Top 5 Best Home Warranties For Water Damage (2023 Review)
Written By: Ross Robinson
Edited by: Andrew Dunn
Looking for the best home warranty for potential water damage?
Perfect you’re in the right spot. In this guide we’ll answer questions like:
- Are home warranties meant for water damage?
- Is a home warranty for water damage worth it?
- How can you get the best coverage for potential water damage?
- And much more..
We’ve reviewed and rated over 68+ home warranty companies to provide you with the most information on how to cover water damage best with a home warranty. Curious to know more? Check out our top 5 companies below.
Our Top Home Warranty for Water Damage Picks
- All plans have comprehensive coverage. Most other home warranty plans cover either just systems or just appliances.
- Choice’s coverage caps are $3,000 per item, per year for most major systems and appliances beating the industry average.
- Choice Home Warranty doesn't exclude older homes, so you can still get coverage regardless of the age of your property.
- $200 off + 1 Month Free + Free Roof Coverage!
- BBB's Only A+ Accredited Home Warranty Company!
- 60-day workmanship guarantee compared to the average of 30 days.
- More than 20 options, including window washing, swimming pools, and irrigation.
- 24/7 service calls
- With over 52 years of experience and 1.7 million customers AHS has a long history in the industry.
- American Home Shield, lest you choose a service fee that works for your budget.
- Coverage caps for systems are unlimited across all three plans and are either $3000 or $6000 for appliances.
- $150 off + 2 months free
- FREE Roof Leak Coverage
- Good selection of plans
- Must file claims within 3 days
- $75 cancellation fee
- First 2 Months Free on all Plans! (exclusions apply)
- Industry-leading 180-day workmanship guarantee
- $500 Homeowner insurance deductible reimbursement
- Thousands of reliable & fast local service providers
- 24/7 customer service
- Low cancellation fee
Top 3 Home Warranty Companies for Water Damage
We’ve done the research for you on the best home warranty companies across the country so you don’t have to. Here are our top three picks, and why.
| Provider | Best For | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | BBB Rating |
| Choice Home Warranty | Best Overall | $45 – $53 | $85 | D+ |
| Liberty Home Guard | Best Customer Service | $45 – $54 | $75 | A- |
| American Home Shield | Most Customizable | $25 – $75 | $75 – $125 | B |
Choice Home Warranty (Best Home Warranty for Water Damage)
Choice Home Warranty is the best home warranty for water damage. Typically speaking, water damage is not going to be covered under your home warranty policy. Most homeowners insurance policies are in place to cover water damage. However, Choice does offer some additional coverage to help support the home insurance plan. If the appliance or system covered under the Choice Home Warranty plan is the root cause of the water damage, Choice will repair or replace that problem. Companies like American Home Shield do not offer this type of coverage and will not cover anything related to water damage. In addition, American Home Shield requires a combo plan to protect both appliances and systems. With the Choice Home Warranty plan, that is not necessary as the Basic and Total plans are combo plans. Combo plans that cover systems and appliances for homeowners offer the best value and the broadest coverage.
Water damage can come into a home from a variety of sources. For some homes, the issues could be related to a dishwasher or a plumbing system. Knowing that the Choice Home Warranty plan can cover a few of each of these is quite essential. The Choice Home Warranty comes with a $85 deductible. The $85 deductible is very reasonably priced when looking across the industry. Many plans will cost $100 or more for each individual repair. Many times water damage to a home can require a fast response, or more damage will occur. Choice Home Warranty offers emergency service to help get the water issues fixed as soon as possible. Water damage is an expensive issue to deal with. Having a Choice Home Warranty in place will give you peace of mind and help you save money on your home’s repair expenses.
Choice Home Warranty is currently offering a promotion that features $50 off, one month free, and no cancellation fees for the first 30 days. Now is a great time to help protect your home against water damage with your Choice Home Warranty policy.
American Home Shield (Most Customizable)
American Home Shield is our editor’s choice for the best home warranty for water damage. Similar to other home warranties on the market, there is no direct coverage for water damage as part of your policy. However, there are many appliances and systems that you can get coverage for that will help you protect your home against water damage. Water damage typically comes from plumbing systems, plumbing stoppages, and even water heater issues. These can all be covered under the American Home Shield platinum combo plan. The Platinum Combo plan is one of the most extensive plans on the market, with premium protection and coverage.
Unlike Select Home Warranty and Choice Home Warranty that has been on the market for about ten years, AHS has spent 50 years in the home warranty industry. With 50 years under their belt, American Home Shield can fix your appliances and systems quickly and efficiently to help prevent further water damage. When you look at the number of claims paid out in a year from Select Home Warranty, the stats are impressive. This policy lives up to what they say and provides only the best service for its customers. The customer service team and employees are chosen by American Home Shield know how to handle any issue that comes up with your home.
American Home Shield is currently offering an incentive that gives you $50 off your policy. Now is a great time to take advantage of all that American Home Shield has to offer.
Select Home Warranty (Most Affordable)
Select Home Warranty is the most affordable home warranty coverage for water damage. As with other home warranty providers, Select will not directly cover issues related to water damage in your home. However, Select Home Warranty coverage can help ensure that your home is adequately protected from plumbing stoppages, plumbing system mainline breaks, and water heaters that malfunction. The pricing of the Select Home Warranty combo plan is one of the lowest on the market for all of the coverage that it provides. With a deductible of $60, Select Home Warranty is one of the cheapest plans on the market when it comes to service fees as well.
One of the most important things to look for when preventing water damage is that a company can respond quickly with knowledgeable repair technicians. Select Home Warranty is very strict about the contractors that they allow to work for the company. Each one must go through a training process to ensure they know the necessary to handle the issues at your home. IN addition to the well-trained technicians and the affordable coverage, Select Home Warranty also offers free roof leak coverage as part of your plan. Even when choosing the more basic plan options, Select will have you covered.
The Select Home Warranty plan offers one of the best joining incentives on the market. For a limited time, you can get $150 off, two months free, and 30 days to cancel without penalty. This is truly a no-risk way to see if the Select Home Warranty plan will work for your home.
What's In This Guide?
You might be familiar with a home warranty as a way to cover everything from your heating system to your garage door opener from malfunction due to everyday wear and tear.
But will a home warranty work for water damage? Indirectly, yes. Just as you use a home warranty to defray and minimize the cost of fixing a broken air conditioner (for instance), you can use a home warranty to minimize the costs related to an appliance or major system malfunction that also results in water damage.
Let me explain how this works by looking at the fine print and protection plans related to water damage.
If you’re looking for a trusted, industry-leading home warranty company, we recommend Choice Home Warranty. They’re a top-rated brand and right now you can take advantage of their current promotions that get you $50 off, plus one free month and free 30-Day cancellation. Get a free online quote or contact a specialist at 929-400-6169 before these deals end. Another great option is American Home Shield which offers $50 off. Get a free quote online or you can call a home warranty specialist directly at 866-464-7521.
Are Home Warranties Meant For Water Damage?
Generally, your home warranty is NOT your first line of defense when it comes to water damage. On the other hand, home warranties, in general, are meant to supplement other property protection products like homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance. So while a home warranty will not specifically cover repairs to a water damaged room, it can be a great supplement that pays out for the CAUSE of the water damage when it is not covered by your homeowners insurance.
Top 5 Best Home Warranties For Water Damage
What Should You Be Looking for In the Service Contract?
Again, to be clear, most plans, including American Home Shield, do not cover malfunctions directly caused by water damage. The sample contract reads in part, “…not responsible or liable for repairs or replacements when the malfunction is due to accidents, fire, freezing, water damage, electrical failure or surge, or excessive or inadequate water pressure” (emphasis added.) This is standard industry language included in most general exclusion sections of a home warranty contract. But whatever caused that damage, that can be where a home warranty comes to the rescue.
Best Home Warranty For Water Damage?
Choice Home Warranty is our top pick for water damage coverage in the home warranty market. Choice has more than 10 years of experience, has 24/7 customer service availability and emergency response around the clock for emergencies.
So, if your dishwasher breaks down and causes water damage, your home warranty can cover the cost of repairing or replacing the dishwasher–so you are not on the hook for that expense. All you are response for is the service fees for home warranty repair.
Water damage happens in lots of different ways. Many of the best home warranty companies provide add-on coverage for roof leakage in addition to the standard appliance and systems coverage.
So while a home warranty is not the primary place people come for water damage protection, you are wise to be looking for every angle of protection, which can include a coverage to give you peace of mind when thinking about all the potential causes of water damage in your home.
Are You A First-Time Buyer? Check Out This Article!
What Will a Home Warranty Cover?
Here are a few examples of the kinds of coverage home warranty providers do offer that can help you out when water damage happen:
- Pipe leak coverage – under the plumbing system coverage, you will get coverage for leaks, stoppages (that’s clogs to you and me) and breakage usually up to around 100 feet from the access point. To get to the leak the service provider may repair the surface area back to what they call “rough finish” without sanding or painting any drywall or other surfaces. This may repair some of the water damage. But for the most part, water damage repairs will be up to you.
- Roof leak coverage – Most home warranty companies use the phrase “limited roof leak coverage,” and it is usually an add-on, though sometimes it is included in more basic plans. This would be for minor roof leak repairs, not for a full replacement of a roof.
- Water-related systems and appliances – your clothes washer, sprinkler system or plumbing could malfunction. Select Home Warranty estimates the average repair cost for a washer at $185 and replacement at $650. A home warranty can take care of those repair and replacement costs.
What Does A Home Warranty for Water Damage Cost?
Home warranty coverage for home systems and appliances like a plumbing system, garbage disposal, septic system, faucets usually require a more comprehensive coverage plan.
But the idea is to spend less than you normally would on home repairs.
In this case, home warranty costs will be slightly more, since you will likely be purchasing either a premium (combo) plan and add-on coverage as well.
A combo plan with add on coverage that will protect your water damaging appliances and systems can cost anywhere from $500 to $800. For specific numbers, all the companies we review will provide a free quote based on where you live and the type of house you live in.
Read Also: What Are The Recommended Companies For Plumbing System Protection?
Is A Home Warranty For Water Damage Worth It?
It could be. Home warranties are about much more than covering systems like your air conditioning, electrical system, or ductwork, and appliances like a cooktop or ice maker. And while most plans will not cover repair or replacement of water damaged property unless the repair or replacement is integral to repair or replacement of the malfunctioning system or appliance, protecting the systems and appliances themselves can minimize your out-of-pocket costs when water damage is caused.
For older homes where few components are under manufacturer or builder’s warranty, a home warranty can very much be worth it. Homebuyers working with real estate agents should ask about home warranty coverage to keep homeownership’s cost manageable.
Read Also: What Are The Top Coverage Plans For Older Homes?
How Do Home Warranties For Water Damage Work (Are They Unique)?
Step 1: Is this an Insurance issue or a home warranty issue?.
What will homeowners insurance cover? If water damage is the result of a natural disaster, fire, flood, or burglar breaking in and leaving a bathtub running (for some reason), your homeowner’s insurance policy should cover that. But if an appliance or system like a washing machine or HVAC just breaks down from normal wear and tear, that’s when your home warranty kicks in.
Step 2: Call your home warranty provider
You should call your provider within the specified claim filing period, which is usually three days for companies like Select Home Warranty, and file a claim for repair or replacement of the system or home appliances causing water damage. Other providers only allow 24 hours to file a claim, so be sure to be ready to file a claim once maintenance is needed.
Step 3: Coordinate service
Your service provider will repair or replace the damaged appliance or system, up to their maximum coverage. There is usually language in a service agreement. For instance, Choice Home Warranty notes in their standard agreement, “At times it is necessary to open walls or ceilings to make repairs. The Service Provider obtained by Us will close the opening, and return to a rough finish condition. We are not responsible for the restoration of any wall coverings, floor coverings, plaster, cabinets, countertops, tiling, paint, or the like.”
“Returning to rough condition” may or may not repair the water damaged area. So the upside is that replacement of the cause of the water damage will be covered. Repair of the water damaged surfaces will be an added expense that you will be charged for.
Read Also: What Are The Top Companies That Cover A Well System?
With that in mind, check out this tutorial on how to repair water damage to a drywalled ceiling. You’ll see that it is not the most complicated of home repairs, and even if you have someone else make the repair, it won’t likely cost as much as replacing or repairing a new upstairs washer would be:
Final Thoughts On Home Warranties For Water Damage
While water damage repairs are generally not covered in a home warranty, a home warranty can provide you with protection for those nearly inevitable breakdowns of systems and appliances that cause water damage.
Finding a company that covers potentially water-damaging appliances and systems can be tricky. We hope you have found this resource helpful!
Wondering if water damage is covered by a home warranty in your hometown? Check out or location-based articles and discover the top 5 companies in cities like Omaha, NE and Madison, WI.