How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- A home warranty is a service contract, not insurance. It promises repair or replacement of named systems and appliances that fail from normal wear and tear, under caps, exclusions and the company's discretion, and it is regulated in Michigan as a service contract, not by insurance law.
- Claims can be denied, and the honest reasons fill this guide: pre-existing conditions, lack of maintenance records, code and permit costs, and coverage caps that turn a 4,000 dollar furnace replacement into a partial payment. Read the sample contract before you pay, because the contract is the product.
- Typical Michigan maths from current quote sampling: 36 to 130 dollars a month depending on company and tier, plus a 65 to 150 dollar service fee every time a technician visits.
- Furnaces are the Michigan question. In This Old House's Michigan survey, heating systems were homeowners' top coverage priority, so HVAC caps and winter response times matter more here than any appliance perk.
Quick comparison
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The best home warranty companies in Michigan
#1
American Home Shield
Best for: Coverage depth and high caps
Visit ahs.com
Starting price$36 per month
Free planNo
AHS is the depth pick: the company most likely to pay a large HVAC claim near its full cost, priced like it knows it.
Read its sample contract's coverage section against your furnace's age before choosing the tier. The difference between its middle and top plans is mostly caps, and caps are where Michigan winters cash out.
What we like- American Home Shield, founded in 1971 and the most widely held provider in homeowner surveys, sells three tiers in Michigan at roughly 36 to 100 dollars a month, with the service fee chosen at signup, 100 or 125 dollars. Its caps are the strongest mainstream offer: up to 5,000 dollars per covered system on its top interpretations, and it covers unknown pre-existing conditions and even items with missing maintenance records under specific plan terms, the clauses that decide real claims. Its network depth matters in a Michigan January.
Watch out for- You cannot choose your technician, and contractor quality is the standing complaint in reviews. Add on options are few, about five or six. BBB rating sits at B. Premiums at the top tier approach appliance replacement savings pace, so the maths needs your home's age to justify it. Denials still happen for the standard reasons: improper installation, code work, and items outside the named list.
Starting price$60 per month
Free planNo
Choice is the simple middle: decent breadth, honest price, and a claims reputation you should enter without illusions.
If you buy it, keep maintenance records from day one. Its claim reviews lean on documentation, and the homeowner with receipts wins the argument this company most often has.
What we like- Choice sells two plans, a basic and a total, at about 60 to 68 dollars a month in quote sampling, with a flat 100 dollar service fee, and covers the standard systems and appliances without much menu complexity. It serves Michigan and nearly every state. For a buyer who wants one decision, one number and broad coverage, its simplicity is the offer. Claims run 24/7 online and by phone.
Watch out for- Choice has a long public history of regulatory attention and mixed reviews around claim denials and contractor quality, and its BBB rating is B. Caps per item are lower than AHS's top tier. It does not cover pre-existing conditions knowingly present. Roof and add on coverage needs its higher tier and add ons, and first claims wait out the standard 30 day waiting period.
Starting price$77 per month
Free planNo
First American is the high limit pick: for an older Michigan home whose furnace, panel and plumbing are all original, uncapped systems coverage is the single most valuable sentence in any contract here.
Get the sample contract and find the caps page. If the no cap systems terms match the marketing in the current Michigan contract, the premium has a reason; if your quote's contract differs, the reason leaves with it.
What we like- First American, part of the First American title insurance family, is the name Michigan real estate agents know from closings, where its plans are bundled into transactions. Its distinguishing term in current comparisons: no coverage caps on HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems on its standard plans, the three systems Michigan homes actually claim on, with appliance limits that lead its tier. Quote sampling puts it at 77 to 130 dollars a month with 100 to 125 dollar service fees. It serves Michigan among its 36 states.
Watch out for- That premium pricing is the highest in this guide. Its state footprint is the narrowest here, and its direct to consumer marketing is quieter, since the agent channel is its home turf. Add on structure and upgrade paths need the quote conversation. As with everyone, improper installation and code exclusions apply.
Starting price$57 per month
Free planNo
Liberty is the customisation pick carrying the guide's loudest caution: the product design is attractive, the complaint record is real, and both facts belong in your decision.
If you choose it, pay by credit card, keep every document, and test the claims process with your first small claim before the furnace tests it for you in February.
What we like- Liberty Home Guard sells three published tiers, appliances, systems or both, with flat pricing around 50 to 60 dollars a month on its site and quote sampling at 57 to 68, service fees between 65 and 125 dollars, and the deepest add on catalogue in the industry at over 40 options: pools, septic, pest control, roof leak and more. It serves all 50 states including Michigan, offers a 60 day workmanship guarantee, and its annual plans have included limited roof leak cover as a sweetener.
Watch out for- Its BBB rating is D+, the worst in this guide by a wide margin, reflecting complaint patterns a buyer should read before paying. It is a young company, founded in 2017, against AHS's 1971. High end appliance cover needs add ons. Fee transparency during quoting draws complaints in comparison reviews.
Starting price$44 per month
Free planNo
AFC is the control pick: in the UP or a rural county where the assigned network is one overbooked contractor two towns away, bringing your own technician is not a perk, it is the product.
Confirm the approval workflow on a small claim first. The model works when the pre approval habit is built before the emergency, because emergencies are when paperwork discipline dies.
What we like- AFC's signature term answers the industry's biggest complaint: you may choose your own licensed technician rather than accepting the assigned contractor, with AFC reimbursing against the claim's approved amount. Quote sampling puts plans at 44 to 82 dollars a month with 75 to 125 dollar service fees, and its workmanship guarantee on repairs runs long, up to the life of the plan on its terms. For rural Michigan homeowners whose trusted local contractor is the whole point, this model fits.
Watch out for- Reimbursement models mean paperwork and approval before work, and amounts are capped at what AFC prices the job at, not necessarily your technician's invoice. It excludes a few states, though Michigan is served. Its brand and network are smaller than the giants'. BBB rating B. Pre-existing condition terms apply like everywhere.
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Cinch is the guarantee pick: buy it when your fear is the same appliance failing twice, because its six month repair promise is written for exactly that history.
Price it against AHS on your home's specifics. The guarantee's value depends on your appliances' age and appetite for repeat failure.
What we like- Cinch, the rebranded former Cross Country Home Services operation, differentiates on its 180 day workmanship guarantee, the longest in this guide: if a repaired item fails again inside six months, it is fixed without another service fee. It covers unknown pre-existing conditions on its terms, and its plans span appliances, systems and combined tiers sold in Michigan. For homeowners burned by repeat failures, the guarantee is a real structural answer.
Watch out for- Service fees run at the high end, 100 to 150 dollars in comparisons. Its quote first pricing is not published as a clean table, so the field says See website. Brand awareness is low, which matters less than terms but explains its smaller review base. Standard caps and exclusions apply
- The guarantee covers workmanship on completed repairs, not new failures.
Starting price$44 per month
Free planNo
Select is listed because Michigan buyers will meet its advertising first, and they deserve a map entry with the warning attached: lowest price, weakest complaint record in the guide alongside Liberty.
If budget forces the choice, negotiate the renewal rate in writing at signup and calendar the renewal date. The product's economics change completely between its promotional year and its standard one.
What we like- Select competes on price: plans sampled at 44 to 48 dollars a month with service fees of 75 to 100 dollars, covering systems and appliances in three tiers, and it runs frequent promotional pricing that can cut the first year further. It serves Michigan. For a seller looking to attach a basic warranty to a listing, or a buyer wanting the cheapest named coverage, it is the budget line in this guide.
Watch out for- Its BBB rating is C-, and review patterns around denials and upselling are the recurring theme in its coverage. Caps per item are modest. Promotional pricing renews at standard rates, so the second year is the real price. In this category the cheapest contract is often cheap because its claim terms are the tightest, and Select's file should be read with that prior.
#8
Old Republic Home Protection
Best for: Long track record, agent channel
Visit orhp.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Old Republic is the establishment pick: unglamorous, long lived, and sold where Michigan homes actually change hands, at the closing table.
If your agent offers it during a purchase, compare its contract against AHS and First American on caps before deciding on the spot. Closing week is the worst time to read a contract and the most common time these are bought, which the industry's sales model counts on.
What we like- Old Republic Home Protection has sold home warranties since the 1970s as part of the Old Republic insurance group, sells in Michigan, and runs a deliberately traditional model: plans sold heavily through real estate transactions, standard and upgrade tiers, and a contractor network it manages directly. Longevity in this industry is a meaningful signal, since the business model's failure mode is a young company collecting premiums faster than it reserves for claims. Its parent company's insurance heritage shows in conservative, clearly written contracts.
Watch out for- Pricing is quote based through its site and agent channel, with no clean published table. Its direct consumer marketing and digital experience trail the newer brands. Plan names and coverage vary by state and by whether the sale is a closing or a direct purchase. Add on depth is mid field.
How we chose
We selected home warranty companies that sell plans in Michigan in 2026 and span the market's real models: high cap depth, simple basics, uncapped systems, customisation, bring your own technician, guarantee led, budget and the traditional agent channel. Prices are October 2026 national quote sampling from This Old House's Michigan and cost guides across thousands of sample homes, plus the companies' published tiers where they exist, and BBB ratings are as displayed in October 2026. No plan was bought and no claim was filed for this guide; claims behaviour is described from the contracts' published terms and the complaint patterns in comparison coverage.
How to buy a home warranty in Michigan without regret
Read the sample contract's caps page first. Find the dollar cap for HVAC and for appliances, whether refrigerant and code upgrades are covered, and what improper installation means. In Michigan the furnace claim is the product; everything else is decoration around it.
Check the maintenance clause against your reality. Several companies here can deny for missing maintenance records. If your furnace has never been serviced in your ownership, either service it now and keep the invoice, or choose a company whose terms cover unknown pre-existing conditions, and know that you chose it for that reason.
Price the whole year, not the month. Premium times twelve, plus two service fees for a realistic year's claims, is the number to compare against the alternative, which is a savings account with your name on it. For homes under ten years old with young systems, the savings account usually wins; for a 25 year old furnace over a Michigan winter, the contract can.
Frequently asked questions
Is a home warranty the same as homeowners insurance?
No. Insurance covers sudden accidental damage, fire, storms, theft, and is usually required by your mortgage lender. A home warranty is a service contract covering wear and tear failure of named systems and appliances, sold voluntarily, regulated as a service contract in Michigan rather than as insurance. Neither replaces the other, and a burst pipe illustrates the split: insurance may cover the water damage, the warranty may cover the plumbing repair, and each will point at the other's paperwork first.
Why do home warranty claims get denied?
The recurring reasons are written in the contracts: the failure predates the contract or the waiting period, the item was improperly installed or not maintained, the repair needs code upgrades, permits or modifications the plan excludes, the cost exceeds the item's cap, or the broken part is not on the covered list for that tier. Denial rates are the industry's open wound, which is why this guide scores contract terms, caps and pre-existing condition language above advertising.
How much does a home warranty cost in Michigan?
Current quote sampling puts monthly premiums between about 36 and 130 dollars depending on the company, tier and home, with most mainstream plans between 44 and 82 dollars, plus a service fee of 65 to 150 dollars charged per technician visit. A realistic all in year with two claims runs roughly 700 to 1,400 dollars. Promotional first year pricing is common and renews higher, so ask for the renewal figure before signing.
When does coverage start, and can I claim on a furnace that is already struggling?
Plans typically start 30 days after purchase, a waiting period designed to block exactly the claim you describe. A furnace already failing is a pre-existing condition: most companies exclude it, while some, American Home Shield and Cinch among them, cover unknown pre-existing conditions under defined terms, meaning conditions a reasonable inspection would not have revealed. If the furnace is making the noise today, the honest options are those terms read carefully, or paying for the repair directly.
Are home warranties worth it for Michigan homes?
The maths is local: an older home with an ageing furnace, original electrical panel and a cold climate that works heating systems six months a year is the strongest case in America for systems coverage with high or uncapped HVAC terms. A newer home under builder and manufacturer warranties gains little until those lapse. Run the annual total against the replacement cost of your oldest system, and let that ratio, not a salesperson's deadline, decide.
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Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.
Choice Home Warranty
First American Home Warranty
Liberty Home Guard
AFC Home Warranty
Cinch Home Services
Select Home Warranty