Best Home Warranty Companies In California Of 2025 – Forbes Advisor

Featured Partners

Top Home Warranty Companies in California

Review the Best Home Warranty Providers in California

To find the best home warranty companies in California, we compared features like monthly premiums and service fees, policies, contractor choice policies and more.

Best California Home Warranty Company Reviews

American Home Shield

Home Warranty of America (HWA)

ARW Home

Liberty Home Guard

2-10 Home Buyers Warranty

Other Home Warranty Companies We Considered

• First American Home Warranty. First American has over 40 years of expertise providing three distinct home warranty plans. The lowest-tier Basic Plan starts at $42 per month and offers protections for frequently used household appliances. The middle-of-the-road Essentials Plan, at $57, adds important systems coverage like heating and cooling. For maximum protection, the Premier Plan offers extended coverage options at $77 per month. Note that First American does not allow homeowners to hire their own service technician, relying instead on its in-network professionals.
• Choice Home Warranty. This company has been operating for more than a decade and keeps its model simple with just two plan options: the Basic Plan and the Total Plan. The Basic Plan starts at approximately $47 monthly and includes coverage for common home systems and appliances. The Total Plan adds more high-value components, starting at roughly $55 per month. Keep in mind, though, that this provider has some low customer sentiments.

California Home Warranty Costs

In our recent National Provider Survey of 1,800 existing home warranty policyholders, 80% of West residents reported spending between $801 and $900 annually on their home warranty premium, costing roughly $70 per month.

After reviewing additional survey results, we found that the average home warranty costs ranged between $27 and $100, or $57 on average. To get a more accurate estimate, it’s important to also factor in service fees (which range between $65 and $150). You’ll pay these fees each time you contact a contractor to help with a repair. Considering that fixing a furnace could set you back between $300 and $1,200, you may spend more than you would imagine, which is why having a home warranty is a good long-term investment.

Your specific home warranty cost will depend on various aspects, like which provider and policy you choose within California, any additions to your plan and more. For instance, because California is coastal, you may be considering roof leak and corrosion coverage, but these features are frequently add-ons instead of being a part of a plan. You may find it beneficial to frontline HVAC coverage. Though HVAC-inclusive plans may be pricier than those without, you don’t want to take a chance on your AC shutting down during the dead of summer.

Is a Home Warranty Worth It in California?

Home warranties can be worth it in California, but it depends on a few factors.

If you have a brand-new home with lots of items still covered under a warranty, or you’re especially handy and confident that you’ll be able to take on home problems, then a home warranty may not be worthwhile for you.

However, if you have an older home with appliances and systems that are no longer under builders’ or manufacturers’ warranties, then a home warranty can be worth the cost in the event of unexpected repairs. In this case, it’s smart to compare the costs of a home warranty (both premiums and service fees) with average repair costs for home items in California.

If you are thinking about maintaining other items besides the washer with a home warranty, your plan can authorize repairs for a wide array of items for one monthly fee, plus a fee for each visit that is typically much smaller than you’d pay on your own.

Home warranties can also be worth it for peace of mind—if your AC system breaks in the heat of a California summer, a home warranty company can send over a trusted pro to perform a repair. If your system and repair is covered under your plan, you’ll only need to pay the service fee.

How To Choose a Home Warranty in California

Choosing a home warranty plan is a decision unique to you, your home and the systems and appliances you’d most like to cover. However, every homeowner should keep some factors in mind to make the best possible decision for a home warranty plan—and there are a few factors California homeowners should especially consider.

HVAC Coverage 

HVAC systems (a.k.a. your heating, ventilation and cooling systems) are some of the most commonly covered items in home warranty plans and for good reason. HVAC repairs are not only costly (running around $400 for an average repair), but they can make your home uncomfortable or even dangerous in some cases. After all, the last thing you want is your HVAC system going out during a heat wave. That can cause dangerously high temperatures in your home.

We suggest looking into home warranties that cover your HVAC system for greater peace of mind, no matter where you call home—but especially in California.

Know Your Coverage Needs 

To choose the right home warranty plan, start by taking stock of your home’s current systems and appliances. Identify which ones are recently installed—some may still be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty—and which are nearing the end of their life and likely need repairs or replacement soon. You’ll also want to consider which items could be especially costly to fix. Major systems like plumbing and electrical, or large appliances, often fall into this category due to how involved repairs can be.

Once you’ve built out a solid understanding of what’s most at risk or most expensive to replace, compare it with what home warranty companies cover. Look for plans that align with both your spending comfort zone and your specific needs. Approaching it more thoughtfully can help ensure you select a plan that’s actually worth the investment, —one that protects what matters most in your home.

Review Coverage Exclusions and Limits as Well as Sample Contracts

Sample contracts are often available for viewing on each home warranty provider’s website, and our team suggests reviewing these so you can get a sense of what you could be signing up for. You’ll learn details like terms of renewal, coverage exclusions and caps, payout limits and cancellation policies, which will guide you to your final answer on which service is best for you.

Coverage exclusions and limitations are specifically crucial for California residents who regularly experience extreme weather in certain months, as HVAC systems can fail and cause you to reach your limit quickly. Make sure you know what these limits entail so you’ll know how to handle a summer heat wave.

Review Your Budget Against Each Company’s Costs

A home warranty plan is only worth its salt if it fits into your budget. We recommend comparing monthly premiums of every plan you’re considering, as well as service fees. Be sure to look at the plan itself as well as the cost to ensure you’re selecting the best option based on all factors and not just the premium. This process will help you find the best home warranty plan for your buck in California.

Read Reviews

There is no better way to learn about a company’s reputation than online customer reviews and sentiments. If local reviews are accessible, that’s even better. Friends, community members, family and neighbors can give you a better look at which companies you should consider.

California Home Warranty Regulations 

Home warranties are regulated in California by the California Department of Insurance.

Home warranties in California are regulated and need to be licensed with the Department of Insurance in the state. You can look up the company’s registration and complaint history on the DOI website and also file any complaints as needed there.

What Does a California Home Warranty Company Protect?

Overall, home warranties cover systems and appliances. Whether a company covers systems, appliances or both is dependent upon the company itself and the plan you select within that provider’s offerings. Most home warranty companies offer at a minimum two tiers of coverage, and most also cover both systems and appliances in a top-level plan.

Typically, a home warranty provider will protect common maintenance tasks for systems and appliances like electrical, kitchen, HVAC and more.

What Do California Home Warranty Companies Not Protect?

Equally important as knowing what your home warranty plan covers is what it doesn’t. As mentioned above, home warranty plans cover specific appliances and/or systems for repairs and replacements, but just because an appliance, system or other part of your home is listed under your plan doesn’t mean a repair or replacement will be fully covered.

For one, the reason for repair often makes a difference. These types of plans won’t necessarily help if a coastal flood damages your home (that’s where home insurance would usually come in), or if the reason for the issue is human error. Home warranties are meant to help for issues due to wear and tear, not necessarily for fixing damage.

Similarly, you may run up against coverage limits, so if you live on the coast of California and the salty air has corroded parts of your home, your home warranty company may only cover a portion of the repairs, even if you have corrosion coverage. Situations like these are why looking at coverage limits is so important.

If you have any concerns about coverage limitations or questions about certain repair situations, we recommend contacting your home warranty company.

Forbes Home Warranty Survey Results

To better understand current home warranty trends in California and across the U.S., we surveyed 1,800 homeowners who have been a home warranty customerscustomer within the last 12 months. Homeowners in the West shared their experiences with coverage, how they use their plans and their opinions on home warranties as a whole, —including feedback on the companies they chose.

• In the West, heating emerged as the most frequently covered system in home warranty plans, with electrical coming in close behind.
• A total of 91% of home warranty policyholders in the region reported being satisfied with how their service requests were handled.
• If you’re just getting started with the home warranty market, you’re not the only one—74% of respondents in the region said this was their very first home warranty plan.
• Looking ahead, 74% of homeowners in the West indicated they plan to renew their home warranty coverage once their current contract ends.

Find the Top Home Warranty Companies in States Beyond California

Looking for a home warranty in a state other than California? Choose your state from the list below to find the best companies that cover homes in your area.

Methodology – How We Ranked Home Warranty Companies

To determine the home warranty companies ranking, the Forbes Home editorial team analyzed 19 companies and 58 plans, with each company’s star rating determined by evaluating several metrics and subcategories, including years of experience, signup and restrictions, plan pricing, fees and discounts, coverage features and more. We also utilize our in-house consumer sentiment analysis, which includes over 146,000 first-person insights as well as our net promoter score survey (NPS), in which our team asked over 1,800 policyholders about their home warranty, to come to the conclusion of the best home warranty company.

You can find out more about how Forbes Home rates home warranty companies in our detailed methodology page.

Please note: Products or services on this list may not be shown in order of their star rating. The star rating is determined solely by the editorial team.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)