Best Home Warranty Companies in Illinois (2022)

Whether you’re living in a condo along the Chicago skyline or in a house out in the backcountry of the Prairie State, a home warranty can help all types of Illinois homeowners defray the costs of unexpected appliance and system failures around their homes.

No homeowner wants to be dealt a broken hot water heater in the dead of winter, or a stalling A/C unit during the hottest months of the year. And because Illinois tends to experience erratic shifts in extreme temperatures year-round, it’s important to ensure that you have all major appliances and systems in check ahead of time so that you aren’t blindsided by a breakdown. Finding the best home warranty in Illinois for your home can guarantee that you’ll always have access to immediate and affordable repair services when inevitable maintenance issues arise.

Illinois’ Best Home Warranty Companies in 2022

1. Choice Home Warranty: Best overall
2. Select Home Warranty: Most cost-effective plans
3. American Home Shield: Best customizable plans
4. The Home Service Club: Quickest service
5. Liberty Home Guard: Most trustworthy

Quick Comparison of Home Warranty Providers

Choice Home Warranty

• Our Take: Best overall
• Average Annual Cost: $560 – $660
• Response Time: Up to 48 hours

Choice Home Warranty (CHW) is the best overall home warranty in Illinois. With just over 14 years of industry experience and a B rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), CHW is one of the most established providers on the market. Choice Home Warranty keeps the terms of its service contract simple, making it an excellent home warranty option for first-time homeowners. This company also supports round-the-clock customer service, with live agents available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Pros and Cons

✓ The required service fee is $85, which is about average among leading providers

✓ New joiners receive an additional $50 off of their premium at sign-up (for a limited time only)

✓ Customers are paired with a small team of two to three representatives to ensure a collaborative resolution process for any questions or concerns

✓ Policyholders can receive several months of free coverage by purchasing a multi-year plan (i.e., purchasing a three-year plan upfront may include six months of free coverage) 

X Doesn’t allow customers to choose their own technician

Plans and Pricing

Choice Home Warranty offers two plans to Illinois homeowners: the Basic Plan and the Total Plan. Both policy options have a mix of system and appliance coverage, so no matter which level you choose, you’ll still have access to comprehensive home protection. Choice Home Warranty’s plan also include some of the most generous coverage caps you’ll find industry-wide, with a $3,000 annual limit per covered item. These higher limits also don’t displace the cost of the policy as CHW’s pricing is still lower than average. Choice Home Warranty always charges a service fee of $85 for each new claim opened. 

Here’s a detailed look at Choice Home Warranty’s coverage:

• Basic Plan ($45 per month): The cheapest plan from Choice Home Warranty is the Basic Plan. This plan covers 13 items, including plumbing systems, ceiling fans, garbage disposal, heating systems, cooktop exhaust fans, built-in microwaves, dishwashers, ductwork, electrical systems, garage door openers, ovens, toilets, and hot water heaters. 
• Total Plan ($53.33 per month): The Total Plan is the best and most comprehensive policy available through Choice. This plan includes all 13 systems and appliances featured in the Basic Plan plus four additional items, specifically clothes washers, clothes dryers, refrigerators, and air conditioning units. 

Coverage

For extra protection, Choice has nine other add-on coverage options available to its customers, including:

• Septic systems
• Septic tank pumping
• Well pumps
• Sump pumps
• Limited roof leak protection
• Pools and spas
• Central vacuum 
• Second refrigerators 
• Stand-alone freezers

To get a free quote from Choice Home Warranty, fill out this online form or call 929-400-6164.

For more information, read our Choice Home Warranty Review.

Select Home Warranty

• Our Take: Most cost-effective
• Average Annual Cost:  $630 – $699.99
• Response Time: Up to 48 hours

Select Home Warranty (SHW) is the most cost-effective home warranty option for Illinois homeowners. SHW has been a top contender in the home warranty market for over a decade and its well known for its long list of promotional discounts available to new joiners. First-time customers in Illinois who opt to pay annually rather than monthly will receive $150 off of their premium plus two months of free bonus coverage and complimentary roof leak coverage. Select also allows its policyholders to submit an unlimited number of claims per year.

Pros and Cons

✓ All policyholders are entitled to a 30-day money-back guarantee 

✓ Free roof leak coverage for all new customers (a $99 value)

✓ New members will receive an extra $150 off their premium plus two bonus months of free coverage (for a limited time only)

X Claims must be filed within three days of the start of the issue

X Coverage limits are lower than competing providers

Plans and Pricing

Select Home Warranty has three plans for Illinois homeowners to choose from: Bronze Care, Gold Care, and Platinum Care. While the Bronze Care plan only offers coverage for appliances and the Gold Care plan exclusively covers systems, Platinum Care combines the inclusions of both basic policies for just $5 more per month. Each item covered per policy is capped at coverage limits ranging from $500- $2,000. 

Here’s a detailed look at Select Home Warranty’s coverage:

• Bronze Care ($58 per month): The Bronze Care plan covers seven major appliances, including refrigerators, built-in microwaves, clothes washers and dryers, ovens, cooktops, garbage disposals, and dishwashers. This policy level is a popular pick among customers new to homeownership. 
• Gold Care ($57.67 per month): The Gold Care plan covers a total of six built-in systems, including plumbing, air conditioning, heating, water heaters, electrical systems, and ductwork. 
• Platinum Care ($62.08 per month): By purchasing Platinum Care, you’ll owe just a few dollars more per month but will benefit from double the coverage that you’d get with either of the other two plans. As a cost-effective plan option that doesn’t compromise coverage, we strongly recommend that Illinois homeowners consider Platinum Care.

Coverage

Select also has several add-on options available for customers looking for more personalized coverage:

• Lawn sprinkler systems
• Pools and spas
• Septic systems 
• Well pumps
• Sump pumps 
• Central vacuum
• Roof leak repairs

To get a free quote from Select Home Warranty, fill out this online form or call 888-370-3953.

For more information, read our Select Home Warranty Review. 

American Home Shield

• Our Take: Best customizable plans
• Average Annual Cost: $527.88 – $711.88
• Response Time: Up to 48 hours

American Home Shield (AHS) offers the most customizable home warranty plans on the market. Founded in 1971, AHS has spent over five decades helping homeowners build a home warranty policy that aligns with the unique coverage needs of their homes. American Home Shield allows homeowners to select their preferred service fee of either $75, $100, or $125. This customizable fee gives customers more control over the price of their policy as choosing a higher service fee will translate into a lower monthly premium and vice versa. 

Pros and Cons

✓ Supports an internal network of over 17,000 pre-screened and insured contractors

✓ Covers breakdown causes that most competing providers won’t — improper installations, unknown pre-existing conditions, lack of proper maintenance, improper use of an item

✓Covers failures due to improper installation, unknown pre-existing conditions, and lack of proper maintenance

✓ Will remove and dispose of old, defective item upon covered replacements

X Premiums are somewhat higher than the industry average

X Workmanship guarantee is only active for one month per repair or replacement

Plans and Pricing

American Home Shield splits its coverage into one systems-only plan (ShieldSilver) and two combined appliance and system plans (ShieldGold and Shield Platinum). ShieldSilver is a good option for homeowners looking for very bare-boned coverage, however, those who are interested in a more comprehensive policy should opt for ShieldPlatinum. The coverage caps for ShieldSilver and ShieldGold sit around $3,000 per item, but with ShieldPlatinum that annual per-item limit is boosted to $6,000 for $20 more per month. 

Here’s a detailed look at American Home Shield’s coverage (based on a $100 service fee): 

• ShieldSilver ($34.27 per month): ShieldSilver covers a total of 14 home systems, including air conditioner units, electrical, heating, ductwork, plumbing, toilets, faucets and valves, jetted bathtubs, water heaters, doorbells, garage door openers, main breaker boxes, and built-in exhaust/attic/vent fans. 
• ShieldGold ($44.27 per month): ShieldGold is one of the most popular AHS plan options among Illinois homeowners. As the second-most comprehensive level, this plan covers 23 home systems and appliances, including all items included in ShieldSilver plus essential kitchen and laundry appliances like clothes washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers, built-in microwaves, refrigerators, garbage disposals, stoves/ovens, and instant hot/cold water dispensers. 
• ShieldPlatinum ($64.27 per month): ShieldPlatinum includes 27 systems and appliances and is the most robust coverage option offered by AHS. In addition to doubled coverage limits per item, ShieldPlatinum also throws in unlimited A/C refrigerant, coverage for code violations and construction permits, and one free pre-season HVAC tune-up per year.  

Coverage

American Home Shield also has six optional coverage riders for policyholders to choose from, including:

• Electronics Protection Plan (covers an unlimited number of new and used devices such as laptops, TVs, gaming consoles, wearable tech, smart home products, and more)
• Pools and spas (for in-ground set-ups only)
• Roof leak repairs
• Guest units (for dwellings up to 750 square feet)
• Septic pumps
• Well pumps

To get a free quote from American Home Shield, fill out this online form or call 888-365-2839.

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

The Home Service Club

• Our Take: Quickest service
• Average Annual Cost: $650 – $800
• Response Time: Within 24 hours

The Home Service Club (HSC) offers the quickest home warranty services in Illinois. With 14 years of experience under its belt, HSC stands out for its commitment to fast-moving coverage. Most competing providers require new customers to wait 30 days after sign-up before activating their coverage. With the Home Service Club, however, Illinois homeowners are covered just ten days after signing their contract. HSC also guarantees a response to your claims within 24 hours, whereas other leading providers tend to respond within a 48-hour timeframe. 

Pros and Cons

✓ Doesn’t require an initial home inspection for enrollment eligibility

✓ Live customer service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week

✓ Offers one to five months of free coverage when you enroll in a multi-year home warranty plan

X Charges a contract transfer fee of $55

X Not accredited with the Better Business Bureau

Plans and Pricing

The Home Service Club divides its home warranty coverage into two easy-to-understand plan options: Standard Coverage and Comprehensive Coverage. Although the Standard Coverage plan is HSC’s most basic policy level, it still covers an impressive mix of 18 appliances and systems. For just $12 more per month, however, the Comprehensive Coverage plan enhances its inclusions to a total of 33 items. The coverage caps for both HSC plans vary between $500 to $2,000, depending on the item that requires servicing. Like American Home Shield, HSC also has a customizable service fee of $60, $75, or $95. 

Here’s a detailed look at The Home Service Club’s coverage (based on a $75 service fee): 

• Standard Coverage ($50 per month): The Standard Coverage plan wraps 18 major home appliances and systems, including air conditioning systems, ceiling fans, water leaks, water heaters, electrical, central vacuum, dishwashers, refrigerators, trash compactors, ovens, and more.
• Comprehensive Coverage ($62.90 per month): The Comprehensive Coverage plan includes fifteen more items than the Standard Coverage plan. These additional items include gas leaks, ductwork, sump pumps, pest control, doorbells, plumbing stoppages, attic fans, whole house exhaust fans, and more. We recommend this plan level for customers in search of quick wall-to-wall coverage for their home in Illinois. 

Coverage

The Home Service Club has a list of 11 additional coverage items available to policyholders who’d like to maximize their policy:

• Utility and home service line coverage (covers outside water lines, power/electric lines, sewer lines, gas lines, grinder pump systems, and home irrigation systems)
• Lawn sprinkler system lines (does not include fire sprinkler systems or sprinkler heads)
• Sewage ejectors pumps
• Well pumps
• Spa/spa heater components
• Pool and spa (for in-ground set-ups only)
• Roof leak protection (includes attached garages)
• Jetted bathtubs
• Water softener (for single and twin water softener units)
• Refrigerator built-in units with dual compressors
• Freestanding freezers

To get a free quote from The Home Service Club, fill out this online form.

For more information, read our The Home Service Club Review

Liberty Home Guard

• Our Take: Most trustworthy
• Average Annual Cost: $700 – $799.99
• Response Time: Within 24 hours

Liberty Home Guard (LHG) is the most trustworthy home warranty company in Illinois. Though much newer to the home warranty marketplace than other leading providers, Liberty Home Guard has made momentous strides since it opened its doors in 2019. LHG is the only leading home warranty company to have ever earned itself an A rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Such a high company reputation is a result of LHG’s commitment to high-quality customer service paired with home warranty plans that start as low as $1 per day. 

Pros and Cons

✓ New joiners will receive $200 off their premium plus one month of free bonus coverage and complimentary roof leak protection

✓ Offers 41+ optional plan riders for maximum customization

✓ Promises to have a technician onsite with 24-48 hours of your claim submission

X Less industry experience than other providers

X Charges a cancellation fee of $50

Plans and Pricing

Liberty Home Guard offers three standard home warranty plans: Appliance Guard, Systems Guard, and Total Home Guard. As their names suggest, Appliance Guard is an appliance-only policy option whereas Systems Guard covers built-in home systems. Total Home Guard is LHG’s only comprehensive plan level, which rolls Appliance Guard and Systems Guard into one policy package for just  $5 more per month. LHG instates coverage caps of $2,000 for most items, with the exception of HVAC units which are covered for up to $2,500 in repairs costs per year. The required service fee is $75 for every approved claim.

Here’s a detailed look at Liberty Home Guard’s coverage: 

• Appliance Guard ($70 per month): Appliance Guard will cover 11 major appliances, including garage door openers, ceiling fans, cooktop exhaust fans, ovens, refrigerators, garbage disposals, dishwashers, built-in microwaves, clothes washers, clothes dryers, and built-in refrigerator ice-makers. 
• Systems Guard ($74.99 per month): Systems Guard covers a total of nine systems, including electrical, air conditioning units, bath exhaust fans, heating, toilets, ductwork, plumbing, plumbing stoppages, and water heaters. 
• Total Home Guard ($79.99 per month): Total Home Guard is LHG’s comprehensive plan option. This two-in-one policy variation covers a total of 20 major home systems and appliances for just a few dollars more per month that Systems Guard or Appliance Guard alone. Based on our careful industry research, this policy is specifically one of the most cost-effective yet comprehensive home protection plans on the market. 

Coverage

One hallmark of Liberty Home Guard’s coverage is that it offers the longest list of optional plan add-ons industry-wide. LHG has 41+ additional home protection items available for purchase, including: 

• Re-keying (cover re-keys for two lock cylinders per contract term)
• Pro-series kitchen and laundry appliances (exclusively for professional-grade appliances with luxury features)
• Gutter cleaning
• Carpet and gutter cleaning
• Pest control
• Stand-alone freezers, ice-makers, second refrigerators, and wine coolers
• Guest unit coverage (up to 750 square feet)
• Instant hot water dispensers
• Light fixtures
• Plumbing fixtures
• Power washing for exterior flooring (includes driveways, walkways, decks, patios, etc.)
• TV mounting (for up to 65-inch or 85-inch TVs)
• Electronic protection
• Septic system pumping
• Sewage ejector pumps
• Grinder pumps
• Sump pumps
• Well pumps
• Limited roof leak repairs (only applies to patching over occupied areas of single-family homes)
• Water softener
• Pools and spas (includes chlorine and saltwater set-ups)
• Reverse osmosis filter systems
• Sprinkler systems
• Central vacuum
• Window washing (does not include interior cleaning)

To get a free quote from Liberty Home Guard, fill out this online form or call 866-451-2281.

Read our Liberty Home Guard review for more information.

Home Warranties in Illinois Cities

How Much Does a Home Warranty in Illinois Cost?

On average, a home warranty in Illinois costs between $45 and $65 per month or $480 to $780 per year.  Homeowners in Illinois find that it takes one or two repairs to justify the costs of their home warranty plan for the entire year.  All home warranty providers also charge a service — often between $60 and $125 — each time a technician is sent out to your home for a new service request. This deductible is used to compensate the contractor for labor costs and any expenses they may have incurred while traveling to your property (i.e. gas mileage, wear and tear on company vehicles, etc.)

So long as the cost to repair or replace an item in your home remains within the coverage limit disclosed in your service agreement, the service fee is the only out-of-pocket payment you’ll have to worry about. In the event that a necessary repair does exceed your provider’s coverage caps, you’ll be responsible for covering any remaining balance. 

Compare the Best Home Warranty Companies in Illinois

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you now feel a bit more equipped to make a great home warranty decision for your Illinois home. It takes some time to compare home warranty companies and find something that fits your needs and wants. However, Choice Home Warranty will still stand out among the best. With Choice, you will get a very simple and straightforward plan with a solid reputation. There is no question that one of these choices from the list of the top five best home warranties in Illinois is going to help you have peace of mind about your home and your budget. 

How to Choose the Best Home Warranty in Illinois

Now that you have the top five home warranty choices for Illinois residents, it is time to narrow them down to just one choice. Depending on the style of your home and your budget, there will be a few different factors that you will need to focus on when choosing your home warranty. Whether you live in the metropolitan hub of Chicago or in Springfield or Peoria, finding a home warranty is necessary to worry-free living. Three options that we recommend considering are coverage options, service fee, and customer reviews.

• Look through all the coverage options: When purchasing a home warranty, it is smart to take a walk around your home and write down the things you want to ensure are included in your plan. When you start comparing companies, see which plan choice offers you the closest match to your ideal home warranty. There is often additional coverages you can also add to your policy so you can get the exact coverage you need. 

• Watch out for high service fees: A service fee is a price that you pay for a repair to be done to one of your covered appliances or systems. Service fees range in price from $60 to over $150. Sometimes, the price of the service fee impacts the monthly premium – like in the case of American Home Shield. High service fees often mean you will be paying a lower monthly premium than you would if the service fee was lower. However, some companies don’t have pricing that evens out in that way. Be sure to know what works for your budget before looking at home warranty pricing.

• Read customer reviews with a grain of salt: Take a look at customer reviews of the provider you are considering. You can often find real customer reviews on Yelp, Google Reviews, or the BBB website. Look for things like claim approval, quality of service, and speed of repair. This will help you gauge what the home warranty company does for its existing customers, and how it will treat you in the future should you choose to purchase a policy. 

What is a Home Warranty?

A home warranty is a renewable service contract that provides financial protection against the cost to repair or replace major household appliances and systems as they breakdown due to normal wear and tear. By making routine payments ahead of time on a monthly or annual basis, a home warranty ensures you’ll have access to prompt, professional maintenance at no extra cost to you. 

Most home warranty service agreements follow a 12-month contract term, which can then be renewed year after year. Some providers also offer multi-year policies for homeowners interested in a longer-term commitment, however, the coverage caps featured in these plan types still follow annual limits. 

Home Warranty vs. Homeowners Insurance

Home warranties and homeowners insurance are both home protection products, but they offer different types of coverage. Homeowners insurance is designed to cover your property and other assets from more perilous damage like natural disasters, theft, vandalism, etc. So, if a tornado were to take out your home in Illinois, your home insurer would step in to cover the cost of related losses. 

A home warranty, on the other hand, is meant to cover specific items within your home, primarily major systems and appliances, as they gradually fail due to natural age-related damage. For instance, if your 20-year-old HVAC system were to stop working because of old age, your home warranty company would cover that $7,000+ replacement cost. 

How Does a Home Warranty in Illinois Work?

A home warranty works the same way in Illinois as it does in any other state. Once the initial waiting period required by your home warranty company has expired, you’ll only need to follow a few simple steps to secure a repair or replacement: 

File a Claim

When a covered system or appliance stops working in your home, it’s important that you notify your service provider as soon as possible because some home warranty companies have a strict window of time between when you initially discover the issue and when the claim was filed. 

To open a claim, you can either call your home warranty company over the phone or submit a report online through your designated customer portal. Most providers will have a claim decision back to you within 24-48 regular business hours.  

Diagnostic Appointment

Before a final repair or replacement can be made, your service provider will want to have a professional come out to your home to inspect the issue in person. An in-network technician will be dispatched to assess the breakdown and draft up an estimate of how much the item will cost to fix. 

At this initial service appointment, you’ll be responsible for paying the service fee amount disclosed in your contract. Some home warranty companies will have you make this payment out to the contractor onsite, while others might collect it beforehand. 

Repair or Replacement

After your service provider receives an official quote from the first technician, the necessary repair or replacement will then be scheduled. Because you’ve already paid a premium in advance and the required deductible, the actual fix will be handled at no cost to you. 

What Does a Home Warranty Cover?

While every home warranty provider has different coverage details, most companies generally cover the same framework of appliances and systems:

What is Not Covered by a Home Warranty?

Because home warranties will only cover damage related to normal overuse of household appliances and systems as they age, there are several other exclusions to be aware of where your home warranty company won’t step in to help:

• Known pre-existing conditions
• Any coverage overlaps with an active home insurance policy or manufacturer’s warranty
• Cosmetic or factory defects
• Improper installation
• Poor routine maintenance/neglect
• Intentional misuse of a covered item
• Secondary damage due to the unaddressed issue (ex. interior wood rot due to a leaky sink faucet)
• Invasive wildlife, vermin, and household pets
• Mold and mildew remediation
• Rust, corrosion, or sediment

Biggest Complaints about Home Warranty Companies in Illinois

We’ve reviewed 60+ verified customer feedback from home warranty policyholders across the state of Illinois. From those insights, we highlighted the testimonials that we most accurately reflected both the positive and negative sides of the home warranty customer experience. 

To offer a relevant overview of the most common complaints we saw across top home warranty companies, we’ve featured blurbs from customers covered by our top three provider picks: Choice Home Warranty, Select Home Warranty, and American Home Shield. 

The number one complaint we saw time and time again from Illinois homeowners actively enrolled in policies with these home warranty providers had to do with the wait time between a claim decision and the final repair.

Are Home Warranties Worth it?

Whether or not a home warranty is worth it to you largely depends on your personal financial picture. The average homeowner spends around $1,640 per year on emergency household repairs, at approximately $1,400 per emergency. So, if you have the spare savings to cover unexpected breakdowns around your home out-of-pocket, a home warranty may not be a necessity for you. But for approximately 56% of Americans who don’t have enough earmarked in their emergency fund to cover an unexpected bill of $1,000, a home warranty could save them from incurring debilitating debt.

House Method Home Warranty Ranking Methodology

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: 

• Coverage (0.4): This category evaluates the scope of protection offered by a home warranty provider. We clearly distinguished between limited or broad coverage to help homeowners identify their own home protection needs. We also factor in claim turnaround times, average waiting period lengths, plan types, annual coverage limits, policy exclusions, etc.
• Cost (0.3): This category considers what home warranty companies charge homeowners monthly, annual, and out-of-pocket. We urge homeowners also to consider the cost-to-value ratio of a home warranty plan.
• Transparency and Trustworthiness (0.15): This category evaluates home warranty providers based on pending or past legal action, hidden fees, lack of information readily available on the website, exclusions, and more. We consider how upfront a company is to its potential policyholders, which says a lot about its products and services.
• Customer Support and Satisfaction (.09): This category evaluates the efficacy of a home warranty company’s effort to provide supportive guidance to inquiring customers and how policyholders are satisfied with the assistance they receive. 
• Customization (.06): This category evaluates the ability of homeowners to adjust and choose their policy details, such as pricing variation, optional add-ons, and the number of plans available.