After analyzing 15 top home warranty companies, we selected American Home Shield (AHS) as Illinois’ best home warranty company because it provides generous heating and cooling system protection. Another great choice is Elite Home Warranty, which features a fully customizable coverage plan and a 90-day repair guarantee.

Owning a home has its fair share of joys and challenges. You are responsible for home repairs if something goes wrong with your systems and appliances. Repair or replacement costs can be significant, depending on the breakdown.

How do you choose the best Illinois home warranty?

Our top recommendation is to pick a home warranty that offers generous HVAC coverage because of Illinois’ humid summers and freezing winters. In addition, we suggest choosing a provider with robust coverage limits and customer service. Below, we outline the main factors to consider when buying a home warranty .

Coverage plans and extra features

The coverage plans a provider offers should be your main consideration when shopping for a home warranty. Some providers offer unique coverage, such as rust, corrosion and sediment damage.

Coverage limits

Coverage limits are the dollar amount a home warranty company will pay for a covered item. Note that providers with higher coverage limits typically cost more than those with lower limits.

Customer service

A home warranty’s customer service involves more than communicating with a representative; it also encompasses the provider’s workmanship guarantee and cancellation policy. Review these factors before signing up to ensure they match your needs.

Price

A home warranty company’s price involves its plan premium and service call fee, which you pay when submitting service requests. Before signing up, ensure that the plan premium and service call fee fit your budget.

Reputation

You can quickly check a home warranty company’s reputation by reviewing online customer reviews. Sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot are great starting points. Avoid companies with recurring negative reviews across each third-party review site you check.

While price and reputation are good factors to consider, we suggest focusing on coverage plans and extra features, coverage limits and customer service when shopping for an Illinois home warranty. The coverage type you purchase will naturally affect the value you receive from it. In addition, providers with good customer service will make filing claims smoother.

Compare the best Illinois home warranties

We based our Illinois home warranty recommendations on providers with excellent coverage options, limits and customer service. American Home Shield is our top pick because it has three protection plans and two service call fees that adjust your monthly premium. However, we don’t recommend AHS if you’re on a tight monthly budget because it charges the highest premiums of all the providers we recommend for Illinois.

If customer service is important to you, we suggest 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty . It has a plan-length workmanship guarantee, plus it offers an online chat tool for convenient access to customer service representatives.

See the table below for a comparison of our top home warranty providers, based on our team’s overall nationwide ratings.

Best home warranty in Illinois for coverage plans and extra features

AHS earned the highest marks in the “coverage plans and extra features” category of our proprietary methodology . We chose AHS because it features over 15 home systems in its basic coverage plan. It includes coverage for rust, corrosion and sediment damage, which is a handy perk due to the hot, humid Illinois summers. However, it’s not our top choice if you need home appliance protection on a budget, as it only protects appliances in its midtier and comprehensive plans.

Our next recommendation is Elite Home Warranty because it has various add-ons that suit Illinois homeowners with unique coverage needs. For example, Elite provides coverage for limited roof patching — a great add-on for roofs that have drooped due to snow.

Illinois-specific coverage needs

You may be asking yourself whether a home warranty is worth it . In November 2023, we asked 1,000 homeowners who purchased a home warranty about their primary reason for signing up. According to our results, 40% of respondents bought a home warranty after repairing or replacing an expensive major appliance or system.

In addition, respondents reported that they considered a company’s plan coverage the most important feature when choosing a home warranty. This aligns with our recommendation for choosing a provider that offers the coverage you need.

The pie chart below highlights the remaining features our survey respondents considered while shopping for a home warranty.

Best home warranty in Illinois for coverage limits

We read the service contracts of each home warranty provider we feature in this article as part of our rating process for the coverage limits category. A service contract outlines how much a provider will pay per appliance and major system.

AHS earned the most points once more because it has generous payouts for both appliances and systems. After reading 15 providers’ contracts, we found that most companies pay $2,000 for air conditioning and plumbing systems. AHS pays more than double for these items — up to $5,000 per major system. However, AHS isn’t cheap. If you want premium coverage, you must pay premium prices.

We also recommend Elite Home Warranty, which has robust coverage limits and budget-friendly premiums. While its coverage isn’t as extensive as AHS’, it balances affordable prices with coverage limits that meet or exceed the value of most covered items.

Best home warranty in Illinois for customer service

Customer service is the final major category to consider when shopping for an Illinois home warranty. The customer service department handles your service requests, claims processing and technician dispatching, so you want to choose a company with a history of performing these functions well.

2-10 Home Buyers Warranty scored the most points in this category, partly because of its unlimited workmanship guarantee. It’s the only provider included in this article that will reservice a previously repaired item without charge, as long as you keep your policy active. This gives added peace of mind that 2-10 will have your back if any covered item breaks down.

We also recommend Liberty Home Guard because of its 60-day workmanship guarantee and multiple customer service outlets.

According to our home warranty survey, 89% of respondents who owned an LHG policy were satisfied or very satisfied with the company’s claims process.

What else should you understand when shopping for Illinois home warranties?

While we recommend focusing on a company’s plan options, coverage limits and customer service during your research, you should also consider a home warranty’s cost, potential red flags and the consumer protections you have within Illinois. This will help you make an informed purchasing decision.

Home warranty cost in Illinois

In Illinois, the average home warranty costs $55 per month, based on our national average. Annually, the average policy costs $648.

While this may seem like an expensive investment, the real value of home warranty coverage kicks in when multiple systems and appliances break down simultaneously. With a home warranty, you’d be responsible for paying for each broken-down item.

However, home warranties don’t suit all situations. If you own new appliances and systems, or if you’re considering a new construction home, you may be better off without one.

Common red flags

As with any industry that offers a service, some bad players can turn your investment into a major headache. Luckily, there are ways to spot red flags once you know how to identify them.

Chances are a company charging very low plan premiums won’t provide the level of coverage you need. Anything under $15 per month is likely too good to be true.

Check to see how quickly the company responds to customer inquiries. We suggest emailing them at the start of the week. You should avoid companies that take more than three business days to respond.

Check your state’s consumer protection office to see if the company has a license to operate where you live.

Illinois law requires home warranties to be written in clear and understandable language. Avoid companies that refuse to clarify sections you don’t understand when you ask about them.

Home warranty service contracts

Homeowners often overlook reading a company’s service contract. All reputable companies list their contracts online or will send you one upon request. Reviewing the terms and conditions of a home warranty can help you know what protection it includes within its policy.

Since there are many categories within a service contract, we highlight the most important sections to read below.

Home warranty regulation in Illinois

Before you buy an Illinois home warranty plan, we suggest knowing what consumer protections are available. Our research shows that the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) regulates home warranty companies.

Illinois’ Service Contract Act states that home warranty providers must purchase and maintain policy insurance with the IDOI to ensure financial stability. In addition, providers have to phrase their contracts in clear and understandable language.

The IDOI allows you to file a complaint with the department if you experience unfair treatment from your home warranty company.

Final take: American Home Shield offers the best protection if you can afford its high premiums

We recommend requesting your first quote with American Home Shield if you need comprehensive coverage for your home systems or appliances. Consider Elite Home Warranty if you require customizable coverage.

When shopping for an Illinois home warranty, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the available choices. Ultimately, the best home warranty company features the coverage options you need at a price that works for you. In addition, ensure that a provider's customer service matches your expectations.

Our rating methodology for home warranty companies

We research and rate home warranty providers to help you choose the right one for your budget and home. Our research includes gathering customer insights via consumer surveys, interviewing industry experts, secret shopping all of the companies we review and analyzing customer reviews from third-party review sites such as Trustpilot and BBB.

Read our full home warranty company methodology for more information.