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Best Home Warranties in Austin, TX
By Samuel Robert MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Coverage isn’t denied even when systems or appliances are old
$85
$45 - $53
Parts - 90 days, labor - 30 days
48 States, not available in WA or OK
A/C, Heating, Ductwork, Plumbing, Electrical, Water Heater
Reliable network of prescreened and trained technicians
$60-$90
$51- $63
Parts - 90 days, labor - 30 days
All 50 States
A/C, Heating, Ductwork, Plumbing, Electrical, Water Heater
Ease of filing claims and the repair process
$100 - $150
$28 - $40
Parts - 180 days, labor - 180 days
48 States, not available in HI or AK
A/C, Heating, Ductwork, Plumbing, Electrical, Water Heater
You can never tell when a major home appliance or system will suffer a breakdown. When that happens, repairing or replacing the item can potentially be a big, unexpected expense. You can reduce that risk by investing in one of the best home warranties.
Many home warranty companies offer plans in Texas, including in Austin and its surrounds. The various providers compete on what they cover and the add-ons they offer, as well as on pricing and reputation.
This article helps you figure out if and how to buy a home warranty, and how to pick the best company and plan for your needs. We researched providers, and picked seven off the best home warranty companies that serve Austin, Texas.
Our Top Picks for the Best Home Warranty Companies in Austin
- Choice Home Warranty: Best overall
- Liberty Home Guard: Best coverage plans
- Cinch Home Services: Best optional add-ons
- Home Service Club: Best reviews
- American Home Shield: Best reputation
- Select Home Warranty: Best pricing and fees
- First Premier Home Warranty: Best customizable options
Reviews of the Best Home Warranty Companies in Austin
Best Overall: Choice Home Warranty
- Lower service fee charge than some companies
- Quick claimed response times
- 24/7 customer service
- Can't choose your own technician
- Basic plan doesn't cover refrigerator, washer, or dryer
- Weekend repairs can take longer
Why we chose it: At the top of the list is Choice Home Warranty, which has been around for over a decade. Depending on the plan you choose, the company covers repair and replacement of appliances or home systems.
Choice Home Warranty offers two plan options — Basic and Total. The Basic plan, which costs $45 per month in Austin, covers the plumbing, heating and electrical systems and some appliances. You must opt for the Total Plan, which costs $55.33, to get that basic coverage plus protection for your refrigerator, washer, dryer and air conditioning systems. The service call fee for both plans is a relatively modest $85.
Aside from these two, you can also get coverage for other items in your home for an additional cost. These include your pool, sump pump, septic tank, well pump and many more.
With this company, you get a 60-day guarantee for workmanship and a 90-day guarantee on parts. You can also expect a response from Choice Home Warranty within 48 hours after you contact the company, a faster promised response than some competitors. As for its customer service, you can get in touch with them any time of the day (or night), seven days a week.
Choice Home Warranty has a Trustpilot and Google review rating averaging a respectable 3.7 out of 5. However, the Better Business Bureau rates the company at a mediocre C.
If you’re looking for discounts from this company, check for those during the holidays and other key times of the year. Want to learn more about this home warranty company and what it has to offer? You can read our full Choice Home Warranty review.
Best Coverage Plans: Liberty Home Guard
- Unusually broad selection of add-on options
- No inspection needed to qualify for coverage
- Low claim denial rate
- 24/7 customer service
- More expensive than comparable plans from competitors
- Won't cover cost of repairs done without their consent
- Coverage starts only 30 days after you enroll
Why we chose it: While it’s on the pricey side, Liberty Home Guard stands out among other companies available in Austin for its long list of optional add-on items and low incidence of claim denials – a problem area for the industry. It also has a $75 service call fee, which is among the lower charges in the business.
This company has three plans from which to choose. The first, Appliance Guard, covers most major appliances. The second, Systems Guard, protects home systems like HVAC, plumbing and electrical, as well as your water heater. The last option, Total Home Guard, combines the coverage of both those plans.
Prices for these plans are a bit higher than those of some other companies. Fees are $69.99 a month for Appliance Guard, $74.99 for Systems Guard and $79.99 for Total Home Guard. Aside from the basic plans, the company allows you to add other items to your coverage list for a fee. Some items you can add to your coverage list include septic systems, sump pumps, generators, trash compactors, vacuums and many more.
It’s worth mentioning that this company has an online portal that allows you to file your claims online. You can even use the portal to track any claims you make and the status of the service. This promises to make the claims process easier — plus Liberty Home Guard has a very low claim denial rate.
While it does have some of the costlier home warranty plans on this list, customers seem to like this company a lot. It gets a lot of ratings above four stars on review sites from its customers.
Best Optional Add-Ons: Cinch Home Services
- Relatively low monthly fees
- 180-day workmanship guarantee
- Very fast response time
- High service fees
- Can't choose your own technician
- Coverage starts only 30 days after you enroll
Why we chose it: One of the longest-running home warranty companies that serves Austin, Cinch has been around since 1978. It stands out for the ability to add appliances and systems that aren’t in any of its plans. (However, this can only be done when you opt for the VIP Warranty Upgrade.)
This company has three primary plans for you to choose from — the Appliances plan, the Built-in Systems plan and the Complete Home plan. As these names imply, the appliances plan covers only the appliances on its list, including trash compactors, refrigerators and even air conditioners. The Built-in Systems plan covers such items as your HVAC and ductwork, garage door openers, hot and cold water dispensers, etc. The Complete Home plan covers all of the above.
The monthly premiums are fairly reasonable. Depending on where in the U.S. you live, the Appliances plan ranges in cost from $34.99 to $50.99, the Built-in Systems plan ranges from $39.99 to $57.99 and the Complete Home plan ranges from $49.99 to $67.99. Service call fees range from $75 to $150 – the latter being at the high end of the market.
The company does have an impressive response time of two hours and a long workmanship guarantee of 180 days, which is double what most other home warranty companies offer.
You can contact its customer service personnel and file a claim in two ways — via phone or the online portal. Both options are available 24/7. Cinch’s Trustpilot rating is a decent 3.0 out of 5, but Google reviews only give it 2.5 out of 5. It gets a C from the Better Business Bureau.
It’s also worth noting that if you’re unhappy with your policy or wish to switch to another provider, you can do so within 30 days of signing up. However, that’s also the time after signing up within which no claims can be filed.
Best Reviews on Google: Home Service Club
- More positive than negative reviews on online platforms
- Can file claims only 10 days after signing up
- Can be contacted 24/7
- Reviews on platforms other than Google are less consistently positive
- Only two plans to choose from
- Not many contractor options
Why we chose it: If you were to base your choice of the best home warranty provider in Austin on what people say on Google – a major platform for such opinions – this company is a good bet. According to those reviews, customers love how efficiently and quickly this company addresses their needs.
The Home Service Club has a very strong rating of 4.8 out of 5 in Google’s reviews. That said, reviews on other review portals are only middling. While some customers praise the Home Service Club for its good work, professionalism and communication, others are less enthusiastic. The company received a score of 2.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot and C from the Better Business Bureau.
Home Service Club offers a Standard plan and a Comprehensive plan. The first, which costs $50.40 per month, covers around 20 appliances and systems. These include air conditioning, heating, plumbing, a refrigerator, ceiling fans, garage door openers, a washer, a dryer and more. The Comprehensive plan costs $62.90 and adds coverage for around a dozen more items, including sump pumps, smoke detectors, ductwork, doorbells and more.
Service fees range from $60 to $95 a month, which is in the middle of the market. As for add-on items, you’ll find that you can expand your plan (at extra cost) to cover roof leaks, spa and pool, sprinkler system and a few other items.
When it comes to discounts and promos, the company sometimes offers a $125 discount off its annual policy, while also offering the first month of coverage for free.
Best for Long Experience: American Home Shield
- Longest-running home warranty company
- Can custom-build your own plan
- Low claim denial rate
- Can file claims 30 days after signing up
- Can't choose your own technician
- Short workmanship guarantee of 30 days
Why we chose it: American Home Shield is known as a market veteran that closely follows what its customers want.
As our full review of the company reveals, American Home Shield offers customizable plans that help customers choose items to add to their coverage. This is the Build-Your-Own Plan offer.
If you don’t want to bother picking and choosing which items to add to your home warranty plan, you can choose from the three other offerings: Shield Silver, Shield Gold and Shield Platinum. All of these plans cover the HVAC system and its ductwork, the garage door, garbage disposal and doorbell, to name a few.
As expected, the Silver plan, which costs around $29.27 to $44.27, covers only a few items. The Gold plan, which costs between $39.27 and $54.27, covers four more items than the Silver. The Platinum plan, pegged at $59.27 to $74.27 monthly, covers eight more items than the most basic plan on this list.
Service fees range from a lowish $75 to a fairly high $125. American Home Shield doesn’t insist on inspecting your home before it grants coverage and has a low claim denial rate. As for response time, it promises to get a technician to you to check a problem within a 48-hour window.
Customer opinions of American Home Shield, as posted on review sites, are a mixed bag. Some are quite positive while others voice considerable concern and dissatisfaction. AHS gets a low Trustpilot score of 1.2 out of 5, but a fine Better Business Bureau rating of B.
If you’re looking for discounts, you can expect the company to offer a few every month. These include referral discounts, air filter discounts, multiple property discounts and an appliance discount program for a few participating brands.
Best Discounts: Select Home Warranty
- Up to $150 off annual plan when paying yearly
- Annual plans may have free roof coverage
- Can be contacted 24/7
- Claims window is only three days
- Payment of $75 to cancel plan
- May be required to pay multiple service fees for different categories
Why we chose it: Select Home Warranty has been issuing plans for a decade and is our choice for the best discounts from its regular rates. You get a hefty ($150) discount per year for paying annually rather than by the month, plus two months free on top of that discount.
This company has a $60 service fee, which is among the lowest per-call charges on the market. Monthly fees are roughly in the middle of the market. It has three plans for you: Bronze, Gold and Platinum. The first two cost around $57.67 per month while the Platinum plan costs $62.08. Bronze covers appliances while Gold covers systems. The Platinum covers both.
The add-on items for all three are the same, including sump pumps, roof leaks, plumbing stoppages, central vacuum, stand-alone freezers, built-in microwaves and more.
The promised response time is within a 48-hour window, which is like most other home warranty companies on this list. What’s less common, and unwelcome, is that you only have three days to file your claim when something breaks down. Since this company has very low claim denial rates, that may not be an issue.
Select Home Warranty has a good reputation; a Trustpilot rating of 3.5 out of 5, a 4.0 in Google and a B- from the Better Business Bureau.
Positive reviews often laud the company for efficiency, good communication and professionalism. On the downside, as with most warranty providers, some people complain about repair delays, low coverage limitations and inability to choose their own technicians for repairs.
Best Customizable Options: First Premier Home Warranty
- Can customize your Premier plan to cover individual items found on Platinum plan
- Low claim denials
- Hefty $200 discount when you choose to pay for your entire year
- Must cancel 60 days before auto annual policy renewal
- 30-day wait period before you can file a claim
- $50 cancellation charge during plan term
Why we chose it: First Premier Home Warranty is for you if it’s a priority to be able to choose the items to add to your home warranty plan. It offers an unusually long selection of items you can add to your coverage list, including your septic tank, pool, well pump, spa, roof leaks and more.
As with other add-ons, these options will bump up your premium, and the amount will depend on which items you add to your list. Fortunately, the company’s two plans — the Premier and the Platinum — are relatively inexpensive. The former costs around $35 per month and covers around 15 appliances and systems in your home. The latter will cost you around $43 per month and includes 19 items in your home.
If you want to add your heating system, AC system, dryer and refrigerator to your coverage, the Platinum plan is your best bet. If you’d rather add these as optional add-ons, you can do so with your Premier plan, but each one comes with a corresponding annual cost. The highest cost add-on would be the heating and AC systems, which cost an additional $75 apiece annually.
As for service fee, both plans come with a lowish $75 rate for each visit. As for the response times, the company says you can expect to have items repaired in two days and up to four days on weekends and holidays. You can, however, get in touch with the company 24/7.
Also worth noting are its promotions, which can give you up to $200 off your yearly policy if you simultaneously pay for the entire year. And if you’re lucky, you might get another $100 in discounts plus limited roof coverage, depending on when you enroll your home.
The company’s customer reviews are a mixed bag. It scores a rating of 3.8 out of 5 on Google reviews and 3.1 on Trustpilot. Yet it receives a dismal F score from the Better Business Bureau.
Further, if you’re unhappy with the service, cancellation of the policy before its term has elapsed will cost you a $50 penalty. Also, if you don’t want to renew your policy the following year, you need to contact the company two months before the end of your contract.
Other companies we considered
Aside from the list of the top seven Best Home Warranty Companies in Austin, here are some runners-up that you might want to consider.
First American Home Warranty
This company has one of the cheapest plans on the list of best home warranty companies in Austin. The monthly cost for its Basic plan is around $38 a month, while the Premier plan costs around $48.50. The service fee is $85, which is slightly higher than some others on this list. Read the full First American Home Warranty Review to learn more about this company.
- High rating from the Better Business Bureau
- $100 instant discount when you register online
- 24/7 customer support
- Automatic annual renewal of plan, unless you say otherwise
- Must wait 30 days after enrolling to file a claim
AFC Home Club
A plus to this company is its quick response time compared to others. Where other home warranty companies active in Austin take up to 48 hours to get to you, this company claims it responds within a day to your repair and service needs. AFC Home Club also offers four plans for you to choose from. However, AFC Home Club has high service fees and a 30-day waiting period after enrolling before claims can be filed.
- Quick response time
- More plans to choose from than some other options
- You can choose your technician
- Work and parts guarantees run for the duration of your plan
- 30-day waiting period for plan to mature
- High service fees, of up to $125
- Fairly high monthly plan cost – around $74 for the Platinum plan
Guide to the Best Home Warranty Providers in Austin
Here are some of the key questions and issues to address when picking from among the best home warranty providers in Austin.
What is a home warranty plan?
A home warranty plan shouldn’t be confused with a home insurance plan. To best compare a home warranty to home insurance, get to know the key ways in which the two products differ.
Home warranty plans cover appliances and systems against regular wear and tear. By contrast, home insurance policies provide coverage against damage from a range of perils to the home’s structure and the personal property of the homeowner. They usually also cover the homeowner’s liability for the likes of medical bills for injuries other people sustain while on their property.
How do home warranties work?
Home warranties require you to pay a monthly or annual premium to protect certain of your home appliances and systems. When something breaks down, you don’t contact a repairman to fix it. Instead, you contact the home warranty company. If the appliance or system that needs repair is covered by your plan, the terms of your warranty determine the next steps.
For each visit, you pay a service fee, which can range from $60 to $150, depending on your home warranty company. The contractor may need to verify that your plan covers the issue. If it is, the home warranty company should cover or reduce the repair or replacement cost.
How to pick home warranty coverage
In choosing the best home warranty company available in Austin, you should know how to compare home warranty companies. Consider following these key steps.
Check the licenses of technicians
To ensure you get the best possible help when needed, check to see if the technicians these companies work with are licensed. Ask representatives in your city or state which contractors they work with and ask to see certifications and licenses.
Double-check that the plans cover your needs
Before signing up with any of the home warranty companies in Austin, look through the fine print of the plan. This is to determine what is and isn’t covered when your appliances or systems break down. For example, if you want to have your HVAC covered, try to find the best home warranty for HVAC from companies that offer such coverage.
Since not all companies cover HVAC systems, especially without paying extra to add coverage, read the fine print of plans to determine what is and isn’t included. Studying the details will help you avoid signing up for a plan you can’t use when the time comes.
Check the reputation of the company
Nothing beats getting information about a company from people who’ve already used its services. To do this, you should look at Texas home warranty experiences as reported online on Google Reviews and other sites like Yelp. You can also check out Better Business Bureau websites for reviews of companies to determine their reliability and reputation.
If you’re wondering who regulates home warranty companies in Austin, it’s the Texas Real Estate Commission, or TREC. You can file a complaint with this entity if you have issues with your home warranty company that aren’t resolved to your satisfaction.
Be sure it’s within your budget
Check your budget to ensure that the plan you’re thinking of getting is within your means. As well as getting a price quote for your location and home contents, ask about the plan’s service call fees.
Get a quote
Try to get a quote from the home warranty companies you’re shortlisting. Call them or ask for a quote online to get a more accurate picture of how much it will cost.
You should also take note of the ease of filing a warranty claim with certain companies. For some, it only takes a few minutes. For others, you need to complete several steps in order to get a claim approved. When you’re learning how to file a home warranty claim with a home warranty company, check out their process and what people say to see which ones have higher approval percentages.
Best Home Warranty Companies in Austin FAQ
What is the duration of home warranty coverage?
A home warranty usually covers one year of protection.
What does a home warranty cover when buying a house?
Typically, it covers the major systems and appliances that make the house function. However, plans often specialize in one or the other equip
How do you get a home warranty?
Check the reviews for home warranty companies, note what you need covered, set your budget, read your service contract, note the coverage limits, get a quote and – if it pleases you – sign with the company.
How We Chose the Best Home Warranty Companies in Austin
To assemble this list of the best home warranties in Austin, we researched the home warranty companies active in Texas, paying close attention to those that ranked in credible online lists of the top five and top 10 home warranty companies in Texas and beyond.
Names of the resulting shortlist were collated and compared according to the following criteria.
Coverage options
We selected the companies that had plans that offered the most in terms of coverage options. These include companies that allow you to choose individual coverage for appliances and systems, as well as comprehensive coverage packages that cover both. Also considered in the selection were the specific appliances and systems included in the plans.
Add-on options
Not all home warranty companies have the same add-on options as others. Some have a long list of add-ons, while others are more rigid. Those companies whose lists were more ample were given credit when it came to compiling the list.
Freedom to choose your own technicians
Only a few companies allow you to choose your own technicians. The flexibility of working with a technician may be your preference, or you might like to have the company’s trusted technician. It’s nice when you can choose the option you prefer..
Reviews
Real customer insights on these companies were also factored into the creation of this list. We consulted and assessed customer reviews on Google, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, and Trustpilot, among other sources.
Costs and fees
The costs and fees that each company charged its customers were also researched. The selection included plans and providers that are budget-friendly, and so promise the most for your buck.
Discounts and specials
Home warranty companies often offer discounts and freebies that lower the average cost of their product. The list was whittled down to companies with discounts and offers on holidays and anniversaries. Also included were companies that offered discounted rates for specific brands of appliances.
Summary of Best Home Warranty Companies in Austin of 2022
- Choice Home Warranty: Best overall
- Liberty Home Guard: Best coverage plans
- Cinch Home Services: Best optional add-ons
- Home Service Club: Best reviews
- American Home Shield: Best reputation
- Select Home Warranty: Best pricing and fees
- First Premier Home Warranty: Best customizable options
Samuel Robert is an ambitious and enterprising content writer who's constantly looking for new skills. His professional experiences have allowed him to have a broader vision of the different industries in which he has worked. Through many travels around the world, Samuel has also been able to develop adaptability to various environments and challenges. His openness to the world is an asset to his personality and allows him to broaden his sources of inspiration.