One of the reliefs (and frustrations) of living in a condo or townhome community is that the homeowners association (HOA) takes on many of the exterior demands of homeownership. However, HOA care does not extend to your home’s internal components. With a home warranty, you have a resource to coordinate service and help cover the cost of repairs and replacements.
We’ve researched the best home warranty providers in the country and carefully combed through their policies to confirm the companies that service condos. We based our recommendations on the reputation of the company, the cost of the home warranty relative to the number of covered items, the ease of getting a quote, and more essential factors we identified in our research.
All pricing information used in this article is based on a condominium in Long Beach, California. Quotes may vary based on the location and the size of your condo.
The Top 5 Home Warranty Companies for Condos
Here are five of the best home warranty options for condo owners to consider:
- American Home Shield
- Choice Home Warranty
- America’s 1st Choice Home Club
- HomeServe
- Liberty Home Guard
American Home Shield
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 49 (all but Alaska)
- Number of Plans: Three
- Service Fee: $75–$125
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
Plans
American Home Shield (AHS) offers three home warranty plans: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum. ShieldSilver covers a suite of your home’s systems, such as the electrical and air conditioning systems. ShieldGold covers all the items in the ShieldSilver plan plus major appliances. ShieldPlatinum expands on that by covering roof leaks, code violations, and extras for your HVAC system, such as unlimited refrigerant recharging.
ShieldSilver ($24.99–$39.99 per month): This plan covers your home’s systems, including the air conditioning, heating unit, ductwork, built-in exhaust fan, vent fan, attic fan, main breaker and fuse panel box, doorbells and chimes, interior electrical lines, ceiling fans, garage door openers, interior plumbing lines, toilets, faucets, valves, whirlpool tub motor and components, and water heater.
ShieldGold ($34.99–$49.99 per month): This plan expands on the coverage of the ShieldSilver plan by also covering your refrigerator, range, cooktop, oven, dishwasher, built-in microwave, garbage disposal, instant hot/cold water dispenser, clothes washer, and clothes dryer. All appliances are covered up to $3,000 per item.
ShieldPlatinum ($54.99–$69.99 per month): This plan includes all the covered items in ShieldGold plus up to $1,500 for roof leaks, discounts on an annual HVAC tune-up, access to unlimited AC refrigerant, and an allowance for code upgrades up to $1,000 per plan term. This plan also raises the coverage cap (the total amount a provider will pay for a given item) for appliances to $6,000.
Choice Home Warranty
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 49 (all but Washington)
- Number of Plans: Two
- Service Fee: $85
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
Plans
Choice Home Warranty offers excellent coverage for your home’s essential built-in systems and appliances. While other home warranty providers will split their coverage options into appliance packages and built-in system packages, Choice Home Warranty offers simplicity for homeowners with two tiers of combination coverage—the Basic Plan and the Total Plan.
It is important to note that Choice Home Warranty is involved in a pending class-action lawsuit in Arizona. This lawsuit alleges that the provider failed to fulfill its contractual obligations to consumers by denying claims in bad faith. We followed up on these allegations and a representative for the company shared that while they cannot comment on ongoing legal issues, more than 90% of 1.1 million claims filed had been approved in 2021.
Due to the recent high claims approval rate and the large number of positive reviews on websites such as Trustpilot, we consider Choice Home Warranty a worthwhile consideration for condo owners interested in a home warranty plan. We also recommend carefully reading the service contract at the start of your policy so you can be confident in your knowledge of its limitations and exclusions.
Basic Plan ($46.83 per month): This combo plans covers built-in systems and appliances, including the heating system, water heater, electrical system, plumbing system, plumbing stoppages, oven, range, stove, built-in microwave, cooktop, dishwasher, garbage disposal, ceiling and exhaust fans, ductwork, garage door opener, and whirlpool bathtub.
Total Plan ($54.75 per month): This plan expands on the Basic Plan by also covering your clothes dryer, clothes washer, refrigerator, and air conditioner.
America’s 1st Choice Home Club
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 49 (all but Hawaii)
- Number of Plans: Three or four (depends on the state you reside in)
- Service Fee: $75 (may offer a flexible service fee depending on location)
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
Plans
America’s 1st Choice Home Club (AFC Home Club) offers three core plan options for condo owners in California. You may see a quote for up to four plans depending on your home’s location. In some areas, it’s also possible to choose your own service call fee, which can be $75, $100, or $125 each time you file a claim.
The Silver Plan covers a suite of appliances, including your dishwasher, laundry machines, and refrigerator. The Gold Plan covers all the items in the Silver Plan plus a number of your home’s major systems. The Platinum Plan covers all the items in the Gold Plan plus a suite of other convenient items, such as plumbing stoppages and built-in microwaves.
Silver Plan ($43.33 per month): This plan covers your home’s major appliances, such as the clothes washer, clothes dryer, refrigerator, oven, range, cooktop, stove, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and garage door opener.
Gold Plan ($59.58 per month): This plan covers all the appliances in the Silver Plan plus the water heater, air conditioning, heating systems, electrical system, plumbing system, and ductwork.
Platinum Plan ($65 per month): This plan covers all the items in the earlier Gold Plan plus plumbing stoppages, faucets, ice makers, built-in microwaves, ceiling fans, attic fans, and exhaust fans.
HomeServe
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 48 (all but Alaska and Hawaii)
- Number of Plans: 17 (may vary depending on your location)
- Service Fee: $100
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
Plans
HomeServe takes your location and the available utility service providers near you into account before displaying plans options. While other home warranty plans cover appliances and systems inside your home, HomeServe’s relationship with utility providers allows it to cover some exterior items as well, such as gas lines and water service lines, that are not covered by other home warranty providers.
You can choose a cost-effective policy that specifically covers your desired items or you can choose a more comprehensive policy that resembles the typical home warranty coverage seen across the industry. Dive deeper into HomeServe’s plan options below.
Gas Line Plus ($4.99 per month): This plan covers your interior gas line, interior gas restoration, exterior gas line, and exterior gas line restoration up to $8,000.
Water Heater Repair ($6.99 per month): This plan covers water heater repairs up to $850.
Exterior Water Service Line Coverage ($7.95 per month): This plan covers exterior water service line and exterior water service line restoration up to $7,000.
Water Heater Repair and Replacement Plan ($8.99 per month): This plan covers water heater repairs and replacements up to $1,500.
Exterior Sewer/Septic Line Coverage ($12.98 per month): This plan covers exterior sewer/septic line and exterior sewer/septic line restoration up to $10,000.
Cooling System Coverage ($12.99 per month): This plan covers your air conditioning system up to $1,750.
Heating System Coverage ($12.99 per month): This plan covers your heating system up to $1,750.
Exterior Pipe Plan ($15.99 per month): This plan covers the exterior water service line, exterior water service line restoration, exterior sewer/septic line, and exterior sewer/septic line restoration.
Heating and Cooling Plan ($19.99 per month): This plan covers your cooling and heating systems up to $10,000.
Home Plumbing and Drainage Coverage ($21.98 per month): This plan covers your exterior sewer/septic line, interior plumbing, interior drainage, and drain cleaning up to $12,000.
Home Comfort Plan ($29.99 per month): This plan covers your interior gas line, exterior gas line, cooling system, heating system, and water heater repairs up to $10,000.
Complete Plumbing Plan ($41.99 per month): This plan covers your exterior water service line, exterior sewer/septic line, exterior sewer/septic line restoration, interior plumbing, interior drainage, drain cleaning, interior gas line, exterior gas line, and water heater repairs up to $10,000.
TotalHome Warranty Appliances ($48.33 per month): This plan covers your home’s appliances, including your refrigerator, clothes washer, clothes dryer, range, dishwasher, built-in microwave, trash compactor, and garage door opener.
Interior Protection Plan ($55.99 per month): This plan covers interior plumbing, interior drainage, interior gas line, exterior gas line, interior electrical line, cooling system, heating system, and water heater repairs up to $10,000.
TotalHome Warranty Combo ($58.33 per month): This plan covers your refrigerator, clothes washer, clothes dryer, range, dishwasher, built-in microwave, trash compactor, garage door opener, interior plumbing, interior electrical line, cooling system, heating system, water heater repairs, heat pump, ductwork, garbage disposal, attic and ceiling fans, doorbell system, and central vacuum system.
Premium Home Protection Plan ($69.99 per month): This plan covers your exterior water service line, exterior sewer/septic line, interior plumbing, interior drainage, drain cleaning, interior gas line, exterior gas line, exterior electrical line, interior electrical line, cooling system, heating system, and water heater repairs up to $10,000.
Liberty Home Guard
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 48 (all but Washington and Wisconsin)
- Number of Plans: Three
- Service Fee: $65–$125
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
Plans
Liberty Home Guard (LHG) may be a more recent addition to the home warranty industry, but its comprehensive policies and extensive list of add-on options make it a great option for homeowners with additional coverage demands. LHG’s three core plans are Appliance Guard, Systems Guard, and Total Home Guard.
Unlike American Home Shield, LHG’s service call fee range is not flexible; it’s assigned to you based on your plan, location, and add-on selections. We were told by a representative for the company that this fee will always fall between $65 and $125. Unfortunately, this fee isn’t typically made clear during the quoting process so we recommend speaking to a representative directly to confirm the terms of your service contract.
Appliance Guard ($69.99 per month): As the name suggests, this plan covers appliances, including your clothes washer, clothes dryer, refrigerator with ice maker and display, built-in microwave oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal, range, oven, cooktop, ceiling fans, exhaust fans, and garage door openers.
Systems Guard ($74.99 per month): This plan covers your home’s major systems, including air conditioning system, heating system, ductwork, plumbing system, electrical system, and water heater.
Total Home Guard ($79.99 per month): This plan bundles the earlier two plans into one comprehensive home warranty plan.
Our Recommendation
For its long legacy in the industry, comprehensive coverage options, and higher-than-average coverage caps—$6,000 per appliance is practically unheard of—American Home Shield is the clear winner. However, it tends to offer fewer add-on options than its competitors, so we’d recommend Liberty Home Guard if you want to cover items outside the usual scope of a home warranty policy.
Similarly, HomeServe is a great option for homeowners who want to bundle coverage for their home’s exterior utility lines, which are rarely covered by home warranty plans and sometimes not covered by HOAs. In any case, we recommend requesting quotes from at least three providers, comparing the fine print of their service agreements, and taking the time to do your due diligence before choosing your policy.
How to Choose a Home Warranty
Choosing a home warranty plan doesn’t have to be a daunting task if you know what to look for. We’ve arrived at the following list of recommendations based on extensive research, including collecting insights from home warranty reviews written by real-life customers, listening to customer service calls, conducting consumer surveys, speaking to industry experts, and carefully reviewing sample contracts from providers across the industry.
Here are steps to take to choose the right home warranty plan:
- Identify your priorities for covered items: Because condos and townhouses may share systems between units, you’ll need to determine which items fall under the purview of your HOA and which items are your sole responsibility. From here, you can look at quotes that include your desired items.
- Request and compare quotes from more than one home warranty company: Once you’ve determined your priorities, you can compare the coverage each company offers. We recommend requesting at least three quotes.
- Read the fine print of every home warranty contract: While home warranty plans will typically overlap in the items they cover, the amount of coverage offered will vary. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with each plan’s coverage limits and exclusions.
- Address any lingering questions: If you’re unsure of the terms of your condo home warranty, you’ll want to address these proactively to avoid denied claims and confusion down the road. The best home warranty companies will have hands-on customer service teams who will take the time to patiently explain the terms and guide you through your questions.
Is a Home Warranty Worth It?
A home warranty can be worthwhile if you don’t want to spend your time finding and comparing suitable service providers for home repairs. Most homeowners will need to hire a contractor for repairs at some point. In our survey of 1,000 homeowners, for instance, more than 78% of respondents had previously hired a contractor to perform a repair in their home. That’s where a home warranty comes in.
In addition to providing financial coverage for unexpected system and appliance breakdowns, home warranty providers vet local contractors to make the repairs, saving you time and money. Whether you are a recent home buyer or you have owned a home for years, a home warranty is a convenient vehicle for addressing your home’s maintenance needs without sacrificing your time or peace of mind.
Do Home Warranties Have Coverage Caps?
All home warranty companies stipulate some kind of coverage limit, also known as a coverage cap, for items included in their policies. This limit will be outlined in your service agreement and it means that the company will not provide coverage that exceeds those financial limits.
If the cost of repairing or replacing a covered item exceeds this limit, you will be responsible for paying the difference.
Do Home Warranties Cover Old Appliances?
If your appliances are a few years old, a home warranty can pick up where the manufacturer’s warranty left off. Home warranties cover older appliances by continuing to connect you with specialized appliance repair technicians in your area.
Home warranties typically don’t exclude older appliances from coverage, but they may use a formula to arrive at a prorated coverage limit based on the depreciated value of the older appliances. You can read the service contract to confirm whether a company factors the age of the appliance into its replacement value.
How We Chose the Top Home Warranty Providers
Our team reviewed and researched dozens of home warranty providers, thoroughly analyzed sample agreements, and identified customer pain points based on customer-review analysis and interviews with industry experts.
During this process, we determined that the most critical aspects of a home warranty company include available service plans and add-ons, depth of coverage, plan cost, industry reputation, customer support infrastructure, and additional features. We also focused on the ability to choose your own contractor; upgrade your coverage package; transfer your plan to another owner; and cover roof leaks, high-end appliance brands, ceiling and exhaust fans, and faucets and fixtures.
Our research supported that plan coverage should carry the most weight, with customer support as the second-most important factor. Industry reputation, plan availability, and additional features were rated equally. Therefore, we determined that price range, while worth considering, should not be the primary basis for choosing a home warranty provider for your home’s needs.