Best Home Warranty Companies in Illinois (With Homeowner Feedback)

• Provides $5,000 of HVAC coverage, twice the industry average
• Allows you to customize your plan cost with multiple service call fee options
• Covers items with preexisting damage, which is good for older homes

Keep in Mind

• Is the most expensive company on this list
• Has limited add-ons, restricting plan customization and coverage

We chose American Home Shield (AHS) as the best home warranty company for homeowners in Illinois. Unlike most home warranty providers, it covers preexisting conditions, which means any form of damage or wear present before you start your policy. This is a big plus if you have an older home or aging appliances and systems.

We also like AHS’s high HVAC coverage cap of $5,000. A coverage cap is the maximum amount your provider will pay for repairs during your plan term, and most companies only offer $2,500 of HVAC coverage. For Illinois homeowners, this generous limit is invaluable because it decreases the likelihood you’ll have to pay out of pocket if your heating system breaks down. AHS has no coverage limits on most of its other systems, so you won’t have to pay for other high-end replacements, such as electrical wiring. AHS also offers free roof-leak coverage, which can help protect against damaging leaks in Illinois’s flood-prone climate. 

AHS does have some downsides. It doesn’t offer an appliance-only plan, so if you only want coverage for your appliances, we recommend another provider like LHG. AHS is also the most expensive provider on this list, and it has steep service call fees of $100–$125 alongside its higher-than-average monthly costs. A service call fee is the amount you pay when a repair person visits your home. Many providers offer lower fees of $65–$90.

• Offers basic coverage at a reasonable price
• Will schedule free follow-up repairs if your issue reoccurs within 90 days
• Has coverage caps of $3,000, which is $500 more than most companies

Keep in Mind

• Doesn’t cover essential items in its base plan
• Is involved in a lawsuit with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office

We like Choice Home Warranty for a few reasons. For one, it offers a lot of value for the money. Its most expensive plan is only $55 per month, almost half the price of other providers’ higher-tier plans. For this price, Choice offers surprisingly comprehensive coverage with caps of $3,000 for most items, such as heating systems and ductwork. This is $500 more than most companies, despite its plan being cheaper than other home warranties.

Choice backs up its plans with an impressive 90-day workmanship guarantee, which is three times as long as the 30-day industry standard. Workmanship guarantees mean that if an issue reoccurs within a certain time frame of the initial repair, your provider will schedule follow-up repairs for free.

One thing we don’t like about Choice is that its basic plan doesn’t cover several essential items, including air conditioning, laundry appliances, and refrigerators. You’ll need to upgrade to its higher-tier plan for this coverage, which is an additional $9 per month. 

Another issue is that Choice is facing a lawsuit from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. The lawsuit claims that Choice has provided lower-than-expected claim payouts and denied claims its contract should cover. We contacted Choice about the lawsuit, and a representative said that while they couldn’t comment on pending litigation, the company “is committed to providing best-in-class service to every customer.”

• Allows you to fully customize what coverage you want in your plan
• Has a 90-day workmanship guarantee, three times the industry average
• Has an impressive 27-item catalog for additional coverage

Keep in Mind

• Doesn’t cover technicians outside of its network under its workmanship guarantee
• Only covers $15,000 in repairs per year

Elite Home Warranty stands out for its unique plan design. Most home warranty companies allow you to choose from a few pre-built plans, whereas Elite allows you to pick and choose exactly which appliances and systems you want covered from a pool of items, ensuring you don’t pay for things you don’t want covered. Elite also has 27 add-ons you can tack on to your base plan to cover specialty items such as swamp coolers, sump pumps, and water filtration systems. 

Similar to Choice, we like Elite’s workmanship guarantee. However, this guarantee only extends to technicians within Elite’s approved network. If you hire your own contractor, you won’t be protected in the event of a faulty repair. Another con is Elite’s $15,000 annual claim limit, which means it will only pay up to $15,000 per year. If you hit this cap, you’ll have to pay for repairs out of pocket for the rest of the year. Because of this policy, we don’t recommend Elite if you own expensive appliances or home systems.

• Includes a $7,000 appliance coverage cap in its highest-tier plan, more than double the industry standard
• Offers unlimited coverage caps for HVAC systems, something especially helpful for Illinois’ cold winters
• Covers damaged or improperly installed items as a free add-on, which most providers don’t do

Keep in Mind

• Doesn’t have appliance- or system-only plans
• Lacks roof-leak coverage in basic plans

First American Home Warranty (FAHW) is a great option if you own expensive items that may need pricey repairs or replacements. It offers a $7,000 coverage cap for appliances and unlimited coverage for most systems, so you won’t have to worry about paying out of pocket. Its unlimited HVAC protection is especially helpful for Illinois homeowners due to the state’s harsh winters. 

Another unique perk is the company’s First American Advantage upgrade, which covers items even if they’ve already been damaged from poor upkeep or faulty installation. This is super rare in the home warranty industry, as most companies exclude preexisting damage.

The main downside of FAHW is that it doesn’t offer system- or appliance-only plans. If you only want system or appliance coverage, we recommend another provider like Liberty Home Guard. FAHW also lacks roof-leak coverage, which is an important inclusion for states like Illinois that experience flooding.

• Has one of the largest add-on catalogs in the industry 
• Offers 24/7 live chat, which can be helpful for emergency winter repairs
• Includes a 60-day workmanship guarantee

Keep in Mind

• Doesn’t disclose service call fee rates until after signup
• Has low plumbing and electrical system coverage caps of $500

Liberty Home Guard (LHG) has the most add-ons of any company in this article, with a catalog of 42 items. This includes coverage options for plumbing systems and gutter cleaning, both of which are helpful for locations like Illinois with nasty winters; extreme cold can cause broken pipes and other plumbing problems, and clogged gutters can lead to ice dams. We also like LHG’s 24/7 live chat. Not only is this convenient, but it can be especially helpful if you have an emergency repair or question about your policy before filing a claim. 

We’re not fans of Liberty Home Guard’s service call fee policy. The company doesn’t disclose its service call fee until after you purchase a plan, unlike providers such as American Home Shield. This practice can feel like a “gotcha” for some homeowners since they won’t know what they’re paying until they’ve signed up.