The 4 Best Home Warranty Companies in Vermont | 2021
Adobe Stock
Best Overall
bhg Available at American Home Shield
Best Basic Plan
bhg Available at Choice Home Warranty
Best Add-on Options
bhg Available at Liberty Home Guard
Best Membership Perks
bhg Available at Cinch Home Services
Best Coverage Upgrade
bhg Available at First American Home Warranty
Best Plan Variety
bhg Available at America's 1st Choice Home Club
It's been said that there are only two seasons in Vermont: winter and mud. But as a Vermonter, you know that the Green Mountain State experiences all four seasons, and the thought of living without your air conditioning or heating systems is enough to make any one of us go mad. Thankfully, a home warranty can keep that from happening.
Our research team spent hours surveying the home warranty market in order to rate the best home warranty providers in Vermont. Scroll down to check out our top four picks and information on how to get a free quote from each.
Vermont's Top Home Warranties
Best Overall: American Home Shield
Best Basic Plan: Choice Home Warranty
Best Add-on Options: Liberty Home Guard
Best Membership Perks: Cinch Home Services
1. Best Overall: American Home Shield
Number of Plans: 3
Average Monthly Cost: $40–$58
Service Fee: $75, $100, or $125
Our Take
American Home Shield (AHS) is a leader in the home warranty industry, providing high-quality service and comprehensive coverage since 1971. It's available in 49 states, including Vermont. AHS has paid more than $2 billion in home warranty claims over the past five years and has a network of more than 17,000 independent contractors, so you can feel confident that your claims will be paid for and your items repaired by a reliable technician.
AHS offers three plans that cover a total of 23 home systems and appliances:
ShieldSilver™: Covers 14 systems only
ShieldGold™: Covers all 23 items
ShieldPlatinum™: Covers all 23 items
Additionally, if these plans are missing items that you need covered, AHS has several options for add-ons, such as guest house coverage, pool coverage, and an Electronics Plan, which covers personal devices like laptops and gaming consoles.
With AHS, you can choose between a $75, $100, or $125 service call fee. The higher the service fee, the lower your monthly premium will be. AHS also allows you the flexibility to choose your own service technician as long as they're licensed and pre-approved.
For more information, get a free online quote or call 844-529-9298.
2. Best Basic Plan: Choice Home Warranty
Number of Plans: 2
Average Monthly Cost: $36–$44
Service Fee: $85
Our Take
Since 2008, Choice Home Warranty has covered more than a million homes around the U.S., and it offers one of the best basic plans in the industry. Choice offers generous coverage limits, maintaining a $3,000 limit on covered items. Appliances of any age can be covered as long as they're in working condition at the start of your warranty term. Because the median age of a Vermont home is 46 years old, compared to the national average of 37, this could be particularly attractive for those with aging home systems.
Choice offers two plans:
Basic Plan: Covers a range of appliances and home systems
Total Plan: Adds protections for refrigerator, air conditioning, clothes washer & dryer
A variety of other add-ons are also available so you can customize your plan to fit your personal needs.
Plus, Choice Home Warranty will initiate service within four hours of receiving a claim, which is one of the fastest response times in the industry. Your service fee will be due at the time of service and all repairs come with an industry standard 30-day guarantee.
To find out more about Choice's plans and add-ons, head to the company's website to get a free quote or call 929-400-6165.
3. Best Add-on Options: Liberty Home Guard
Number of Plans: 3
Average Monthly Cost: $39.99–$49.99
Service Fee: $60
Our Take
Liberty Home Guard provides reliable service at a low cost and has a 60-day workmanship warranty. Liberty negotiates volume discounts from suppliers to keep prices low, and those discounts are passed on to its customers, with some home warranty plans starting at under $1 per day. Liberty's list of add-ons is longer than any other provider on our list.
Liberty Home Guard offers three plans:
Appliance Guard: Covers appliances only
Systems Guard: Covers systems only
Total Home Guard: Combines coverage to include 18 items
Liberty also has 27 add-ons, including items rarely covered in home warranties, like pest control services.
Liberty's service is fast and reliable. The majority of claims filed result in a technician arriving on site within 24 hours, which is much quicker than the industry average (most providers promise service within two to four business days).
To learn more about Liberty Home Guard, get a free online quote or call an agent at 866-452-9107.
4. Best Membership Perks: Cinch Home Services
Number of Plans: 3
Average Monthly Cost: $27.99–$61.99
Service Fee: $100, $125, or $150
Our Take
Cinch Home Services is another experienced and reputable provider serving Vermont homeowners. Since 1978, it has developed a reputation for its generous service guarantees, offering an industry-leading 180-day workmanship guarantee on all services performed. If your fixed appliance or system breaks down again within 180 days, Cinch will send a technician to repair it free of charge.
Cinch offers three plans:
Appliances Plan: Covers appliances
Built-In Systems Plan: Covers systems
Complete Home Plan: Covers a total 31 items, providing some of the most comprehensive coverage in the home warranty industry
All plans come with an air conditioning or water filter credit and a free water sensor to detect leaks before they cause severe damage to your home.
In addition to the 180-day service guarantee, Cinch provides free protection from rust and corrosion, discounts on new appliances, and coverage for items with unknown pre-existing conditions. Plus, the company's customer service representatives are available 24/7, even on holidays.
To learn more about Cinch's plans, get a free online quote or call 888-520-1711.
Bottom Line
If you're looking for comprehensive home warranty coverage, we recommend any of these home warranty companies. Each company has pros and cons, so we recommend getting free quotes from all of them and weighing the plan options before making a decision.
Home Warranty Rating Methodology
The Home Service Research Team at Better Homes & Gardens strives to provide unbiased and objective reviews to readers by compiling relevant information on home warranty companies and rating the providers on a variety of factors.
Here's what our review process looks like:
We examine each provider's website to determine plan details, coverage, customer service offerings, and other benefits. We also speak with company representatives to get more insight on plan details.
We read sample contracts from each home warranty company to analyze and compare coverage details, limits, and exclusions.
We read at least 100 third-party customer reviews for each home warranty company to determine the real-life benefits and drawbacks of each provider.
We gather cost information for a variety of home warranty plans in different states by completing online quote forms and speaking with sales representatives to simulate the quote process.
We revisit each company's offerings on a seasonal basis, ensuring that we include the most up-to-date information in our reviews.
We also created a 100-point rating system to score companies based on objective factors, such as plan options, coverage, and customer service:
Overall, the Home Service Research Team has reviewed over 70 home warranty companies to select the top-rated providers in the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is typically covered by a home warranty?
Each home warranty will offer slightly different coverage, but here are some of the items you're most likely to see in home warranty plans:
Heating system
Air conditioner
Electrical system
Plumbing system
Refrigerator
Stove/cooktop/oven
Dishwasher
Clothes washer
Clothes dryer
Water heater
What is a service call fee?
A service call fee acts as your plan's deductible. If your fee is $75, you'll pay $75 at the time of service and your home warranty provider will cover the cost of repairs or replacements up to your coverage limit. It's important to factor in service fees when budgeting for your home warranty. They typically range from $75 to $125.
What is the best home warranty company?
Our top choice is American Home Shield due to its complete coverage, reliable service, and excellent reputation. However, each provider on this list offers unique benefits, so we recommend getting quotes from several companies to help you weigh your options.
