Manufacturers’ warranties only last so long, and homeowners in Oregon know that the most expensive home appliances and systems don’t tend to conveniently break down during the warranty period. As homes age, the damage from normal wear and tear increases, and as a homeowner, you may find yourself on the hook for repair or replacement costs as things break down.
We understand that you don’t want to buy a home warranty if it doesn’t save you money. The This Old House Reviews Team did the research and compared home warranty providers to help you find the best home warranty companies in Oregon.
Oregon’s Top 3 Home Warranty Companies
The highest rated home warranty companies in Oregon include these:
- American Home Shield: Best Overall
- Liberty Home Guard: Most Responsive
- Select Home Warranty: Best Value
American Home Shield
Our overall recommendation goes to American Home Shield, a company with nearly 50 years in the home warranty business. While American Home Shield is our top overall pick, we acknowledge that their home warranties aren’t perfect. You’ll pay a little more for customizability, but we find the cost to be worth it.
Pros and Cons
✔ Has been in business since 1971
✔ Covers damage due to rust and corrosion
✔ Provides discounts on new appliances
✘ No coverage for roofs or standalone freezers
✘ Relatively high premiums (though still in line with the industry average) compared to other home warranty companies
Plans and Pricing
American Home Shield offers the ShieldSilver™ plan to cover home systems. The next step up is the ShieldGold™ plan, which adds coverage for nine appliances and totals 23 items. The ShieldPlatinum™ plan is among the most comprehensive in the industry, adding coverage to the ShieldGold plan. The ShieldPlatinum plan increases coverage caps across the board and includes roof leak coverage and a free HVAC tune-up.
Customers can purchase extra coverage for pools and spas, well pumps, septic pumps, and guest units. American Home Shield also offers extended warranties for some electronic devices and discounts on new appliances.
Here’s a monthly pricing breakdown of each AHS plan, based on a standard $100 service fee:
- ShieldSilver: $34.99 per month
- ShieldGold: $44.99 per month
- ShieldPlatinum: $59.99 per month
American Home Shield provides the ability to adjust your service call fee relative to your premium. You can pay a lower premium and a higher service call fee, should you need it, or vice versa. Balance how often you think you’ll need to use the policy against your monthly payment to determine your service fee.
Learn more: American Home Shield Review
Liberty Home Guard
Liberty Home Guard (LHG) stands out with 24/7 access to customer service through the live chat on its website. While many companies offer 24/7 phone support, LHG adds this layer of convenience.
Pros & Cons
✔ Offers a 60-day workmanship guarantee
✔ Allows customers to contact support through live chat
✔ Provides more than 38 additional coverage options
✘ Doesn’t display service call fee during quote process
✘ Limits plumbing and electrical coverage to $500 per item
Plans & Pricing
Liberty Home Guard offers three plans: Appliance Guard, Systems Guard, and Total Home Guard. Appliance Guard covers major appliances, such as built-in microwaves, laundry machines, and dishwashers. Systems Guard covers home systems, such as your water heater and plumbing.
Liberty Home Guard charges a service call fee between $65 and $125 when you file a claim. This fee is assigned to your account based on your plan, location, and add-ons.
You can compare monthly prices below:
- Appliance Guard: $69.99 per month
- Systems Guard: $74.99 per month
- Total Home Guard: $79.99 per month
To request a free quote, fill out Liberty Home Guard’s simple form or call 866-452-9107.
Learn more: Liberty Home Guard Review
Select Home Warranty
Select Home Warranty offers the lowest average premiums of any company we reviewed. Although the company has been around for less than a decade, it’s a competitive choice in the home warranty market.
Pros and Cons
✔ Provides free roof coverage and optional septic system coverage
✔ Has a claims center that’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
✔ Offers discounts to customers who sign up for multi-year plans
✘ Only Platinum Care covers plumbing stoppages
✘ Charges repeat service fees for items that require multiple service visits
✘ Has low coverage caps on home systems and appliances
Plans and Pricing
Select Home Warranty offers three plans: Bronze Care (appliances plan), Gold Care (systems plan), and Platinum Care (combination plan). All three plans come with free roof coverage and $100 off.
Here’s a pricing breakdown of Select Home Warranty plans, in addition to a $75 service fee:
- Bronze Care: $40.67 per month
- Gold Care: $40.67 per month
- Platinum Care: $46.08 per month
Note: Contact Select Home Warranty about additional discounts for multi-year plans.
Learn more: Select Home Warranty Review
Our Conclusion
American Home Shield is our top pick for homeowners in Oregon. It provides generous coverage caps, coverage for unknown preexisting conditions, and pricing flexibility. Liberty Home Guard is another excellent option due to its comprehensive policies and responsive customer service model. We also recommend Select Home Warranty for customers on a budget.
Before buying a home warranty, take the time to look at your options and make sure that you can obtain coverage for the systems or appliances you’re most concerned about. Below is a master list of items covered by all three home warranty companies. Compare it to your own checklist to pick the best home warranty for you.
Compare Home Warranty Coverage
Provider | American Home Shield | Liberty Home Guard | Select Home Warranty |
---|---|---|---|
Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Built-in microwave | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ceiling fans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Washer and dryer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Dishwasher | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ductwork | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Electrical system | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Garage door opener | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Heating system | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Plumbing and stoppages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Range/cooktop | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Primary refrigerator | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Garbage disposal | - | ✓ | ✓ |
Oven/stove | - | ✓ | ✓ |
Exhaust fan | - | ✓ | - |
Water heater | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Freestanding ice maker | ✓ | ✓ | - |
Doorbell | ✓ | ✓ | - |
Built-in food center | ✓ | - | - |
Septic pump | ✓ | Optional | - |
Smoke detectors | ✓ | - | - |
Trash compactor | ✓ | Optional | - |
Water dispenser | ✓ | Optional | - |
Central vacuums | ✓ | Optional | - |
Additional refrigerators | - | Optional | - |
Septic system | - | Optional | - |
Standalone freezer | - | Optional | - |
Sump pump | - | Optional | - |
Pool/spa | Optional | Optional | - |
Well pump | Optional | Optional | - |
Electronic devices | Optional | Optional | - |
Guest house | Optional | Optional | - |
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers, and we aim to provide transparency in our review standards and research process.
Our research process includes speaking with representatives from more than 40 home warranty providers, requesting quotes, and asking clarifying questions to gain insight into each provider’s benefits and downsides. We also analyze sample contracts from each company to understand specific coverage terms.
To rate companies, we apply the data we have gathered to our review standards. These standards are on a 100-point scoring system, which is detailed below:
- Coverage (35 points): Providers are scored based on breadth and depth of coverage. We focused on key home systems (HVAC, plumbing, and electrical), essential appliances (refrigerator, ovens, and laundry machines), and unique coverage items (such as roof-leak coverage and code violation allowances). Coverage scores are weighted by taking into account coverage caps and other limiting factors, meaning providers with greater range of coverage and higher coverage caps score the highest.
- Value (30 points): A company’s plan value is a reflection of how well it serves the customer in comparison to what the customer pays for the policy. We accounted for monthly costs, service call fees, and cost flexibility (such as customizable service call fees, discounts, and multi-year policies).
- Trustworthiness and Transparency (21 points): Trustworthiness and transparency are a reflection of how well the provider considers the customer’s interests. We scored items such as the length of workmanship guarantees, online availability of a sample contract, policy change flexibility, and ease of cancellation. Additionally, we scored items that reflect industry reputation and customer satisfaction, including analyzing brand reputation across the Better Business Bureau and third-party customer review aggregators.
- Availability and Service (14 points): Quality of customer service is key to customer satisfaction. We dug into each provider’s guaranteed response times, claims processes, service flexibility, emergency availability, and more.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.