State guide · MENo paid placement
Home warranty
in Maine.
Maine's insurance code says a home service contract is not insurance.
Exempt from insurance regulation3 reviewed providers ranked
Photo · R Architecture / Unsplash
Why Maine is different
Maine's insurance code says a home service contract is not insurance. It defines one as a contract, for a set fee, to pay for or arrange repair or replacement of a home's structural components, appliances or systems after wear and tear or an inherent defect. These contracts also fall outside Maine's Service Contracts Act and the rest of the insurance code, so the Act's registration, financial-security and refund rules don't apply to them.
Source: 24-A M.R.S. § 3(3) (Maine Insurance Code: home service contract is not insurance) (State statute, accessed 2026-10-07) · 24-A M.R.S. § 7101(3)(G) (Service Contracts Act exclusions) (State statute, accessed 2026-10-07) · Maine Bureau of Insurance: Service Contracts FAQs (State regulator, accessed 2026-10-07)
Coverage-priority context · ME
What breaks in Maine.
Issue 01
Among the longest heating seasons in the country, with heavy reliance on oil-fired boilers and furnaces
Issue 02
Hard freezes raising burst-pipe risk during extended cold snaps
Issue 03
Old housing stock with dated plumbing and electrical
§ 02Best providers in Maine
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 Maine
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."