Whether you’re a home buyer, a home seller or not involved in a real estate transaction at all, you can benefit from a home warranty. This residential service contract covers your home’s most important appliances and systems, paying for repairs and replacements to covered items that break down due to normal wear and tear. You simply call your provider, and they’ll send someone to do the rest for the cost of a service fee.
For Arkansas homeowners, we’re prepared to list our recommendations for the best home warranty companies in the Natural State. Whether your primary concern is budget, comprehensiveness of coverage or customization, we’ve found a provider that can meet your needs. Fortunately, getting a free, personalized quote is easy, so you can use our list as a starting point for your search.
In this article:
Today’s Homeowner works with an independent reviews team to create evidence-based research that helps our readers make informed decisions. The reviews are always independent. For transparency, we may be compensated if you purchase through a link.
Best Overall: American Home Shield
Quick Take
First on our list is American Home Shield, a home warranty company that’s been in business since 1971. In its more than 50 years in the industry, American Home Shield has garnered a reputation for great customer service and some of the most comprehensive plans available. Under an American Home Shield plan, covered items aren’t just protected from wear-and-tear damage. They’re also covered in case of malfunction from improper repairs, insufficient maintenance, rust, sediment and corrosion. You’ll also have protection from pre-existing conditions as long as they were undetectable when the coverage period began.
Pros and Cons
✓ Covers items without maintenance records
✓ More than five decades in business
✓ Customizable premium and deductible payments
✘ Average-length workmanship guarantee
✘ More expensive than its competitors
✘ No coverage available for standalone freezers
Plans and Coverage
American Home Shield offers its customers three plans. The first, ShieldSilver, covers your home’s major systems like plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical systems. The second, ShieldGold, adds coverage for home appliances, including kitchen appliances, washers and dryers. Finally, ShieldPlatinum also covers both home systems and appliances and adds coverage for one free HVAC tune-up, roof leaks, A/C refrigerant and code upgrades.
To any of these plans, you can add optional coverage for pools/spas, septic pumps, well pumps and guest units of up to 750 sq. ft. However, you won’t need to purchase anything extra to get coverage for duplicate appliances.
| Coverage | ShieldSilver | ShieldGold | ShieldPlatinum |
| Roof-leak repairs | ✔ | ||
| Air conditioner | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Heating unit | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ductwork | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Built-in exhaust, vent and attic fans | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Main breaker and fuse panel box | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Doorbells and chimes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Interior electrical lines | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ceiling fans | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Garage door openers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Interior plumbing lines | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Toilets | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Faucets and valves | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Whirlpool tub motor and components | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Water heater | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Refrigerator | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Range/Cooktop | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Oven | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Dishwasher | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Built-in microwave | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Garbage disposal | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Instant hot/cold water dispenser | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Clothes washer | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Clothes dryer | ✔ | ✔ |
Cost
Your premium cost is what you pay your home warranty company every month or year that the policy is active. Additionally, your service call fee or deductible is what you pay directly to service providers the company sends to your home to diagnose or repair a covered item. American Home Shield allows you to customize your service fee with respect to your premium. Thus, you can choose to pay a lower premium with a higher service call fee and vice versa.
American Home Shield offers service call fees of $75, $100 or $125. Here are the premiums you can choose from for a house of about 2,000 sq. ft. in Little Rock, AR.
| Plan | $75 Service Fee | $100 Service Fee | $125 Service Fee |
| ShieldSilver | $59.99 | $49.99 | $44.99 |
| ShieldGold | $69.99 | $59.99 | $54.99 |
| ShieldPlatinum | $89.99 | $79.99 | $74.99 |
Get a Free Quote
To find out how much an American Home Shield plan will cost you, call 844-529-9298 or fill out this quick online form.
Best for Aging Homes: Choice Home Warranty
Quick Take
Next on our list, Choice Home Warranty is another excellent option for home warranty coverage. Its plans don’t require a home inspection for you to qualify for coverage, and there’s no age limit on homes, systems or appliances that can be covered. Additionally, Choice Home Warranty’s workmanship guarantee lasts for a full 90 days, while the industry average is 30 days. If a repair fails during that time, the company will send another technician out to fix the problem for free.
Pros and Cons
✓ 90-day repair guarantee
✓ Offers one month of free coverage with annual payment
✓ Basic Plan covers both systems and appliances
✘ Basic Plan doesn’t cover clothes washer and dryer
✘ Can’t choose your own contractor for repairs
✘ Company under government action in AZ
Plans and Coverage
Choice Home Warranty’s Basic Plan covers appliances and systems, including dishwashers, stoves and plumbing systems. The Total Plan adds coverage for expensive-to-repair items like refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers and air conditioners.
With either plan, you can purchase add-on coverage for pools, spas, roof leaks, stand-alone freezers, central vacuums, well pumps, septic systems, sump pumps and septic tank pumping. You can also purchase coverage for additional refrigerators and additional spas.
| Coverage | Basic Plan | Total Plan |
| Heating system | ✔ | ✔ |
| Electrical system | ✔ | ✔ |
| Plumbing system | ✔ | ✔ |
| Plumbing stoppages | ✔ | ✔ |
| Air conditioning | ✔ | |
| Water heater | ✔ | ✔ |
| Whirlpool bathtub | ✔ | ✔ |
| Refrigerator | ✔ | |
| Oven/Range/Stove | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cooktop | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dishwasher | ✔ | ✔ |
| Built-in microwave | ✔ | ✔ |
| Garbage disposal | ✔ | ✔ |
| Clothes washer | ✔ | |
| Clothes dryer | ✔ | |
| Ductwork | ✔ | ✔ |
| Garage door opener | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ceiling and exhaust fans | ✔ | ✔ |
Cost
Both of these home warranty plans come with an $85 service call fee. Here are the quotes we received from Choice Home Warranty
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Cost of Single Payment |
| Basic Plan | $46.83 | $532 |
| Total Plan | $54.75 | $627 |
Get a Free Quote
Call Choice Home Warranty at 929-400-6165 or fill out this easy form to get a free quote.
Best Most Customizable Plan Options: America’s First Choice Home Club
Quick Take
For the most personalized home warranty available, America’s First Choice (AFC) Home Club is our top pick. You can choose from four different plans and three premium/deductible combinations. Additionally, the company has a list of 11 add-on coverage options. Although you don’t need to sign a contract, if you do, you’ll lock in your rates for as long as you continue to renew. Since AFC Home Club offers particularly good prices to Arkansas homeowners–some of the lowest they offer in the country–we highly recommend this provider.
Pros and Cons
✓ Four plans to choose from
✓ Repairs guaranteed for the length of your contract
✓ High home warranty reviews from customers
✘ Plumbing stoppages only covered under premium plan
✘ Maintenance records required for HVAC coverage
✘ $75 cancellation fee
Plans and Coverage
AFC Home Club’s four plans include the Systems Plan, which covers home systems, and the Silver Plan, which covers home appliances. The Gold Plan covers both and adds coverage for ductwork. The Platinum Plan covers everything in the Gold Plan, plus plumbing stoppages, microwaves, ice makers and faucets.
With any of these plans, you can purchase additional coverage for a tankless water heater, in-ground pool, stand-alone freezer, sump pump, double oven, central vacuum, hot water dispenser, septic system or well pump. With the Systems, Silver or Gold Plans, you can also add coverage for an ice maker or microwave.
| Systems Plan | Silver Plan | Gold Plan | Platinum Plan | |
| Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Heating | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Water heater | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Electrical system | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Plumbing system | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ductwork | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Clothes dryer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Clothes washer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Kitchen refrigerator | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Oven | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Range | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Dishwasher | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Garbage disposal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Garage door opener | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Built-in microwave | ✓ | |||
| Ice maker | ✓ | |||
| Plumbing stoppages | ✓ |
Cost
AFC Home Club offers a service call fee of $75, $100 or $125. Here are the premium prices we were quoted for a service fee of $100.
| Plan | $75 Service Fee | $100 Service Fee | $125 Service Fee |
| System Plan | $45.75 | $43.58 | $41.33 |
| Silver Plan | $39.17 | $37.00 | $34.83 |
| Gold Plan | $52.33 | $50.08 | $47.92 |
| Platinum Plan | $56.67 | $54.50 | $52.33 |
Get a Free Quote
Enter your contact information in this easy form or call 877-755-1115 to get a free quote from AFC Home Club.
Best for Value Shoppers: Select Home Warranty
Quick Take
Select Home Warranty rounds out our list as another highly affordable provider. All of its plans are available for less than $50 a month, and they all come with free roof leak coverage for areas over the inhabited part of your home. Select Home Warranty also offers numerous additional coverage options, and it’s the only company on our list that covers lawn sprinkler systems.
Pros and Cons
✓ Two free months of coverage with annual payment
✓ Three affordable home warranty plans
✓ Coverage available for sprinkler systems
✘ Lower coverage caps
✘ Plumbing stoppages only covered under premium plan
✘ Auto-renew for premium payments must be canceled in writing
Plans and Coverage
Select Home Warranty offers its Bronze Care plan, which covers home appliances, and its Gold Care plan, which covers home systems, for the same affordable price. For only a few more dollars a month, you can sign up for the Platinum Care plan for a few more dollars a month, which covers systems and appliances, including ceiling fans, garage door openers and plumbing stoppages.
The company’s additional coverage options include a lawn sprinkler system, central vacuum, pool, septic system, spa, stand-alone freezer, sump pump or well pump.
| Coverage | Bronze Care | Gold Care | Platinum Care |
| Limited roof leak | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Air conditioning and cooling | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Ductwork | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Electrical system | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Heating system | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Plumbing system | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Water heater | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Cooktop | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Dishwasher | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Garbage disposal | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Built-in microwave | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Refrigerator | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Stove/Oven | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Clothes washer | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Clothes dryer | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Garage door opener | ✔ | ||
| Plumbing stoppages | ✔ | ||
| Ceiling fan | ✔ |
Cost
Select Home Warranty offers a relatively low service fee of $75. Note that you can save money and get two free months of coverage by paying annually.
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
| Platinum Care | $46.08 | $499.99 |
| Gold Care | $41.67 | $449.99 |
| Bronze Care | $41.67 | $449.99 |
Get a Free Quote
For a free quote from Select Home Warranty, fill out this simple online form or call 888-370-3956.
Our Verdict
Overall, we find that American Home Shield offers the best home warranty in Arkansas. Although you’ll pay a little more per month, you’ll also receive coverage for a number of conditions that other providers simply don’t cover. You’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that your home warranty provider has been a mainstay in the industry for decades, and you’ll benefit from the large nationwide network of trusted technicians that American Home Shield maintains.
However, American Home Shield might not be right for all Arkansas homeowners, so we also recommend Choice Home Warranty, AFC Home Club and Select Home Warranty. Fortunately, all of these home warranty companies provide free, instant quotes on their websites, and you can also easily find sample contracts so you can take a look at the fine print. We recommend gathering at least three quotes before making your decision.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arkansas Home Warranties
How much does a home warranty cost in Arkansas?
Although prices differ by company and coverage details, most home warranties in Arkansas cost between $30 and $60 per month. That works out to $360 to $720 per year, but you can often save money by paying your premiums annually instead of monthly.
What’s the difference between a home warranty and homeowners’ insurance?
Homeowners’ insurance is there to protect you from catastrophic events. If your home or possessions are significantly damaged or destroyed by fire, theft, vandalism, severe weather or earthquakes, for example, your insurance will often pay for repair or replacement. However, home warranties cover more routine breakdowns that happen over the lifetime of an appliance or system. If a covered appliance wears out, your home warranty will often pay to get it fixed or replaced.
What’s the difference between a home warranty and a manufacturer’s warranty?
A home warranty applies to all the appliances and systems listed in your contract, regardless of age or brand. On the other hand, a manufacturer’s warranty usually only applies to individual, newly-purchased items of a certain brand. Additionally, while a home warranty covers items from normal wear and tear, a manufacturer’s warranty will only apply if a part of the item came off the assembly line defective. For this reason, manufacturer’s warranties only last a few years after purchase.
What should I look for in a home warranty?
Here are some questions to ask about each home warranty or company you consider.
- How trustworthy is the company? How long has it been in business? How well does it handle complaints?
- Does the home warranty cover only wear and tear or other types of damage as well?
- What appliances and systems are covered? What parts of these appliances and systems are or aren’t covered?
- What are the coverage limits for each covered appliance or system?
- How easy is it to file a claim? How easy will it be to speak to my claim representative once the process is started?
Home Warranty Rating Methodology
To help you find the best home warranty, our reviews team researched numerous home warranty companies, analyzing their coverage plans, pricing and customer service, among other factors:
- Coverage: Home warranty companies that provide extensive coverage and protect important systems and appliances, including your air conditioning, refrigerator and heating, scored higher than companies with minimal coverage.
- Plan variety: A provider with more coverage plans allows for more flexibility among customers. In general, most home warranty companies provide an appliances-only plan, systems-only plan and combination plan.
- Pricing: We scored providers based on their monthly plan prices and service call fees compared to the industry average pricing. Companies with more affordable coverage received more points than companies with more expensive plans.
- State availability: Where you live will determine what companies are available in your area. Home warranty companies that covered more states received more points than companies with a limited state availability.
- Trustworthiness: There are some home warranty companies that are scams and don’t follow through on their service agreements. We rated companies based on their years of experience, ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and customer reviews.
To keep our data current, our team regularly updates the data points for each company to ensure their coverage offerings, pricing and availability are accurate.