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The configured source value 7 is provenance only and must never be described as the number of platforms studied.","The finalrankingtable is the sole authority for rank, platform mentions, platform share, average rank, and best rank. Ignore any conflicting value embedded in a entity evidence bundle.","The Consensus Ranking table must contain exactly one row per finalrankingtable entity, in that order, using that exact entityname. Never split one ranked entity into two product, model, SKU, or product-line rows, and never add another ranking row for a brand already listed. Put recommended products or plans inside that entity's ranked section.","Platform mentions count only ranking-discovery mentions. Do not substitute the number of platforms that later completed a fit assessment.","Citation IDs inside each entity bundle are local to that entity. Consolidate sources by URL using the supplied source catalog.","The URLs were collected from platform responses and were not independently validated by either writer stage.","Each fitreviewurlorplaceholder is the final site-relative CMS path for that entity's review. Link the entity name to that exact path exactly once in its ranked prose section, outside tables and headings. Never replace it with a run ID, report ID, UUID, or local output path.","Use the exact entity-namespaced citation IDs from the source catalog (e.g. e1:); never transfer a citation between entities."],"methodology":{"fit_rating_contract":["strong","good","mixed","weak","uncertain"],"included_valid_platform_count":7,"maximum_finalists":10,"minimum_mentions":2,"name":"Home Services Consensus Index cross-platform AI consensus analysis","platforms_included":["anthropic","deepseek","google","grok","kimi","openai","perplexity"],"platforms_queried":["openai","anthropic","deepseek","grok","perplexity","kimi","google"],"stages":["ranking_discovery","fit_assessment","normalization","editorial_synthesis"],"version":"alias-table-1"},"provenance":{"generated_at":"2026-09-30 22:21:29.653302+00","research_date":"2026-09-30","source_snapshot_sha256":"d5c0a92d24c301f256e837ce1e40fbf600fd0e19977f4a26e049c2ff9722a4cb","verification_scope":"public_verification"},"ranking":{"candidates_evaluated":15,"qualified_finalists":10,"ranking_unit":"Home warranty company or plan brand"},"schema_version":4,"summary":"The consensus leader for lowest-cost basic home warranty coverage in this 2026 study is 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty, named by 6 of 7 platforms (85.7% share) at an average listed position of 2.0. Select Home Warranty and First American Home Warranty are the strongest alternatives for distinct buyer needs: Select for appliance-only buyers who can obtain a materially lower written quote, and First American for homeowners in low-cost ZIP codes who want combined systems-and-appliance entry coverage. Seven AI platforms were studied — openai, anthropic, deepseek, grok, perplexity, kimi, and google —…","target_buyer":"A price-sensitive homeowner comparing entry-level plans who wants the lowest total cost of ownership.","topic":{"base_category":"Home Warranty and Protection Plans","category_criteria":["lowest annual premium","lowest service call fees","value of basic tier coverage","hidden fee transparency"],"geography":"United States","slug":"best-budget-home-warranty-companies-for-cost-conscious-homeowners","title":"Best Budget Home Warranty Companies for Cost-Conscious Homeowners","use_case":"lowest cost basic coverage"}}