Best Home Warranty Companies in California (2023)

At some point, every homeowner has to deal with an essential home system or appliance breaking down. Whether you’re sweating without air conditioning or unable to store your food in your worn-down refrigerator, a home warranty in California can help connect you to vetted contractors and keep you from paying for repairs entirely out of pocket.

The Guides Team evaluated top home warranty providers in California, evaluating key factors like coverage, pricing and customer service quality to help you find the best warranty for your home.

We compared monthly costs, service fees, and BBB ratings for some of California's top home warranty companies to simplify the decision-making process. We secret-shopped for home warranty quotes and found that the average home warranty in California costs around $59 per month, or $708 annually.

American Home Shield (AHS) earned 4.6 out of 5 stars based on our provider review methodology. With 50 years of experience in the home warranty industry, AHS provides comprehensive coverage in 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). The company also has a solid reputation for round-the-clock customer service and gives customers flexibility with monthly premiums by offering three plans and two service fee options.

Unlike most other companies on our list, we like that AHS covers air conditioning units under all of its basic plans. This is especially useful if you live in a part of California with scorching summer temperatures.

American Home Shield offers three coverage plans. The ShieldSilver™ plan covers your home systems, while ShieldGold™ covers a mix of home systems and appliances. ShieldPlatinum™ is the most comprehensive plan, plus it features $1,500 of roof-leak coverage. The table below outlines AHS's coverage options:

American Home Shield offers several optional add-ons so you can customize your coverage:

In addition to your monthly plan cost, American Home Shield offers two service call fee or deductible options of $100 or $125. The rate you select will impact the cost of your premium — the lower your service fee, the higher your monthly premium. The chart below shows average costs based on sample quotes we pulled for a 1,800-square-foot home in San Diego, Calif.

To learn more: American Home Shield review

We rated Liberty Home Guard 4.5 out of 5 stars based on our review standards because of its plan options, a suite of coverage add-ons and accessible customer service team. It can offer California homeowners a variety of coverages, from protecting just home appliances or systems to a combination of both.

Though Liberty Home Guard is a relative newcomer to the home warranty industry with just five years of experience, it has some of the highest online customer ratings of any company on our list. For example, over 85% of Trustpilot reviewers gave it 5 stars, citing seamless customer service and knowledgeable technicians.

Liberty Home Guard offers three plan options: Appliance Guard, Systems Guard and Total Home Guard. Appliance Guard covers nine appliances, including your garbage disposal and dishwasher. The Systems Guard plan covers six built-in systems, including air conditioning, heating and ductwork. Total Home Guard combines those two plans into one comprehensive package. The following table displays Liberty Home Guard's coverage options:

Liberty Home Guard covers a wide variety of add-on options, including:

Unlike other providers, Liberty Home Guard assigns its customers a service call fee between $65 and $125 based on your plan, add-ons and location. The chart below shows average premium costs based on sample quotes we pulled for a 1,800-square-foot home in San Diego, Calif.

To learn more: Liberty Home Guard Review

Select Home Warranty is a budget-conscious provider that offers a suite of three protection plans, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars based on our review standards. Its plans include free roof leak coverage, a plus for homeowners living in rainier parts of the state — particularly Northern California, where heavy rain can cause roof damage and leaks more frequently. The company also offers regularly scheduled promotions to help keep your monthly payments competitive.

However, Select Home Warranty offers relatively low coverage caps of $500 per covered appliance. So if your refrigerator or another covered appliance breaks, you must pay out-of-pocket for any costs exceeding the $500 limit.

Select Home Warranty offers three coverage plans. Bronze Care is a systems plan, Gold Care is an appliance plan and Platinum Care is a complete home warranty option, providing all-inclusive coverage. Select Home Warranty's plans are outlined in the following table:

If you decide on Select Home Warranty, you can also purchase the following coverage add-ons:

Select Home Warranty charges a standard $75 service call fee regardless of the plan you choose. The chart below shows average costs based on sample quotes we pulled for a 1,800-square-foot home in San Diego, Calif.

To learn more: Select Home Warranty Review

First American Home Warranty earned 4.4 out of 5 stars in our ranking. It offers comprehensive and affordable home warranties in California, with three plans that include kitchen appliances. It also extends generous appliance coverage caps — $3,500 per item under its Starter and Essential plans and $7,000 per item under its more comprehensive Premium Plan. You can even add more coverage for improperly installed or maintained items with the First Class Upgrade.

While First American doesn't provide coverage for central air conditioning in its plans, you can include it as an add-on. This may be a dealbreaker if you live in California, as air conditioning is the easiest way to handle the state's warm temperatures at home.

First American offers three home warranty plans: Starter, Essential and Premium. Compare First American Home Warranty coverage using the chart below:

The company also offers the following coverage add-ons:

First American Home Warranty lets you pick a service call fee in the amount of $75, $100 or $125. The higher your service call fee, the lower your monthly plan cost. The chart below shows average costs based on sample quotes we pulled for a 1,800-square-foot home in San Diego, Calif.

To Learn More: First American Home Warranty Review

America's First Choice (AFC) Home Club is our pick for the most coverage options in California, with a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on our methodology. AFC Home Club offers you the ability to customize your home warranty by choosing from four plans, three service call fee options and a variety of add-ons.

AFC Home Club also lets you choose how you pay for your home warranty — you can pay a monthly premium or cover the total cost upfront by purchasing a one or three-year plan. Plus, you can receive a discounted rate for paying upfront. The company's payment options allow you more flexibility with your home warranty plan, and you can save money when you pay ahead of time.

AFC Home Club offers four plans: Systems, Silver, Gold and Platinum. While the Systems plan covers your major home systems, the Silver plan covers major appliances. The Gold and Platinum plans cover both systems and appliances more comprehensively. The table below highlights AFC Home Club's coverage options in California:

AFC Home Club offers the following coverage add-ons:

AFC Home Club offers three service call fee options of $75, $100 or $125. The chart below shows average premium costs based on sample quotes we pulled for a 1,800-square-foot home in San Diego, Calif. While these estimates reflect monthly payments, keep in mind that AFC Home Club offers discounts when you pay for a full coverage term upfront.

To learn more: AFC Home Club review

A home warranty is an agreement between a home warranty company and you, the homeowner. Under this agreement, you pay a monthly fee to the company in exchange for coverage when one of your home systems or appliances fails.

Unlike homeowners insurance, a home warranty does not cover damage due to natural disasters, theft or other major events. So if you are a home buyer in California and experience a heatwave or earthquake, a home warranty would not cover any associated damage. Instead, a home warranty is meant to complement a homeowners insurance plan by subsidizing the cost of normal wear and tear or deterioration of your home's systems and appliances.

Your service contract will detail what is covered under your home warranty plan. Most contracts also include a list of limitations, conditions and exclusions that your provider could cite as reasons for denying a claim. If a system or appliance in your home breaks, you can request service by filing a claim. If your warranty covers the broken item and associated repairs, your provider will send a technician to address the problem.

Before enrolling in a new home warranty in California, we recommend you research local home warranty companies, decide which coverage is the most important for your home and compare plan costs and service fees.

All of our top picks for home warranty companies in California operate nationwide. However, your customer experience can vary depending on which location is closest to you. For instance, American Home Shield operates across the country but has two locations based in California.

Additionally, your home warranty provider will likely send locally-based technicians to your home if you need a repair. Reading local reviews should give you a better understanding of how satisfied customers are in your area.

Every home warranty customer expects coverage for standard household items like HVACs, water heaters, refrigerators, ovens, plumbing systems, exhaust fans and more. However, you should also consider your location when comparing home warranty coverage.

For instance, in Southern California, residents experience very high temperatures throughout the summer. Therefore, they may need more frequent air conditioner tune-ups or repairs than customers in cooler climates. In this case, you’d want a plan with extended coverage for air conditioning units to maximize your savings. You can also find a home warranty plan that covers other home cooling methods, like your ceiling fans.

Locally-based considerations can help you choose the best warranty plan to cover specific needs in your California home.

If you are a California homeowner looking to enroll in a home warranty policy, you should compare plan options, monthly costs and service fees when choosing a company.

A cheaper plan doesn't necessarily mean it's a "better" deal. If your home warranty doesn't cover you when needed, it's not a good value. Avoid this by carefully reviewing the terms and exclusions for each plan you’re considering before you make a choice. Be sure to compare the covered items to your home needs.

Home warranty customers are protected under California law. Home warranty companies in California are legally required to detail the terms and conditions of each policy. That includes what is and is not covered under your contract, any fees, and renewal and cancellation terms. Companies must also process customer claims requests over the phone and follow up on claims within 48 hours of a request, according to the California Department of Insurance.

As a note, you may see home warranty companies referred to as "home protection companies" under California law. While home warranty companies are not technically considered insurance companies, providers are regulated by the California Department of Insurance.

If you are a home warranty policyholder and your claim is denied, you can request assistance from the California Department of Insurance. You can get help by calling 1-800-927-4257, filing a request for assistance online or visiting the agency's website.

The cost of a home warranty in California will depend on which company you select and its policy offerings. For the California home warranty companies we evaluated, prices ranged widely from $25-$82, and service fees ranged from $75 to $150. Typically, the move coverages you have and the higher the annual limits, the higher the monthly cost will be.

The MarketWatch Guides Team developed a calculator that analyzes the anticipated yearly expenses associated with owning a home warranty in California. To determine your projected annual cost, simply input your monthly premium, service call fee and estimated number of claims. We recommend getting quotes from our top providers directly, as prices vary by plan, location and home size.

Source: Home Depot

Each of our top recommendations for home warranty companies in California stands out among other providers in the industry, providing impressive features like affordable rates and unique coverage options.

American Home Shield offers three plans and two service fee options to help you customize your coverage, whereas Liberty Home Guard has more than three dozen coverage add-on options. Select Home Warranty offers free roof leak protection, and First American extends generous coverage caps for its appliance coverage. AFC Home Club offers flexibility in allowing you to pay for your warranty monthly or upfront in single or multi-year terms.

We always recommend getting multiple quotes before making your final decision. If you’d like to get a free quote from one of our top-ranked service providers in California, click below to get started.

We found that American Home Shield offers the most value for home warranty coverage in California. The company offers round-the-clock service and includes air conditioning in all its basic plans, a plus for California residents who experience warm weather. Its comprehensive plan also features roof leak protection, a benefit in parts of California where heavy rainfall can cause roof damage over time.

However, American Home Shield may not represent the best value for everyone. We recommend you get a free quote from each provider on our list before purchasing a plan.

Yes. Other companies provide home warranties in California, but we did not include every provider on our list. We ranked each company in this guide based on multiple factors, including plan options and costs, company reputation, customer service and more. We excluded some companies based on low scores within our criteria.

For example, we did not include The Home Service Club due to legal disputes with the state insurance commissioner and customer complaints through the Better Business Bureau (BBB). We also left off Cinch Home Services because it no longer operates in California.

If you can't afford to pay for a home system or appliance breakdown out of pocket, a home warranty could be worth it. A home warranty can offer peace of mind in protecting everything from your built-in microwave and heating system to plumbing stoppages and doorbell malfunctions.

It depends on your home warranty company, but many home warranty companies cover HVACs. However, it is up to your home warranty provider whether a service technician will fully replace your HVAC or repair it.

Coverage for appliances:

Coverage for systems:

Other home coverages

Our team created a comprehensive rating system to rank providers based on objective factors. We researched each company by speaking with company representatives, reading sample contracts, and analyzing and comparing consumer reviews. We deepened our research by gaining homeowner insights through surveys and focus groups.

After collecting data, we scored each provider based on what matters most to homeowners: plan options, cost, trustworthiness, customer service, state availability, additional benefits and coverage specifics.

We established each company's rating out of five stars, weighing each factor accordingly:

Our review methodology for home warranty companies is intended to provide a thorough overview of the best providers nationwide. To learn more, you can read our full home warranty methodology.

Faith Wakefield is a writer based in North Carolina. She holds economics and English degrees from UNC Chapel Hill, and her work has been featured on EcoWatch, The World Economic Forum and Today's Homeowner. In her free time, she loves to binge-watch personal finance videos on YouTube, collect books and spend time in nature.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York's Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.