Choice Home Warranty 2024 Review: Price and Coverage
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Choice Home Warranty stands out by offering higher coverage caps than most of its competitors. Its prices and service fees are middle of the road compared to other companies’ rates, but its Basic Plan lacks some key coverage and customer reviews point to more issues than some of its competitors.
on Choice Home Warranty's website
Our take on Choice Home Warranty
Overall | |
Price | 4.5 NerdWallet rating |
Service fees | 3.0 NerdWallet rating |
Customer satisfaction | 2.0 NerdWallet rating |
Breadth of coverage | 4.0 NerdWallet rating |
Coverage limits | 5.0 NerdWallet rating |
This snapshot shows some factors that we consider when rating a home warranty company and is not representative of the full evaluation process. |
» MORE: Best home warranties of 2024
How much does Choice Home Warranty cost?
Choice Home Warranty plans come with monthly premiums starting at $46.67. Our research shows that the company offers consistent pricing in most areas, which means the price you pay is unlikely to be much different from what someone in another state pays for the same coverage.
You can get a good idea of how much a plan will cost by requesting a quote through Choice’s website. The company requires customers to provide their addresses and contact information to get price quotes.
Why you can trust us
12 home warranty companies considered.
800+ quotes compared.
170+ pages of service agreements analyzed.
11 factors rated.
We've developed a rigorous scoring methodology to rate home warranty providers and inform our reviews and roundups. We sweat the details, reading service agreements to understand the nuances of each plan. Editorial integrity is important to us and we follow strict guidelines to ensure we aren't influenced by business partnerships.
Advantages of Choice Home Warranty
Midrange monthly premiums and service fees make Choice Home Warranty an appealing option if you’re looking for affordable comprehensive coverage. With its cheaper Basic Plan, Choice is kinder to your wallet than most of its competitors. Here are some other things we like about Choice:
Good value. Choice offers the most comprehensive plans we've found, and the cost per item for coverage is lower than most of its competitors’ plans.
Access repair coverage. Unlike many of its competitors, Choice Home Warranty will pay up to $500 to repair a wall if a technician needs to cut into it to gain access to a system.
Coverage in most states. Choice Home Warranty provides coverage in 49 states plus Washington, D.C. The only state in which it does not provide coverage is Washington.
Disadvantages of Choice Home Warranty
A few things we don’t like about Choice’s home warranty coverage:
Its guarantee on repairs is only for 30 days. The industry standard for guaranteeing repair work is 30 to 60 days, and Choice offers the shorter of those time frames. That means if it’s been more than 30 days since an item was repaired and it malfunctions again, you’ll have to pay another service fee for a technician to come back.
It won’t let homeowners hire their own contractors. We don’t love that the company doesn’t let homeowners choose their own technicians, but that’s common among home warranty companies. And a quick read through customer reviews shows that Choice lets some customers find their own technicians if the company doesn’t have any available in their areas.
The Basic Plan doesn’t cover air conditioning. Although the Basic Plan does cover heating systems, you’ll have to buy the more expensive plan to cover your AC system. For some homeowners, this makes the Basic Plan a less-compelling option.
Customer ratings are mixed. The average customer score is on the lower side compared to Choice’s competitors.
Choice Home Warranty's plans
Choice Home Warranty has two plans:
Basic Plan: Covers heating, electrical, plumbing, water heaters and kitchen appliances except the refrigerator.
Total Plan: Includes items in the Basic Plan, plus air conditioning, refrigerator and clothes washer and dryer.
You also have the option to buy add-on coverage for a:
Well pump.
Sump pump.
Septic system.
Septic tank system.
Pool or spa.
Limited roof leak.
Central vacuum.
Second refrigerator.
Stand alone freezer.
Like competitors, Choice Home Warranty covers repairs and replacements for systems and appliances that malfunction because of everyday use, known as normal wear and tear. The company won’t cover costs for regular maintenance or physical damage.
» MORE: What does a home warranty cover?
Choice Home Warranty coverage limits
Most home warranty companies limit how much they’ll pay to repair or replace a covered item. Choice Home Warranty caps its coverage at $3,000 for each category of items regardless of which plan you purchase. Although some of its competitors offer higher coverage limits, Choice’s coverage leaves room for multiple repairs throughout the year. For both plans, the company will pay or reimburse you up to:
$3,000 combined for heating and air conditioning systems.
$3,000 for electrical systems.
$3,000 for plumbing systems.
$3,000 for each covered appliance.
$500 for roof leak repair if you pay for the extra coverage.
Compared with competitors, Choice Home Warranty is on the higher end of coverage caps, though there are other home warranty companies that offer more coverage. Whether these coverage caps are likely to pay for the majority of repairs depends on the type of problem your appliance or system has and where you live.
» MORE: Are home warranties worth it?
Choice Home Warranty's claim process
You can file a claims by phone with the customer service department or through the company’s online portal. Regardless of which method you choose, you’ll need the same information to submit a claim for service.
Once you’ve filed your claim, the company will contact a technician to schedule an appointment. Choice Home Warranty says that it tries to talk with a technician within four hours of your claim and will generally schedule an appointment within two days. But it might take longer in some cases. Once a technician has inspected your appliance or system, they send a diagnosis of the problem and a cost estimate to the company.
If Choice approves the estimate, the technician might be able to make the repair right away; otherwise, they’ll schedule another appointment to complete the work. If the company denies the claim, though, the warranty won’t cover the cost of the repairs, and you’ll need to pay the technician for the work.
Choice Home Warranty doesn’t allow you to choose your own contractor. If you want the service covered, you’ll have to use the technician Choice assigns to your claim.
How to cancel a Choice Home Warranty plan
You can cancel your home warranty at any time, according to Choice’s service agreement. When you cancel determines how much you’ll be refunded. Generally, a $50 cancellation fee applies regardless of when you end your agreement. If you cancel:
Within the first 30 days after you purchase the plan (the 30 days you have to wait before filing a claim), the company will refund any amount you’ve paid toward the plan minus the cancellation fee. The service agreement also says Choice will deduct any costs it incurred to replace or repair a covered item up to that point.
More than 30 days after you purchase the plan, the company will prorate your refund. This means the refund will be for any unused months. For example, if you cancel during the third month of a 12-month plan, your refund will be for the nine months of unused coverage minus the $50 fee and any service costs the company has had to pay.
If you don’t want to renew your plan at the end of your contract, you’ll need to tell Choice that you want to cancel the service agreement at least 30 days before your contract ends. Otherwise, the company can renew your agreement and charge you for another month.
Some states limit cancellation fees. In some states, a home warranty company may not be able to charge you the full $50 cancellation fee. Check the service agreement for state-specific restrictions on cancellation charges.
Customer reviews and experiences
We considered customer reviews from three review websites to get a wider perspective of customer experiences. We’ve highlighted the types of experiences that we’ve found to be most common, keeping in mind that online reviews tend to lean toward negative experiences.
What customers like about the home warranty
Some customers say the technicians are professional and repair items quickly. Positive reviews also highlight Choice Home Warranty’s fast scheduling, with technicians available to make repairs within a day or two of customers filing claims. Customers have also highlighted Choice’s easy claim submission process.
What customers don’t like about the home warranty
Many negative customer reviews say that the company’s customer service representatives are unhelpful and that Choice will inaccurately deny claims that should be covered. Customers also note that there is a lack of technicians in some areas, which delays repairs, and that some of the technicians that the company contracts have been dishonest about or unhelpful with repairs.
» MORE: NerdWallet's best home warranties in California and best home warranties in Texas
Alternatives to Choice Home Warranty
First American Home Warranty
on First American Home Warranty's website
Liberty Home Guard
Call Liberty Home Guard
on Liberty Home Guard's website
» MORE: Read our full review of Liberty Home Guard.
American Home Shield
on American Home Shield's website
» MORE: Read our full review of American Home Shield.
More home warranty reviews from NerdWallet:
How we rate and review home warranties
Our Home Services team reviews home warranty companies with our readers in mind. We provide unbiased reviews that consider several factors, including cost, covered items, coverage limits, customer ratings, ability to choose your own technician and warranty on work completed. When rating home warranties, we researched 13 companies, compared terms and conditions in their service agreements and read customer reviews from three consumer review websites. While NerdWallet does have partnerships with some home warranty companies, our editorial team is uninvolved in that process to ensure unbiased reviews and recommendations. Read more about how NerdWallet rates home warranties.