Does a Home Warranty Cover Plumbing?

You're standing in your kitchen when you hear a persistent drip, drip, drip from under the sink. You look down and find a puddle spreading across the floor. A plumber's visit could easily cost hundreds of dollars, and that's before repairs start. This is where a home warranty can help.

Home warranty plumbing coverage can include repairs on interior pipes, toilet components, garbage disposals, plumbing stoppages, and water heaters.

Here's what you need to know about home warranty plumbing coverage, what's typically excluded, and how to get the most from your plan.

Home Warranty vs. Homeowners Insurance for Plumbing

Many homeowners confuse home warranties and homeowners insurance when it comes to plumbing protection, but these two types of coverage can work together to serve different purposes.

Your home warranty, for example, can fix covered plumbing leaks, whereas homeowners insurance covers sudden and accidental damage. If a pipe bursts unexpectedly and floods your basement, causing water damage to the floors, walls, and belongings, that damage would lead to an insurance claim. Your home warranty, however, can step in to repair the pipe. Insurance steps in for catastrophic events that happen suddenly and cause significant property destruction.

A home warranty covers breakdowns from normal wear and tear. If your water heater reaches the end of its lifespan and stops heating water, that's a home warranty claim.

These two types of coverage complement each other rather than overlap. For example, if frozen pipes burst during a winter storm, that’s typically a homeowners insurance matter, not a home warranty claim. If the issue is not due to frozen pipes, but there is a leak, your home warranty can repair that issue.

What Plumbing is Covered by a Home Warranty?

Most home warranty plans protect the plumbing systems you use every day. When interior pipes spring a leak, toilets won't stop running, or drains back up, home warranty coverage can help.

What’s Typically Covered:

• Interior plumbing lines: Water lines, drain lines, gas lines, and vent lines when they develop leaks or breaks
• Toilets
• Plumbing stoppages: Clearing clogs in sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets
• Garbage disposals
• Bathtub whirlpool systems: Motors, pumps, and air switch assemblies
• Valves: Shower, tub diverter, angle stop, and other functional valves
• Sump pumps: Permanently installed pumps that handle groundwater
• Other items: Instant hot water dispensers, circulating hot water pumps, and pressure regulators*

Enhanced Coverage Options:

Water heater coverage (tank and tankless models) is included in our Essential and Premium plans, and in our Real Estate plans. Faucet coverage is available with upgraded plans. Your specific plan determines what's protected. Ready to see what's covered? Get a free quote to explore your options.

What Plumbing Problems Are NOT Covered by Home Warranty

Understanding home warranty plumbing exclusions is just as important as knowing what's covered. Here are plumbing items and situations typically not covered by a home warranty.

• Frozen or burst pipes
• Fixtures and cosmetic items: Shower enclosures, bathtub surfaces, shower pans, caulking, grouting, decorative faucets, shower heads, shower arms, and toilet seats
• Hose bibbs
• Water conditioning equipment
• Flow restrictions in freshwater lines
• Fire suppression systems
• Gas lines in fireplaces
• Saunas and steam rooms

Coverage Limitations:

Pre-existing conditions aren't covered, though real estate plans may cover unknown pre-existing issues. Access to plumbing is only provided through unobstructed walls, floors, or ceilings, and openings are returned to a rough finish.

Adding Extra Protection:

First American offers coverage options for plumbing challenges that standard plans don't include:

• Tree root damage and stoppages
• Exterior sewer lines and septic systems
• Plumbing encased in concrete (included in Essential and Premium plans for homeowners; available as Plumbing Plus upgrade for real estate plans)

Tips to Help Prevent Plumbing Problems

While your home warranty provides protection when problems occur, preventive maintenance helps avoid issues altogether.

1. Know where your main water shutoff valve is located and make sure every adult in your household can use it. Test it occasionally to ensure it's not stuck.

• Use drain strainers to catch hair and debris in sinks, tubs, and showers, and keep grease, coffee grounds, and food scraps out of your drains.
• Skip chemical drain cleaners, which can damage pipes with repeated use. For clogs, try a plunger or drain snake first. Inspect visible pipes regularly under sinks, around your water heater, and in basements or crawl spaces for leaks, corrosion, or moisture. Have your water heater inspected annually and flush it periodically to remove sediment buildup.

When problems occur despite your efforts, your First American home warranty protects your budget.

Protect Your Home's Plumbing with First American

Plumbing breakdowns are one of the most common and stressful issues a homeowner will face. When your water heater fails on a cold morning or a pipe starts leaking behind your walls, the costs can add up quickly. A First American home warranty plan helps take the worry out of these situations by providing coverage for plumbing repairs caused by normal wear and tear.

First American makes the service process easy to get help when plumbing problems strike. Simply contact us 24/7 online or by phone to request service. We’ll assign a prescreened professional from our network who will schedule an appointment with you to diagnose the issue, confirm coverage, and complete the repair or replacement.

Ready to learn more about how a home warranty can protect your home's plumbing and other essential systems? Get a free quote today and discover which plan is right for your home.

Home Warranty Plumbing Coverage FAQs

Does a home warranty cover plumbing repairs?

Most home warranty plans cover interior plumbing lines, toilet tanks and bowls, plumbing stoppages in sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets, garbage disposals, and water heaters.

Coverage for tree root damage and exterior sewer and septic systems can be added through optional upgrades.

What plumbing problems are NOT covered by a home warranty?

Home warranties don't cover frozen or burst pipes, which are typically covered by homeowners insurance as weather-related damage. Pre-existing conditions, cosmetic items like decorative fixtures and caulking, and code upgrade costs also aren't covered, nor are any modifications or structural changes, such as modifying pipes.

Does a home warranty cover water heater repair or replacement?

Most First American home warranty plans include water heater coverage. Both traditional tank and tankless models are protected when they break down due to normal wear and tear. Check your specific plan details to confirm coverage.

How is a home warranty different from homeowners insurance for plumbing?

They cover completely different problems, but can work together. For example, if a covered pipe breaks and floods your basement, your home warranty would take care of repairing or replacing the broken pipe, while homeowners insurance could cover the water damage to your floors, walls, and belongings. Home warranties handle mechanical breakdowns from normal wear and tear, while insurance handles sudden, accidental damage.

*Please review your contract for specific coverage, terms, and limitations.