How to Choose a Florida Home Warranty
A Florida home warranty could provide valuable coverage on top of your homeowners insurance—or it could be a waste of your money.
Written by R.E. Fulton
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
If you’re considering buying a home warranty for your
Florida
home, be cautious: unresponsive and unscrupulous companies can make these service contracts more expensive than they’re worth. Ask any homeowner, and they’ll tell you the harsh truth: owning a home is expensive. In sunny Florida, where the threats to your home range from
hungry termites
to category-5 hurricanes
, the costs of ownership can rise even higher. That’s why car
and home insurance
super app Jerry
has created this guide to one of the most common—and most controversial—forms of financial protection for your Florida home. This article is designed to help you find the best home warranty in Florida. Whether you're looking to buy a home warranty for your home in Florida or just want to learn more about the subject, we've got you covered.
What is a home warranty?
A home warranty is essentially a service contract, typically for a period of one year, that covers repairs and replacements to appliances and home systems like heating, plumbing, ducts, refrigerators, dishwashers, and more. When you buy a home warranty, you’re paying for the ability to replace or repair those systems and appliances at a heavily discounted rate.
Home warranty vs. home insurance
“But, wait—isn’t that what homeowners insurance is for?”
Not quite. You see, home insurance covers your home’s entire structure and its contents, not just appliances and home systems—and it only covers them against certain perils. While your homeowners insurance might help you replace a refrigerator if it’s damaged due to a house fire or theft, it won’t do anything if that appliance simply breaks down after years of regular use.
A home warranty, on the other hand, is designed specifically to fix and replace key components of your home that are bound to wear out eventually. The major catch is that a home warranty won’t cover systems or appliances that have been intentionally damaged or worn out due to owner negligence—something that creates a dangerously murky gray area in many home warranty contracts.
Do you need a home warranty in Florida?
A home warranty isn’t a requirement for Florida homeowners, and
it’s not always a foolproof system
. While having an extra financial safety net to cover some of the home maintenance costs that insurance won’t touch might sound great, the reality is that home warranties often aren’t worth the money. Weigh your options carefully if you’re considering buying a home warranty. If you just bought a house and don’t have an emergency fund to cover unexpected maintenance costs, a warranty could be the perfect way to buy peace of mind while you save up a better cushion. But if you’ve got the money to pay for that warranty, either up-front or in monthly installments, it might be smarter to simply save the premium to act as your safety net.
How to choose a Florida home warranty
If you decide a home warranty is the right choice for you, start by comparing plans from at least three different companies. You’re looking for the plan with the best coverage options, lowest payments (including service fees!), and best customer service—but you might not find all three in the same place.
Check out the table below for an in-depth comparison of five of the best home warranty companies in Florida. Before you sign any home warranty agreement, be sure to read the contract carefully to make sure you’re getting the coverage you need without any unexpected terms and conditions.
Company | Monthly payment | Annual premium | Service fee | States not covered | BBB rating | Limits | What it’s best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Choice Home Warranty | $36-$44 | $517-$660 | $60-$85 | Washington | B | $500-$3,000 | Fast response times, basic plan covers both systems and appliances |
American Home Shield | $40-$58 | $300-891 | $75-$125 | Alaska | B | $1,000-$6,000 | Longest reputation, highest coverage limits, lower chance of service denial |
Select Home Warranty | $36-38 | $630-$765 | $60-$75 | Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, Wyoming | B | $500-$2,000 | Discounts and response times |
Liberty Home Guard | $40-$60 | $700-$960 | $65-$125 | Washington, Wyoming | A | $500-$2,000 | Best customer service, tons of coverage add-ons |
Cinch | $35-$62 | $420-$816 | $75-$150 | Alaska, Hawaii | B | $1,000-$2,000 | 180-day workmanship guarantee and tons of free perks |
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The pros and cons of home warranties
If you’re
buying a house in Florida
, you may have an agent telling you that you’ve got to buy a home warranty—or you may have heard that signing a home warranty contract is always a bad idea. Well, neither is quite true. Like most things in life, home warranties have benefits and drawbacks depending on your finances, preferences, and overall situation. Let’s take a closer look at arguments for and against home warranties.
Pro: A home warranty can take the guesswork out of hiring contractors
Picture it: your 20-year-old refrigerator broke overnight. While you’re mopping up the kitchen floor and dumping all your leftover takeout, the last thing you want to do is hop online and start comparing contractors. Having a home warranty can make a crisis just a little more manageable by putting you in touch with the best contractors with no need to comparison shop.
Pro: No need for an emergency fund
The biggest argument in favor of buying a home warranty is the financial safety net it provides in the case of major repairs. The average cost to replace a home HVAC system is between $5,000 and $10,000, and even the $200-$500 it takes to repair a fridge might pose a serious problem if you don’t have that money sitting readily in your pocket. With a home warranty, those major costs are significantly reduced (though you’ll still have to pay a service fee).
Con: You won’t deal directly with contractors
Here’s the other side of that coin: your home warranty company will act as a middleman between you and your contractor. That’s a recipe for miscommunication, slowdown, and added expenses—and you might not get a say in the replacements the contractor uses. If you’d rather work directly with the contractors repairing your home, it’s better to skip the warranty.
Con: Low coverage limits and high service fees
The safety net a home warranty provides might not be as big as you think. With average coverage limits ranging from $500 to $5,000, you may not be able to get the payout you need in the case of more expensive repairs.
Con: Warranty companies can deny coverage
Here’s the drawback that makes home warranties controversial: companies frequently deny claims based on negligence, even if you’ve maintained everything to the best of your ability. That’s because many contracts allow the company to deny coverage if the previous owner didn’t maintain the appliance or system. No matter how good the terms of your warranty sound, actually getting the payout can be difficult in many cases.
How to find affordable homeowners insurance in Florida
Buying a home warranty is a difficult decision that may not be right for everyone. Buying homeowners insurance, on the other hand, is essential for every homeowner—and with
Jerry’s
help, it can be as easy as sending a text! As a
licensed insurance broker
, Jerry helps homeowners compare quotes drawn from dozens of the nation’s best insurance providers. You’ll find the lowest rates anywhere in the Jerry app, and you can shop for a lower rate on car insurance at the same time! RECOMMENDED
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How much does a home warranty cost in Florida?
The average home warranty in Florida costs between $420 and $745 a year, depending on your individual contract and coverage options.
How long is a new home warranty in Florida?
Most home warranties in Florida have a term of one year, but it’s possible to find longer terms.
What is the best home warranty company out there?
The best home warranty company is different for every homeowner, but American Home Shield is consistently rated as the top home warranty company overall based on its longstanding service record and high coverage limits.
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