State guide · LANo paid placement
Home warranty
in Louisiana.
Louisiana's secretary of state registers home service contract providers, and each must file a $50,000 surety bond.
Regulated as a service contract3 reviewed providers ranked
Photo · R Architecture / Unsplash
Why Louisiana is different
Louisiana's secretary of state registers home service contract providers, and each must file a $50,000 surety bond. Registrations are renewed every two years. The law says a home service contract is not insurance and exempts it from the Louisiana Insurance Code. Each contract must carry a statement in substantially this form: "This agreement is not an insurance contract." Mailed contracts can be returned within 20 days, and those delivered at the sale within 10, for a full refund if you have made no claim.
Source: La. R.S. 51:3142 (definitions; a home service contract is not insurance) (State statute, accessed 2026-10-07) · La. R.S. 51:3143 (registration, bond, exemption from the Insurance Code) (State statute, accessed 2026-10-07) · La. R.S. 51:3145 (right to cancel) (State statute, accessed 2026-10-07) · La. R.S. 51:3146 (required statement) (State statute, accessed 2026-10-07)
Coverage-priority context · LA
What breaks in Louisiana.
Issue 01
High humidity and long cooling season placing heavy load on air-conditioning systems
Issue 02
Expansive clay soils causing slab and foundation movement that stresses plumbing
Issue 03
Hurricane-season power surges and the insurance-versus-warranty boundary on storm damage
§ 02Best providers in Louisiana
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 Louisiana
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."