Whether you live near the sandy beaches of Ocean City or recently bought a new home in Baltimore, homeownership comes with major responsibilities. Over time, your home’s major systems and appliances may stop working due to normal wear and tear. A home warranty protects you from unexpected repair or replacement costs caused by an appliance or system breakdown.

The This Old House Reviews Team researched and compared a variety of home warranty providers to find the best home warranty companies in the United States and selected the top providers in Maryland.

VISIT SITE $200 Off + 2 Months Free + Roof Leak Protection
Monthly Cost $49–$60
Service Fee $65–$125
BBB Rating A+
States Covered 50
VISIT SITE Limited Time Offer: $150 OFF All Home Warranty Plans
Monthly Cost $64–$74
Service Fee $100–$125
BBB Rating B
States Covered 48
VISIT SITE Use code HOUSE25 for $150 off & 2 months free
Monthly Cost $44–$48
Service Fee $60–$75
BBB Rating B-
States Covered 47
VISIT SITE Save $200 for Memorial Day. Use Code MD23
Monthly Cost $60–$76
Service Fee $75–$125
BBB Rating B
States Covered 35

Maryland’s Top 4 Home Warranty Companies

The highest-rated Maryland home warranty companies include the following:

 

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.

Appliance Average Lifespan Average Repair Cost
Dehumidifier 8 years $150
Microwave 9 years $200
Dishwasher 9 years $220
Exhaust Fans 10 years $250
Garbage Disposal 12 years $250
Gas Range 15-17 years $250
Dryer 13 years $300
Oven 10-18 years $300
Washer 5-15 years $300
Freezer 10-20 years $350
Refrigerator 9-13 years $400

Lifespan and repair cost data sourced from InterNACHI and Home Depot

 

Liberty Home Guard

Liberty Home Guard (LHG) is an excellent choice for homeowners who want coverage for unique items outside the typical scope of a home warranty policy. With its 38 add-on options, you can customize coverage to meet your home’s specific needs. Alongside its extensive add-on coverage, LHG provides a 60-day workmanship guarantee.

Pros and Cons

✔ Offers 38 add-on options, including saltwater pools, reverse osmosis systems, and lawn sprinkler systems
✔ Provides access to customer service representatives via a live-chat feature
✔ Extends a 60-day workmanship guarantee

✘ Shows inconsistency around assigned service call fees

Plans and Pricing

Liberty Home Guard offers three plan options: Appliance Guard, Systems Guard, and Total Home Guard. Appliance Guard covers essential appliances, such as your clothes washer, clothes dryer, and refrigerator. Systems Guard covers major built-in systems, including your air conditioning, ductwork, and water heater. Total Home Guard combines the coverage of the two other plans, making it LHG’s most comprehensive plan. 

Liberty Home Guard offers an unparalleled suite of add-on 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
  • Re-key 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/fridge

LHG assigns a service call fee to your account based on your add-ons, plan, and the location of your home. The service call fee costs between $65 and $125 per claim.

Here’s Liberty Home Guard’s monthly prices per plan:

  • Appliance Guard: $49.99 per month
  • Systems Guard: $54.99 per month
  • Total Home Guard: $59.99 per month

To request a custom quote, call 866-452-9107 or use Liberty Home Guard’s online quote tool. 

Learn more: Liberty Home Guard Review

 

American Home Shield

American Home Shield (AHS) offers flexible coverage plans for those who want control over their monthly premium. AHS provides three coverage plans and three service call fees, plus it offers generous coverage caps per covered item. AHS also offers coverage for rust, sediment, and corrosion damage and items with undetectable pre-existing conditions.

Pros and Cons

✔ Upholds solid reputation due to over 50 years serving the home warranty industry
✔ Offers additional coverage for electronics
✔ Allows you to set your own service call fee

✘ Doesn’t allow you to choose your own service provider

Plans and Pricing

AHS offers three plan options: ShieldPlatinum™, ShieldGold™, and ShieldSilver™. The ShieldSilver plan is American Home Shield’s most basic plan, covering 14 important home systems. The ShieldGold is its mid-tier plan, covering an additional nine appliances. The ShieldPlatinum plan is its most comprehensive coverage plan, covering 23 essential systems and appliances.

Additionally, American Home Shield allows you to add coverage for any of the following appliances and systems: Pool/spa, well pump, septic pump, guest unit under 750 square feet, additional electronics coverage

You can expect to pay between $39 and $110 per month for an American Home Shield plan. Like other home warranty companies in Maryland, American Home Shield charges customers a service fee whenever you file a claim. AHS allows customers to choose between $75 and $125. The higher the service fee you choose, the lower your monthly premium.

To get a free quote, call 844-529-9298 or fill out American Home Shield’s online form with your ZIP code.

Learn more: American Home Shield Review

 

Select Home Warranty

Select Home Warranty provides one of the most cost-effective home warranties in Maryland. This company charges low monthly premiums, service call fees, and includes free roof coverage in each plan. In addition, Select offers generous HVAC coverage within its affordable systems plan, for those who only need HVAC coverage.

Pros and Cons

✔ Offers lower service call fees compared to other providers
✔ Includes complementary two months of coverage for new customers
✔ Provides 24/7 customer service

✘ Charges a $75 cancellation fee
✘ Limits appliance and add-on coverage caps

Plans and Pricing

Customers can choose from Select’s three affordable plans—Bronze Care, Gold Care, and Platinum Care. Gold Care is for systems, Bronze Care is for appliances, and Platinum Care is for both. Select pairs each plan with a $400 roof-leak repair limit, plus it extends a 30-day workmanship guarantee.

You can get coverage for more areas of your home with Select’s add-ons, including ones for these items: Plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, switches and outlets, pool and spa equipment, well pump

Select charges a $75 service call fee every time you request service.

Here’s the pricing for each Select Home Warranty plan:

  • Bronze Care: $44.42 per month
  • Gold Care: $44.42 per month
  • Platinum Care: $47.75 per month
Get a free quote by calling 888-370-3956 or by entering some basic information into Select Home Warranty’s online form.

Learn more: Select Home Warranty Review

 

First American Home Warranty

First American Home Warranty is close to American Home Shield in terms of experience with 35 years in the home warranty industry. The company offers three plans, flexible service call fees, and generous appliance and home system coverage caps. In addition, First American bundles the First American Advantage upgrade with its Essential and Premium plans, which covers appliance installation and removal fees.

Pros and Cons

✔ Provides generous coverage caps for appliances and home systems
✔ Includes coverage for items regardless of age
✔ Extends over 35 years of experience in the home warranty industry

✘ Excludes air conditioning coverage from Starter Plan

Plans and Pricing

First American provides three coverage options: The Starter Plan, Essential Plan, and Premium Plan. The Starter and Essential plans include coverage for a mix of essential systems and appliance, plus a $3,500 coverage limit per appliance. The Premium Plan increases the appliance limit to $7,000 per covered appliance. It also adds coverage for additional home items, such as instant hot water dispensers.

If you want more coverage, you have these add-on options: Additional refrigeration, central air conditioning system, HVAC tune-up, limited roof-leak, pool and spa equipment, septic system/pumping, water softeners, and well pumps.

The service fee for First American Home Warranty ranges from $75, $100, and $125 per visit. Selecting a higher service call fee lowers your monthly premium and vice versa.

Here is the pricing information for First American Home Warranty coverage:

  • Starter Plan: $47–$67 per month
  • Essential Plan: $57–$72 per month
  • Premium Plan: $72–$87 per month
To get a free quote, fill out First American Home Warranty’s online form or call 800-891-9778.

Learn more: First American Home Warranty Review

 

Our Conclusion

The This Old House Reviews Team recommends every provider in this article for Maryland residents. We recommend Liberty Home Guard due to its responsive customer service team and a long list of add-on options. American Home Shield provides comprehensive policies with generous coverage caps, and Select Home Warranty is also worth considering due to its budget-friendly plans that include limited roof-leak coverage.

Plan pricing varies based on where you live, the square footage of your home, and the type of coverage you select. Therefore, we recommend getting quotes from three different providers so you can compare coverage and select a plan that falls within your budget.

VISIT SITE $200 Off + 2 Months Free + Roof Leak Protection
Monthly Cost $49–$60
Service Fee $65–$125
BBB Rating A+
States Covered 50
VISIT SITE Limited Time Offer: $150 OFF All Home Warranty Plans
Monthly Cost $64–$74
Service Fee $100–$125
BBB Rating B
States Covered 48
VISIT SITE Use code HOUSE25 for $150 off & 2 months free
Monthly Cost $44–$48
Service Fee $60–$75
BBB Rating B-
States Covered 47
VISIT SITE $200 off + roof leak coverage + lifetime parts and labor
Monthly Cost $48–$55
Service Fee $75–$125
BBB Rating B
States Covered 49

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Infographic showing time and effort put into this article's research

 

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.