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Repairing or replacing broken-down appliances and home systems can be very expensive, which is why many homeowners elect to purchase a home warranty to help cover those costs. In return for an annual or monthly premium, as well as a service fee, home warranty providers will pay for qualified professionals to fix failing equipment or replace items that cannot be restored with a comparable appliance or system. A home warranty may be worth it for customers who would otherwise have trouble budgeting for major repairs on their home systems or paying to replace malfunctioning appliances.
Deciding on which company is the right option for a particular situation can often depend on the type of coverage an individual needs, but Choice Home Warranty hopes that it offers the right combination of services at an affordable price to attract customers. One particular area that the company champions is its customer service, with a customer support line that’s available 24 hours a day. In addition to potentially helping customers save money on any repairs, Choice Home Warranty also stresses the convenience of its services, as the company promises to schedule a qualified technician with the right experience for a particular job. This way, homeowners don’t need to worry about searching for a local contractor on their own.
Do those strengths outweigh any potential drawbacks to taking out a home warranty with Choice? Our Choice Home Warranty review takes a close look at the service, cost, and experience that customers can expect when they work with this company.
See more of the best home warranty companies, best home warranties for roof coverage, best home warranties for HVAC coverage, and the best home warranties for rental properties.
At a Glance
Choice Home Warranty
Specs
- Service area: 48 states and Washington, D.C.
- Plans: Basic Plan, Total Plan
- Average monthly pricing: $55
- Claim process: Online or phone
- Service fee: $85
Pros
- Relatively affordable monthly cost and service fee
- 30-day waiting period waived with proof of coverage from another company
- Multiple representatives assigned to each claim
- Quick response within 4 hours of service request
- 24/7 customer support line
Cons
- $500 maximum for roof leakage coverage
- No service fee flexibility
- Website is somewhat user-unfriendly
Our Verdict: Choice Home Warranty offers fairly average coverage options, rates, and workmanship guarantees for a service contract of this nature. The company really stands out with its commitment to customer support, however, providing a 24/7 customer service line staffed by live representatives. Choice agents tend to be very responsive as well, contacting customers shortly after a service request has been made and working to schedule a technician appointment.
Choice Home Warranty Review: Claims
Choice Home Warranty presents itself as a reliable home warranty provider with policies and terms that can help homeowners protect their most important home systems and appliances from expensive repairs. The company cites the potential to save time and money on repairs and replacements among the key benefits it can provide. Choice is quick to point out the distinction between a home warranty and a traditional warranty that a customer might receive from a manufacturer—in particular, that home warranties primarily cover wear and tear rather than damage. As such, the provider tends to refer to its policies as “service contracts” rather than “home warranties.”
About Choice Home Warranty
Choice Home Warranty provides service contracts to help customers cover the costs to fix or replace certain home systems and appliances when they break down. The company stresses its experience and large customer base, highlighting that Choice Home Warranty has managed more than 5 million service requests and provided coverage to more than 1.65 million households.
Choice Home Warranty has a fairly large operational footprint, providing warranties to residents in 48 states and Washington, D.C. Choice does not offer home warranties in Washington State, and while California homeowners can buy a home warranty plan through the company’s website, their policy will actually be issued by the Home Service Club of California. Despite those coverage gaps, Choice Home Warranty claims to have a nationwide network of contractors with more than 25,000 technicians to provide repair services to customers in different parts of the country.
It’s worth pointing out that Choice Home Warranty has been the subject of multiple class action lawsuits in recent years. The Arizona Attorney General’s office filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against the company in 2019, alleging that Choice Home Warranty misled customers with false promises regarding its coverage only to deny claims due to “spurious reasons.” The lawsuit has yet to be settled, but homeowners should be aware of this potential concern when checking Choice Home Warranty reviews.
Customers’ Online Experience
Choice Home Warranty presents a functional if not outstanding online experience. As is common with home warranties, customers can get a quote and purchase a policy entirely online without ever speaking to an agent. Some individuals may appreciate the relatively bare-bones online quote tool for its speed and efficiency. Others may find its lack of customization, comparison tables, or price transparency to be a hindering factor.
Policyholders can submit a claim using Choice’s online customer portal so they never need to go over their claim with an agent. Representatives are also available over the phone to assist with claims, if customers prefer that approach. Customers will need to provide their email address and policy number to log into their account when submitting a claim online.
Choice also provides some limited online resources to assist and educate policyholders. Most notably, the company has a series of home maintenance tips to help customers keep their appliances and home systems running at peak performance. This advice is organized by season and provides homeowners with a checklist of sorts to go through when winterizing their home, for instance.
The company’s website is fairly easy to navigate, although some of the key details pertaining to policy terms and conditions are buried on some of the pages. For instance, information regarding Choice’s coverage area, service fee, and workmanship guarantee can be difficult to find if customers don’t know where to look.
Home Warranty Plans, Coverage, Caps, and Exclusions
Choice Home Warranty offers two standard annual plans for customers to choose from: the Basic Plan and the Total Plan. It should be noted that Choice does not offer a plan that focuses exclusively on appliances or home systems like a standard home warranty; both plans cover a mix of home systems to some degree. The Basic Plan offers less coverage between the two options, but it still covers a variety of appliances and home systems. There are some notable omissions that homeowners should be aware of, though, especially in regard to HVAC systems. The Basic Plan covers heating systems but not air-conditioning systems, which may feel limiting to homeowners. Refrigerators and laundry units are excluded from coverage with this type of plan as well.
The Total Plan does not share those exclusions, which may make it a more appealing choice to potential customers. HVAC systems, refrigerators, clothes washers, and clothes dryers are all covered under this policy. Electrical and plumbing systems, water heaters, whirlpool bathtubs, ovens, stoves, garbage disposals, and ductwork are all included no matter which policy a customer selects. Both plans offer the same $3,000 limit on repair costs, although add-on services may have significantly lower coverage limits. Choice will pay up to $500 for covered roof leak repairs, for instance. It should be noted that roof leak coverage only includes repairs to fix the leak and will not address any resulting water damage.
Customers will also want to be aware that Choice’s coverage limits are applied in aggregate when multiple claims are submitted during a 12-month period. This means that the $3,000 limit will apply to all repair requests in total, rather than to each job individually. It’s also worth noting that Choice Home Warranty will cover home systems and appliances no matter how old they are as long as those items are properly maintained and in good working order at the time of the policy’s purchase. That being said, Choice will not cover pre-existing conditions under any circumstances. The company also does not cover mold removal—in fact, the presence of mold in an appliance may cause a claim to be denied. Likewise, termites and pest infestations are not covered by Choice Home Warranty, either as a standard policy or add-on option. Home warranties typically do not cover damage caused by termites or pay for pest removal services, though, so the company’s stance on this matter is the norm for the industry.
Plan Add-Ons
Choice Home Warranty’s selection of add-on options is fairly limited, with a handful of extra coverage items for customers to consider. All told, there are fewer than a dozen add-ons to choose from, including pool and spa, limited roof leak, and sprinkler system coverage. Customers can also purchase add-on coverage for second refrigerators and stand-alone freezers. There are also coverage options for pump systems, such as well, septic tank, and sump pumps. Choice does not offer separate home services like gutter or carpet cleaning as additional coverage terms to purchase.
Homeowners considering these add-ons will want to take a moment to look over the terms of coverage, as not all appliances or systems will be included. For instance, the pool and spa add-on excludes above-ground pools and certain components like turbo valves and pop-up heads. Meanwhile, the company’s sump pump add-on excludes portal pumps, backflow preventers, and check values from coverage. Also, as noted earlier, these add-on options often come with their own repair-cost limits, and those limits may be significantly lower than the standard $3,000 coverage amount. For instance, sprinkler systems, septic systems, and well pumps are only covered for $500 worth of repairs. Homeowners may want to take these cost considerations into account when deciding if extra coverage is worth the added expense.
Home Warranty Plan Pricing, Fees, and Discounts
The total cost of a policy through Choice Home Warranty can depend on various factors, starting with which plan a customer chooses. The Basic Plan starts at $560 for an annual plan before accounting for any discounts or additional fees. The Total Plan, meanwhile, is $100 more per year at $660. These price points assume that the customer will pay in full for an entire year’s worth of coverage. If customers prefer to pay their balance in monthly installments, then the company will add a monthly fee to the agreement. This fee is relatively small, though; customers will only pay an additional $2.50 each month regardless of which plan they choose.
Add-on coverage will increase a policy’s total cost as well. The monthly rate for add-on services varies across the different options, ranging from a few extra dollars a month to $15 a month for certain coverage terms like pool and spa protection. Discounts are not terribly plentiful, but there may be opportunities for customers to save money on their Choice Home Warranty policy. In particular, customers who elect to make a single annual payment will not only avoid the monthly fee, but they will also receive 1 month of free coverage. Choice also runs promotions at various times that give new customers additional discounts for switching providers or signing up for a policy with the company. Discount opportunities through these promotions can change throughout the year, and they may not always be available.
As with any home warranty, it’s important to take into consideration the service fee that will need to be paid when submitting a claim, as this charge can impact the total cost of a home warranty. In the case of Choice Home Warranty, customers will be charged a flat service fee of $85 no matter which plan or coverage options they select. Choice does not allow customers to adjust their service fee, so all policyholders will pay the same fee when scheduling repairs.
Getting a Quote
Choice Home Warranty’s quote process is relatively straightforward and easy to navigate. Although the company will help customers get a quote over the phone with a representative, it may be quicker to use the company’s online quote tool. Choice’s online platform asks for some basic information about the customer—name, contact information, and address—as well as some details about the property, including the size of the home and the property type. Once that information is provided, customers can choose which plan they want to quote out, but they won’t see a cost breakdown right away. Customers can also select any add-on they wish to include at this time, but the price of each option is not shown until later.
After selecting their plan and add-on options, customers will be directed to a payment screen where they can provide their credit card details to finalize their purchase and sign up for a policy. This screen is also where homeowners will see the total price of their plan, including any discounts, monthly fees, or add-on charges. They can also switch from an annual payment to monthly payments and see how that decision will affect their coverage costs. However, to compare costs of the two standard plans as well as different add-ons, customers will need to go back to the selection screen, change their policy options, and then return to the purchase screen. This lack of up-front transparency can make comparing costs more arduous since there’s no way to check the price of different policy options before navigating to the confirmation page.
Filing a Claim
Customers have two methods to file a claim: online or over the phone. Choice Home Warranty encourages policyholders to submit a claim through their online account center as it may be more expedient. To access the account center, customers will need to sign into the system with their email address and policy number. If policyholders would prefer to speak to a representative and explain the nature of the issue over the phone, they can choose to call Choice’s customer support line. Claims can be filed at any time as both the online account center and call center are accessible 24 hours a day, including holidays.
As mentioned, customers will need to pay an $85 service fee when filing a claim. Charging a flat rate, as opposed to giving customers the option to choose from different fee options, is somewhat unusual for a home warranty company. When checking Choice warranty reviews, that service fee inflexibility may stand out to homeowners who would prefer to adjust their fee to lower the cost of their policy. The company’s site notes that some customers may be eligible for discounts that could lower this charge, but they will need to speak to a representative to learn more about potential discount opportunities.
Choice Home Warranty will select a local technician from its contractor network to inspect the covered appliance or home system and then determine if the item can be repaired or will need to be replaced entirely. In circumstances where a suitable replacement cannot be found, the company may decide to pay cash to the customer in the amount of the estimated replacement cost. The company indicates that there is a possibility that this payout could be less than the replacement cost of a new system or appliance, though.
Repairs covered by Choice Home Warranty are guaranteed for a period of 60 days for the labor provided and 90 days for the parts and materials used. If an issue recurs after these workmanship guarantees have ended, then the policyholder would be required to pay an additional service fee to have further repairs scheduled.
Customer Service Experience
Choice Home Warranty offers over-the-phone support for customers who have questions about their policy or want to file a claim with the help of a representative. Choice’s customer service line is open all day, every day, without exception. Customers can even speak to a representative on major holidays if the need arises, including filing or following up on a claim. This around-the-clock support can also be helpful for homeowners who may need assistance selecting a policy and purchasing coverage. At any time during the online quote process, customers can call Choice’s customer support line to speak to an agent for assistance. Online communication channels, such as virtual chats, are not available, which may be inconvenient for customers who prefer digital platforms. Other customers may not notice the omission, though.
Choice strives to connect customers to dedicated service request representatives whenever claims are submitted. To that end, customers can expect to have two or three agents assigned to their claim, which may provide a more hands-on and personalized claims experience. Choice also notes that representatives will begin contacting contactors to schedule requested repairs within 4 hours of receiving a request. That being said, the company tempers expectations somewhat by stating that, in some cases, customers could wait 48 hours or more before a technician agrees to take the job and set up an appointment.
Choice Home Warranty Reviews by Customers
After reviewing many Choice Home Warranty customer reviews, our research found that the company received generally positive feedback from customer review sites. Consumer Affairs reviewers commended the company for its quick turnaround times and prompt responses to service requests. One Choice warranty review noted that a representative reached out to the customer within 2 hours of filing a claim to confirm that a technician appointment had been scheduled. Trustpilot contributors reported similarly positive experiences using Choice Home Warranty, with customers noting the quality of the workmanship provided and the efficiency of the claims process. Some customers did state that they would have preferred the ability to schedule an appointment themselves rather than rely on Choice to set it up, though.
Complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau paint a less rosy picture overall. Many complaints cited what the customer perceived as an unfair denial of repair services. In some cases, those claims were denied due to pre-existing conditions, which is not entirely uncommon with a home warranty provider. The BBB has also received reports that some customers continued to be charged for coverage after canceling their policy. Meanwhile, Choice Home Warranty has highlighted several customer reviews on its site that reflect a more satisfying customer experience. In particular, these reviews praise the company for its speedy response times and high-quality customer service.
How Choice Home Warranty Stacks Up to the Competition
While some home warranty providers may excel in a particular area—lengthy workmanship guarantees, low rates, or extensive coverage options, for instance—Choice Home Warranty does not have a core strength that distinguishes it from other companies. The company’s prices are in line with industry standards, neither drastically undercutting the competition nor charging customers overly high rates. Choice’s coverage limits are middle of the road as well; its $3,000 limit is higher than the coverage amounts offered by AFC Home Club and Liberty Home Guard, but it can’t match the unlimited coverage on home systems provided by American Home Shield. The company’s workmanship guarantee, which covers 60 days on labor and 90 days on parts, is longer than the 30 days offered by American Home Shield and Liberty Home Guard, but much shorter than AFC Home Club’s 1- to 3-year guarantee.
Choice’s approach to service fees is somewhat unique, though. While home warranty providers typically offer a range of technician fees for customers to choose from—Cinch Home Services’ service fees run between $100 and $150, for instance—Choice sets a flat $85 service fee for every policy. Customers may find that the company’s add-on options come up a little short compared with some other home warranty providers. Choice’s extra coverage options are fairly limited and, unlike companies such as Liberty Home Guard, do not include additional home services. That being said, Choice’s always-on customer service is somewhat of a standout feature that not all home warranty companies can match.
Should You Choose Choice Home Warranty?
Choice Home Warranty could be a good option for homeowners who value exemplary customer service and support from their provider. With a customer service line that’s open 24/7 every day of the year, Choice can offer around-the-clock assistance to homeowners who need to clarify aspects of their policy or check on the status of an outstanding claim. Customer service appears to be very responsive as well, with the company’s own stated turnaround times coming in under 4 hours in many cases. Many customer reviews highlighted Choice’s speedy claims process as well, especially how quick agents were to respond to service requests and schedule technician appointments.
Although Choice does not especially excel in any other key area such as pricing, workmanship guarantees, or coverage options, it doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses, either. Any potential negative aspects of taking out a policy with Choice Home Warranty may not necessarily impact the customer experience. For instance, the inability to adjust service fees could be relatively unimportant to some customers. In addition, the company’s standard plans may provide all the coverage a homeowner needs from a home warranty, even without extensive add-on options. Finding the right home warranty really depends on what exactly a homeowner needs from this type of coverage, and in the right circumstances, Choice Home Warranty could be the perfect fit. It’s worth doing one’s due diligence and comparing rates, coverage conditions, and other factors before making a decision, though.
We independently reviewed this service by weighing the company’s claims against first-hand experience with its professionals. However, due to factors such as franchising, human error, and more, please note that individual experiences with this company may vary.
