Choice Home Warranty provides homeowners affordable and comprehensive plans to protect their homes. The company offers two plans with $3,000 caps for critical appliances and systems. It also has 11 add-ons to supplement coverage and 90 days of workmanship protection.

However, many customer reviews have called out Choice for its poor communication and delayed repairs. In addition, the company is involved in ongoing legal issues surrounding its services. Before committing to Choice Home Warranty, we recommend deciding if the company meets your specific needs and expectations.

Editor’s Note: This review was updated on April 29, 2024, with our latest consumer survey data, competitor comparison details, and added insights from industry experts.

Rating:

Best Basic Plan Coverage

4.7/5

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Our Take on Choice Home Warranty

We compared Choice Home Warranty (CHW) to dozens of home warranty companies and found it offers affordable plan options, generous coverage limits, and extended workmanship protections. The company provides two comprehensive plans priced under $60. It includes a $3,000 cap for appliances and systems, higher than many providers. Each plan is backed by a 90-day workmanship guarantee for parts and 60 days for labor, exceeding the industry standard of 30 days.

Despite having a B rating* on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), CHW has considerable negative reviews on third-party review sites. Homeowners called the company out for its delayed repairs and poor communication. Some customers claim CHW looks for policy loopholes to avoid paying out claims. In 2019, the Arizona Attorney General filed a still-ongoing consumer fraud lawsuit against CHW.

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Pros and Cons of Choice Home Warranty

CHW provides affordable, comprehensive coverage with solid base plans and generous $3,000 limits for most items. The company also imposes extra fees and offers limited pricing customization.

We’ve listed the pros and cons of CHW below:

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How We Rated Choice Home Warranty

We scored CHW against our detailed review standards based on the factors homeowners prioritize the most. CHW received points in each category, with the cumulative total determining its final rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Here’s a detailed breakdown of these categories and how CHW performed in each one:

• Coverage: This category scores companies based on offered coverage, including key item inclusion and coverage limits meeting or exceeding the $2,000 industry standard. Choice scored well due to its $3,000 caps for most items. 
• Cost: Companies earn high scores for providing affordable premium costs, service call fees, and fee flexibility. Choice lost points due to its inflexible service fee policy and higher pricing. 
• Trustworthiness: This category assesses providers by evaluating multiple factors, including brand reputation and workmanship guarantee length.
• Plan Transparency: Choice scored well in this category thanks to its website’s in-depth plan coverage and hosting of sample contracts.   
• Customer Support: Companies are rated higher if they provide multiple options for submitting claims, maintain efficient processing timelines, and offer flexible service technician availability. Choice scored well for its efficient claims process, which begins four hours after filing a claim. 

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Our Home Warranty Experts

We spoke with two home warranty experts to gain more industry insight and learn more about homeowners’ common pain points.

• Arthur Chartrand: Chartrand served as legal counsel and former executive director for the National Home Service Contract Association (NHSCA)
• Shannon Feick: Feick is the co-owner and co-founder of ASAP Properties.

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What Plans and Coverage Does Choice Home Warranty Offer?

Choice Home Warranty (CHW) offers two home warranty plans: Basic Plan and Total Plan. In contrast, most other home warranty providers we’ve reviewed offer at least three plan options. The company offers coverage in 48 states, excluding California and Washington. 

After reviewing CHW’s sample contract, we found that the Basic Plan excludes coverage for certain essential home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and clothes washers and dryers. Most providers include these items in their standard coverage plans. You must select CHW’s Total Plan to receive these appliance protections. One advantage CHW offers is its $3,000 coverage cap per covered item. This is higher than the $2,000 cap offered by most other providers.

Like other home warranty providers, Choice doesn’t require a home inspection before granting coverage. CHW provides a 90-day workmanship guarantee on parts and a 60-day guarantee on labor. If any previously serviced item requires further repairs or replacement within those respective guarantee periods, the service provider will return to address the issue at no additional cost. This guarantee is three times the industry standard of 30 days. 

We’ll review Choice’s coverage plans below:

• Basic Plan: This plan covers 14 systems and appliances, such as built-in microwaves, heating, and plumbing. 
• Total Plan: The highest plan tier includes 18 appliances and systems, expanding coverage to air conditioning units, clothes washers, clothes dryers, and refrigerators.

Optional Add-Ons

CHW policyholders can pay additional fees to protect items the company’s base plans don’t cover. The company offers 11 plan add-ons, typical for most home warranty providers. Its pricing ranges from $3.33–$15.00, making it cheaper than other reviewed providers.  It has a $500 coverage limit for all add-ons except septic tank pumping. CHW limits septic tank pumping coverage to $250 per claim.

Here is a full list of CHW’s add-ons below:

Appliances

• Second refrigerator
• Stand-alone freezer

Home Systems

• Additional spa
• Central vacuum
• Limited roof leak
• Pool and spa
• Sprinkler system

Plumbing

• Septic system
• Septic tank pumping
• Sump pump
• Well pump

Why Would Choice Home Warranty Deny My Claim?

Choice could deny your claim if it includes any of their outline exclusions. Like other home warranty providers, CHW doesn’t cover certain damages. This includes damages caused by improperly installed or misused items, mold, and routine maintenance. Several appliances and systems have specific exclusions for their coverage. Some examples include the list below:

• Air conditioning maintenance and associated registers or grills
• Cosmetic items, such as knobs, rollers, handles, and doors
• Damage caused by theft, fire, and storm damage
• Sediment buildup or reservoir tanks for water heater coverage

Choice also doesn’t cover items with known or unknown preexisting conditions. This is actually a common claim denied by many home warranty companies. We surveyed 1,000 homeowners regarding their experiences with home warranties. We learned that preexisting conditions or prior damage were the primary reason for denied claims. Since it’s rare for a home warranty company to cover these conditions, we recommend reviewing a provider’s sample contract or contacting customer support to verify coverage.

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How Much Does Choice Home Warranty Cost?

CHW offers affordable pricing for its coverage plans, with both plans costing less than $60 per month. Based on our sample quote for a home in Omaha, Nebraska, the Basic Plan costs $46.67, and the Total Plan is slightly higher at $55. Remember that pricing can vary in different areas. These costs do not include any additional add-on costs. 

Choice Home Warranty provides annual and monthly plan premiums. However, our sample quote included a $2.50 monthly fee for selecting a monthly option. It’s unusual for a home warranty company to impose additional charges on its premiums. Our sample quote also included a promotional code for 5% off monthly and annual premiums for new customers. 

We’ve detailed CHW pricing and coverage caps below:

What is Choice Home Warranty’s Service Call Fee?

CHW charges a $100 service fee with every plan. You pay this fee to the technician after they complete a service repair or replacement. This is the only option for service call fees, which differs from other providers with multiple options. In most cases, choosing the higher service call fee helps lower your premium costs. Unfortunately, CHW doesn’t provide that pricing flexibility. Its fee is also higher than that of many home warranty companies. 

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Choice Home Warranty Mobile App

CHW offers a dedicated app for Android, Apple, and Chromebook devices. Features include a quote tool, FAQ section, plan coverage details, and home maintenance tips. You can also view the CHW blog and contact CHW by phone or online. Existing customers can log into the Account Center and access their accounts. We also noticed that the app has a 1.7-star rating on the Google Play store, with many reviews mentioning its limited features and buggy performance.

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How Do I File a Claim with Choice Home Warranty?

When you need to file a home warranty claim with CHW, use the steps below to complete the process:

1. Open a New Claim

Call its claims department at 888-531-5403 to file a claim. You can also file a claim online through your account center portal. Choice representatives are available 24/7 to accept claims. Follow the form steps and provide the relevant item information, its brand and model number, and issue details. Verify your information for submitting your claims.

2. Wait for Claims Processing

Choice will send an in-network service provider within 48 hours of receiving your claim. The company commits to processing claims within four hours of submission. If you file a claim after normal business hours or during established holidays, there may be a delay in processing your claim.

3. Set Your Service Appointment

Once approved, you’ll be contacted to set a service appointment with the service technician. CHW only covers repairs or replacements performed by an in-network service technician. It doesn’t allow you to source your own technician.

4. Complete the Repair

The technician will arrive to service your system or appliance on the appointment date. We recommend being at your home for your appointment to answer any questions and to give access to your home. Sometimes, the technician may need to order replacement parts to complete the repair, resulting in a second appointment. Once repairs are finished, you’ll pay the $100 service call fee directly to the technician.

After signing up for a CHW, you’ll have a 30-day waiting period before you can file a claim. According to the Choice Home Warranty sample contract, the provider will initiate coverage if you meet certain requirements before the waiting period. You must provide proof of a previous home warranty policy without a lapse in coverage.

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Choice Home Warranty Reviews: Reddit, BBB, and More

We analyzed customer reviews from third-party review sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Best Company, Trustpilot, and Reddit, to understand how Choice Home Warranty conducts business. We found mixed reviews for CHW’s business practices and offered services. Positive reviews mentioned the courteous support team and efficient technicians. Common negative experiences included delayed repairs, multiple denied claims, and limited communication options. 

Below is an overview of our customer review analysis:

What Homeowners Like

• Courteous customer support: Several reviews praised the courteous and knowledgeable customer support team.
• Reliable technicians: Customers complemented the in-network technical, stating they were friendly and completed their repairs quickly.
• User-friendly website: Homeowners commended the website for its user-friendly design and ease of use

What Homeowners Dislike

• Multiple denied claims: Many customers stated that CHW found loopholes in the contract to deny their claims, with some stating all of their claims ended in denials.
• Delayed repairs: Homeowners reported delayed repairs of up to two months or more due to changes in technicians or rescheduled appointments.
• Unreachable customer support: Several reviewers cited issues reaching the customer support team, saying support was unreachable by phone or email.

Average Customer Rating

CHW has inconsistent review scores across several third-party review sites. The company has 1.04 out of 5 stars on the BBB, 3.7 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, and 3.8 out of 5 stars on Best Company. In the past few months on the BBB, the company has received numerous low scores, plus 11,847 customer complaints over the last three years. The company’s inconsistent review scores indicate a lack of uniformity in customer service quality.

Customer Reviews

Below are examples of positive and negative reviews for Choice:

Positive Reviews

“Overall, I am pleased with the service. My dryer has been repaired and I only had to pay for the service fee. It did take longer than expected because for some unknown reason, the follow up appointment to actually repair the dryer was canceled by the repair company and I had to wait another week for them to come install the new part. Overall so far, I am happy.” — Carol P., March 2024, on Best Company

“I gave only 4 stars because it over a week for CHW to get my job assigned. We had sub-zero temperatures and I needed my heat fixed! Anyway, the company that chose to pick up my job was great! They called the day before and told me they had me scheduled for the next day between 11am and 3pm. Larry was great! He was there shortly after 11am. He was cordial and very professional. He was barely there for an hour and that included having to leave to get a part that had to be replaced. He knew in 5 minutes what the problem was. 5 stars for Larry!” — Angelique B., January 2024, on TrustPilot

“So far I have had a great experience with Choice. I had a washing machine that was having issues and as soon as the claim was put in I had a technician out within a couple days. When I had questions, customer service was quick to answer and even quicker to replace my unit without having to go through hassles of ordering parts and waiting weeks.” — Alexander S., January 2024, on TrustPilot

Negative Reviews

“I spent two months in the middle of Texas summer without air conditioning. Choice kept making excuses not to cover the unit for so long that I ended up replacing EVERYTHING on my own. Cost me a small fortune. Very poor level of customer service. I was calling in almost every day to get the latest excuse. I will always believe that Choice owes me a lot of money and an apology to me and my wife for living through 105 degrees every day without air conditioning. Impossible to reach the supervisor also. I could go on and on about what Choice put me through, but I am trying to get over it.” — Steve, March 2024, on Best Company

“Communication is poor, when I call to speak with a representative at the number given I get an automated response to go online and send a message and wait for a response, I’m still waiting…. In order to speak to a customer service representative, I had to call the representative I brought my policy from to transfer my call. I’ve also had other issues with parts being ordered, but not shipped and not being told anything…..poor communication is the main issue. Thank you.” — Sean H., March 2024, on Best Company

Just let my Choice Home Warranty [plan] expire. Luckily, the seller paid for it when we bought the house. Our water heater tank started leaking. [It’s a] 50-gallon natural gas. They couldn’t find a tech to come [and] look at it in our metropolitan area. They told us to get one and send them the estimate. The plumbing company quoted $4500 for an in-kind replacement. Choice said they would reimburse up to $650 for replacement. I paid $750 for the water heater and replaced it myself since I’d done a couple before. Better off just putting money aside in a savings account for repairs rather than expecting them to actually cover anything.” — anonymousguy1988, December 2023, on Reddit

It’s worth noting that Choice Home Warranty is a member of the National Home Service Contract Association (NHSCA). Chartrand recommends filing a complaint on the NHSCA website if you experience claims issues with Choice or any home warranty provider. He says the NHSCA can expedite your issue directly to your provider’s upper management because the organization works closely with each member company’s corporate leaders.

Ongoing Lawsuit 

We also learned that the BBB cites a pattern of consumer complaints regarding charges after cancellation and difficulty obtaining refunds. The company also has an ongoing legal case for alleged consumer fraud. In 2019, the Arizona Attorney General initiated legal proceedings against Choice, alleging that the company employed deceptive tactics, utilizing fine print in contracts to avoid covering consumers’ repair costs.

We conducted secret shopping with Choice to inquire about the ongoing legal case and received inconsistent responses. Out of the seven attempts to obtain information regarding the case’s status, representatives provided conflicting statements on half of those occasions. The representatives stated that the case was resolved despite the ongoing nature of the proceedings.

*BBB Ratings are accurate as of May 2024

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Choice Home Warranty vs. Competitors

To help you with your decision-making, we’ve compared Choice Home Warranty with other leading home warranty providers. We’ve provided more comparison details below.

Choice Home Warranty vs. Liberty Home Guard

Liberty Home Guard (LHG) stands out for its specialized plans and extensive add-on catalog. The company offers one comprehensive plan and two focused on either appliances or systems. This gives homeowners better options to match their coverage needs. The company also provides 42 add-on options for better coverage customization.

However, CHW coverage limits are $1,000 higher than LHG, providing better financial  protection when faced with more expensive repairs. CHW also offers a better workmanship warranty, providing 90 days for parts and 60 days for labor. LHS limits its coverage to 60 days. Homeowners looking for more specialized coverage options should consider LHG as their provider.

Choice Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield

American Home Shield (AHS) offers a better plan and service call fee variety than CHW. Although both companies offer two comprehensive plans, AHS provides better coverage within its bundled plans, such as more systems and appliances than CHW. AHS includes a higher system cap of $5,000 and $4,000 for appliances under its highest plan, ShieldPlatinum. AHS is also one of the few home warranty companies that covers items with preexisting conditions and physical damage. 

Despite its advantages, AHS charges more for its coverage plans than CHW. The company also charges slightly higher service call fees, offering options for $100 or $125. AHS also offers limited add-ons, with only six options in its catalog. AHS is a worthwhile investment for homeowners who need comprehensive coverage for older systems and appliances. 

Learn more: Choice Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield

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How to Choose a Home Warranty

When buying a home warranty, you should consider several factors, such as coverage needs, home age, and budget. To help you find the right provider, we’ve provided the steps below.

• Assess your coverage needs: Before choosing a plan, check your systems and appliances and determine their current condition, age, and most recent maintenance records. Prioritize the most essential coverage to avoid overspending on unnecessary coverage.
• Determine your budget: Once you’ve listed your items, determine your budget for coverage. Account for any plan upgrades or add-ons needed for your home. You should also consider your limits for service call fees since you’ll pay those fees for every technician visit.
• Request multiple quotes: Start your search by requesting quotes from multiple companies. This provides a simple way to compare coverage plans, costs, contract terms, and service call fees. Use each company’s online quote tool to create a quote or call the sales department for more information.
• Review sample contracts: Take the time to review each sample contract and look for key terms and conditions. Feick says, “Look for clear explanations of coverage, exclusions, limitations, and any fees or deductibles that you’ll be responsible for.” Knowing these details will help reduce your chances of surprise charges and denied claims later on.
• Verify technician options: Check each company’s service technician policies and verify how it vets its contractors. Determine their availability in your area and ensure they are properly insured and bonded.
• Check customer reviews: When looking for customer reviews, check reputable third-party sites for a mix of positive and negative reviews. Look for any patterns of poor customer service, denied claims, or low payouts.

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Our Recommendation: Is Choice Home Warranty Worth It?

We recommend Choice Home Warranty for homeowners seeking affordable comprehensive coverage for their systems and appliances. The company offers two solid base plans and doesn’t deny coverage based on your home’s age. It also offers $3,000 limits for most items—higher than many providers. However, the company has received complaints about its services and faces an ongoing fraud case. We recommend that homeowners carefully evaluate whether Choice Home Warranty is the right provider for their needs.

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FAQ About Choice Home Warranty

When does coverage begin with Choice Home Warranty?

Once Choice Home Warranty approves you, it requires a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.

Does Choice Home Warranty cover water heaters?

Yes, Choice Home Warranty covers all parts and components of a water heater, including circulating pumps. Exclusions include holding or storage tanks, vents and flues, thermal expansion tanks, fuel, holding, or storage tanks, noise, energy management systems, and units exceeding 75 gallons.

Does Choice Home Warranty replace air conditioners?

Yes, Choice Home Warranty will replace your air conditioning, provided you have properly maintained your unit. The company covers all components and parts for units below 13 SEER.

Do I need a home inspection before enrolling with Choice Home Warranty?

No, you don’t need a home inspection before enrolling in coverage with Choice Home Warranty, as the company doesn’t disqualify coverage based on your home’s age or the age of your systems and appliances.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.