State guide · TNNo paid placement
Home warranty
in Tennessee.
A 2011 Tennessee law, Public Chapter 71, exempts service contracts from regulation as insurance under the state's insurance title.
Exempt from insurance regulation3 reviewed providers ranked
Photo · R Architecture / Unsplash
Why Tennessee is different
A 2011 Tennessee law, Public Chapter 71, exempts service contracts from regulation as insurance under the state's insurance title. It says selling and administering them is not the business of insurance. It defines a service contract as one to service, repair, replace or maintain property after a defect in materials or workmanship, or normal wear and tear, causes an operational or structural failure.
Source: Tennessee Public Chapter No. 71 (2011), Senate Bill 1569 (service contracts not the business of insurance) (State statute, accessed 2026-10-07)
Coverage-priority context · TN
What breaks in Tennessee.
Issue 01
Humid summers driving sustained air-conditioning load and compressor wear
Issue 02
Occasional hard freezes raising burst-pipe risk in homes with limited insulation
Issue 03
Aging HVAC and plumbing in older Nashville and Memphis housing stock
§ 02Best providers in Tennessee
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
2HB
2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
Buyers in a real-estate transaction or those who want optional structural and code-upgrade coverage.
Score
3.7/5
§ 03Common questions for Tennessee
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."