Best Home Warranty Companies for Plumbing (2024)
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Investing in a home warranty plan that covers plumbing issues can make repairing or replacing any part of your home’s plumbing system less stressful and more affordable. Many homeowners experience residential plumbing issues, whether it’s slow water leaks or busted sewage lines. Our team created this guide to help you find a provider that offers best-in-class home warranty plumbing coverage to protect against these issues before they arise. We’ve researched the best home warranty companies nationwide and compiled a list of the five highest-ranking providers based on coverage options, pricing, customer satisfaction, and more.
We recommend American Home Shield as our top pick for plumbing system coverage. Plumbing coverage is built into all of the company’s plans and it offers the most generous plumbing coverage caps out of all the companies we reviewed.
Key Takeaways
Top 5 Home Warranty Companies for Plumbing
The following is a list of the best home warranty companies for plumbing we recommend based on our in-depth methodology:
Compare the Best Home Warranty Companies for Plumbing
Review the table below to compare our top home warranty providers for plumbing coverage. We obtained monthly cost figures for each company by calculating national averages. Your monthly premium may differ based on your home’s size and type, your location, your plan, and optional add-ons.
For the most accurate pricing estimate, we recommend pulling a quote from the company you’re considering.
Monthly Cost
Service Fees
Customer Support Options
Response Time
Pros
- Extensive add-on catalog
- 60-day workmanship guarantee
- Accessible customer support
- High coverage caps
- Preexisting coverage included
- Bonus discounts on maintenance services
- Low-cost plan options
- High HVAC coverage
- Free roof leak protection
- Unlimited system coverage
- Solid add-on catalog
- Optional upgrade for preexisting condition coverage
- Excellent plan flexibility
- Technician flexibility
- Unlimited HVAC coverage
Cons
- Reviews mention low claim payouts
- Low coverage caps for electrical and plumbing
- Higher costs for comprehensive coverage
- Smallest add-on catalog
- Low coverage caps for other items
- No service call fee flexibility
- No AC coverage in the lowest plan
- Excludes essential appliances from its lowest plan
- Depreciation policy for older items
- Immediate claim submission required
Summary
We recommend Liberty Home Guard for homeowners who need coverage for multiple HVAC systems and extensive add-on customizations.
We recommend American Home Shield for homeowners who need comprehensive coverage for older homes.
We recommend Select Home Warranty for homeowners who need affordable HVAC-only coverage.
We recommend First American Home Warranty for homeowners who need robust plan options for HVAC and high-end appliances.Â
We recommend AFC Home Warranty for homeowners who want extensive HVAC coverage and protections for new systems.
Promotions
Rating Categories
Coverage
Value
Trustworthiness
Plan Transparency
Customer Support
Flexibility
The Best Home Warranty Companies for Plumbing Coverage
Liberty Home Guard
Best Overall
American Home Shield
Best for Comprehensive Coverage
Select Home Warranty
Best Value
First American Home Warranty
Best Appliance Coverage
AFC Home Warranty
Best for Customization
What Does a Plumbing Home Warranty Cover?
A home warranty typically covers a plumbing system’s core components, including the following:
- Drain lines
- Pipes
- Sewer lines
- Toilet components
- Valves
- Water lines
Home warranties also cover damage to plumbing components, including the following:
- Pipe breaks and leaks
- Plumbing line stoppages
- Sewer line and mainline clearing within your home’s foundation
Most providers offer certain types of coverage, such as septic tank pumping as an add-on, through our recommended septic warranty companies.
In addition to plumbing system coverage, a home warranty protects major home systems and major appliances, including but not limited to your HVAC system, ceiling fans, garbage disposals, refrigerators, and water heaters. Explore our article on the best home appliance insurance companies to find coverage for these crucial items.
What Does a Plumbing Home Warranty Not Cover?
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), if a provider doesn’t list an item or component within its service contract, it likely doesn’t cover it.
There are several conditions or damages a home warranty provider won’t cover regarding your plumbing system. These include the following:
- Broken or leaking pipes caused by freezing
- Miscellaneous plumbing system components such as toilet lids
- Plumbing line stoppages caused by foreign objects or tree roots
- Sewer line and mainline clogs outside your home’s foundation
We recommend reading a provider’s fine print to understand its exact terms of coverage and exclusions.
What Are the Benefits of a Plumbing Home Warranty?
Not only can a home warranty protect your plumbing system, but it can also protect other important systems and appliances, such as your electrical system, heating, clothes washer, dryer, oven, well pump, pool, and spa.
According to our 2021 survey of 1,000 homeowners, over 51% of respondents said their most expensive home costs outside of their mortgage involved repairing or maintaining a system or appliance. Unlike homeowners insurance, which covers damage to your home from natural disasters, fire, or theft, a home warranty protects your most important home items.
Additionally, purchasing home warranty coverage prevents you from paying expensive out-of-pocket costs for unexpected repairs and replacements on home items caused by normal wear and tear. Having a home warranty also saves you from searching for a technician whenever you need a repair. Most home warranty companies have a network of experienced professionals who can repair or replace your broken system or appliance within two to three business days of receiving your claim.
Before deciding on a home warranty, we recommend requesting quotes from the providers listed in this review to help you compare pricing and coverage in your area. Read our article on the basics of a home warranty and provider sample contracts to understand contract terms, conditions, and exclusions.
Annual Home Warranty Cost Calculator
Our team created a calculator to break down the estimated annual cost of owning a home warranty. Enter your monthly premium, service call fee, and estimated number of claims to see your projected annual cost. It’s best to request a quote directly from one of our recommended providers, as annual costs and service fees vary between them.
Note: The annual cost figure generated by our home warranty calculator is not an indication of a company’s actual plan cost, as annual costs and service fees vary based on your plan selections and your home’s size, type, and location.
Lifespan and repair cost data sourced from InterNACHI and Home Depot
The Best Residential Plumbing Insurance Companies – Our Final Take
American Home Shield is our top recommendation for plumbing system coverage. Not only is plumbing coverage built into all of the company’s plans, but it also offers the most generous plumbing coverage caps of any company we’ve reviewed. In addition, AHS covers up to $1,000 coverage in cases where the contractor must cut through concrete to access plumbing components.
Liberty Home Guard is our overall top home warranty pick and our second choice for plumbing coverage. We like its $2,000 plumbing system coverage cap and competitively priced plans, which range from $50 to $60 per month.
FAQs About Plumbing Home Warranties
Do home warranties cover broken pipes?
Yes, home warranties cover broken pipes plus leaks and blockages. However, providers may have exclusions on pipe coverage. For example, many providers won’t cover a pipe break outside your home’s main foundation. Read your provider’s service contract to understand coverage exclusions and limitations.
What are the benefits of a home warranty for plumbing?
The main benefit of having a home warranty for your plumbing system is it covers expensive repairs or replacements. In addition, home warranties source a reputable plumber for you.
Does a home warranty cover faucet replacements?
Typically, home warranties don’t cover faucet replacements unless specified in their service contracts. However, some providers, such as AFC Home Warranty and First American Home Warranty, cover faucet replacement in their comprehensive plans.
What is normal wear and tear?
Wear and tear is a phrase commonly used in the home warranty industry to describe a system or appliance’s deterioration due to regular use. It isn’t considered normal wear and tear if your item is damaged due to tampering or improperly installing or maintaining your items. Examples of common plumbing failures from normal wear and tear include leaky faucets or pipes, broken valves, and degradation.Â
Does a home warranty cover plumbing?
Yes, many home warranty companies cover plumbing. American Home Shield has plumbing built into all of its plans, and offers the highest coverage caps out of all the plumbing insurance companies we reviewed.
Related Resources
- Best Home Warranty Companies for Sewer Lines
- How Much Does a Sewer Line Replacement Cost?
- Best Well Warranty Companies
Our Rating Methodology
We back up our home warranty ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each provider. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts from each company, and conducting focus groups and consumer surveys. We then score each provider against our review standards for coverage, value, trustworthiness and transparency, availability, and customer service to arrive at a final score on a 5-point rating scale.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
