Choice Home Warranty 2024 Review: Price and Coverage

Choice Home Warranty offers higher coverage limits than most of its competitors.

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Written by Whitney Vandiver
Writer
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Edited by Claire Tsosie
Assigning Editor
Fact Checked

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.

Choice Home Warranty
Choice Home Warranty

3.5

NerdWallet rating

 
Get started

on Choice Home Warranty's website

View details

3.5

NerdWallet rating

 
Monthly fees 
$47 and up

Service fees
$75–$100
per claim

States available 
49
states, and Washington, D.C.
View details

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.

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.

To compare Choice Home Warranty’s pricing, we requested quotes for both plans in three cities that represent different costs of living.

City

Basic Plan monthly premium

Total Plan monthly premium

Anaheim, California

$46.67

$55.00

Boise, Idaho

$46.67

$55.00

Tulsa, Oklahoma

$46.67

$55.00

Average price

$46.67

$55.00

The price difference between plans is $8.33, an average of $99.96 more per year for the Total Plan compared to the Basic Plan. The company offers one free month when customers pay annually instead of monthly.

Like other home warranty companies, Choice Home Warranty charges customers a service fee of $75 and $100 when a technician responds to a claim. You’ll have to pay it even if a technician comes out to look at a covered item that was repaired previously — unless it's within Choice's 30-day guarantee period following work on a claim.

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.

Compare coverage for Choice Home Warranty's plans

Covered item

Basic Plan

Total Plan

Air conditioning system

Heating system

Ductwork

Electrical system

Plumbing system

Plumbing stoppage

Water heater

Whirlpool bathtub

Refrigerator

Dishwasher

Oven/range/stove

Cooktop

Built-in microwave

Garbage disposal

Ceiling and exhaust fans

Garage door opener

Clothes washer

Clothes dryer

Source: Choice Home Warranty

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.

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.

A graphic representing Choice Home Warranty's coverage limits per category compared to the average and higher estimates of the type of repair.

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.

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Monthly fees
$50 and up
Service fees
$70–$125
per claim
States available
50
states, and Washington, D.C.
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Monthly fees
$42 and up
Service fees
$75, $100 or $125
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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.

A graphic comparing customer review ratings for Choice Home Warranty from Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs and Better Business Bureau.

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.

Alternatives to Choice Home Warranty

Choice Home Warranty

First American Home Warranty

Liberty Home Guard

American Home Shield

Our rating

3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
5 stars.
4.5 stars.

Cheapest plan price

Starts at $46.67.
$42 and up monthly.
$50 and up.
$19.99 and up.

Types of plans

Comprehensive.
Comprehensive.
Appliance-only, systems-only and comprehensive.
Systems-only and comprehensive.

Coverage limits

  • $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.

No limit for electricity, plumbing and HVAC; cap for appliances depends on the plan.
  • $2,000 for heating systems.

  • $2,000 for air conditioning systems.

  • $2,000 for each appliance.

  • $500 for electrical systems.

  • $500 for plumbing systems.

  • $500 for roof leak repair if you pay for the extra coverage.

  • $5,000 per covered system on heating and air conditioning.

  • $3,000 on electrical.

  • $3,000 on plumbing.

  • $2,000-$4,000 per appliance depending on plan.

  • $1,000 on roof leak repair.

Average customer rating

2.91 out of 5.
3.36 out of 5.
4.27 out of 5.
2.87 out of 5.

First American Home Warranty

First American Home Warranty
First American Home Warranty

3.5

NerdWallet rating

 
Get started

on First American Home Warranty's website

View details

3.5

NerdWallet rating

 
Monthly fees 
$42 and up

Service fees
$75, $100 or $125
per claim

States available 
36
states, and Washington, D.C.
View details

Liberty Home Guard

Liberty Home Guard
Liberty Home Guard

5.0

NerdWallet rating

 

(844) 451-1023

M-F 9:30am-9:30pm ET, Sa 10am-7pm ET, Su 10am-6pm ET

Call Liberty Home Guard

Get started

on Liberty Home Guard's website

View details

5.0

NerdWallet rating

 
Monthly fees 
$50 and up

Service fees
$70–$125
per claim

States available 
50
states, and Washington, D.C.
View details

(844) 451-1023

M-F 9:30am-9:30pm ET, Sa 10am-7pm ET, Su 10am-6pm ET

Call Liberty Home Guard

American Home Shield

American Home Shield Home Warranty
American Home Shield Home Warranty

4.5

NerdWallet rating

 
Get started

on American Home Shield's website

View details

4.5

NerdWallet rating

 
Monthly fees 
$20 and up

Service fees
$100 or $125
per claim

States available 
48
states, and Washington, D.C.
View details

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.

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