Best Home Warranty Companies in California (2023 Review)

Top 7 Best Home Warranty Companies in California:

• Choice Home Warranty: Best Overall
• Liberty Home Guard: Best Reviewed
• American Home Shield: Most Customizable
• Select Home Warranty: Most Affordable
• America’s 1st Home Club: Best For Customization
• First American Home Warranty: Best Appliance Coverage
• Cinch Home Services: Best Workmanship

California Home Warranty Costs 

A California home warranty will vary in cost based on the type of home you have and the coverage you choose for your home. The monthly fees, deductible, and coverage caps will all come into play when looking at the plan’s overall cost for California homeowners; it can be very important to understand the average costs of the plan. When calling around to get quotes from different companies, the average cost of protection plans is an important fact to have. At Review Home Warranties, we did some in-depth research on all of the coverage plans in California. Here are the averages sorted by the different types of homes that they represent. California home warranty costs should stay relatively the same throughout the state. 

Is a Home Warranty Worth It?

With home prices so high no matter where you live in California, protecting that investment is important. One way to do that is with a home warranty.

A home warranty in California plan will cost you less than the cost of replacing most mid-range appliances. And if you have a problem with more than one system or appliance in a year, the plan can pay for itself. So in terms of protecting your investment and your wallet from unexpected expenses due to wear and tear on the systems and appliances you depend on, a home warranty can definitely be worth it. 

What do home warranties cover?

A home warranty is meant to cover your home’s main appliances and/or systems from breakdown due to everyday wear and tear. What your homeowner’s insurance covers -- damage caused by perils like fire, windstorms, vandalism, or theft -- are limited. A home warranty can help fill in that gap.

1. Most Common Coverage

Systems

HVAC (heating and air conditioning) 
Plumbing system
Electrical system
Water heater

Appliances

Refrigerator
Oven / Range / Stove
Cooktop
Dishwasher
Clothes Washer
Clothes Dryer
Built-in microwave

2. What some cover

Some providers will also include coverage plumbing stoppages, HVAC ductwork, ceiling and exhaust fans, and garbage disposal.
Many providers offer optional coverage for items like well and septic pumps, pools and spas, sump pumps, and additional refrigerators or freezers.

3. What few cover

Companies like to stand out from the crowd. That's why some home warranty companies offer coverage that is unique. For instance, Select Home Warranty offers limited roof leak coverage on all plans, not just as an optional add-on.

California Home Warranty Companies Reviews

Even though some regulations are in place that can limit California’s home warranty policy choices, there are still some unique coverage options. At Review Home Warranties, we analyze and compare these plans extensively. Looking at customer reviews, plan options, service fees, additional coverage, and more has helped us narrow this down to the top six California home warranty companies.

1. Best Overall: Choice Home Warranty

For most homeowners, Choice Home Warranty offers the best home warranty in California. The company offers two simple-to-understand home warranty plan choices, both of which offer comprehensive coverage of your home’s systems and appliances.

Choice also brings to bear 13 years of industry experience and a track record of good customer service. With the unpredictable weather and climate throughout California, Choice Home Warranty can give you peace of mind that you are always protected from large out-of-pocket expenses. 

Plans, pricing, and coverage

Choice Home Warranty has two plans: a Basic Plan and the Total Plan. The Basic Plan costs around $45 a month, and covers a mix of appliances and systems, like HVAC, plumbing and electrical. However, it leaves a few key things out: your air conditioner, refrigerator, washer, and dryer. The Total Plan is $54 a month and adds in coverage for those four items, making it usually the better bet for California homeowners.

Read our Choice Home Warranty Review to learn more.

2. Best Reviewed: Liberty Home Guard

When one of your major home systems or appliances stops working, customer service will immediately become essential. Liberty Home Guard may only have five years of industry experience, but the home warranty company has earned an A rating from the Better Business Bureau and a reputation for quick response times to address issues you may experience with your home. California homeowners will also enjoy the 25 add-on options to cover items like a swimming pool, guest house and wine fridge that many homes in your state have.

Plans, pricing, and coverage

There are three Liberty Home Guard plans, an appliance-only plan, a systems-only plan, and a comprehensive plan. Most California homeowners will prefer the comprehensive plan, known as Total Home Guard. This plan costs around $55 a month and combines the coverage of the other two plans for only about $5 more per month. However, if you have brand-new appliances with a rock-solid manufacturer’s warranty, you may save a few dollars with the Systems Guard plan.

Read more at our Liberty Home Guard Review.

3. Most Customizable: American Home Shield 

American Home Shield is the most customizable home warranty in California – and has some of the most generous coverage caps, as well. There’s no coverage limit at all on your home’s systems, and coverage of your appliances can range as high as $6,000 per item.

American Home Shield is also one of the most experienced companies in the industry, with more than 50 years of service and some of the most premium coverage options in the industry. For California homeowners with high-end systems and appliances, the coverage caps from American Home Shield are high enough to give you the peace of mind you need. 

Plans, Pricing, and Coverage

American Home Shield has three plans to choose from: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum plans. ShieldSilver costs only about $35 per month, but it is an appliance-only plan with a coverage limit of $3,000 per item. 

ShieldGold comes in at about $45 per month and includes coverage for both systems and appliances with the same $3,000 coverage cap. With ShieldPlatinum ($75 per month), those coverage caps leap up to $6,000.

For more information, read our American Home Shield Review.

4. Most Affordable: Select Home Warranty 

The cost of living in California is high, and there may not be much room left in your budget for a home warranty. Select Home Warranty may be a good fit. The company’s plans are the most affordable in the industry, though they still have some extra perks – like free roof leak coverage. 

Plans, Pricing, and Coverage

There are three Select Home Warranty plans for California homeowners: Bronze Care, Gold Care, and Platinum Care. Bronze Care is an appliance-only plan, while Gold Care is a systems-only plan. Both cost about $44 per month, after discounts. 

The Platinum Care is about $4 more monthly but combines the coverage of the previous two plans, making it the only comprehensive option from Select Home Warranty.

For more information, read our Select Home Warranty review.

5. America’s 1st Choice Home Club: Best service guarantee

America’s 1st Choice Home Club has the best add-on options for a California homeowner. No two California homes are alike, and having the option to add things like swimming pools, smoke detectors, or an extra hot water heater will certainly keep repair costs down. There’s also a fairly unusual add-on that will cover your home’s electronics, like your TVs and computers. 

America’s 1st Choice Home Club also has 24/7 customer support to help you regardless of the time or day that an issue arises and a very solid work guarantee that ensures your problems stay fixed for as long as you have your policy. 

Plans, Pricing, and Coverage

The plans from America’s 1st Choice Home Club are the Systems Plan, Silver Plan, Gold Plan, and Platinum Plan. The Systems Plan ($46 per month) covers only your home’s systems, but it hits all the major ones. The Silver Plan ($38) covers only appliances. Both the Gold Plan ($52.50) and Platinum Plan ($57) are comprehensive, meaning they cover both appliances and systems.  The Platinum Plan adds in coverage for plumbing stoppages, a built-in microwave, fans, and an ice maker.

For more information, read our America's 1st Choice Home Club review.

6. First American Home Warranty: Best for fast dispatch times

First American Home Warranty offers the best appliance coverage for California homeowners. Even the company’s lower-tier plans have unusually high coverage limits on appliances: $3,500 per item. The higher-tier plan doubles that to an industry-leading $7,000.

Plans, Pricing, and Coverage

First American Home Warranty has three plan options for California homeowners: the Starter, Essential, and Premium. The Starter Plan ($52 per month) is pretty bare-bones, covering only a few of your most essential appliances and systems. The Essential Plan is much more comprehensive and starts at $57 per month. It adds coverage for crucial items for Californians, like your air conditioning system and water heater. The Premium Plan ($77) adds coverage for your faucets, garbage disposal, and a few other minor items.

For more information, read our First American Home Warranty Review.

7. Best Workmanship: Cinch Home Services 

Cinch Home Services has the best workmanship guarantee for California homeowners. At 180 days, their work guarantee is about six times longer than the industry standard – meaning you have a lot more protection against a problem recurring in your home. Cinch Home Services also has some of the lower-priced plans in California and a 40-year track record in the industry..  

 Plans, Pricing, and Coverage

There are three plans from Cinch Home Services, an appliance plan, systems plan and a comprehensive plan. At just $35 per month, the appliance plan is among the more affordable in the industry, and the $40-per-month systems plan is reasonably priced as well. But most homeowners will want a comprehensive plan, known as the Complete Home Plan. It starts at about $50 per month, though this monthly cost increases if you choose a lower service fee.

Get more information on Cinch at our Cinch Home Services Review.

Home Warranty Coverage in California Cities

• Los Angeles, CA
• Burbank, CA
• Bell, CA
• San Diego, CA
• San Jose, CA
• San Marino, CA
• Fresno, CA
• Sacramento, CA
• Anaheim, CA
• Oakland, CA

How to Find the Best Home Warranty In California

Narrowing down the best home warranties in California to the top four is tough, but getting it down to the best plan for your home can take a little more work and research. Here are some of the things you should consider when choosing the best California home warranty. 

Customer Reviews 

In California, there is such a wide range of issues that you could need to use your home warranty for that it can help to read home warranty reviews to see how the policies are helping other customers. Keep in mind that people are more likely to write negative reviews than positive reviews, but you can get an overall idea of what a policy will do for your California home. 

Plan Coverage

You cannot determine if a home warranty plan is a good value until you look at the combination of coverages that are offered for the price. Put together a list of the items you would like covered for your home warranty plan, and then look for the policy that most closely matches.  

Workmanship Guarantee

California has some of the highest-priced real estate in the country. Ensuring that you have contractors in your home that know what they are doing and will adequately care for the needs of your home is essential. Some workmanship guarantees will last 90 days; others will go 180 days or more. Make sure that the workmanship guarantee matches what you would expect for your home. 

Are You A First-Time Buyer? Check Out This Article!

Home Warranty Tips for California Residents

The weather can vary considerably depending on where you live in the state of California. In the northern parts of the state, rain, and wind can cause normal wear issues, especially on a roof. You might want to carefully consider your home warranty coverage for these items when choosing a plan. Some offer roof leak coverage free of additional charge, while others make you pay extra.

In the southern parts of the state, where the weather is warm and sunny, you may find that repair costs for things like air conditioners and even washers and dryers are a bit higher than in other areas of the state. 

When you request service for a home warranty repair, keep in mind that pre-existing conditions are excluded. If it was a problem before you bought your home warranty plan, your provider will not cover its repair.

Also keep in mind that a home warranty is not the same as homeowners insurance. Homeowners insurance will cover you in the case of a sudden disaster, like a fire or an earthquake. The home warranty will help when your refrigerator and washing machine stop working the same week you have family visiting.

Home Warranty Regulations in California 

Ensuring that the state properly regulates your California home warranty can be a great benefit. California is pretty strict about these things, and they require the Department of Insurance to ensure that each of the home warranty plans on the market is working properly to serve their customers. These home warranty regulations are put in place to help you as a customer. 

In certain cities like San Francisco, there could be other regulations in place regarding permitting and the right to work in the area. We can assure you that all of the policies on our list are in good standing currently with the state of California. You can always call the state to verify these claims. 

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you now feel as though you can choose a home warranty that is a perfect match for your California home. As great as living in the state of California is, there are always risks involved with the systems and appliances that you have in place. The American Home Shield policy is the perfect solution to these issues. You can put this plan in place and know that you have premium protection and excellent customer service to back up any issue that you could come across. 

Review Home Warranties Rating Methodology: How We Chose the Best Home Warranty Companies

At Review Home Warranties, we are committed to providing our readers with comprehensive and unbiased information on each provider that we review. Our methodology is a step-by-step process that ensures we maintain your trust through transparency and data that is backed-up through routine check-ins. When we picked our best home warranty companies, we reviewed and analyzed over 50 different companies. We then narrowed down our findings based on criteria that we find to be the most helpful for a homeowner in choosing a home warranty plan. Here is what our review process looks like: 

• We call every home warranty provider, talking to sales agents and company representatives to gather accurate information on: 
  • Availability 
  • Pricing
  • Coverage
  • Fine Print 
  • Plan Options  
  • Service Contract Details 
  • Customer Service
  • Trustworthiness
  • Ratings and Reviews 
  • Add-On Options 
  • Promotions
  • Additional Benefits
• We test the customer service, including factors such as wait times, friendliness, and problem-solving ability.
• We analyze the sample contracts and fine print from each brand we review. This allows us to break down the industry jargon, check for hidden stipulations, and see what is and isn’t covered so we can give readers straightforward information.
• We update all of this information on a continuous basis, storing it in a proprietary database that allows us to compare dozens of home warranty companies against each other. 

From here we created a comprehensive, 100 point, rating scale based on the following factors: 

• Plan options (25): Providers that offer more flexibility in their plans are rated higher.
• Coverage specifics (5): The more items covered in a home warranty plan, the higher the score. 
• Pricing (25): We take the monthly fee and service fee into consideration when rating pricing. 
• Trustworthiness (25): We comb through hundreds of reviews and check on BBB ratings to determine the trustworthiness of a company.
• State availability (5): Finding coverage in your state can be a challenge if home warranty companies aren’t located there. The more states covered, the higher the score. 
• Customer service (10): Is this home warranty company responsive? Do they respond quickly to claims filed? Are they helpful in answering questions? All of these factors are considered when rating customer service. 
• Additional benefits (5): Home warranty companies will typically offer special promotions or benefits for signing up for their services. The companies with the most benefit scored higher. 

Of the 50 different companies that we’ve reviewed, we've broken down the seven best providers for home warranty coverage. To keep our ratings and data current, we have a full-time researcher who collects (and regularly updates) more than 100 specific data points from each company to help us compare them on key factors such as coverage, cost, service, and dependability. This list is ever-changing, as companies will update policies and procedures, and we will change our information accordingly.

Resources for California Homeowners and Home Buyers

• HUD California Homeownership Assistance:  HUD Helps families of all income levels with issues that can come up during home buying or homeownership. The HUD program is something that has helped many first-time California homebuyers and those that have fallen on hard times. 
• California Housing Finance Agency: If you are looking to finance the purchase of your California home, the California Housing Finance Agency should be your first contact. With this agency, you can be sure that you get a great deal and fully understand how the financing on a new home works. 
• Homebuyer and Homeowner Resources LA County:  Los Angeles County is one of the most highly populated areas in California. There are many real estate transactions happening each day in LA Country, and this website can help homeowners save money and see what they qualify for. 
• Long Beach Homebuyers Program:  Long Beach Homebuyers Program will help homeowners who are looking for grants and programs in the Long Beach, California area. This is a very common and popular area to own a home, with tremendous benefits for the homeowner. 

• California Weatherization Organization: California Weatherization Organization is a federally funded program that helps homeowners to get their homes prepared for any climate or weather-related issues. In addition, the California Weatherization Organization can also help to make a home more energy-efficient. 

Recap of Our Top Picks In California 

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  # 1 Our Top Choice Liberty Home Guard

Editorial Rating 98.00

• $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

Liberty Home Guard Review

Visit Website (866) 472-3812

  # 2 Cinch Home Services

Editorial Rating 95.30

• 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

Cinch Home Services Review

Visit Website (855) 995-1294

  # 3 The Home Service Club

Editorial Rating 94.90

• Lower chance of claim denial
• 24/7 service calls
• Great promotions available
• Market veteran

The Home Service Club Review

Visit Website (855) 498-4719

  # 4 First American Home Warranty

Editorial Rating 95.70

• Best Customer Service 2020
• $100 Instant Online Discount
• Plans from $25/m

• Automatically renewed policy

First American Home Warranty Review

Visit Website (888) 445-5837

  # 5 America’s 1st Choice Home Club

Editorial Rating 96.50

• Save up to $150 on a new plan
• Choose your own service fee!
• Lower chance of claim denial

• Higher fee for contract transfer
• Higher cancellation fee

America’s 1st Choice Home Club Review

Visit Website (877) 755-1115

  # 6 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty

Editorial Rating 90.20

• 24/7 service calls
• Lower chance of claim denial
• Market veteran

• Fewer contractors available

2-10 Home Buyers Warranty Review

Visit Website (855) 498-4719