- 2 plans available + optional add-ons
- Has over 11 years of industry experience
- 90-day repair guarantee
- $46–$55 per month with $85 service fee
Septic systems are the go-to wastewater treatment solution for homeowners in rural or remote areas away from a centralized public sewer system. In fact, over 60 million households nationwide depend on private septic systems.
Not only are septic systems cheaper to install than public sewer lines, but they’re also a more eco-friendly method of waste management — when properly maintained. Septic failures, however, can pose substantial risks to both your health and budget.
Opting for a home warranty with septic system coverage can save you thousands on routine inspections, tank pumping, and inevitable repairs. Read on for more information on what a home warranty’s septic coverage includes, the best home warranty providers for septic systems on the market, and other valuable tips for maximizing your septic system’s long-term performance.
We’ve assessed over 40 reputable home warranty companies specifically for the breadth of their septic system coverage, transparent contract terms and premiums, and quick customer service response times.
Backed by our research, the top home warranty carriers for septic systems include:
Our take:
Best Overall
Plan options:
2 plans + optional add-ons
Monthly premium:
$45-$53
Year founded:
2008
State availability:
49 states (excluding WA)
Our take:
Most Cost-Effective
Plan options:
3 plans + optional add-ons
Monthly premium:
$57-$62
Year founded:
2012
State availability:
46 states (excluding NM, NV, WA, WY)
Our take:
Most Customizable
Plan options:
3 plans + optional add-ons
Monthly premium:
$30-$75
Year founded:
1971
State availability:
49 states (excluding AK)
Our take:
Quickest Service
Plan options:
2 plans + optional add-ons
Monthly premium:
$50-$63
Year founded:
2008
State availability:
all 50 states
Our take:
Most Trustworthy
Plan options:
3 plans + optional add-ons
Monthly premium:
$65-$80
Year founded:
2017
State availability:
48 states (excluding WA & WI)
Our take:
Best Workmanship Guarantee
Plan options:
3 plans + optional add-ons
Monthly premium:
$35-$68
Year founded:
1978
State availability:
48 states (excluding AK & HI)
Our take:
Best for Immediate Coverage
Plan options:
2 plans + optional add-ons
Monthly premium:
$53-$61
Year founded:
2016
State availability:
46 states (excluding CA, NV, NY, WA)
With 14 years of seniority in the home warranty industry, Choice Home Warranty (CHW) is our first pick for comprehensive septic system coverage. Should you ever experience a septic emergency, CHW won’t make you jump through hoops to access your plan benefits. With 24/7/365 live customer service, you’ll be able to open a service request for your septic system at any time.
CHW offers two base plan levels — Basic and Total — with septic system coverage available as an optional add-on. By tacking this rider onto your main home warranty policy, you’ll be covered for up to $500 per year in maintenance costs for your control box, sewage ejector pump, aerobic pump, and jet pump.
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.
House Method nominated Select Home Warranty (SHW) as the most cost-effective home warranty option among leading providers, primarily for its competitively low premiums and a generous spread of discounts for new policyholders.
Select Home Warranty offers three primary plan types — an appliance plan, a systems plan, or a deluxe package that combines both. Like Choice Home Warranty, Select sells septic system protection as an elective coverage rider.
By adding septic system coverage to your SHW policy, you’ll be covered for up to $400 per year in servicing costs for your septic tank, aerobic pump, sewage ejector, and jet pump.
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.
Often recognized as the founding father of the home warranty industry, American Home Shield (AHS) has been providing premier home protection plans for over 50 years.
AHS customers can choose one of three standard plan levels — a systems-only plan, a systems and appliances plan, or a comprehensive catch-all package that combines the first two plan levels plus a higher coverage cap of $6,000 worth of repairs per year.
Optional add-ons, like septic system pumping and sewage ejector pump coverage, are available for an additional fee. With the AHS septic system rider, you’ll be covered for septic stoppages that can be cleared through existing access and one round of septic pumping per contract term. AHS won’t, however, pay for excavation costs, chemical tank treatments, cesspools, or leach lines.
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.
We most recommend The Home Service Club (HSC) for first-time homebuyers searching for quick home warranty protection for their new property. HSC only instates a 10-day waiting period before you can file a claim, whereas competing providers usually require new customers to wait up to 30 days.
The Home Service Club wraps its primary septic system coverage into its Utility Line Coverage add-on. By purchasing this policy rider alongside one of HSC’s two base plans, you’ll be covered for up to $5,000 per year in septic repairs or replacements but under a per-incident cap of $2,000.
HSC’s septic system coverage includes mainline failures or malfunctions due to natural wear and tear or any related electrical/mechanical breakdowns.
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.
Though Liberty Home Guard (LHG) is a relatively new home warranty provider, it has kept pace with other front-runners in the industry by maintaining a high customer satisfaction level and an A rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Septic system pumping is included in LHG’s laundry list of 41+ optional coverage riders. By adding this plan feature to your base policy, you’ll be covered for mainline stoppages and clogs accessible from a pre-existing cleanout. This add-on also entitles you to one professional tank pumping per year.
For the first 90 days of your enrollment, your septic system coverage will be capped at $250. After those first three months, that maximum will increase to $500.
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 standard home warranty is an annual service contract that protects your home’s major appliances and systems when they malfunction due to normal wear and tear. Septic system coverage usually isn’t automatically included in the primary coverage terms of most home warranty plans but can be added to a policy as an optional item.
Different home warranty service providers offer different levels of septic system coverage, but most will include maintenance for:
Adding septic system coverage to your home warranty policy can be an incredibly effective way to finance unexpected issues with your main tank or any attached components. Still, it won’t cover everything.
Any exclusions pertaining to septic system coverage will vary across home warranty providers, though most generally won’t cover costs related to:
We recommend a home warranty with septic system coverage for all homeowners with decentralized wastewater systems. Though septic tanks are relatively resilient to damage when cared for properly, stoppages and mechanical malfunctions are still something you should expect to deal with during your system’s 15-20 year lifespan.
Septic system coverage is especially imperative for homeowners who purchased a home with a pre-installed septic tank. Because most of a septic system’s integral components are installed underground, they’re often deemed outside of the scope of a visual home inspection. With no guarantee of its condition, a hand-me-down septic system could come with many expensive unknowns.
Yes, the extent of your septic system coverage is usually subject to an annual coverage limit. While some providers might advertise an unlimited number of repairs or replacements per year, the cash amount you’ll be covered for per contract term is almost always capped at a certain maximum. The average coverage cap for comprehensive septic system coverage is around $162.
With any given coverage limit, you’ll only be alleviated from a certain dollar amount to repair or replace a component of your system. In other words, any maintenance costs that exceed that set amount will be left to you, the homeowner, to pay.
On top of a standard home warranty policy, which costs between $30 to $60 per month, or $360 to $720 per year, additional septic system coverage will usually only increase your premium by $5 or $10.
Keep in mind that in addition to your monthly or annual premium, all home warranty providers will require you to pay an upfront deductible should you ever submit a maintenance request. This out-of-pocket payment, often called a service call fee, ranges between $60 and $125 per service visit.
Repairing or replacing parts on a septic system can be an expensive undertaking. Even non-emergency repairs tend to be far more costly than other household systems or appliances. The average septic tank repair cost is $1,397.
To help you better understand how much you could save with septic coverage through a home warranty, we’ve compiled a list of the three most common septic system issues alongside the average cost to address each.
Problem | Description | Average Repair Cost |
Broken baffle | The baffle on a septic tank prevents dirt, grime, and scum from building up in the pipes of your larger underground system. With a broken baffle, sewage solids will start to settle in your main drainage lines, causing blockages and back-ups. Replacing a broken baffle quickly may save you the cost of replacing the entire tank completely. | $300–$900 |
Tank lid | Though less expensive than other parts, your septic tank lid is still a major component of your septic system. It allows professionals to come and inspect the tank when needed while also protecting the interior of your system from external debris. More importantly, your tank lid keeps sewage gasses and odors contained in the system. Metal tank lids often rust over time and need to be replaced. | $30–$70 for metal lids; $1,300–$5,000 for concrete lids |
Broken pipe | Your septic system’s primary pipes transport wastewater from your home to the septic tank and then into the leach field. Pipelines breaks and system failures are often caused by material breakdown, tree root intrusion, and shifting soil. When not addressed urgently, broken pipes can lead to more expensive problems. | $50–$250 per foot of pipe |
*These estimates were pulled from the national average septic system repair costs as of April 2022.
Understanding how the home warranty coverage process works ahead of time is the most effective way to ensure a hassle-free experience in the event that you ever need a repair or replacement around your home.
Whether you’ve noticed standing water near your septic tank’s access point, or you’ve been experiencing more interior plumbing stoppages than usual, if you suspect that something is wrong with your septic system, you’ll need to act fast to avoid more expensive secondary damage.
Most leading home warranty companies offer round-the-clock customer service. You’ll need to call your service provider or open an online claim through your designated online customer portal to initiate a service request.
Before maintenance can be done, your provider will want to send out one of their in-network service technicians to assess the issue with your septic system firsthand. Once the problem is diagnosed, they’ll report back to your home warranty provider with a general quote for the job.
At this preliminary appointment, you’ll only be responsible for paying the service call fee required by your warranty.
Once your provider approves the maintenance recommendations of the first technician, a service appointment will be scheduled. Remember, most companies will only service your septic system through pre-existing access points. Any issues that might require excavation will not be covered under your home warranty.
Even with a septic warranty, the most effective way to prevent expensive damage is to keep up with proper maintenance. Regular inspections and home septic pumping will keep your system running smoothly. You’ll also be able to identify any issues in their early stages, allowing you to address them before they worsen.
Your septic system should be inspected at least every three years by a professional septic service near you. Inspections should take place annually for larger homes or any homes with more frequent water use. Septic systems with mechanical parts or electrical float switches should also be inspected every year.
A full home septic pumping session should be performed about every three to five years. Your local septic service company can help you decide how often your system needs to be inspected and pumped. Be sure to keep accurate records of your system, including a diagram, property map, and log of previous septic system maintenance.
All of the water that runs through your house’s plumbing eventually cycles back into your septic system. Therefore, the less water inundating the system, the better the tank will break wastewater into soil.
Consider replacing outdated toilets with high-efficiency models to reduce water waste when using the bathroom. Additionally, you can find energy-efficient showerheads and tap aerators that reduce water usage. Some companies and organizations even offer free kits with these products. Use the correct load size when doing laundry to avoid using more water than is necessary to clean your clothes.
Everything you pour into the bathroom or kitchen sink, toilet, or shower drain ends up in your septic system. Being mindful of what can and cannot be put into a septic system will increase the longevity of your system. Never wash cooking oil, grease, coffee grounds, cigarette butts, or feminine hygiene products down the drain or toilet.
Other lesser-known items that should never end up in your septic tank include dental floss, flushable wipes, and paper towels. Avoid using household chemicals in your plumbing as much as possible. For example, use a drain snake to unclog a pipe instead of liquid drain cleaners. Even products that advertise to be safe for septic systems can cause damage if used excessively.
The septic drain field is one of the most critical septic system components. In this leach area, the disposed wastewater enters the soil to break down naturally and remove contaminants. Once this water has gone through the process, it helps to replenish groundwater in the soil.
Keep your drain field in good shape by never parking or driving vehicles or heavy equipment over it. When planting trees and bushes with deep roots, ensure they’re planted an appropriate distance away from the leach field. As too much water slows or stops the natural wastewater treatment of a drain field, avoid introducing excess water to the area, such as gutter runoff.
According to the EPA, one in five American households rely on a septic system for wastewater treatment. Most commonly used for rural homes or other areas not readily serviced by a municipal sewer system, septic tank systems provide treatment of household wastewater by relying heavily on natural decomposition processes and innovative wastewater drainage systems.
Replacing a septic tank varies widely based on tank size, soil type, and tank material. Your tank size will depend on the size of your house. According to ImproveNet, here’s how much a septic tank replacement costs:
Home Size | Tank Size | Cost to Replace Septic Tank |
3 bedrooms | 1,000 gallons | $600–$1,000 |
5–6 bedrooms | 1,200 gallons | $1,200–$1,600 |
If your septic tank needs to be replaced, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of professional installation. Though prices vary, the average total price to install a septic tank is about $5,600.
Replacing or repairing the pipes and systems in your septic drain field can be one of the most expensive aspects of repairing a faulty septic system. Many different factors determine the cost of repairing/replacing part or all of a leach field, so prices vary widely from $2,000 to over $10,000. A septic warranty may not cover the cost of replacing an entire drain field.
If you notice swampy areas in the leach field area of your yard, you may have a broken or clogged drainpipe. Call a septic inspector immediately to help stop the issue before it causes irreplaceable damage to the septic system.
In addition to optional septic system coverage, home warranty policies cover most major home systems and home appliances. In general, major systems like interior plumbing systems, HVAC (air conditioner), ductwork, heating, electrical, and water heaters are covered. Major appliances usually covered are cooktops, refrigerators, built-in microwaves, garbage disposals, and garage door openers. Different providers will have different home warranty inclusions.
Sometimes too many plan options can be an issue. Choice Home Warranty provides two base plans and offers optional add-on coverage options for you to further customize your home warranty to best fit your home’s coverage needs. These additional policy riders include septic warranty services to protect you from paying for expensive septic system failures.
To recap, here is what’s covered under Choice Home Warranty’s standard coverage:
Covered Items* | Total Plan | Basic Plan |
Air conditioning system | X | |
Heating system | X | X |
Electrical system | X | X |
Plumbing system | X | X |
Plumbing stoppages | X | X |
Water heater | X | X |
Whirlpool bathtub | X | X |
Refrigerator | X | |
Oven/range/stove | X | X |
Cooktop | X | X |
Dishwasher | X | X |
Built-in microwave | X | X |
Garbage disposal | X | X |
Clothes washer | X | |
Clothes dryer | X | |
Ductwork | X | X |
Garage door opener | X | X |
Ceiling and exhaust fans | X | X |
Optional coverage is available at an additional charge, including septic warranty and septic pump coverage:
You can get started on finding the right plan for you by calling Choice Home Warranty at 929-400-6164 or by filling out this form to receive a free quote.
At House Method, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader. We’ve done the homework for you and have researched over 50 home warranty companies so you can have the information you need to make the best choice for your home.
Our team spent hours on the phone speaking to representatives from each home warranty company to get information right from the source. We also dug into the fine print on each company’s service agreement to ensure no detail was left out.
To make the most of our research, we developed an objective rating system to score each home warranty company based on the following criteria:
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