As a homeowner in Hawaii, having a home warranty can protect your systems and appliances when they break down due to normal wear and tear and give you peace of mind by ensuring that your home items will be repaired or replaced when an issue arises.
To help you throughout your home warranty buying process, the This Old House Reviews Team reviewed the best home warranty companies in Hawaii so that you can skip the research and go straight to buying.
Hawaii’s Top 4 Home Warranty Companies
The highest rated home warranty companies in Hawaii include these:
- Liberty Home Guard: Best Customer Ratings
- Select Home Warranty: Best Value
- The Home Service Club: Quickest Coverage
- Choice Home Warranty: Best Basic Plan
Our team examined the leading home warranty providers in Hawaii and narrowed them down by looking at factors such as pricing, plans, reputation, customer service, and more. These are our top two picks in more detail.
Annual Home Warranty Cost Calculator
Our team created a calculator to break down the estimated annual cost of owning a home warranty. Enter your monthly premium, service call fee, and estimated number of claims to see your projected annual cost. It’s best to request a quote directly from one of our recommended providers, as annual costs and service fees vary between them.
Lifespan and repair cost data sourced from InterNACHI and Home Depot
Liberty Home Guard
Liberty Home Guard (LHG) is our top provider for Hawaii homeowners who wish to have customizable home systems and appliance coverage. LHG offers more than 30 unique add-ons, such as limited roof coverage and a 60-day workmanship guarantee for all completed repairs. LHG also covers two air conditioning units, whereas most providers cover one per service contract.
Pros & Cons
Check out our list of pros and cons for Liberty Home Guard coverage:
✔ Guarantees workmanship on repairs for 60 days
✔ Provides coverage for two air conditioning units
✔ Includes a $2,000 coverage cap per covered item
✘ Lacks transparency in quote process for service call fee
✘ Requires claims to be filed as soon as discovered
Plans & Pricing
Liberty Home Guard offers three coverage plans: the Appliance Guard, Systems Guard, and Total Home Guard. The Appliance Guard covers home appliances. The Systems Guard covers home systems, and the Total Home Guard includes both systems and appliance coverage. We’ve outlined Liberty Home Guard’s home warranty plan coverage below:
- Appliance Guard: The Appliance Guard protects nine major appliances, such as clothes washers, clothes dryers, refrigerators with ice and water dispensers, built-in microwave ovens, dishwashers, garbage disposals, ranges/ovens/cooktops, ceiling and exhaust fans, and garage door openers.
- Systems Guard: The Systems Guard protects six major systems, such as air conditioning, heating, ductwork, electrical and plumbing systems, and water heaters
- Total Home Guard protects everything listed in the Appliance Guard and System Guard.
Liberty Home Guard also provides the following add-on coverage options:
Additional spa, carpet cleaning, casita guest unit, central vacuum, ejector pump, electronics protection, freestanding ice maker, generator, grinder pump, gutter cleaning, in-fridge ice maker, instant hot water dispenser, lawn sprinkler system, lighting fixtures, limited roof-leak, pest control, plumbing fixtures, pool and spa, pro-series clothes dryer, pro-series dishwasher, pro-series microwave, pro-series range/oven/cooktop, pro-series refrigerator, pro-series washing machines, rekey services, reverse osmosis water filter system, saltwater pool, second refrigerator, septic system pumping, stand-alone freezer, sump pump, swamp cooler, trash compactor, water dispenser water line, water softener, well pump, window washing/cleaning, wine cooler, and fridge.
Expect to pay between $49 and $60 per month. Your service call fee will fall between $65 and $125. A Liberty Home Guard representative explained to us that the fee is assigned based on your home’s size, type, and location, as well as the plan and add-on options you select.
Fill out Liberty Home Guard’s quote form or call 866-452-9107 for your free quote.
Learn more: Liberty Home Guard Review
Select Home Warranty
Select Home Warranty offers three plans that are all more affordable than similar plans offered by American Home Shield. Select also includes roof-leak repair coverage in every plan, and the provider offers generous cooling and heating systems coverage alongside a low $75 service call fee.
Pros & Cons
✔ Includes roof-leak coverage
✔ Offers discounts on purchases for several years of protection
✔ Has awards from Consumers Advocate, Consumer Affairs, and more
✘ Doesn’t cover fixtures
✘ Limits coverage caps for appliances and add-on options
Plans & Pricing
Select Home Warranty has three plans: Gold Care, Bronze Care, and Platinum Care. Bronze is best for appliances, Gold is best for major systems, and Platinum is best for comprehensive coverage.We outlined Select Home Warranty’s coverage options in each plan below:
- Bronze Care: The Bronze Care covers eight major appliances, such as cooktops, dishwashers, garbage disposals, built-in microwaves, refrigerators, stove/ovens, clothes washers and clothes dryers.
- Gold Care: The Gold Care covers six home systems, including air conditioning, ductwork, plumbing, heating, and electrical systems and water heaters.
- Platinum Care: The Platinum Care bundles home systems and appliance coverage into one comprehensive plan.
You can also purchase additional coverage for these items: Second refrigerator, stand-alone freezer, central vacuum, refrigerator ice maker, septic system, lawn sprinkler system, well pump, sump pump, pool/spa equipment, plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, switches, outlets
If one of your covered items breaks down, you’ll pay a service fee of $75 when a service contractor visits your home and repairs or replaces the item. Customers generally will pay between $44 and $48 per month for a Select Home Warranty plan.
Learn more: Select Home Warranty Review
The Home Service Club
The Home Service Club (HSC) is another reputable provider for Hawaii residents due to its easy access to customer service reps and the ability to file a claim 10 days after purchasing coverage. HSC provides a generous workmanship guarantee for all completed repairs, and it offers coverage for unique items such as gas leaks, pest control, and more.
Pros & Cons
Review key pros and cons regarding The Home Service Club’s coverage options:
✔ Guarantees parts for 90 days and labor for 30 days
✔ Grants easy access to customer service reps
✔ Offers coverage within its base plan for unique items such as food centers
✘ Charges higher service call fee than others on this list
✘ Includes a high transfer fee when moving service contracts from one home to another
Plans & Pricing
The Home Service Club provides two coverage plans: the Standard Plan and the Comprehensive Plan. The Standard Plan covers a mix of home systems and appliances, such as trash compactors, central vacuum systems, and more. The Comprehensive Plan covers everything the Standard Plan covers, plus additional systems and appliances, including smoke detectors and telephone wiring. Below is the full list of coverage options HSC offers in its plans:
- Standard: The Standard Plan covers air conditioning, ceiling fans, central vacuum, dishwashers, clothes dryers and washers, electrical systems, food centers, garage door openers, garbage disposals, trash compactors, heating systems, refrigerator ice makers, microwaves, oven/stove/cooktops, plumbing systems, refrigerators, and water heaters.
- Comprehensive: The Comprehensive Plan covers all items listed in the Standard Plan plus alarm wiring, doorbells, ductwork, gas leaks, hot water pumps, pest controls, plumbing stoppages, smoke detectors, sump pumps, telephone wirings, hot water dispensers, water leaks, and whirlpool tub motors.
The Home Service Club coverage add-ons include these items:
Additional dishwashers, freezers, microwaves, ovens, ranges, cooktops, freestanding freezers, jetted bathtubs, plumbing sprinklers, pool and spa equipment, refrigerators, dual refrigerator compressors, roof-leak coverage, service lines, sewage ejector pumps, spa and spa heaters, water heaters, water softeners, and well pumps.
Depending which home warranty coverage you select, expect to pay between $51 and $63 per month with The Home Service Club’s $95 service call fee. From our secret shopping, our team discovered plan purchases made over the phone may qualify for a $75 service call fee with the same monthly rates.
To learn more: The Home Service Club Review
Choice Home Warranty
Due to the limited selection of home warranty providers that offer coverage in Hawaii, an available option for Hawaiian homeowners is Choice Home Warranty. Similar to the Home Service Club, Choice Home Warranty provides solid home systems and appliance coverage within its base plan. Choice also provides coverage for older items in working order for those who own older systems and appliances.
However, in 2019 the Arizona Attorney General filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against Choice Home Warranty. There have been several consumer complaints regarding Choice Home Warranty’s refusal to refund cancellation fees. A representative from Choice did not comment on the pending lawsuit. The representative stated, however, that as of October 2021, 90% of filed claims for the year were approved.
Pros & Cons
✔ Provides a $3,000 coverage cap per covered item
✔ Offers multiple convenient ways to file claims
✘ Undergoing a pending lawsuit from the Arizona Attorney General
✘ Excludes coverage for air conditioning, refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers in its base plan
Plans & Pricing
Choice Home Warranty offers two home repair plans: The Basic Plan and the Total Plan. Each plan includes coverage for major systems and appliances. We highlighted Choice’s coverage options in each plan below:
- Basic: The Basic Plan includes coverage for built-in microwaves, ceiling and exhaust fans, cooktops, dishwashers, ductwork, garage door openers, garbage disposals, heating, electrical and plumbing systems, ovens/ranges/stoves, plumbing stoppages, water heater, and whirlpool bathtubs.
- Total: The Total Plan covers everything listed in the Basic Plan plus air conditioning, clothes washers and dryers, and refrigerators
Choice Home Warranty’s coverage add-ons consist of the following items:
Additional spa, central vacuum, limited roof-leak, pool and spa, second refrigerators, septic systems, septic tank pumping, sprinkler systems, stand-alone freezers, sump pumps, and well pumps.
You can expect to pay between $48 and $51 per month for Choice Home Warranty coverage. Your actual monthly premium may vary based on your home’s size, type, location and the coverage selections you choose. Choice pairs each plan with an $85 service call fee, which must be paid per filed claim.
To learn more: Choice Home Warranty Review
Our Conclusion
The This Old House Reviews Team recommends Liberty Home Guard, and Select Home Warranty for Hawaii homeowners looking to protect their budget from appliance and system breakdowns. Before purchasing a home protection plan, we recommend getting a quote from each providers to see what coverage, exclusions, pricing, and benefits each one can offer you and your home.
Reading Service Contracts
Many homeowners have difficulty understanding the details in their home warranty service contracts. Knowing your provider’s coverage limitations and exclusions will help limit unwelcome surprises when you submit a claim. Below are a few pointers on reading and understanding the fine print of a home warranty service contract.
- Find what’s covered: Look through the fine print to see if your provider includes all the home items you’d like to cover. Although most providers cover common systems and appliances, confirm that your provider covers what you need.
- Understand exclusions: Your provider will have certain instances or components that it won’t cover even on a covered item. For example, while your air conditioner might be a covered item, the filters likely won’t be. Similarly, your provider may exclude preexisting conditions from being covered.
- Ask questions: If you don’t understand the coverage exclusions in the service contract, call the provider and ask a representative to clarify those sections for you.
How Does a Home Warranty Work?
Home warranties are service contracts that homeowners can purchase to cover high replacement costs related to home appliances and systems repair. For a monthly (or annual) fee, home warranty providers send vetted service providers directly to your home to fix your broken home item. You will also owe a service call fee for each filed claim before the service technician performs any work.
What Is a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee is a fee separate from your monthly premium that home warranty companies charge when you file a new claim. Companies charge service call fees to source and send a service technician to your home. Each service call fee is usually associated with one claim at a time. Typical service call fees range from $60 to $150. If you have an outstanding service call fee balance and wish to file a claim, your provider will only send a technician after you pay your balance.
What To Expect When Filing a Claim?
Once you file a claim, your home warranty provider will review it within 24 to 48 hours. If you file a claim during non-business hours, expect processing delays. Once your provider reviews your claim, it’ll contact you to discuss the outcome of its review and the following steps you need to take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our home warranty ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each provider. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts from each company, and conducting focus groups and consumer surveys. We then score each provider against our review standards for coverage, value, trustworthiness and transparency, availability, and customer service to arrive at a final score out of 100.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.