Updated Jan 10, 2023
Updated Jan 10, 2023
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Whether it be a running toilet or a major mainline leak, plumbing issues of any size can quickly hike up your utility bill and even manifest into more severe secondary water damage the longer they go unresolved. With a home warranty, you’ll be guaranteed priority plumbing services from a licensed, local professional for a fraction of the cost.
Read on to learn how a home warranty can safeguard your interior plumbing system, plus House Method’s research-backed recommendations for the best home warranties with premier plumbing protection.
House Method analyzed 60+ leading home warranty companies nationwide, specifically in search of service providers with comprehensive plumbing coverage, high payout limits for related systems, plus add-on options for septic tanks, sump pumps, and exterior sewer lines.
When you aren’t an expert in plumbing warranties, finding one that would best fit your home and budget can be difficult. Our experts did research on all the best home warranties for plumbing and we’ve outlined the most essential features to look for while shopping for a policy.
Why Trust House Method
House Method’s Experts collected and analyzed 2000+ critical data points to identify what makes a great home warranty company in the eye of the consumer. Our reviews team used this data to assess over 60 home warranty providers for coverage extent, annual cost, and national availability to provide unbiased reviews so homeowners can confidently navigate key decisions about their homes.
Choice Home Warranty (CHW) is the best overall home warranty option for plumbing. As one of the most prominent names on the home warranty market, Choice Home Warranty has provided robust plumbing coverage to over 1.65 million homes nationwide since 2008. CHW offers two base plan options, both featuring combo coverage for a wide range of appliances and systems, including plumbing.
Choice Home Warranty plumbing coverage includes all leaks and breaks of water, drain, gas, waste, or vent lines, as well as toilets, tubs, showers, and all related mechanisms. All plumbing access, diagnosis, repair, and replacement expenses are capped at $3,000 per year. Coverage for septic tanks and sump pumps are available as add-ons for $120 and $40 per year, respectively.
Leak detection fees and costs related to locating, accessing, or installing inaccessible drain cleanouts are not included. Stoppages, leaks, and breaks beyond the home’s main foundation are also not included.
Fill out this form or call 929-400-6164 to get a free quote from Choice Home Warranty.
Read our full Choice Home Warranty review for more.
Ideal for homeowners on a budget or anyone else who appreciates a good discount, Select Home Warranty (SHW) offers the most cost-effective plumbing coverage industry-wide. Select splits its standard coverage into an appliance-only, systems-only, and two-in-one combo plan.
HW’s standard plans don’t include plumbing fixtures like faucets, showerheads, tub spouts, etc., but coverage for these items is available at an additional $50 per year. Gold Care, the systems-only plan, is a great way for homeowners to prioritize plumbing system coverage, though stoppages are only covered under Platinum Care. All plumbing access, diagnosis, repair, and replacement costs are limited to $500 per year.
Coverage for septic tanks and systems is available as an add-on for $70 more per year and sump pump coverage is available as an add-on for $40 per year. Plumbing system coverage through Select does not include slab leaks, water softeners, or polybutylene pipes.
For a free quote from Select Home Warranty, fill out this online form or call 888-370-3953.
Read our full Select Home Warranty review for more details.
Having grown a customer base of over two million homeowners over its 50 years in the industry, American Home Shield (AHS) stands out for the customizability of its coverage.
AHS allows its policyholders to choose their service fee of $75, $100, or $100, which allows for flexible monthly payments. Coverage for plumbing and plumbing stoppages is consistent throughout all three of its base plans: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum.
Across all policy levels, AHS has no coverage limit on plumbing repairs or replacements. An exception applies for plumbing enclosed behind concrete, which is capped at $1,000 per year to access, diagnose, repair, or replace the system.
AHS’s plumbing coverage includes all pipe leaks and breaks within the main foundation of the home as well as repairs or replacements for things like showerheads/arms, valves, angle stops, toilet wax rings seals, etc. Sump pumps are also included in AHS standard home warranty coverage. Plumbing-specific items not covered by AHS include toilet lids and seats, caulking/grout, and root infiltration.
Unlike other home warranty companies, AHS covers plumbing issues caused by unknown pre-existing conditions, improper installation, and sediment/rust/corrosion
For a free quote from American Home Shield, fill out this online form or call 888-365-2839.
To learn more about AHS, visit our American Home Shield review.
Across all leading home warranty providers, The Home Service Club (HSC) offers the quickest plumbing coverage. Whereas most competing companies instate a 30-day waiting period for new customers, homeowners who sign up with HSC will have access to their policy benefits in just ten days. HSC also guarantees a claim response within 24 hours, which is especially vital for emergency leaks and line breaks.
Both the Standard Coverage and the Comprehensive Coverage plan include up to $750 per year in basic coverage for interior plumbing parts and water leaks, but only the Comprehensive Coverage plan covers plumbing stoppages. Water leak and stoppage coverage are each individually capped at $500 per year.
HSC also covers up to $5,000 in exterior water line damage when the elective coverage option is added for approximately $42 per year. All plumbing repairs or replacements by HSC are guaranteed for 90 days on parts and 30 days on labor.
To get a free quote from The Home Service Club, fill out this online form or call 800-842-9334.
Continue reading about HSC in our complete The Home Service Club review.
Even as a much newer company, Liberty Home Guard (LHG) is the most trustworthy home warranty provider in the category. In addition to being the only leading home warranty carrier to date with an A rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), LHG also maintains strong customer satisfaction scores and an impressively low rate of claim denials.
Liberty Home Guard divides its standard coverage into three policy levels. Both Systems Guard and Total Home Guard cover interior plumbing systems and stoppages. LHG caps all necessary plumbing maintenance at $2,000 per year.
Also, according to Liberty Home Guard’s sample contract, basic plumbing fixtures aren’t a standard inclusion but can be purchased as an add-on for an extra $79.99 per year. LHG also offers an exhaustive suite of 41+ optional coverage riders, which includes water softeners, plumbing fixtures, septic systems, sump pumps, and more. Coverage for sump pumps is available as an add-on for an extra $59.99 per year
To get a free quote from Liberty Home Guard, fill out this online form or call 866-451-2281.
Continue reading about LHG in our Liberty Home Guard review.
A home warranty is a service contract that covers the cost to repair or replace major appliances and built-in home systems as they break down due to normal wear and tear over time. Because interior plumbing is considered a whole-house system, it’s almost always regarded as a primary inclusion in home protection plans.
All home warranty providers instate an initial waiting period for new policyholders starting on the day you first sign up and usually lasting between 10 and 30 days. Any plumbing issues you notice before or during this waiting period aren’t eligible for coverage through your provider.
Here are the steps for filing a claim for your plumbing system:
All homeowners should consider protecting their property’s interior plumbing with a home warranty. It’s safe to assume that your plumbing system is integral to your day-to-day routine. Unexpected maintenance problems that hinder your water supply or drainage needs will affect the habitability of your home if not dealt with promptly.
Plumbing issues are bound to happen to every homeowner at one point or another. Still, a home warranty may be especially worthwhile for anyone who recently purchased an older home with:
Investing in a home warranty for your plumbing system is also a good idea if you have or are planning on having younger children. Because kids often flush too much toilet paper or even other things they shouldn’t, clogs are more likely to occur if you have little ones around. Most home warranties will cover stoppages within 100 feet of an access point.
Because home warranties are designed to cover malfunctions and total breakdowns caused by normal wear and tear, only plumbing issues due to age-related deterioration will be covered by your policy. Inclusions and exclusions vary from company to company. Still, eligible plumbing problems generally include:
Yes, a home warranty with plumbing coverage is well worth the cost. With a home warranty in place, you’ll be equipped to proactively and affordably handle plumbing issues, plus most other appliance or system failures around your home, with little to no involvement required on your part. Here are some benefits of a plumbing home warranty:
Even small-scale leaks can result in significant secondary damage when left unaddressed for too long. Black mold and mildew will grow on damp surface areas within 24 to 48 hours. Mold remediation can add up quickly, too — the average affected homeowner usually fronts between $1,500 and $3,159 for professional treatment services.
Here’s a cost breakdown of how water damage restoration prices may differ around the home:
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. Large-scale leaks can add up fast.
Plumbing issues also need to be handled with urgency from the moment you hear a distant dripping sound or notice signs of interior water damage.
With a home warranty in place, you’ll be equipped to proactively and affordably handle plumbing issues, plus most other appliance or system failures around your home, with little to no involvement required on your part. Beyond notifying your provider of the problem and paying a flat-rate service fee upon the arrival of a technician, the rest will be coordinated by your home warranty company.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of plumbing and construction trades works dropped from 2018 to 2020, making getting a contractor into your home for maintenance harder than ever before.
With a home warranty policy in place, the company will send a vetted contractor to your home in as little as 24 hours to fix your covered issue.
A home warranty will cover shower leaks so long as the leak doesn’t predate your coverage. Shower leaks are most commonly caused by worn seals, loose O-rings, and cracked shower heads cartridges. Whatever the issue may be, so long as it’s due to gradual deterioration, it’ll be covered by your home warranty.
Access to a leaking pipe behind a wall or ceiling is occasionally included in some plans as well, however, restoration often isn’t included. If anything, a technician will restore the wall to a rough finish, though even that isn’t guaranteed.
The majority of service providers do include faucets, fixtures, and other related plumbing parts in their coverage. Keep in mind that there has to be an age-related issue with your faucet in order for it to be repaired or replaced — elective upgrades aren’t covered by home warranties. In the event of a covered replacement, your home warranty company is also not obligated to match the exact finish and style of your pre-existing faucet.
Given that even a minor water main leak can cost up to $700 out-of-pocket to fix, a home warranty will pay for itself within one to two service requests. And, not only will you be covered for unexpected plumbing issues, but your collective premium is also simultaneously insuring a wide range of other systems and appliances in your home.
With plumbing coverage through your home warranty plan, you will:
Across all six providers featured in this guide, Choice Home Warranty (CHW) offers the best home warranty for plumbing. Choice wraps broad coverage for plumbing system repair and replacements into both levels of its base plan levels. CHW will also cover pipes, fittings, fixtures, and other plumbing components of any age, making it an ideal candidate for covering older homes.
At House Method, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader.
To create this rating system, our team spent hours researching over 60 companies, analyzing 2500+ key data points, getting the thoughts and opinions of 1000+ homeowners, and speaking to home warranty company representatives directly. We also dug into the fine print on each company’s service agreement to ensure no detail was left out.
We developed an objective home warranty review and rating methodology to score each home warranty company based on several criteria. We used a five-point scale with a point index ranging from 0.00 to 1.00. The minimum awardable value is 0.0, whereas 1.00 is the maximum. These numeric points are translated into star ratings, using whole star increments between one and five.
Here is a quick breakdown of our five core scoring categories:
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