Best Home Warranty Companies in Vermont

A Vermont home warranty can protect homeowners from paying expensive, out-of-pocket costs for repairs and replacements on home systems and appliances.

If you’re looking for a home warranty in Vermont, keep reading to learn about the best home warranty companies in the state, common home maintenance issues faced by Vermont homeowners, and important home warranty buying tips.

Vermont’s best home warranty companies

Vermont is located in the eastern portion of the United States in the New England region. It’s bordered by Canada to the north, as well as the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York. One of the smaller states in the country (45th out of 50, size-wise), it’s divided into six land regions: Northeast Highlands, Western New England Upland, Green Mountains, Vermont Valley, Taconic Mountains, and Champlain Valley.

It’s nicknamed the Green Mountain State after a mountain range that was named by Samuel de Champlain in 1647. The state bird is the hermit thrush and the state tree is the sugar maple.

There are six Vermont cities with a population of 7,000 people or more. They include:

1. Burlington—This is the biggest city in Vermont, with approximately 42,000 people. It’s located near the border between the United States and Canada, and it became the first city in the U.S. to operate 100% on renewable energy.
2. South Burlington—This city has approximately 18,000 residents, serving as the location for the Burlington International Airport and Ben & Jerry’s headquarters. 
3. Rutland—This historic city is just a tad smaller than South Burlington. In its downtown area, there are more than 100 buildings included in the National Register of Historic Places. 
4. Barre—This place was originally called Wildersburgh settled back in 1788 by Europeans. It has a population of about 9,000 people and is known for its huge granite deposits.
5. Montpelier—This is the state capital and it has a population of about 8,000 people, making it the least populated state capital in the country.
6. Winooski—Located on a steep hill in 1787, Winooski became known as Mill City because of the waterpower provided by the Winooski River. A woolen mill was founded there in 1835; today, the economy is based on soap making and woodworking.

Given that Vermont has been a state since 1791, there are plenty of older homes throughout the state. In fact, 25.7% of them were built in 1939 or earlier, with a whopping 75.2% built in or before 1989. Older homes typically need more repairs than newer ones, making home warranty plans a good choice for many Vermont homeowners.

Top home maintenance problems in Vermont

Here are some major home maintenance issues that Vermont homeowners face and how a home warranty can help solve the problem:

• Faulty electrical system—When your electrical system stops working, it can disrupt the entire flow of your day-to-day life. Not to mention, electrical issues have the potential to cause a fire. A home warranty can cover your electrical system when it malfunctions, preventing you from spending money on a completely new system.
• Plumbing problems—From toilets that don’t flush to leaky pipes, plumbing problems can be a definite hassle. Most home warranty plans provide coverage for plumbing issues in addition to plumbing stoppages.
• Dirty air filters—A dirty air filter can wreak havoc on your HVAC system, causing it to circulate low-quality air and not cool or heat your home effectively. Remember to change your air filters once every three months to prevent more serious problems from occurring. If you’re staying on schedule with replacing filters and your HVAC system is still under-performing, you may need to call your home warranty provider and have them send a contractor to your home to diagnose the issue.
• Broken air conditioner—Snow and ice can damage outdoor AC units if they aren’t protected. Buy a cover at your local home improvement store to protect your unit from the elements. If your appliance gets damaged, your home warranty should protect it.

Who is eligible for a home warranty in Vermont?

If you own a home, whether that’s a single dwelling, duplex, mobile home, townhouse, or condo, there are home warranty options available for you in the state of Vermont. If your home isn’t a single dwelling, check with your home warranty company about any rules and restrictions that come with coverage. For example, if you live in a duplex or triplex, the home warranty company may require all units to be covered.

Not all companies are licensed to sell these home protection plans in all states, so make sure the company you’re exploring does in fact offer coverage in Vermont. The five home warranty companies we’ve listed in this article sell plans in this state. 

What is covered under a home warranty?

Home warranty coverage will depend on the plan you choose, the company you sign up with, and where you live. Typically, a home warranty covers your major systems and appliances. Here are the best home warranty companies in Vermont and what they cover:

Choice Home Warranty

As is typical, CHW offers more than one plan for consumers to consider: a Basic Plan and a Total Plan. The Basic Plan covers items such as your heating system, ductwork, garbage disposal, garage door opener, built-in microwave, and dishwasher. The Total Plan builds off of the Basic Plan and protects your refrigerator, clothes washer, and air conditioning.

Choice Home Warranty also offers optional coverage for items such as your pool or spa and even provides freon coverage, which isn’t typically included with home warranty plans.

If you have an older home or older home appliances, Choice Home Warranty may be a good plan to consider because they don’t deny coverage based on a home’s age or appliance age, as long as they’ve been well maintained.

MORE: Extensive Choice Home Warranty Review

American Home Shield

If you want a home warranty company that has plenty of experience, American Home Shield may be the best option for you, as it has over 50 years of experience. AHS offers four plan choices: Appliance Plan, Systems Plan, Combo Plan, and Build Your Own Plan. The Appliance Plan covers major home appliances, the Systems Plan covers major home systems, the Combo Plan covers a combination of the two, and a Build Your Own Plan lets you customize coverage.

Optional coverage includes add-ons such as a guest home that’s up to 750 square feet, pools, and spas.

AHS is BBB-accredited, plus they offer generous coverage caps and provide service call follow-ups.

MORE: Our detailed American Home Shield review

Select Home Warranty

This home warranty company offers three choices of plans—Bronze Care (a home appliances plan), Gold Care (a home systems plan), and Platinum Care (a plan that covers both home systems and appliances)—plus optional add-ons. Unique features of Select Home Warranty include that they offer free roof leak coverage as well as septic system coverage.

Some reasons why many people appreciate this company include the professionalism displayed by the AHS contractors, 24/7 service calls, and a 30-day window for cancellation if you’re not satisfied with service.

MORE: Compare Select Home Warranty plans

America’s 1st Choice Home Club

America’s 1st Choice Home Club offers four plans: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and System. This company also offers coverage for your sump pump, septic system, hot water dispenser, pool and spa, stand-alone freezer, and tankless water heater.

If you want the ability to choose your own service contractors, America’s 1st Choice Home Club allows you to do this. Here are some additional reasons why AFC Home Club could be a good choice:

• They’re certified by Consumer Advocate and Consumer Affairs.
• You can receive credit monitoring services and participate in an emergency alert network.
• AFC Home Club offers work guarantees, including ones that are for 30 and 60 days.

The Home Service Club

The Home Service Club offers two plans: Standard and Comprehensive. This home warranty company also offers optional coverage for outside power, water, sewer, and irrigation lines (something not typically offered by other companies). Additional benefits of choosing this plan include their 10-day waiting period, which is shorter than what’s typically required, plus their:

• Reputation for fast, convenient coverage, a speedy claims turnaround, and a highly responsive customer service team
• Low monthly premiums
• A flexible pricing structure that gives members five months of free coverage with the purchase of a five-year plan

MORE: The Home Service Club Review

How much does a home warranty cost?

On average, Vermont home warranty plans cost a homeowner an average of $300–$600 per year. Deductibles can be as low as $45 up to more than $100 per instance. The ultimate home warranty cost will depend on the plan chosen and the add-on coverages selected. 

How does a home warranty work?

Let’s say that you’re in the middle of a cold Vermont winter and your heating system goes out. If you didn’t have a home warranty, you would need to call service contractors in the area to see when they could come out to troubleshoot and how much they charge for their services. Prices may be high during the winter season, as this is typically when heating issues arise.

However, if you had a home warranty plan, you would simply call your home warranty company when your heating system started experiencing issues and file a claim. They would then arrange for a technician to contact you and schedule a convenient time for a repair or replacement. The only fee you would have to pay would be the service fee—this is paid when the contractor comes to your home.

Having a home warranty plan, then, can streamline the repair or replacement process while also saving you time and money. 

Why is a home warranty in Vermont necessary?

Since home repairs can be expensive, with system replacements being even more costly, it’s helpful to have a safety net. Although homebuyers aren’t required to buy a home warranty plan, they can rest assured that these service contracts provide a solid sense of security in the event of an emergency.

Buying a home warranty in Vermont

When you’re ready to buy a home warranty, here are several questions to ask yourself:

• What type of coverage do I need?
• What items are covered under the home warranty plan I’m looking at?
• How much will each plan cost me?
• How do I make payments?
• What does the claims process look like?
• What are the coverage caps on a plan?
• Are there any limits or exclusions on coverage?
• How can I customize a home warranty plan?
• How long does my coverage last?
• How quickly does my coverage kick in?

What matters most is that you select a plan that provides the home system and appliance coverage you need. Some plans are pretty comprehensive, while others are more basic and offer coverage for only the major systems and appliances in your home.

Vermont home warranty reviews

Here are a few reviews from Vermont homeowners who have a home warranty:

Ernest Salas, an American Home Shield customer from Colchester, VT, says:

“I like the way I was able to make the claim online. Our heating system went out late in the evening and I was able to place the claim online immediately without having to wait until the next day. The contractor called me and we set up a time for him to come by. He showed up at the agreed time and he fixed our heater. No problem.”

Letricia Chandler, an American Home Shield customer from Rutland, VT, says:

“I called AHS and stated I had a problem with my stove. Within one to two days, the service worker called and said he will be out to my house within a day. He came out and stated that the part for my stove was no longer available. At that time, he called AHS and told them the problem. AHS called me within two days and asked me questions about my stove and later that day she had one for me to look at online. After looking at the stove and agreeing that it was comparable to the one I had, a week later the stove was delivered to my home. I was very happy with their services and quick response.”

Our conclusion

A home warranty is a great option for those who want to protect their homes. There are plenty of plans to choose from, with five of the best home warranty companies listed in this article. Review the companies, their plans, and their add-on coverages to make sure you select the option that will most effectively serve you and your home protection needs.