Top 5 Best Home Warranty Companies in North Carolina
Here are our top five picks for home warranty providers in North Carolina, along with what makes each stand out:
- Liberty Home Guard: Most customer-friendly
- American Home Shield: Most experienced
- Elite Home Warranty: Most unique add-ons
- Select Home Warranty: Budget-friendly
- First American Home Warranty: Our pick for add-on coverage
Liberty Home Guard
Most Customer-Friendly
American Home Shield
Most Experienced
Elite Home Warranty
Most unique add-ons
Select Home Warranty
Most Budget-Friendly
First American Home Warranty
Our Pick for Add-on Coverage
AFC Home Club: If you’re looking for a wider selection of customization options, you may consider getting a quote from AFC Home Club. The company has four policies instead of the standard two to three and a wide selection of add-ons. Plus, AFC Home Club has one of the longest workmanship guarantees in the industry, ensuring repairs for as long as you’re a member.
Compare the Best Home Warranty Companies in North Carolina
Claiming a custom quote from each home warranty provider can help you compare pricing, service fees and coverage. Explore a few of the top home warranty companies using the table below.
We gathered cost data for home warranty companies in North Carolina by conducting a secret shopping exercise focused on the state’s top cities. We solicited quotes from both national and local providers, requesting three quotes for each company representing basic to comprehensive plan options. By averaging the costs for each plan type across all companies, we derived estimates for North Carolina home warranty expenses, recognizing that individual preferences and coverage needs may result in variations. While our research serves as a valuable tool for identifying trends and competitive pricing among providers, we encourage consumers to obtain personalized quotes from companies based on their unique situations.
How Much Does a Home Warranty Cost in North Carolina?
To help you get a better idea of what you might pay for a home warranty, our team secretly shopped for policies in the Tar Heel State. We requested a series of quotes using real addresses to get up-to-date pricing information. The table below summarizes premium and service fee pricing for each of our recommended home warranty companies.
| Provider | Basic Coverage Cost | Mid-Tier Coverage Cost | Highest Coverage Cost | Service Fee |
| Liberty Home Guard | $50 | $55 | $60 | $75–$125 |
| American Home Shield | $20 | $50 | $80 | $100–$125 |
| Elite Home Warranty | $50 | $60 | $80 | $100 |
| Select Home Warranty | $44 | $44 | $48 | $75–$100 |
| First American Home Warranty | $47 | $57 | $72 | $75–$125 |
Calculate Your Annual Home Warranty Cost in North Carolina
The MarketWatch Guides team developed a calculator that analyzes the anticipated yearly expenses associated with owning a home warranty in North Carolina. To determine your projected annual cost, enter your monthly premium, service call fee and estimated number of claims. We recommend getting quotes directly from our top providers since rates vary by plan, location and home size.
What Is a North Carolina Home Warranty and Why Do You Need One?
Without a home emergency fund, homeowners could end up spending hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket in the event of a sudden and major home repair. For example, an air conditioning system that breaks down in the middle of summer might cost up to $800. While homeowners insurance can cover damage related to catastrophic events, such as a hurricane or fire, a home warranty extends to issues caused by everyday use.
In these circumstances, a home warranty policy can help offset the cost of a repair. Similar to homeowners insurance, you pay a monthly fee to a home warranty company to keep coverage current after you buy a policy. If something breaks down in your home because of normal wear and tear and is not covered by homeowners insurance, your home warranty company can handle the repair service.
After enrolling in a policy, you will pay your monthly premium each month. If a covered item outlined in your contract breaks down, you have the option to call your home warranty company rather than a local repair shop. Your home warranty company will call someone in its network of local service providers to arrange a repair on your behalf. If the repair is covered and does not exceed your coverage limits, you should only pay a pre-agreed service fee — which is usually less than $150.
How To Choose a North Carolina Home Warranty Company
If you’d like to compare home warranty providers in North Carolina, you can use the following steps to shop for coverage and find a plan worth the price.
Collect Quotes
Getting a quote from each provider you’re considering can help you compare coverage and costs, which can vary based on your location and add-on choices. Getting a quote should only take a few minutes with each provider, based on our secret shopping experience.
After getting a quote, we recommend you download a sample contract to compare coverage limits with your price. The best home warranty policies, based on our review, offer higher coverage limits and lower monthly pricing. It may help to define a series of items you know you want coverage for before getting a quote to compare coverage limitations and exclusions more easily.
Read Reviews
After collecting at least three quotes, you can read a few online reviews on third-party sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot and Google Reviews. These platforms aggregate customer experiences and can provide insights about a home warranty company’s level of service and handling of repairs.
We recommend paying attention to the major positive and negative trends you notice. If possible, you can also use Google Reviews or the BBB’s local search feature to segregate reviews by location. Since many home warranty companies operate nationwide, each provider has a network of contracted technicians for local repairs. Reading reviews can help you get an idea of the quality of local technicians.
Consider Your Needs as a North Carolina Resident
As a North Carolina homeowner, you may have experienced the state’s vulnerabilities to natural disasters and weather hazards. While home warranties do not cover damage resulting from such hazards directly, your area’s climate can give you insight into the systems and appliances that might see the most wear on your property.
For example, cities along the eastern coast of the state may directly feel the effects of hurricanes and tropical storms originating in the Atlantic Ocean. In this case, you may consider a home warranty that provides roof-leak protection, for instance. North Carolina also has hot, humid summers, which can increase the wear and tear on your air conditioning if you run it consistently to keep low indoor temperatures.
North Carolina Home Warranty Coverage
As mentioned in the previous section, North Carolina shoppers may prefer a home warranty with air conditioner coverage. North Carolina is also prone to hurricane and wind damage because of its coastal location, which can cause flooding and burst pipes depending on the season. For this reason, homeowners may invest in plans with robust plumbing system coverage. North Carolina residents may also find roof leak add-on coverage valuable because of potential wind damage to shingles.
The table below summarizes the coverage inclusions offered by our top providers for the home components our team deemed most important in North Carolina.
| Air Conditioning | Plumbing | Roof Leak Coverage | |
| Liberty Home Guard | $2,000 | $500 | $500* |
| American Home Shield | $5,000 | Undefined | $1,000 |
| Elite Home Warranty | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000* |
| Select Home Warranty | $3,000 | $500 | $500* |
| First American Home Warranty | Undefined | Undefined | $1,000 |
*Indicates items sold as add-on coverage for an extra cost.
How Home Warranties are Regulated in North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Insurance regulates home warranties in North Carolina. The department oversees the activities of home warranty companies to ensure they comply with state regulations and consumer protection laws. North Carolina home warranty companies must obtain a license from the department and adhere to specific guidelines for selling and administering home warranties.
The department provides information and resources to help consumers understand their rights and make informed decisions when purchasing a home warranty. If a consumer has a complaint or dispute with a home warranty company, they can file a complaint with the department, which will investigate the issue and take appropriate action if necessary.
Best Home Warranty Companies by State
Are you not looking for a home warranty in North Carolina? Select your state below to find the best home warranty.
Our Conclusion: Is a Home Warranty Worth It in North Carolina?
In our review, we found that homeowners who invest in a home warranty and experience a breakdown can save money. If you do not have a household emergency fund, a home warranty can be worth the price.
Our review found Liberty Home Guard and American Home Shield offer valuable policies relative to premiums. Elite Home Warranty and First American also provide higher coverage limit options, though premiums are more expensive on average. If you’re searching for a more affordable option for general coverage, you might consider Select Home Warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Warranties in North Carolina
Unlike most states, North Carolina does not require builders of new homes to offer an implied warranty against structural or component-related defects. However, builders may still elect to provide this coverage as a guarantee.
The best North Carolina home warranty depends on your needs. If you value higher coverage limits on appliances, American Home Shield and First American may suit your needs. If you’re looking for more affordable prices, Liberty and Select could be better choices. We recommend reading each of our linked reviews for our featured providers to determine the best home warranty plan for your needs.
A service fee is the money you pay each time you use your home warranty policy. For example, if you have a service fee of $100 and receive a repair valued at $500, you only pay the $100 at the time of your appointment. If your policy covers the repair and does not exceed your annual limits, your home warranty provider should cover the remainder of the bill.
Home warranties in North Carolina typically cover the repair or replacement of major home systems and appliances that break due to normal wear and tear. Commonly covered items include heating and air conditioning systems, electrical systems, kitchen appliances and laundry appliances. Home warranty plan inclusions vary by provider and plan, so we recommend carefully reviewing terms and coverage details before purchasing a policy.
Home warranties usually do not cover existing problems or conditions. These service agreements are designed to address issues arising from normal wear and tear on covered systems and appliances, and most contracts specifically exclude pre-existing conditions from coverage. To enforce this clause, some home warranty companies may require you to submit maintenance records before they will approve a claim. However, American Home Shield covers pre-existing conditions in some cases.
How We Ranked the Best Home Warranty Companies in North Carolina
Our team of secret shoppers used real North Carolina addresses to collect quotes from 30 home warranty companies operating in the state. Our team averaged rates from each address quote to determine the average pricing for each provider. We then compared pricing to the coverage limits, inclusions and exclusions outlined in each home warranty company’s sample contracts.
Our review team ranked companies higher for providing robust coverage inclusions for items such as air conditioning, plumbing systems and kitchen appliances. Our team awarded top marks to companies that offered more than $1,000 worth of coverage on appliances and more than $2,000 on systems. Those with lower coverage limits or fewer individual items included under coverage ranked less favorably.
We also considered factors beyond service fees, premiums and reimbursements when ranking companies. Based on our 2023 Pollfish survey of 1,000 home warranty owners nationwide, customers indicated that they preferred a higher level of policy customization when choosing a home warranty provider. For this reason, we gave higher rankings to companies with more plan and add-on options. We also reviewed third-party customer testimonials and industry rankings when deciding which companies to recommend.
You can read our team’s full methodology for ranking and comparing home warranty companies or learn more about our editorial guidelines.
Additional Home Warranty Resources
- Home Warranty vs. Home Insurance: What’s the Difference?
- Carrier Warranty: Coverage, Benefit and Claim Process
- Whirlpool Warranty: Guide for Refrigerator and Dishwasher Service
- Rheem Water Heater Warranty Guide: Coverage, Cost and Duration
- A Comprehensive Guides to HVAC Warranties
- How To File a Home Warranty Claim: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you have questions about this page, please reach out to our editors at editors@marketwatchguides.com.
