State guide · INNo paid placement
Home warranty
in Indiana.
Indiana's Department of Insurance considers many service contracts covering homes to be insurance under state law.
May be regulated as insurance3 reviewed providers ranked
Photo · R Architecture / Unsplash
Why Indiana is different
Indiana's Department of Insurance considers many service contracts covering homes to be insurance under state law. Its Bulletin 210, from 2014, says it applies the concepts of its earlier Bulletin 78 to those contracts. The state's service contract statute covers only motor vehicle contracts. Bulletin 78 was written for car service contracts. Under it, a contract was not treated as insurance if, among other terms, a reimbursement insurance policy named in the contract backed its repair obligations. The holder also had to be able to claim directly against that insurer when a repair request got no answer within 60 days.
Source: Indiana Department of Insurance Bulletin 210, Service Contracts (2014) (State regulator, accessed 2026-10-07) · Indiana Department of Insurance Bulletin 78 (1992) (State regulator, accessed 2026-10-07)
Coverage-priority context · IN
What breaks in Indiana.
Issue 01
Cold winters placing extended load on furnaces and boilers
Issue 02
Freeze-thaw cycles raising burst-pipe risk in basements and crawl spaces
Issue 03
Humid summers driving air-conditioning load and compressor wear
§ 02Best providers in Indiana
01
AHS
American Home Shield
Homeowners who want broad systems coverage and a choice of service fee.
Score
4.1/5
02
CHW
Choice Home Warranty
Budget-focused homeowners who want a predictable flat service fee and straightforward plan choices.
Score
3.7/5
03
SHW
Select Home Warranty
Buyers who want bundled roof-leak coverage and accept tighter payout limits.
Score
3.4/5
§ 03Common questions for Indiana
When does coverage start after I buy a plan?
When the waiting period in your contract ends. Providers set different lengths. Liberty Home Guard's sample policy starts coverage 30 days after purchase and requires covered items to be in working order that day. American Home Shield's 2024 sample plan agreement shows an initial waiting period of 0 days. Under Liberty's terms, a covered item that breaks on day 20 falls inside that 30-day holding period and is not covered, so read each provider's sample contract before you buy.
Can I buy a plan after something has already broken?
You can buy one, but the two sample contracts we read would not pay for a breakdown you already have. Liberty Home Guard's sample policy "does not cover any known or unknown pre-existing conditions." American Home Shield's 2024 sample plan agreement says a covered breakdown "must occur during the Plan Agreement Term," and it excludes earlier breakdowns that "were either known by you or were reasonably detectable by you."