher the score.
- Trust (25 points possible): We analyze customer feedback on third-party review sites to gauge the reputation of each company. We deduct points for companies that are currently facing or have recently faced civil lawsuits.
- Customer service (10 points possible): We base this factor on the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of a company’s customer service team.
- State availability (5 points possible): Most home warranty companies do not serve all 50 U.S. states. Providers that offer service in the most states score the highest in this category.
- Additional benefits (5 points possible): Promotions and discounts are among the perks that can make a home warranty more attractive to consumers. Companies that offer benefits that competitors don’t are awarded more points.
- Coverage specifics (5 points possible): While the total number of plan options is important, it is also essential to consider what is covered under each plan. The more comprehensive the coverage, the better.
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