The 4 Best Home Warranties for Condos (2023)

Unlike homeowners’ insurance, which comes into play after a catastrophic event, home warranties cover repair costs when home items break down from everyday wear and tear. A home warranty, also called a residential service contract, typically applies to your home’s major appliances and home systems.

Condo owners have slightly different home warranty needs than those who own a single-family home. While condos have individual appliances, they may have shared systems maintained by a condo association. Before signing a home warranty contract, it’s important to make sure you know which home repairs you’re personally responsible for.

From there, you can start looking for a condo home warranty. Many nationwide providers offer these contracts, but the companies below are our recommendations for the best home warranties for condos, based on coverage, availability, cost and customer experience.

Provider	Average Monthly Cost	Service Fee	Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating
American Home Shield	$30-$75	$75-$125	B
America’s First Choice Home Club	$45-$63	$75-$125	B
Select Home Warranty	$45-$50	$75	B
First American Home Warranty	$33-$44	$85	B

*Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings are accurate as of February 2022.

Best Overall: American Home Shield

For the best overall home warranty coverage, we recommend American Home Shield. In business since 1971, this company has been a leader in the home warranty industry for over 50 years. It offers home warranties in every US state except Alaska, and its coverage is some of the broadest available.

Most home warranties only cover breakdowns due to wear and tear, excluding other types of damage. However, American Home Shield covers malfunctions due to improper installation, insufficient maintenance, rust, corrosion and sediment. Its plans even cover pre-existing conditions, as long as they were undetectable before the beginning of the contract.

Plan and Cost Breakdown

American Home Shield offers its customers a choice of three coverage plans. ShieldSilver, the least expensive, covers home systems, while ShieldGold covers both systems and appliances. ShieldPlatinum, the most comprehensive plan, also covers home appliances and systems and adds coverage for roof leaks, code upgrades and an HVAC tune-up.

Coverage	ShieldSilver	ShieldGold	ShieldPlatinum
Price	$29.99-$44.99	$39.99-$54.99	$59.99-$74.99
Roof leak repair			✔
Air conditioners	✔	✔	✔
Heating units	✔	✔	✔
Ductwork	✔	✔	✔
Built-in exhaust, vent, and attic fans	✔	✔	✔
Main breaker and fuse panel box	✔	✔	✔
Doorbells	✔	✔	✔
Interior electrical lines	✔	✔	✔
Ceiling fans	✔	✔	✔
Garage door openers	✔	✔	✔
Interior plumbing lines	✔	✔	✔
Toilets	✔	✔	✔
Faucets and valves	✔	✔	✔
Whirlpool tub motor	✔	✔	✔
Water heaters	✔	✔	✔
Refrigerators		✔	✔
Ranges/cooktops		✔	✔
Ovens		✔	✔
Dishwashers		✔	✔
Built-in microwaves		✔	✔
Garbage disposals		✔	✔
Instant hot/cold water dispensers		✔	✔
Clothes washers		✔	✔
Clothes dryers		✔	✔

American Home Shield allows you to add optional coverage to any of the above plans, for the following items, which you may not need to worry about as a condo owner:

Pool/spa
Septic pump
Well pump
Guest unit (up to 750 sq. ft.)

Similar to an insurance policy, every home warranty plan comes with two costs: the monthly or yearly premium and the deductible or service call fee. You pay the premium for the length of the contract, whether you use it or not. You’ll pay the service call fee any time a technician visits your home to make a repair or diagnose a problem.

American Home Shield allows you to customize your premium payment relative to your deductible. A lower premium will come with a higher deductible and vice versa. The least you’ll pay is $29.99 a month with a $125 deductible, and the most you’ll pay is $74.99 a month with a $75 deductible.

To find out how much an American Home Shield plan will cost you, call 844-529-9298 or fill out this quick online form.

Home Warranty Resources

Most Customizable Plan Options: America’s First Choice Home Club

If you value customizability most highly, America’s First Choice (AFC) Home Club is a great choice. It offers the most plans of any company on our list, as well as a long list of additional coverage options. It could be a particularly good deal for condo owners, who may only be responsible for some of the systems and appliances in their units.

Uniquely, AFC Home Club doesn’t require a contract. You can pay month-to-month for your protection plan, though you’ll ultimately end up paying more than you would if you signed a yearly contract. Plus, if you sign a contract, you’ll continue to get the same rate for as long as you continue to renew. Additionally, all repairs are guaranteed for the length of your contract, which can be as long as three years.

Plan and Cost Breakdown

AFC Home Club’s four plan options include a Systems Plan for home systems as well as a Silver Plan for home appliances, which might be most useful to homeowners in condos. The Gold Plan covers both, and the Platinum Plan adds further protection for microwaves, faucets, ice makers and plumbing stoppages.

Coverage	Systems Plan	Silver Plan	Gold Plan	Platinum Plan
Price (no contract)	$51.50/month $563/year	$44.58/month $480/year	$58.33/month $645/year	$62.92/month $700/year
Air conditioning	✓		✓	✓
Heating	✓		✓	✓
Water heater	✓		✓	✓
Electrical system	✓		✓	✓
Plumbing system	✓		✓	✓
Ductwork			✓	✓
Clothes washer		✓	✓	✓
Clothes dryer		✓	✓	✓
Kitchen refrigerator		✓	✓	✓
Oven		✓	✓	✓
Range		✓	✓	✓
Dishwasher		✓	✓	✓
Garbage disposal		✓	✓	✓
Garage door opener		✓	✓	✓
Plumbing stoppages				✓
Built-in microwave				✓
Ice maker				✓
Faucets				✓

Depending upon your needs, you can also purchase additional coverage for any of the following:

Tankless water heater
In-ground pool
Stand-alone freezer
Sump pump
Double oven
Central vacuum
Hot water dispenser
Septic system
Well pump
Ice maker
Built-in microwave

AFC Home Club offers further customizability in terms of payment, allowing you to choose from a $75, $100 or $125 service fee. You’ll also save by paying yearly. For example, if you choose yearly payments and a $125 service fee with the Silver Plan, your payment could be as low as $27.50 per month (paid in a $330 lump sum).

However, if you pay monthly with a $75 service fee, your premium for the Silver Plan could be as high as $40.83 a month. Depending on how often you use your home warranty, that might be the better deal in the long run.

Enter your contact information in this easy form or call 877-755-1115 to get a free quote from AFC Home Club.

Find the Best Home Warranties for You

Best for Value Shoppers: Select Home Warranty

If you want maximum value for a minimum price, Select Home Warranty is another excellent option. Founded in 2012, Select Home Warranty is available in 46 states and offers great value for the money you’ll pay. If you pay your premiums annually, you can even receive two months of coverage for free.

Additionally, every Select Home Warranty Plan comes with free limited roof leak coverage. This means that your warranty will cover repairs for roof leaks over the inhabited parts of your home, which the company places at a $99 yearly value. If you’re responsible for the roof in an older building, it might be a worthwhile perk.

Plan and Cost Breakdown

Select Home Warranty’s three plans cover home systems (Bronze Care), appliances (Gold Care) or a combination of the two (Platinum Care). The comprehensive Platinum Care plan also includes coverage for garage door openers, ceiling fans and plumbing stoppages.

Coverage	Bronze Care	Gold Care	Platinum Care
Price	$44.42/month $479.99/year	$44.42/month $479.99/year	$49.83/month $549.99/year
Limited roof leak	✓	✓	✓
Air conditioning		✓	✓
Ductwork		✓	✓
Electrical system		✓	✓
Heating system		✓	✓
Plumbing system		✓	✓
Water heater		✓	✓
Cooktop	✓		✓
Dishwasher	✓		✓
Garbage disposal	✓		✓
Built-in microwave	✓		✓
Refrigerator	✓		✓
Stove/oven	✓		✓
Clothes washer	✓		✓
Clothes dryer	✓		✓
Garage door openers			✓
Plumbing stoppages			✓
Ceiling fans			✓

Select Home Warranty also provides the following list of add-on options:

Central vacuum
Pool/spa
Septic system
Stand-alone freezer
Sump pump
Well pump

For an average-sized condo in NC, we were quoted a price of $44.42 a month for the Bronze and Gold Care plans and a price of $49.83 for the Platinum Care plan. However, if you pay annually, you can receive 14 months of coverage for $479.99 or $549.99, respectively.

For a free quote from Select Home Warranty, fill out this simple online form or call 888-370-3956.

Most Comprehensive Claim Coverage: First American Home Warranty

Finally, although First American Home Warranty is only available in 35 states, its plans offer enough benefits to warrant a place on our list. First American offers special, lower prices for condo owners, though its plans cover the same items as they would in stand-alone homes. The company also covers pre-existing conditions, and although you must often buy air conditioning coverage separately, it has high HVAC coverage caps.

First American’s most unique offering is its First Class Upgrade, available with either of its plans. This bonus adds coverage for repair-adjacent items and services not usually covered by home warranties, including refrigerant recapture and disposal, permits, code violation upgrades and haul away. You’ll also gain coverage for covered items that have been incorrectly installed or repaired.

Plan and Cost Breakdown

First American Home Warranty offers two different plan options. The Basic Plan covers only home appliances, including a refrigerator, a washer and a dryer. The Premier Plan covers everything in the Basic Plan and adds coverage for major home systems.

Coverage	Basic Plan	Premier Plan
Price	$33/month $360/year	$44/month $492/year
Garbage disposal	✓	✓
Dishwasher	✓	✓
Oven range	✓	✓
Cooktop	✓	✓
Microwave	✓	✓
Trash compactor	✓	✓
Refrigerator	✓	✓
Washer and dryer	✓	✓
Plumbing		✓
Plumbing stoppages		✓
Water heater		✓
Heating		✓
Ductwork		✓
Electrical		✓
Garage door opener		✓
Central vacuum system		✓

With either plan, you can add coverage for any of these:

Air conditioning
First Class Upgrade
Pool/spa equipment
Additional refrigerator
Well pump
Septic tank pumping
HVAC tune-up

First American Home Warranty’s quote for a condo in NC was $33 a month for the Basic Plan and $44 a month for the total plan. This represents substantial savings over the prices in the same area for a single-family home. However, the service call fee is still the same at $85.

Call First American Home Warranty at 800-891-9778 or fill out this easy contact form for a free quote.

How to Find the Best Condo Home Warranty

Choosing the best home warranty company for your condo can be difficult when you’re not an expert in home appliance and system protection contracts. After diving into more than 60 companies, we identified the top factors that you should consider when selecting a home warranty plan and company:

Easy claims process: Condo owners should search for a home warranty company known for its quick and painless claims submission processes. This means that the company should have strong customer service and an easy-to-navigate portal where you can submit the claim, track its progress, and book your service appointments.
Low monthly premium: Although home warranty plans typically come at an average of $52 per month, condo owners should look for plans lower than this since the square footage of a condo is usually much lower than a single-family home. Additionally, systems may be newer or shared, so you won’t need as much protection.
Workmanship guarantees: Ensure that the home warranty company you decide to go with has a strong workmanship guarantee of more than 30 days. A workmanship or labor guarantee ensures that any work done on your covered items will continue to hold.

Final Thoughts

For the best overall home warranty coverage, we recommend American Home Shield based on its comprehensiveness and great reputation. However, we recognize that it might not be the best choice for condo owners since it doesn’t offer an appliance-only plan.

AFC Home Club, Select Home Warranty and First American Home Warranty do offer appliance plans. All of the providers on our list offer free quotes, so make sure to do your research and know what coverage you need before purchasing a home warranty.

FAQs About Home Warranties

What Is a Home Warranty?

A home warranty is essentially a service agreement that covers your home’s appliances and systems in the event that they wear out in the course of everyday use. If a covered item breaks, the home warranty provider will typically pay the bulk of the repair costs for that item, and you’ll only be responsible for the service call fee(s).

What’s Covered by a Home Warranty?

A home warranty covers repairs and replacements of home systems and appliances that break down due to wear-and-tear damage. Typically, a technician will first try to repair the problem. If that isn’t possible, the home warranty company will provide a replacement or pay the homeowner in cash, usually at wholesale cost.

Most home warranties only cover wear and tear damage, but some may also cover damage due to improper installation or repair, insufficient maintenance, sediment, rust or corrosion. Always read your contract carefully so you know what it will and won’t cover.

What Is the Difference Between Home Warranties and Home Insurance?

While they may sound similar, home warranties and homeowner’s insurance are two different things. Homeowner’s insurance provides financial protection in the event of catastrophes, like fires, theft, or vandalism. Home warranties do not cover these types of incidents, only damage from typical day-to-day use.

How Much Does a Home Warranty Cost?

A home warranty’s average price range is between $30 and $60 a month, or about $360 and $720 a year. Condo owners may pay slightly less since condos are typically a bit smaller than single-family homes and may share systems with other units.

Are Home Warranties Worth the Cost?

No matter how well you maintain your home’s appliances and systems, they’ll eventually Home warranties don’t cover every type of damage, but wear and tear happens to every item in your home. Home warranties can also provide peace of mind to those involved in real estate transactions. Those selling a home won’t have to worry about repair bills while their house sits on the market, and those buying a home won’t have to worry about its appliances and systems giving out in the first year of ownership.

Home Warranty Rating Methodology

To help you find the best home warranty, our reviews team researched numerous home warranty companies, analyzing their coverage plans, pricing and customer service, among other factors:

Coverage: Home warranty companies that provide extensive coverage and protect important systems and appliances, including your air conditioning, refrigerator and heating, scored higher than companies with minimal coverage.
Plan variety: A provider with more coverage plans allows for more flexibility among customers. In general, most home warranty companies provide an appliances-only plan, systems-only plan and combination plan.
Pricing: We scored providers based on their monthly plan prices and service call fees compared to the industry average pricing. Companies with more affordable coverage received more points than companies with more expensive plans.
State availability: Where you live will determine what companies are available in your area. Home warranty companies that covered more states received more points than companies with a limited state availability.
Trustworthiness: There are some home warranty companies that are scams and don’t follow through on their service agreements. We rated companies based on their years of experience, ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and customer reviews.

To keep our data current, our team regularly updates the data points for each company to ensure their coverage offerings, pricing and availability are accurate.