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The Best Home Warranty Companies

Where Can You Get the Best Home Warranty Protection?

Maybe you're a landlord trying to mitigate your operating expenses. Or you're trying to sell your home in a tough market and want to set prospective buyers' minds at ease. Then again, you could be like the average homeowner who wants some protection against those unexpected expenses like a failing air conditioner or a leaky bathtub.

In all of these situations, a good home warranty is a wise choice that can make the difference between a quick, inexpensive fix and a huge repair bill. How do home warranty plans work? Most providers give you several plans to choose from, ranging from basic coverage of appliances or systems, to premium packages that cover just about every component of your home. There are usually add-on services for an extra fee, like coverage of your electronics, sump pumps, septic systems, pools/spas, and so on.

Tuesday, March 19th

2024 Home Warranty Company Reviews

American Residential Warranty Review Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award 5 Star Rating

American Residential Warranty

5 Star Rating Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

American Residential Warranty earns our highest ranking year after year. It's the only provider in our evaluation with an "A+" from the BBB and thousands of five-star reviews from happy clients. You'll get better coverage: fewer exclusions, more protected items, and service that is on-time and doesn't make you haggle over price. For the best home warranty plans in the industry, our highest rating goes to American Residential Warranty.

Elite Home Warranty Review 4.5 Star Rating

Elite Home Warranty

4.5 Star Rating

Elite Home Warranty is one of the newest home warranty companies on the market, and they're off to an excellent start. Though their customer feedback is limited, what's out there is refreshingly positive. All clients seem to have a fantastic experience, getting repairs done quickly and without the back-and-forth drama you often find with home warranty providers. We'd like to see Elite offer more pricing details upfront without requiring a phone call, and this company isn't available in all 50 states yet. Still, with so many not-awesome home warranty companies out there, Elite is a breath of fresh air.

First American Home Warranty Review 4 Star Rating

First American Home Warranty

4 Star Rating

First American Home Warranty is a company you can trust to provide straightforward home protection. With two clearly-explained plans to choose from and transparent pricing, you'll know exactly what's covered - and what's not. All plans have an $85 service call fee, and your monthly or annual fees will be reasonable. Despite a few complaints about the service here, FAHW has still received thousands of five-star reviews from customers who say that their claims are handled promptly and with attention to detail. First American Home Warranty is a terrific choice.

Cinch Home Services Review 3.5 Star Rating

Cinch Home Services

3.5 Star Rating

Cinch Home Services is the newest branding for a home warranty company that has been around for more than 40 years. They've serviced over a million claims, offering three easy-to-understand protection plans with three options for deductibles, a 180-day workmanship guarantee, and affordable pricing. Not everyone has a fantastic claims experience here, so we can't give Cinch our highest recommendation. This is still a decent option among home warranty providers, though, if you don't find what you need somewhere else.

Select Home Warranty Review 3 Star Rating

Select Home Warranty

3 Star Rating

Select Home Warranty can protect your appliances, your home systems, or both. You can choose to pay monthly or annually, with discounts for the latter, and there may even be a promo in place to save you extra cash. SHW doesn't come out and tell you what you'll pay for each service call, and customer experiences here are hit-or-miss. We're glad that Select Home Warranty has made some improvements since our last review, but it's not quite enough to boost this company higher in our rankings.

Home Warranty of America Review 2.5 Star Rating

Home Warranty of America

2.5 Star Rating

Home Warranty of America offers two basic plans for home warranty coverage: one includes your AC unit and the other doesn't, and their more entry-level plan may not include every component of the covered appliances and systems. We're not impressed by the higher-than-average prices here or the less-than-stellar customer feedback. You could do worse than choosing HWA for your home protection, but why not look for a provider with a stronger customer service experience?

Choice Home Warranty Review 2.5 Star Rating

Choice Home Warranty

2.5 Star Rating

Choice Home Warranty has handled over three million service requests during their 15 years in business. You've got two warranty plans to choose from, along with extra coverage you can add as desired. Both plans have an $85 trade service call fee per claim - lower than average. Customer feedback here is inconsistent at best: some say they're 100% satisfied with how their claims are handled, while others say it's like pulling teeth to get covered items repaired or replaced. You may want to look at other options before committing to Choice Home Warranty.

American Home Shield Review 2.5 Star Rating

American Home Shield

2.5 Star Rating

American Home Shield is one of the biggest home warranty providers in the nation, with over two million clients and a history spanning 50+ years. You've got three plan levels to choose from, depending on how much coverage you need and your budget. Add-ons for electronics, pools/spas, septic/well pumps, and even guest buildings are available. Unfortunately, AHS has received over 10,000 complaints at the BBB alone, and customers say that the service here is disappointing at best. Consider a higher-ranked home warranty company before signing up with American Home Shield.

Guaranteed Home Warranty Review 1 Star Rating

Guaranteed Home Warranty

1 Star Rating

Unless you like sending your contact information out into the world and hoping that you'll be matched with a good warranty company, don't use Guaranteed Home Warranty. This site is for lead generation only, and when you give them your details they simply pass it along to an undisclosed list of providers who pay to get prospective clients. It makes much more sense to go directly to one of the top-rated services in our review. Don't bother visiting Guaranteed Home Warranty.

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Continued from above...

All home warranties have limits, exclusions, and caps on the amount your policy will pay over the life of the contract: this is one of those times where it's essential to read the fine print and understand what's covered and what's not.

You should also expect a 30-day waiting period before your coverage takes effect. In other words, don't think you can hurriedly throw a warranty plan on your broken fridge and expect it to get fixed - unless you want to wait a whole month. Many home warranty companies use this time as a money-back guarantee period, in case you change your mind or discover something in your policy that you weren't aware of when you signed up. One such "surprise" is often the trade call service fee: what you'll pay per service call, similar to a copay you'd have on a medical insurance plan or a deductible with your car insurance. Be aware that you could have multiple fees for a single repair, if the fix requires different tradespeople to get it taken care of (both a plumber and an electrician).

You've got a lot of companies to consider for your home warranty, and it's easy to get overwhelmed. How can you tell which ones will deliver what they promise? Here are the most useful criteria to guide your decision:

  • Reputation. First and foremost, what do homeowners say about their experience with the home warranty provider? Are claims handled quickly, with repair technicians dispatched in a timely manner? Does the company approve claims easily, or should you expect to fight to get them approved and paid for? How many complaints have been registered, in comparison with any positive feedback?
  • Coverage. What will you get for what you pay? Can you select a tier of service that doesn't make you spend money on coverage you don't need? What's included and what's not?
  • Value. What will you spend on your home warranty? How much will you pay for trade service call fees? Play with the numbers and see what your annual premium totals and fees might be, compared with what you'd spend out of pocket to take care of the repairs on your own.

To help protect your home (and your savings), TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked today's most popular home warranty providers. We're sure this information will help you choose the right plan for your property!

The Best Home Warranty Companies Compare Home Warranty Companies Compare Home Warranty Company Reviews What are the best Home Warranty Companies Best Home Warranty Company Reviews

Home Warranty Company FAQ

Home warranties protect your home's appliances and systems in the event of a malfunction. Normal wear and tear takes a toll on all systems in your house, so a home warranty saves you from having to spend the hundreds or thousands of dollars it takes for even the smallest of repairs. By purchasing a home warranty plan, you're able to call a technician to repair or replace your faulty appliances when needed.
Having a home warranty provides peace of mind. It usually comes as a surprise when your heating system stops working, your dryer breaks, or your air conditioner goes out. When your systems and appliances need a repair, it is an urgent matter and you want to make sure you're able to afford the cost of getting them fixed. If you have a plan that covers the item that malfunctions, you'll have it paid for minus the cost of any applicable deductible or service fee.
When purchasing a home warranty, you'll be able to select from different plans depending on what you want covered. They might include a kitchen plan (fridge, range, oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal, etc.), heating and cooling (air conditioning, interior electrical system, central heating, etc.), plumbing systems, pool pumps, garage door opener, TVs, laptops, and more. You can buy as many plans as you want or bundle and save!
Home warranties are usually billed monthly and range from about $30 - $100/month depending on what you want covered, how many plans you buy, if you bundle your plans, and so on. On top of this, the company you use might charge service fees or have a deductible set up that you'll need to meet before they cover the rest of what it takes for repairs. Either way, having a home warranty will likely save you thousands of dollars in the long run since appliance repairs can be so expensive.
Home warranties cover the effects of normal wear and tear on systems and appliances. After running your dishwasher a couple hundred times, it might need maintenance, which would be covered by your warranty (if you selected a plan that included it). Home insurance protects you financially from unexpected major events like a fire, flood, or weather damage. It allows you to get a lump sum of money to replace items in the home or the house itself when disaster strikes. However, if your air conditioning goes out in the middle of summer, you're out of luck if you have home insurance without a home warranty.
A home warranty lasts as long as you choose to pay for it! Many people just budget for it long-term and pay year after year just like they make their house payment. You can pay monthly or make a yearly payment on the type of coverage you select. As long as you are subscribed to a home warranty plan, you'll be able to have a repairman come to your home to take care of your appliances and systems when problems arise.
There is no limit to the number of repairs you can call in during your home warranty contract. If there is a service fee, you'll need to pay that each time a technician comes out. If you have a deductible to meet, you'll pay for each repair until you hit your deductible and can be fully covered by the company. It's reassuring to know that regardless of how many things go wrong in your home, as long as your contract includes the repairs, you'll be able to have them taken care of!
Every home warranty service might do things a little differently. Most of the time you'll be able to call in and let them know your issue and get a timeframe for a technician to come make repairs. Some companies have an online form you fill out and then they contact you back and dispatch their workers. It's easy to get the help when you need it within a reasonable timeframe when you're dealing with home warranty companies.

Compare Home Warranty Companies

Select any 2 Home Warranty Companies to compare them head to head

best-home-warranty-plans
  • American Residential Warranty
  • Elite Home Warranty
  • First American Home Warranty
  • Cinch Home Services
  • Select Home Warranty
  • Home Warranty of America
  • Choice Home Warranty
  • American Home Shield
  • Guaranteed Home Warranty
American Residential Warranty vs Elite Home Warranty American Residential Warranty vs First American Home Warranty American Residential Warranty vs Cinch Home Services American Residential Warranty vs Select Home Warranty American Residential Warranty vs Home Warranty of America American Residential Warranty vs Choice Home Warranty American Residential Warranty vs American Home Shield American Residential Warranty vs Guaranteed Home Warranty Elite Home Warranty vs First American Home Warranty Elite Home Warranty vs Cinch Home Services Elite Home Warranty vs Select Home Warranty Elite Home Warranty vs Home Warranty of America Elite Home Warranty vs Choice Home Warranty Elite Home Warranty vs American Home Shield Elite Home Warranty vs Guaranteed Home Warranty First American Home Warranty vs Cinch Home Services First American Home Warranty vs Select Home Warranty First American Home Warranty vs Home Warranty of America First American Home Warranty vs Choice Home Warranty First American Home Warranty vs American Home Shield First American Home Warranty vs Guaranteed Home Warranty Cinch Home Services vs Select Home Warranty Cinch Home Services vs Home Warranty of America Cinch Home Services vs Choice Home Warranty Cinch Home Services vs American Home Shield Cinch Home Services vs Guaranteed Home Warranty Select Home Warranty vs Home Warranty of America Select Home Warranty vs Choice Home Warranty Select Home Warranty vs American Home Shield Select Home Warranty vs Guaranteed Home Warranty Home Warranty of America vs Choice Home Warranty Home Warranty of America vs American Home Shield Home Warranty of America vs Guaranteed Home Warranty Choice Home Warranty vs American Home Shield Choice Home Warranty vs Guaranteed Home Warranty American Home Shield vs Guaranteed Home Warranty
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