Choice Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield: 2025 Comparison

Our take on Choice Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield

Key differences between Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield

Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield offer similar services, have comparable plans and offer coverage in most states. However, there are a few key differences that customers should consider when choosing a home warranty, including:

• American Home Shield offers more plans and higher coverage limits than Choice Home Warranty.

• Choice Home Warranty’s pricing is the same no matter where you live, so you don’t have to worry about a steep monthly premium like with American Home Shield.

• American Home Shield has two service fee options; Choice Home Warranty only has one service fee that all customers pay, but it’s cheaper than American Home Shield’s highest service fee.

• Choice Home Warranty covers more items in its top plan than American Home Shield and offers more add-on items for optional coverage.

• Both companies have customer reviews that say wait time for repairs can be long and some technicians aren’t knowledgeable about repairs; however, consumers’ reviews seem to lean toward American Home Shield having better customer service. 

» MORE: Best home warranties of 2025

Costs

Monthly premium

Choice Home Warranty’s plans cost between $49.16 and $57.50 per month, depending on the plan you choose. The company has consistent pricing, so you’re likely to get the same or a similar rate as other homeowners regardless of your location. Choice Home Warranty is available in 49 states, including Washington, D.C. It is not available in Washington state.

American Home Shield, however, bases its pricing on customers’ locations. For example, the cheapest quote we’ve found with American Home Shield is $19.99, which was for a home in Anaheim, California. That same plan and service fee combo was $59.99 per month in an area of Dallas, Texas. The most expensive quote we found for American Home Shield was $119.99 per month. American Home Shield is available in 48 states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Although it does offer coverage in New York, the company doesn’t cover properties in New York City.

Service fee

Home warranty companies usually require customers to pay a service fee every time a technician responds to a claim. Choice Home Warranty charges customers $100 per service call, but advertises that some customers might qualify for a discount that lowers the service fee.

American Home Shield lets customers choose between $100 or $125 service fees when they sign up for their contracts. Customers who choose the higher service fee will pay a lower monthly premium. However, both options are on the higher end of service fees among home warranty companies.

» MORE: How much does a home warranty cost?

Plans and coverage

Plans

Choice Home Warranty has two comprehensive plans that cover major systems and appliances. Its Basic Plan covers heating, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as major kitchen appliances. The Total Plan includes the same items and adds coverage for air conditioning systems, refrigerators, washers and dryers. Because both plans have comprehensive coverage, you can’t get a plan that covers only appliances or only systems.

American Home Shield offers three plans. The lowest plan, ShieldSilver, covers HVAC systems, electrical and plumbing systems and a few items that are often categorized as appliances, such as garage door openers and exhaust fans. The next plan, ShieldGold, adds to that coverage with most major kitchen appliances, including washer and dryers. The top plan, ShieldPlatinum, has the same coverage as ShieldGold but adds limited roof leak repairs and increases the amount the company will pay toward appliance repairs.

Optional coverage

American Home Shield and Choice Home Warranty offer add-on coverage for specific items that are not included in their plans. Their optional coverage is similar to what most home warranty companies offer.

Exclusions and limits

Coverage limits

Most home warranty companies limit how much they’ll pay toward a repair or to replace a covered item. Choice Home Warranty caps its coverage at $3,000 per item for both plans. This includes paying or reimbursing you up to:

• $3,000 total for heating and air conditioning combined.

• $3,000 for plumbing systems.

• $3,000 for electrical systems.

• $3,000 for each appliance.

It also pays up to $500 for qualifying roof leak repairs if you opt for the extra coverage.

On the other hand, American Home Warranty has different limits for each category of repairs. It’ll pay to up to:

• $5,000 for heating systems and $5,000 for air conditioning systems.

• $3,000 for plumbing systems.

• $3,000 for electrical systems.

• $2,000 or $4,000 for appliances, depending on the plan.

It also pays up to $1,000 for qualifying roof leak repairs with its most expensive plan.

Notable exclusions

Most home warranties only cover repairs for normal wear and tear of covered items. So it’s not surprising that Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield won’t cover:

• Regular maintenance of systems and appliances.

• Physical damage to a covered item.

• Cosmetic repairs that don’t affect a covered item’s functionality.

• Damage resulting from natural disasters, including floods and fires.

• Items that are currently covered by a manufacturer or third-party warranty.

• Items that have a manufacturer or government recall.

Choice Home Warranty also excludes coverage for pre-existing conditions, which means it won’t pay to repair issues that existed before your contract coverage started. American Home Shield has the same exclusion, but it will cover issues caused by mismatched HVAC systems, even if you knew the systems were mismatched before your contract started.

Both companies also state in their contracts that they won’t guarantee that you’ll get an identical item if they replace your system or appliance. American Home Shield says it might replace your item with a different make, model, color or finish, and Choice Home Warranty says it’s not responsible for upgrading or modifying your covered item if a replacement isn’t compatible with your existing equipment.

An area where American Home Shield comes out ahead is with disposal of an old system or appliance. If the company repairs or replaces a covered item, it agrees to remove it and dispose of it, whenever reasonably possible; American Home Shield includes this service in your coverage. On the other hand, Choice Home Warranty says that a technician can charge you an extra fee to dispose of your old item.

» MORE: Are home warranties worth it?

Repair guarantee

Most home warranty companies guarantee repairs that they’ve paid for, which keeps you from paying another service fee if a repair fails and has to be performed again. The length of these repair guarantees vary across home warranty companies.

Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield have the same 30-day repair guarantee. So customers with both companies have the same length of coverage before they have to pay another service fee for a failed repair.

Choice Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield: Which would we choose?

Although Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield offer similar services and have some of the same exclusions, there are a few reasons we would choose one company over the other.

Choice Home Warranty might be the better option for homeowners who prefer:

• Consistent pricing regardless of their location.

• Comprehensive coverage options.

• Cheaper service fees.

American Home Shield might be the better option for homeowners who prefer:

• More customizable plan options.

• Choices in service fees and related monthly premiums.

• Higher coverage limits, especially for HVAC and appliance repairs.

» MORE: Do you need a home warranty? How to decide

How we rate and review home warranties