State guide · MINo paid placement
Home warranty
in Michigan.
Michigan's Insurance Code says a service contract is not insurance or the business of insurance.
Exempt from insurance regulation3 reviewed providers ranked
Photo · R Architecture / Unsplash
Why Michigan is different
Michigan's Insurance Code says a service contract is not insurance or the business of insurance. The code does not apply to it. Its definition reaches contracts to repair or replace consumer products that fail from defects or normal wear and tear. Consumer products include property "intended to be attached to or installed in any real property".
Source: MCL 500.125 (Insurance Code of 1956, sec. 125) (State statute, accessed 2026-10-07)
Coverage-priority context · MI
What breaks in Michigan.
Issue 01
Long, severe winters placing sustained strain on furnaces and boilers
Issue 02
Frozen-pipe risk during extended deep-cold stretches
Issue 03
Older housing stock around Detroit with aging HVAC and plumbing
§ 02Best providers in Michigan
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 Michigan
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."