Best Home Warranties in Texas 2024

A good home warranty in Texas offers pricing flexibility, high coverage caps (especially for air conditioning systems) and coverage options that work for everyone. Here are our top picks for best home warranties in the Lone Star State.

Compared to its competitors listed here, Liberty Home Guard has the highest average customer satisfaction rating. Along with its 60-day guarantee on repairs and different plan options, it claims the spot for the best overall home warranty in Texas.

Liberty Home Guard offers three plans:

• Appliance Guard: Covers appliances such as your refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, and clothes washer and dryer. 

• Systems Guard: Covers air conditioning, heating, electrical, plumbing and ductwork.

• Total Home Guard: Covers both appliances and systems.

Read NerdWallet's full review of Liberty Home Guard.

Choice Home Warranty’s coverage limits are $3,000 for HVAC, electrical, plumbing and appliances, totaling $12,000 in coverage for systems and appliances.

Choice Home Warranty has two plans:

• Basic Plan: Covers heating, electrical, plumbing, water heaters and kitchen appliances except the refrigerator.

• Total Plan: Includes items in the Basic Plan, plus air conditioning, refrigerator and clothes washer and dryer. 

Read NerdWallet’s full review of Choice Home Warranty.

Among the providers surveyed in Texas, American Home Shield offered the lowest quote: $29.99 per month in select areas for the most basic plan with a $125 service fee.

American Home Shield offers three plans:

• ShieldSilver: Covers heating, air conditioning, electrical and plumbing.

• ShieldGold: Covers items included in ShieldSilver, plus kitchen appliances and a washer and dryer.

• ShieldPlatinum: Covers items included in ShieldGold with a higher coverage cap, plus roof leak repairs; comes with a few other benefits.

Read NerdWallet's full review of American Home Shield.

With flexible service fees and no coverage caps on HVAC, First American Home Warranty is a strong choice for Texans anticipating air conditioning repairs.

First American Home Warranty has three plans:

• Starter Plan: Covers plumbing, electrical and heating systems, plus several kitchen appliances. 

• Essential Plan: Includes items covered in Starter Plan, plus air conditioning systems, water heaters and a few more appliances. 

• Premium Plan: Includes items covered in the Essential Plan plus higher-end appliances that are usually not covered and a few additional perks.

Read NerdWallet's full review of First American Home Warranty.

While most of its competitors offer 30-day and 60-day guarantees on their technicians’ repairs, Cinch Home Services raises the bar with a 180-day guarantee.

Cinch Home Services offers three plans:

• The Appliances plan covers only appliances, including clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, cooktops, ranges, wall ovens, built-in microwaves, refrigerators, range exhaust hoods and trash compactors.

• The Built-in Systems plan covers only systems, including HVAC, ceiling and attic fans, electrical systems, plumbing systems, garbage disposals, garage door openers, smoke detectors, sump pumps, toilets, water heater, doorbells, central vacuums and built-in whirlpools or jetted tubs.

• The Complete Home plan combines the Appliances and Built-in Systems plans for a comprehensive option.

When selecting home warranty providers for inclusion in this roundup, NerdWallet considered companies with the largest market share and highest search volumes (as a proxy for consumer interest).

How much does a home warranty cost in Texas?

To compare costs of home warranties in Texas, we requested quotes for six cities from the companies in this review. For each city, we requested quotes for two ZIP codes, giving us a total of 12 locations to compare. Here are the highlights:

• Average cost for a home warranty in Texas: $58.94 per month.

• Cheapest quote: $29.99 per month.

• Most expensive quote: $119.99 per month.

• Average cost of basic plan: $42.36 per month.

• Average cost of premium plan: $75.48 per month.

Of the providers we reviewed, American Home Shield was the only one that charged different rates in different ZIP codes within the same metropolis. For example, a quote for ShieldPlatinum with a $100 service fee was $89.99 for a ZIP code in southern Dallas, and a quote for the same plan and service fee was $119.99 in northern Dallas.

How does a home warranty work?

A home warranty repairs or replaces certain appliances and systems if they malfunction due to everyday wear and tear. Homeowners file claims with their service providers when covered items stop working properly, and the company assigns a third-party technician to the claim.

Customers generally have to pay service fees every time a technician makes a trip to look at a covered item. The cost of the fee depends on your plan and can range from $65 to $150. Service fees are stated in home warranty service agreements, and some companies let customers choose between several service fee amounts to better fit their budgets. However, it’s commonly true that the lower the service fee, the more expensive the monthly premium.

Once the technician has diagnosed the issue, the home warranty company pays for the repair if it approves the claim. However, if the company denies the claim because it is outside of the plan’s coverage, the homeowner will have to pay out of pocket for the repair.

If a covered item is beyond repair, many home warranty companies will replace the item. Replacements aren’t always an exact match to the old model, and most companies state in their service agreements that they don’t guarantee that a replacement will be of the same make or color.

What does a home warranty cover?

Common items that home warranties cover include appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens, built-in microwave ovens and clothes washers and dryers. Home warranties also often cover systems like heaters, air conditioners, plumbing and electrical systems.

Each company’s plan covers a preset list of items, and more expensive plans tend to cover more items. Some plans are comprehensive and cover a combination of appliances and systems, while others are specific to appliances or systems only.

Most service contracts for home warranties include exclusions and limitations on what a plan covers. For example, a plan might cover plumbing but excludes coverage for faucets and plumbing stoppages.

» MORE: How to budget realistically for home repairs

What does a home warranty not cover?

Home warranties usually don’t cover structural items like the foundation or water damage. These items tend to be included in a homeowners insurance policy instead. They also don’t cover items that are currently under a manufacturer’s warranty, have cosmetic issues or are improperly installed.

» MORE: Best homeowners insurance in Texas

Most home warranty companies don’t cover items when they are damaged by natural disasters. This is bad news for coastal areas where hurricanes occasionally make landfall. If your home is flooded by a storm surge, your roof is damaged by hurricane winds or your home is without power for days, a home warranty is unlikely to pay to repair or replace any appliances or systems that fail as a result.

Home warranty plans also rarely cover damage from extreme temperatures, and Texas has experienced temperature swings over the past few years. With temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit in 2021 and as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit in 2023, the state’s climate can mean hard work for heating and air conditioning systems. If your HVAC takes a hit during an extreme temperature event, your home warranty might not cover the repairs. This also applies to plumbing leaks if pipes burst because of freezing temperatures.

Are home warranty companies regulated in Texas?

Yes, Texas requires home warranty providers to register with the Texas Licensing and Registration Department (TLRD). To receive a license, companies must provide information about their finances, controlling individuals and ability to fulfill contractual obligations to consumers. The department also requires home warranty companies to provide certain information to customers, keep claims records and use language in contracts that clearly states what is and is not covered by the service agreement.

If you have a home warranty contract for a Texas property and believe a provider hasn’t fulfilled its obligations, you can contact the TLRD to file a complaint.

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