The American Home Shield (AHS) is one of the major companies in the field of insurance for home appliances. Look for the best home appliance insurance companies with affordable premiums and service fees, generous payout maximums, a streamlined claims procedure, and a variety of plans that can be tailored to cover the specific appliances and systems you need to protect.
Home Appliances Insurance
In the event of a major home appliance breaking down, having home appliance insurance, also known as a home warranty policy, can give you peace of mind by covering the cost of repairs or replacement and assisting you in finding a contractor.
If you pay a yearly or monthly premium for home appliance insurance, the company will cover the cost of repairing or replacing covered appliances like your air conditioner, refrigerator, and washing machine at a discounted rate. There are a variety of plans to choose from with home warranty providers, including those that cover only your appliances.
Home appliance insurance is unique among insurance policies in that it covers normal wear and tear as well as unexpected breakdowns. This home appliance insurance also pays to fix or replace broken home appliances or systems. Home appliance insurance, in contrast to standard homeowner’s insurance, is designed to compensate for the wear and tear that naturally occurs to appliances over time. Â
Home Appliances Insurance Companies
You should take into account crucial elements like coverage, price, and customer satisfaction when choosing the home appliance insurance company that is best for you. The best home appliance insurance companies include:
#1. Liberty Home GuardÂ
Liberty’s website is simple to navigate, and the company offers competitive rates, a live chat feature, discounts, and a variety of add-ons (including protection for professional-grade appliances). They have an A+ rating with the BBB and sell insurance policies everywhere but in Washington and Wisconsin.Â
Furthermore, most Liberty Home Guard Home Warranty plans cost $587, and they will only pay out up to $2,000 per year for each appliance or system they cover. The typical response time for the company to send out repair technicians is between 24 and 48 hours. Liberty provides both a basic appliance plan and a comprehensive selection of add-ons from which you can build the perfect package for your household. Liberty Home Guard offers custom coverage for less common appliances like ice makers, standalone freezers, additional refrigerators, and professional series appliances.
The monthly fee for a Liberty Home Guard plan ranges from $50 to $60, with the lowest price point being the company’s Appliance Guard package. Liberty, in contrast to providers that let you pick your service fee, charges a flat rate for service calls that ranges from $65 to $125, depending on your plan, extras, and location. There are three different base packages available from Liberty Home Guard (price varies by package and location):
- Appliance Guard: This service costs $50 per month and includes coverage for a washer/dryer, refrigerator, built-in microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, range/oven/cooktop, ceiling and exhaust fans, and garage door opener.
- Systems Guard: This service costs $55 per month and includes coverage for air conditioner, heating, ductwork, plumbing, electrical, and water heaters.
- Total Home Guard: This service also costs $60 per month and includes coverage for everything the Appliance Guard and Systems Guard plans cover Â
#2. American Home ShieldÂ
There is not a separate policy that covers just appliances, but two of AHS’s three options do. Our favorite appliance insurance is from AHS because it covers professional-grade appliances and has a high per-item maximum of $3,000 to $6,000 (depending on your plan). Two of the three AHS plans include coverage for major home appliances. The AHS ShieldSilver basic plan does not include coverage for appliances. Therefore, to protect your home’s appliances, wiring, and plumbing, you will need to upgrade to ShieldGold or ShieldPlatinum.
American Home Shield offers three distinct plans, and customers can further tailor their protection by adding coverage for things like home theatre systems and other electronics. Coverage for extras like swimming pools, hot tubs, and well pumps can be purchased for an extra premium. With the combination policy, AHS provides unrivaled coverage, protecting no fewer than 21 different appliance and system types.Â
American Home Shield Insurance Plans:
The monthly premium for an American Home Shield plan ranges from $30 to $100, with an additional $25 being added to the premium for a higher deductible and/or service call fee.
- ShieldSilver™: $30–$50 per month
- ShieldGold™: $50–$70 per month
- ShieldPlatinum™: $80–$100 per month
#3. CinchÂ
Cinch Home Warranty plans typically cost $567 per year and have a yearly payout maximum of $10,000. According to the company, its repair turnaround time is among the quickest in the business, coming in at just 2–24 hours on average.Â
Cinch Home Warranty has three different plans available (price varies by plan and location):
- Home Appliances Warranty: Includes a washer, dryer, stove, oven, hob, dishwasher, built-in food center, freestanding ice maker, built-in microwave, range exhaust hood, fridge, trash compactor, wall oven, and a choice of a $25 credit towards an air conditioner or water filter.Â
- Built-in Systems Warranty: The deal also includes air conditioning (with ductwork), ceiling fans, attic fans, a central vacuum, doorbells, an electrical system, a garage door opener, a garbage disposal, an instant hot and cold water dispenser, smoke detectors, a sump pump, toilets, a water heater, a built-in whirlpool or jetted tub, and a $25 credit for an air conditioner or water filter.Â
- Complete Home Warranty: A package deal that pays your yearly homeowner’s insurance deductible of up to $500 and includes coverage for appliances and built-in systems.
#4. Select Home Warranty
Even though Select Home Warranty’s coverage maximum is only $500 per appliance, their Complete Home Plan (which includes coverage for appliances and home systems) is among the most affordable options at just $47.75 per month. The $75 service fee that the company charges is fair. There are three options to choose from with Select Home Warranty: Bronze Care, Gold Care, and Platinum Care. The Bronze Care plan only covers appliances, while the Platinum Care plan offers protection for all of the home’s systems. Gold Care does not include appliance coverage.
Pricing:
Select Home Warranty is an affordable option because all of its plans cost less than $50 per month. Additionally, Select’s $75 monthly service fee is consistently lower than that of its rivals.
- Bronze Care: $44 per month
- Gold Care: $44 per month
- Platinum Care: $48 per month
#5. America’s First ChoiceÂ
Three of the four AFC Home Club plans include coverage for appliances. At $33.83–$38.67 per month (depending on your service fee), the Silver Plan is the most affordable option on our list of plans that cover only appliances.
The maximum amount of coverage is $3,000 for regular appliances and $1,000 for high-end appliances, even though the premium is quite low. You can also choose from the Systems, Silver, Gold, or Platinum packages provided by AFC Home Club. All three plans cover appliances, but the Silver Plan is the only one that does so exclusively. The systems plan is only applicable to home systems.
Service call fees from AFC Home Club range from $75 to $125, giving you the freedom to set your budget.
- Silver Plan: $34–$39 per month
- Systems Plan: $41–$46 per month
- Gold Plan: $48–$53 per month
- Platinum Plan: $53–$58 per month
#6. First American Home warranty
By additionally guarding against damage due to poor installation or maintenance, its First Class Upgrade goes above and beyond what its competitors provide. To avoid racking up a hefty bill when making a necessary home repair, it is good to know that the First Class Upgrade includes everything from labor costs to replacement parts for your appliances. The Premium Plan from First American provides even more protection, up to $7,000 per appliance and without limit for major systems.
Coverage for appliances varies across First American Home Warranty’s three plans. The cheapest option is the “Starter Plan,” which includes coverage for appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens, and microwaves but excludes laundry machines. The Premium Plan extends coverage on home appliances up to a maximum of $7,000 per item.
There are three different service call fees that First American offers: $75, $100, and $125. You can adjust your monthly expenditures in this way, with a higher service call fee resulting in cheaper service.
- Starter Plan: $47–$62 per month
- Essential Plan: $57–$72 per month
- Premium Plan: $72–$87 per month
#7. American Residential Warranty
Insurance from ARW Home is also available nationwide. The typical cost of a comprehensive plan covering multiple appliances and systems is $555 per year. According to company claims, it can respond to service requests within 48 hours (or 24 hours for emergencies).
ARW Home has three standard plans:
- Kitchen Plus:Â range/oven/cooktop, built-in microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, interior electric system, refrigerator (without ice maker), and water heater
- Platinum Premier:Â In addition to everything the Kitchen Plus plan includes, other extras include central heating, central air conditioning, humidifiers, ceiling fans, ductwork, garage door openers, plumbing stoppages (fixtures not included), and a plumbing system (fixtures not included).Â
- 4-in-1 Bundle:Â washer/dryer, water/sewer lines, personal electronics, some internal parts and mechanisms for the things listed above, in addition to everything the Kitchen Plus plan covers
Home Appliances Insurance Cover
Home appliance insurance, or home warranty plans, cover a wide variety of appliances and other household items. Typically, as the price of insurance goes up, the number of things that are covered increases. You can also save the most money on home warranty plans by shopping around and comparing prices from different providers.
When major home appliances fail as a result of regular use, home appliance insurance will pay for repairs. In most cases, home warranties won’t cover appliance repairs that resulted from misuse, abuse, neglect, abuse, improper installation, or improper modification. Their coverage also does not include things that break down because they were not maintained properly.
Usually, the following appliances are covered:
- Built-in microwaves
- Built-in trash compactors
- Clothes washer and dryer
- Cooktops
- Dishwashers
- Refrigerators
- Ranges/ovens/stoves
Depending on the specifics of your policy, a home warranty should cover your heating, ventilation, air conditioning, water heater, plumbing, and electrical systems. A lot of different policies may cover things like washers, dryers, refrigerators, and ranges. Depending on your budget, you may also be able to purchase supplemental coverage for things like a spa, second refrigerator, pool, pumps, septic systems, and more.
What Does Home Appliance Insurance not Cover?
Home warranties frequently cover the cost of repairing numerous home systems and appliances. The level of protection you enjoy is contingent upon the warranty provider and the plan you select.
However, the following are typically not included:
- Problems with the foundations, walls, paint, and floors
- Commercial-grade machinery or systems
- Problems already present that can be seen during a home inspection
- The usual wear and tear
- Issues with rust, corrosion, and sediment
- Incorrect upkeep, installation, design, a flaw in the manufacturer’s product, or earlier fixes that were not covered by the contract
- Asbestos, radon gas, and mold inspection and remediation
- Violations of the Building and Zoning Act
- Products with faulty installation
When home systems and appliances break down due to regular use, the homeowner’s warranty should pay for the necessary repairs, replacements, and maintenance. A warranty will not protect you from disasters like fire or flooding unless you also have home insurance.
What Does Home Appliance Insurance Cost?
The annual premium for a comprehensive policy to cover your home appliances can range from $400 to $1,000, depending on your chosen insurer and the level of coverage you want. The premium will go up if you purchase a policy that includes coverage for more appliances and if you choose to include coverage for riskier appliances.
Several variables affect how much you will pay for a home warranty, such as the company you go with, the square footage of your home, and the types of repairs you want covered. For instance, the cost of more extensive plans that cover things like appliances, systems, and extras will be higher than the cost of more basic ones.
The annual cost of a home warranty is $536 on average across the country. If you decide to purchase a plan every month, you can expect to pay around $52 per month. The monthly premium for a home warranty can range from $40 to $75, with service calls costing an additional $75 to $100. The price of a home warranty, however, will vary widely depending on factors such as the size of your home and the area in which you live.
Home warranties range in price depending on several factors, including the service provider, the geographical location of the property, and the scope of coverage desired. Prices for annual home warranty plans can vary from about $275 to $600. A more extensive plan, covering appliances, systems, and extras, might cost about $1,425 per year.
The monthly premium is paid to the home warranty company consistently. A trade service fee will also be assessed, but this will only be due if you require maintenance or replacement.
Home Appliances Insurance Plan
There are typically multiple packages available when purchasing a home warranty. While the specifics of each provider’s plans vary, it is not hard to find one that includes protection for everything from appliances to computer networks. Some companies focus on just the systems or the appliances. If you want to extend the protection of your purchase beyond the end of the manufacturer’s warranty, this type of warranty program could be a good option for you.Â
Is Insurance for Home Appliances Worth It?
Determine if a home warranty is worthwhile by making a list of all of your home’s appliances. Estimate how long they will last and the costs associated with maintaining or replacing them.
Homeowners who want to rest easy knowing their expensive appliances and systems are covered by a warranty. Therefore, when do you need a home warranty? Home warranties are a smart way to protect your investment and avoid costly repairs if your appliances and systems break down.
The real value of home appliance insurance is debatable and depends on several factors. The manufacturer’s warranty on a brand-new appliance would make this insurance seem redundant to a homeowner. However, keep in mind that manufacturer warranties typically only apply to certain components and may not last as long as you would hope.
If you have a lot of older appliances, it may be worth it to invest in appliance insurance. The likelihood of a breakdown increases with the age of a device. As a result, the protection of insurance can prevent a loss of tens of thousands of dollars due to repairs or replacement.
Which Appliance Warranty Is Best?
- American Home Shield
- Liberty Home Guard
- Select Home Warranty
- America’s First Choice Home Club
- First American Home Warranty
Is the American Home Shield Warranty Worth It?
The monthly premium for American Home Shield’s home warranty plans may be higher, but the coverage it provides more than makes up for it in terms of repair and replacement costs. However, customers have more say over their monthly outlay thanks to trade fee pricing that is both variable and flexible.
How to Purchase an Extended Warranty for Appliances?
Most appliance manufacturers and retailers offer extended service contracts at the time of purchase. Businesses like American Home Shield sell home protection plans. You can get it from the home appliance store, the maker, or a third-party vendor.
Is it a Good Idea to Get an Extended Warranty on Appliances?
Those with older appliances or those who know they cannot afford costly repairs may want to consider purchasing insurance. If your refrigerator breaks down after the initial warranty has expired, an extended warranty may be able to save you money. Still, there is always a chance that you will not need the coverage of an extended warranty.
It is a good idea to research manufacturer warranties and credit card extended protection plans before shelling out cash for an extended warranty on a new appliance. Whether or not an appliance extended warranty is worthwhile is something only you can decide. Before agreeing to any additional coverage, be sure to thoroughly review the applicable agreement.Â
What is Insurance on Appliances Called?
Home warranty insurance, which also covers major home appliances, can give you peace of mind if one breaks down. It will help you find a contractor and pay for the repairs or replacement.
What Are the Benefits of Appliance Insurance?
Having insurance for your washer, dryer, dishwasher, and other appliances will protect you from having to pay for expensive repairs or replacements. You may also avoid having to pay for costly repairs to your electrical system or plumbing.
Having insurance for your home appliances is like having a safety net in case of emergency repairs. Homeowners can rest easy knowing that their investment is protected against normal wear and tear.
What Are the Cons of a Home Warranty?
Unfortunately, many home warranty providers do not give you the option of using your preferred service technician. Also, note that your home warranty will not apply to a problem with a system or appliance that has not been properly maintained. Some appliances and systems may be specifically excluded from coverage in home warranty plans. A sample home warranty contract will also include these provisions.
Conclusion
When you invest in a home warranty, you give yourself the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can keep your house running without having to fork over a ton of cash every time something breaks. A home warranty can cover the plumbing, HVAC, appliances, and even the structural integrity of your house. Not only should you compare the coverage of potential policies, but you should also be familiar with the restrictions of any home warranty you might purchase. For each malfunctioning item, the insurance policy will allow a maximum payment. Get familiar with the policy’s coverage, exclusions, and maximum payout before filing a claim.
Fortunately, a home warranty can provide homeowners with protection against the financial burden that results from unexpected system and appliance failures.
Purchasing insurance for your home appliances is a serious decision that should not be made lightly. The age, condition, and cost of replacing one’s home appliances are all factors to think about.
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