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Choice Home Warranty (CHW) is a home protection plan provider that offers two easy plan options. Unlike other providers that may separate built-in systems and home appliances into different basic plans, both of CHW’s plans offer combination coverage.
After researching and reviewing dozens of the best home warranty providers across the industry, we determined that Choice Home Warranty offers good basic coverage options, but it does have a pattern of complaint cited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) that consumers should be aware of before purchasing coverage. Read our review below for a full look at the benefits and drawbacks of CHW.
Choice Home Warranty Rating and Review
Choice Home Warranty scored 3.8 out of 5 stars in our rating system. The company earned top scores for customer support and plan coverage, but it lost points for its limited add-ons, ongoing lawsuit, and low BBB score. It’s worth noting that Choice Home Warranty is one of only a few providers to offer a smartphone app to streamline claim response time, which is one of the reasons it scored well in the customer support category.
Here’s how we rated Choice Home Warranty:
- Available Plans (4 out of 5): CHW offers two combination plans, making this a good choice for those looking for streamlined options.
- Plan Coverage (4.3 out of 5): CHW’s plans cover all major systems and most appliances, except built-in trash compactors. The company also provides a $3,000 coverage limit per covered item, which is more than many other competitors.
- Price Range (4 out of 5): One of CHW’s plans is less than $50 per month, which is very competitive for a combo plan. However, its service call fee is higher than the industry average of $77.13, and it is not customizable.
- Industry Reputation (3.2 out of 5): CHW scored well for its tenure in the industry, service contract transparency, and wide state availability. A downside in this category is that the company currently has an active class-action lawsuit in Arizona and it has a low BBB score, in part due to the lawsuit and a pattern of complaint the BBB has flagged.
- Customer Support (4.8 out of 5): CHW offers various customer-support features, including 24/7 claims support, an online customer portal, a 60-day workmanship guarantee, and short claim response time.
- Additional Features (2 out of 5): CHW’s policies are transferable; however, you can’t choose your own contractor or upgrade your coverage limits.
The Best Home Warranty Companies
Here are the top home warranty providers based on our research:
- American Home Shield: Best for Comprehensive Coverage
- Liberty Home Guard: Best Unique Coverage
- Select Home Warranty: Best Value per Plan
- First American Home Warranty: Best for Home Systems Coverage
- America’s 1st Choice Home Club: Best Plan Flexibility
- Cinch Home Services: Best for Pool Coverage
Summary of the Best Home Warranty Companies
| BBB Rating | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Home Shield | | B | $65–$76 | $100–$125 | VISIT SITE |
| Liberty Home Guard |  | A+ | $49-$60 | $65–$125 | VISIT SITE |
| Select Home Warranty |  | B- | $44–$48 | $65–$75 | VISIT SITE |
| First American Home Warranty |  | B | $59–$77 | $75–$125 | VISIT SITE |
| AFC Home Club |  | B | $47–$56 | $75–$125 | VISIT SITE |
| Cinch Home Services |  | B | $47–$65 | $100-$150 | VISIT SITE |
| American Home Shield | |
|---|---|
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| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $65–$76 |
| Service Fee | $100–$125 |
| Liberty Home Guard | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | A+ |
| Monthly Cost | $49-$60 |
| Service Fee | $65–$125 |
| Select Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | B- |
| Monthly Cost | $44–$48 |
| Service Fee | $65–$75 |
| First American Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $59–$77 |
| Service Fee | $75–$125 |
| AFC Home Club | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $47–$56 |
| Service Fee | $75–$125 |
| Cinch Home Services | |
|---|---|
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| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $47–$65 |
| Service Fee | $100-$150 |
Fast Facts About Choice Home Warranty
- Founded: 2008
- State Availability: 49 (all but Washington)
- Service Fee: $85
- Number of Plans: Two
Benefits and Drawbacks of Choice Home Warranty
Here are a few pros and cons for homeowners considering CHW:
| Upsides | Downsides |
|---|---|
|
Allows you to skip the 30-day waiting period with proof of previous coverage |
Is subject to a class-action lawsuit filed by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office |
|
Offers a 90-day workmanship guarantee for parts |
Limits roof-leak coverage to $500 |
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Assigns a small team of representatives to small sets of accounts for more personal customer service |
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Choice Home Warranty Coverage Options
Choice Home Warranty offers two combination coverage plans: the Basic Plan and the Total Plan. The Basic Plan covers 14 home systems and appliances, and the Total Plan expands that package to a total of 18 covered items. In addition, the provider offers a suite of nine optional coverage items, including limited roof leak, sump pumps, and stand-alone freezers.
CHW extends a 90-day workmanship guarantee for parts and a 60-day guarantee for labor, which means the service provider will return to repair or replace a previously serviced item within the guarantee period.
Basic Plan
The Basic Plan covers a combination of home systems and appliances, including your heating system, electrical system, plumbing system, plumbing stoppages, water heater, whirlpool bathtub, oven, range, stove, cooktop, dishwasher, built-in microwave, garbage disposal, ductwork, garage door opener, and ceiling and exhaust fans.
Total Plan
The Total Plan covers all items in the Basic Plan, plus your clothes washer, clothes dryer, air conditioning system, and refrigerator.
Optional Add-ons
You can also choose to add optional coverage to your plan for these items:
Choice Home Warranty Pricing
Our quote for a single-family home smaller than 5,000 square feet in Scarsdale, New York, was priced at $50.76 for the Basic Plan and $59.34 for the Total Plan. It’s important to note that your pricing will vary depending on your address and whether your home is larger than 5,000 square feet.
CHW always charges an $85 service call fee when you place a service request.
Choice Home Warranty Coverage Caps
Choice Home Warranty doesn’t break down its coverage caps into separate categories. As such, all items have a repair and replacement allowance of $3,000 each. The optional coverage items have a $500 limit per item.
Choice Home Warranty Reviews
We listened to more than a dozen customer service calls as part of our research of CHW’s home warranty plans and customer service. We were impressed with the quality and patience of each customer service representative’s explanations to questions about how a home warranty and homeowners insurance differ, as well as the ease of setting up a policy if the customer decided they were interested.
It’s necessary to mention that Choice Home Warranty is currently part of a class-action lawsuit in Arizona. The lawsuit alleges that the company routinely failed to communicate with customers throughout the claims process and denied claims that customers thought would be covered. When we reached out to the company for comment, a representative told us that more than 90% of 1.1 million claims had been approved in 2021 as of October 2021.
Additionally, the BBB currently cites a pattern of complaint alleging CHW has continued to charge customers for cancelled policies and has made it difficult to obtain a refund.
We read more than 600 reviews and pulled a few that we felt spoke to the common benefits and drawbacks of Choice Home Warranty. Below you’ll find a few customers’ experiences with the company, which highlight the convenience of connecting to customer service agents and the quick claims response time, as well as some of the realities of waiting for a part to be ordered before it can be replaced.
“Even though I’ve only had a few calls with Choice Home Warranty, it is always easy to get in touch with my account manager or another representative… no long wait times or confusing automated systems. The reps are super helpful and always professional. Looking forward to doing business with you all. Keep up the great work!” —Emanuel Walker via Google Reviews
“The gentlemen who came were helpful and informative. The insurance should allow them to carry some tools and address some of the issues if they are small and respond to the bigger issues at a later time. I understand the bigger items take more consideration, but the small ones should be repaired quickly while the workers are in the home.” —Yvette Ramos via Google Reviews
“Great experience with Choice Home Warranty. My hot water heater went out. [The] next day, a technician was at my home. He put in the order to replace my water heater, and their response was immediate to approve my order.” —Harmony Zon via Google Reviews
“In the [five] times I’ve used Choice, [four] out of [five] times, parts had to be ordered (rather than having them on the truck) and a second visit was required. This may be how the system is designed to operate—it sure reduces [money] tied up in parts inventory—but depending upon the system affected, the wait to complete the repair can be irritating.” —Weston J Waugh via Google Reviews
How Choice Home Warranty Compares to the Competition
Here’s how CHW compares to other home warranty companies:
| BBB Rating | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Home Shield | | B | $65–$76 | $100–$125 | VISIT SITE |
| Liberty Home Guard | | A+ | $49-$60 | $65–$125 | VISIT SITE |
| Select Home Warranty | | B- | $44–$48 | $65–$75 | VISIT SITE |
| First American Home Warranty | | B | $59–$77 | $75–$125 | VISIT SITE |
| AFC Home Club | | B | $47–$56 | $75–$125 | VISIT SITE |
| Cinch Home Services | | B | $47–$65 | $100-$150 | VISIT SITE |
| American Home Shield | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $65–$76 |
| Service Fee | $100–$125 |
| Liberty Home Guard | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | A+ |
| Monthly Cost | $49-$60 |
| Service Fee | $65–$125 |
| Select Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | B- |
| Monthly Cost | $44–$48 |
| Service Fee | $65–$75 |
| First American Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $59–$77 |
| Service Fee | $75–$125 |
| AFC Home Club | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $47–$56 |
| Service Fee | $75–$125 |
| Cinch Home Services | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
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| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $47–$65 |
| Service Fee | $100-$150 |
Our Recommendation
Choice Home Warranty offers two comprehensive plans that make choosing coverage simple. It also provides customer service 24/7 and is available in all U.S. states except Washington. Before you choose coverage, we do recommend reviewing customer reviews and the BBB’s concerns.
As always, we recommend comparing quotes from at least three of the top home warranty providers before you purchase coverage.
Reviews of Other Home Warranty Providers
- American Home Shield Review
- Select Home Warranty Review
- Liberty Home Guard Review
- First American Home Warranty Review
- Cinch Home Services Review
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Choice Home Warranty not cover?
Choice Home Warranty’s Basic Plan does not cover your air conditioning, refrigerator, or laundry appliances, but its Total Plan does. Each base item is covered up to $3,000, and all add-on options are covered up to $500.All home warranty policies come with limitations and exclusions that determine the extent of coverage. Because both of Choice’s coverage plans cover a combination of built-in home systems and major appliances, it’s critical to carefully consider the covered items in each plan and confirm that all your desired items are included.
What does the Choice Home Warranty claims process look like?
You can place a service request with Choice Home Warranty‘s claims department via telephone or online. After receiving the request, the provider will initiate service within four business hours. At this time, the company will give you the name, phone number, and appointment date of your assigned service technician. In some cases, it can take up to 48 hours for the company to locate a technician, depending on availability. If you’re at the start of your policy, you must wait 30 days from your initial enrollment date before you are eligible to file a claim.
Does Choice Home Warranty cover preexisting conditions?
Choice Home Warranty does not cover preexisting conditions, which isn’t uncommon in the home warranty industry. Per the service contract, all covered items “must be in proper working order on the effective date of this home warranty contract. Known or unknown preexisting conditions are not covered.”
How We Chose the Top Home Warranty Providers
Our team reviewed and researched dozens of home warranty providers, thoroughly analyzed sample agreements, and identified customer pain points based on customer-review analysis and interviews with industry experts. Our in-depth methodology guides our review process to provide transparent information about the companies we review.
During this process, we determined that the most critical aspects of a home warranty company include available service plans and add-ons, depth of coverage, plan cost, industry reputation, customer support infrastructure, and additional features. We also focused on the ability to choose your own contractor, upgrade your coverage package, transfer your plan to another owner, and cover roof leaks, high-end appliance brands, ceiling and exhaust fans, and faucets and fixtures.
Our research supported that plan coverage should carry the most weight, with customer support as the second-most important factor. Industry reputation, plan availability, and additional features were rated equally. Therefore, we determined that price range, while worth considering, should not be the primary basis for choosing a home warranty provider for your home’s needs.
