What Does A Home Warranty Cover?

Your home is one of your most expensive and near and dear possessions, so you want to ensure that you get as much protection for it as you can. Obtaining a home warranty is a smart way to safeguard the belongings inside your home, so you do not have to pay more than you should for maintenance or replacements. Continue reading to learn about home warranties and what they cover.

What Is A Home Warranty?

A home warranty is a service contract that you can obtain for systems and appliances inside of your house. By paying a monthly or yearly premium, you can use a home warranty to help you cover the cost of maintaining, repairing, or replacing the systems and appliances that are included in the agreement. These benefits, which are offered by a home warranty company, differ depending on the details of your contract. Homeowners can buy a home warranty at any time, regardless of when they purchased their home.

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What Does A Home Warranty Cover?

Although home warranties may cover different items depending on the agreement you enter into, the following may be included.

Systems

Does a home warranty cover plumbing and electric systems?

• Plumbing systems: Coverage may include plumbing systems’ pumps, septic system, water heater, toilet, shower valves, drains, and waste lines.
• Electrical systems: Warranties may cover direct current wiring, fuses, switches, exhaust units, light fixtures, and vents.

Does a home warranty cover HVAC systems?

Typically, a home warranty will cover your home’s HVAC system – with the exception of window air conditioning units. Here are the types of heating and cooling systems that are usually covered:

• Heating systems: A home warranty will typically cover heat pumps, floor furnaces, forced air heaters, package units, hot water systems, and room heaters.
• Cooling systems: Geothermal systems, built-in electrical wall units, water-source systems, and evaporative coolers will likely be covered in a home warranty.

Appliances

Usually when you buy a home warranty, you can expect the following appliances to be covered:

• Dishwashers
• Clothes washers and dryers
• Refrigerators
• Ovens
• Stoves
• Built-in microwaves
• Ranges
• Trash compactors
• Built-in food centers
• Garage door openers
• Freestanding ice makers

While these items may be covered in the warranty, keep in mind that this coverage does not include cosmetic damage. Also remember that coverage varies between different home warranties. Before choosing a plan, make sure to double check that it covers the items in your home that you wish to have covered.

What Does A Home Warranty NOT Cover?

Unfortunately, your home warranty will not cover everything in your home. While many systems and appliances are covered, your warranty probably won’t cover pre-existing issues detected during a home inspection or damage caused by improper homeowner maintenance.

Do home warranties cover roofs?

Depending on the home warranty that you buy, your roof may not be covered. For instance, roof leaks are commonly not covered by a home warranty because they are considered structural (rather than appliance or system-related) issues. Even if your roof is covered, you won’t be able to get it replaced under the terms of the agreement. However, an insurance policy may cover roof damage, so be sure to explore this option as an alternative.

What else does a home warranty cover?

• Other items that are not covered include solar panels, sprinkler systems, windows, flooring, doors, foundations, hot tubs, pools, and finishes.
• Warranties will not cover issues caused by rust and corrosion of the items included in the agreement.
• Your home warranty will also not cover cosmetic damage, pest damage, improper installation and other issues caused by the homeowner.

Home Warranty vs. Homeowners Insurance

Although home warranties and homeowners insurance are both useful in protecting your belongings, it’s important to understand that they are two different things.

While a home warranty is designed to cover the cost of your systems and appliances when they have broken down due to daily wear and tear or aging, homeowners insurance serves a different purpose. Homeowners insurance protects the belongings in your home from damage caused by catastrophic events, such as natural disasters, fire, and theft.

Homeowners can elect to obtain both a home warranty and homeowners insurance to better protect their home and belongings – as well as save money down the road.

If you are interested in exploring home warranty options for your home, learn more about how to find a warranty that fits your needs.

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