5 Best Home Warranty Companies in Maryland (2024)

We recommend Liberty Home Guard (LHG) for Maryland homeowners looking for specialized home warranty protections. The company offers 42 add-ons, the largest add-on catalog in this review. 

Monthly cost: $49–$59

We scored Liberty Home Guard 4.5 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how LHG rated in key categories.

• Coverage (4.7 out of 5): LHG earned more points for its specialized plans and extensive add-on catalog. 
• Value (4.25 out of 5): We deducted points for its unclear service call fee policy and limited fee options. 
• Trustworthiness and Transparency (4.8 out of 5): LHG received a high score for its consistently high customer review scores across multiple third-party review sites. 
• Availability and Service (4.3 out of 5): LHG lost points for limited service technician options.

Liberty Home Guard provides three service plans: Appliance Guard, Systems Guard, and Total Home Guard. We read through the Liberty Home Guard sample contract and learned that more items receive a $2,000 cap. It includes essential systems such as HVAC. However, its electrical and plumbing coverage falls short, offering only $500 limits. These caps are well below the $2,000 average industry standard. The company doesn’t include roof-leak coverage with any plans but does offer it as an add-on.  A 60-day workmanship guarantee backs repairs, double the industry standard.

Here’s an overview of the available LHG plans:

• Appliance Guard: This appliance-only plan protects essential appliances, including clothes washers, dishwashers, and refrigerators.
• Systems Guard: This system-only plan covers critical built-in systems, such as cooling, heating, and plumbing. 
• Total Home Guard: The highest plan combines the Appliance Guard and Systems Guard plans to offer comprehensive coverage. 

Liberty Home Guard provides monthly and annual premium options. Our sample included two free coverage months when we selected the annual option. Unlike other companies that provide two or more service fee options, LHG assigns its fees instead. After speaking to an LHG representative, we learned that fees vary based on your location, selected plan, and add-on options.

Here’s a breakdown of LHG pricing and coverage caps:

Liberty Home Guard offers the most extensive add-on catalog, with 42 options. The company provides midrange pricing add-ons, ranging from $3.00–$35.99 per month. Its unique options include home maintenance services, secondary appliances, and outdoor installations. Adding roof-leak coverage will add $10 to your monthly charges. When we used the online tool, LHG recommended add-ons based on popular choices made by other Maryland residents. 

Here are some of the most popular add-ons for Maryland homeowners:

• Septic system pumping
• Stand-alone freezer
• Sump pump
• Well pump

After secret shopping, we discovered that LHG offers multiple options for its claims submissions. You can call the dedicated phone line, use the online portal, or the mobile app. It’s also one of the few companies with an online chat feature. We tested it out and got connected in under 30 seconds. However, our initial communication was with an automated bot. It took two requests to speak with a representative before we reached a live agent. 

We recommend American Home Shield (AHS) for Maryland homeowners who need protection for older homes and items. It’s one of the few providers that includes preexisting conditions and physical damage and offers generous coverage caps. 

Monthly cost: $29–$89

We scored American Home Shield 4.4 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how we rated it in key categories.

• Coverage (4.7 out of 5): American Home Shield received a high score for its comprehensive coverage which includes generous coverage caps. 
• Value (4 out of 5): AHS lost points for its higher-than-average bundled pricing, one of the highest in this review.
• Trustworthiness and Transparency (4.25 out of 5): We deducted points for its mixed customer review scores across multiple sites. 
• Availability and Service (4.7 out of 5): AHS earned higher points for its efficient claims processing.

American Home Shield offers three plan options: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum. We reviewed the American Home Shield sample contract and discovered that Maryland homeowners can receive HVAC, electrical, and heating coverage with every plan.

The company offers two options for roof-leak coverage. First, you can add it to the ShieldSilver or ShieldGold plans as supplemental coverage. You can also receive it with the company’s most comprehensive plan, ShieldPlatinum. You receive $5,000 to unlimited for systems and $2,000 for appliances. ShieldPlatinum doubles appliance coverage to $4,000. 

We’ll detail American Home Shield’s coverage plans below:

• ShieldSilver: This system-only plan includes key systems such as cooling, heating, cooling, and plumbing. 
• ShieldGold: This comprehensive plan covers appliances and systems, including kitchen and laundry appliances. 
• ShieldPlatinum: Its highest plan includes ShieldGold protections, plus additional benefits, including roof-leak repairs and free HVAC tune-ups. 

AHS differs from other providers in its pricing structure, as it only offers monthly premium options. The company charges slightly higher for its bundled plans compared to other providers. You can select a $100 or $125 service fee to customize your costs. We chose the higher service fee, and our monthly costs decreased. 

American Home Shield’s pricing and fees are detailed below:

American Home Shield (AHS) offers only six add-on options for its plans, the smallest selection among the companies reviewed. On average, other companies provide around 10 or more add-ons. For an additional $10 per month, you can add roof-leak coverage. Add-on options pricing ranges from $5–$24. 

Other add-on options include the following items:

• Electronics protection plan
• Septic pump
• Well pump

One of our team members tested the AHS claims process using his own plan. After filing an online claim for a leaky bathroom pipe, he received immediate text and email confirmation of his submission. Five minutes later, the service technician contacted him to set a next-day appointment. Repairs took less than two hours, and his only out-of-pocket cost was the service call fee. 

We recommend Elite Home Warranty for Maryland homeowners who need more customizable plans. The company offers three coverage plans, a fully customizable plan, and 27 add-on options.

Monthly cost: $44–$58

We scored Elite Home Warranty 4.6 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how we rated it in key categories.

• Coverage (4.6 out of 5): Elite received a high score for its customizable plan option and extended add-on catalog, the second highest in this review. 
• Value (4.25 out of 5): Elite lost points for charging higher for certain service falls and offering only one service call fee with its standard plans. 
• Trustworthiness and transparency (4.8 out of 5): Elite received high ratings for its outstanding customer reviews on third-party websites.
• Availability and service (4.5 out of 5): Elite has lost points for not providing an online quote option, unlike the other reviewed providers.

Elite Home Warranty provides three standard plans: Elite Appliances, Elite Systems, and Elite Complete. It also provides a Customize Your Own plan, allowing you to choose the exact coverage you need. After reading through the Elite Home Warranty sample contract, we learned that HVAC systems receive a $4,000 coverage limit. If your heating or cooling system is not part of an HVAC system, you will receive $3,000 per system. The company has an annual limit of $15,000 for all plans. This divides into $7,000 for appliances and $8,000 for systems. Elite also varies its coverage limits between covered items. We recommend reviewing the sample contract to verify each coverage limit. 

Here’s an overview of each Elite coverage plan:

• Elite Appliances: This appliance-only plan includes eight appliances, such as cooktops, clothes washers, and refrigerators. 
• Elite Systems: The system-only plan includes eight systems, such as cooling, heating, and electrical systems. 
• Elite Complete: The highest plan combines the Elite Appliances and Elite Systems plans to cover 16 appliances and systems. 

Based on the quotes we gathered, Elite Home Warranty offers monthly premiums ranging from $44–$58. The company applies a standard service call fee of $70. Most home warranty providers offer two or more options for their plans. In addition, Elite charges a $150 service call fee for high-end appliance repairs and service calls that occur after hours or on the weekend.

Below is a summary of Elite’s pricing and coverage limits:

*Coverage caps vary by item

Elite has the second-largest add-on catalog in this review and offers 27 options. The limits for each item vary, just like its standard coverage. You can add $1,000 for roof-leak coverage to any plan. However, Elite has a term limit for add-on coverage. You can receive up to $5,000 per term for add-on claims.

Here are some of Elite’s add-on options below: 

• Annual maintenance
• Drainage, sewer, and water service lines
• Septic system

One of our team members submitted a claim for a high-end dishwasher with Elite Home Warranty. Within 30 minutes, he received a call from an Elite claims specialist, who scheduled a next-day appointment. Although the technician needed to order parts, he returned the following Monday and completed the repairs within an hour. 

Elite dispatches in-network technicians for repairs and backs its coverage with a 90-day workmanship guarantee. If you use your own technician, you will not receive any workmanship coverage.

We recommend Select Home Warranty Maryland residents that want cheap home warranty coverage with baseline coverage. The company offers premium rates under $50 per, plus free rook-leak protection with every plan. 

Monthly cost: $44–$47

We scored Select Home Warranty 4.3 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how we rated it in key categories.

• Coverage (3.7 out of 5): Select lost points for low $500 limits for most items, lower than other reviewed companies. 
• Value (5.5 out of 5): Select received a perfect score for offering affordable coverage priced under $50.  
• Trustworthiness and Transparency (4.5 out of 5): Select lost points for its lower customer review scores. 
• Availability and Service (4.3 out of 5): Selected received a lower score for its extended claims process, which can take 48 hours or longer.

Select Home Warranty provides three plan options: Bronze Care, Gold Care, and Platinum Care. We read through the  Select Home Warranty sample contract and learned that HVAC systems received the highest coverage, maxing out at $3,000. However, all other items receive only $500. These caps are well below the industry standard of many other reviewed companies. For low-cost coverage of HVAC systems, Select offers lower rates than other providers but less protection for other home items.

Here’s a breakdown of Select’s plans:

• Bronze Care: This appliance-only plan includes garbage disposals, ovens, and refrigerators. 
• Gold Care: This system-only plan covers major home systems, such as cooling, electrical, and plumbing. 
• Platinum Care: The highest combines Bronze and Gold Care coverage and adds ceiling fans, plumbing stoppage, and garage door openers. 

Select provides customers with annual or monthly premium payment options for its plans. Our sample quote for an annual plan included two complimentary months of coverage and a $150 discount. Rather than offering a flexible service fee, the company assigns a fixed service call fee ranging from $60–$75. While secret shopping, we discovered that Select offers its lower service call fee as an exclusive phone deal.

Here are Select’s monthly prices and coverage limits:

Select offers nine low-cost add-ons, with pricing ranging from $3.33–$8.33. Although priced lower than other review providers, Select limits coverage to $400.  

Some examples of additional add-ons are listed below: 

• Central vacuums
• Septic pumps
• Well pumps

Through our conversations with Select’s customer support representatives, we learned Select prefers phone communication for plan-related issues and claims processing. Select uses its own in-network technicians for its repair calls. The company lets you choose your own service provider in areas with no in-network technicians. However, Select must approve them before starting the repairs. 

We recommend First American Home Warranty for Maryland homeowners with high-end appliances that need extended system coverage. Its highest plan offers up to $7,000 of appliance coverage plus unlimited system caps for HVAC and plumbing.

Monthly cost: $47–$87

We scored First American Home Warranty 4.6 out of 5 stars in our review standards. Here’s how we rated it in key categories. 

• Coverage (4.7 out of 5): First American received a high score for its high coverage caps, some of the highest in this review. 
• Value (4 out of 5): First American lost points for its slightly higher premiums and service fees. 
• Trustworthiness and Transparency (4.8 out of 5): First American received high scores for its industry experience and high customer review scores. 
• Availability and Service (4.3 out of 5): First American lost points for its restrictive service technician policy.

First American Home Warranty offers three plans: the Starter Plan, the Essential Plan, and the Premium Plan. After reading through the First American’s sample contract, we learned that most systems receive united coverage except water heaters, which max out at $1,000. Its highest plan, the Premium Plan, includes roof-leak protections. The Starter Plan and Essential Plan require a roof-leak add-on. The company excludes air conditioners, clothes washers, and dryers from the Starter Plan. You can add A/C coverage with an add-on but must move to a higher plan for laundry appliance coverage. You can also add the First American Upgrade to the Essential and Premium plans for added protection for preexisting conditions.

Here’s a breakdown of First American’s coverage options:

• Starter Plan: This plan includes system and appliance coverage, including built-in microwaves, electrical, and plumbing. 
• Essential Plan: The Essential Plan includes Starter Plan coverage plus additional items, such as air conditioning, clothes washers, and dryers. 
• Premium Plan: This highest plan includes the Essential Plan items and adds luxury appliances, roof leaks, and window air conditioning units. 

First American provides annual and monthly premium options to give customers better pricing choices. However, we received no free monthly coverage or discounts for selecting an annual premium. It offers three service call fee options: $75, $100, or $125. Our premium pricing decreased when we chose the highest service fee for our sample quote.

We’ve detailed First American’s pricing and limits below:

First American provides 12 plan add-ons, about the same as other home warranty providers. You can add roof-leak protection for $8.33 per month to the Starter Plan and Essential Plan. The First American upgrade is a free add-on for the Essential Plan and Premium Plan at no charge. You’ll pay $8.33 monthly to add central air conditioning to the Starter Plan. 

Additional add-on options include the following items:

• Septic tank pumping/system 
• Up to three additional refrigerators
• Well pump

One of our team members used his First American’s plan to repair a broken garage door opener. After submitting an online claim on a Friday, he received a text containing the assigned technician’s information within 30 minutes. The technician contacted him 30 minutes later to schedule a repair appointment for Monday. The repairs were completed in under 30 minutes. He only paid the service call fee for the visit.