Nations Home Warranty is a locally owned company that opened its doors in 1996 by providing coverage to homeowners in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, metroplex. However, the company no longer operates on its own. Instead, it serves as a subsidiary to HomeServe, a nationwide home warranty company.
Our team reviewed Nations Home Warranty’s coverage options, plan costs, customer ratings, and workmanship guarantees. While it’s a solid provider, we determined that the companies on our list of the best home warranty providers offer better value for your money.
Pros and Cons of Nations Home Warranty
Pros
- Lower-than-average waiting period (15 days) before coverage begins, while standard is 30
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Covers home and lawn maintenance services
- All sales representatives and contractors are local
Cons
- Services only available in Dallas/Ft. Worth
- Basic and Preferred Plans leave out key appliances (washer, dryer, refrigerator)
- Can’t choose your own contractor
Nations Home Warranty Plans and Coverage
For homeowners, Nations Home Warranty offers three plans: Basic, Preferred, and Ultimate.
Nation Home Warranty’s Basic Plan is somewhat unusual for a home service contract in that it includes coverage for home and lawn maintenance services, as well as appliances and systems. Here’s what the Basic Plan covers.
Basic Plan
| Appliances | Systems | Home/Lawn Maintenance |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling fans | Air conditioning | Carpenter ant removal |
| Dishwasher | Ductwork | General pest control |
| Doorbells | Electrical system | Lawn fertilization |
| Ground fault circuit interrupter devices | Heating system | Lawn pest control |
| Exhaust fans | Plumbing (including stoppages) | Fire ant removal |
| Garbage disposal | R410-A refrigerant | Lawn weed control and prevention |
| Built-in microwave | Water heater | Leak detection |
| Oven, range, cooktop, vent hoods | Re-key service | |
| Smoke detectors | Rodent coverage | |
| Sump pump | Garage door tune-ups | |
| Trash compactor | Carpet cleaning service |
Preferred Plan
The Preferred Plan covers everything in the Basic Plan, plus subterranean termite control and garage door openers (one unit per house).
Ultimate Plan
The Ultimate Plan contains everything in the Basic and Preferred Plans, plus the following items:
- Clothes washer
- Clothes dryer
- Primary refrigerator with ice maker and water dispenser
Optional Coverage
Regardless of which Nations Home Warranty plan you choose, you may purchase coverage for the following items:
- Construction modification
- Premier option, which covers:
- Equipment code violation correction
- Permits
- Refrigerant recovery/disposal
- Haul-away services
- Non-cosmetic plumbing cracks
- Garage door openers
- Mismatched systems
- Improper installation
- Crane
- Washer/dryer (as an add-on to Basic and Ultimate Plans)
- Free-standing freezer
- Garage door openers
- Guest houses
- Lawn sprinkler systems
- Plumbing external main line protection
- Pool/spa equipment
- Well pumps
- Booster/jet pumps
- Wet bar refrigerators
- Wine coolers
Note: Nations Home Warranty does not offer coverage for roof leaks or septic systems, but companies like Select Home Warranty do.
How Much Does Nations Home Warranty Cost?
When it comes to home warranty costs, you’ll want to take into account monthly or annual premiums, service call fees, and maximum payouts. The premium is the amount you pay for the contract, regardless of how much you use it. You will pay a service call fee every time you file a claim with the company and a technician comes out to your house to diagnose the issue.
Additionally, most companies set coverage caps on systems and appliances and will make the customer pay out of pocket once that cap is reached.
Since Nations Home Warranty serves a single location, it provides a clear pricing structure on its website. Note that home warranties for condominiums are slightly cheaper than those for single-family homes.
Nations Home Warranty Pricing Comparison
| Type of Home | Basic Plan | Preferred Plan | Ultimate Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| House (annual) | $475 | $565 | $675 |
| House (monthly) | $39.58 | $47.08 | $56.25 |
| Condominium (annual) | $455 | $545 | $655 |
| Condominium (monthly) | $37.92 | $45.42 | $54.58 |
The service call fee or co-pay is $75 no matter which plan you choose, which is on the low end of the industry average of $75–$125. Typical premiums for national home warranty companies tend to range between $25–$50, so Nations Home Warranty is on par with the average premium.
The maximum payouts for the annual plans are also in line with other home warranty companies.
- All appliances combined: $3,000
- Ductwork: $500
- Ovens: $1,500
- Plumbing: $1,000
- Sump pump: $500
Here are the annual prices for the extra coverage options with their maximum payouts (if specified).
Annual Prices
| Coverage Option | Fee | Maximum Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Construction modification | $50 | $500 |
| Premier option | $108 | Equipment code violation correction: $250 |
| Clothes washer/dryer | $90 | — |
| Clothes washer/dryer plus refrigerator with ice maker/dispenser | $125 | — |
| Primary kitchen refrigerator with ice maker/dispenser | $50 | $2,500 |
| Additional refrigerator | $45 | $1,000 |
| Freestanding freezer | $45 | — |
| Garage door opener | $30 | — |
| Guest house (up to 2,000 sq.ft.) | $175 | — |
| Lawn sprinkler system | $100 | — |
| Plumbing external main line protection | $75 | $1,000 |
| Pool/spa equipment | $190 | $1,500 maximum for pool/spa heater |
| Additional spa equipment | $95 | — |
| Subterranean termite protection | $53 | — |
| Well pump | $100 | — |
| Well pump and booster/jet pump | $150 | $1,500 |
| Wet bar refrigerator | $35 | $500 |
| Wine cooler | $35 | $500 |
That’s a lot of numbers to take into account, but getting specific with coverage items can keep you from paying more than you need to and help you customize a home warranty to your needs.
How To Make a Claim with Nations Home Warranty
The claims process at Nations Home Warranty is similar to that of other home service contract providers. After signing the contract, you will have to wait at least 15 days before filing a claim, but that’s lower than the industry average of 30 days. If anything covered by the contract breaks from normal wear and tear, you contact Nations Home Warranty by phone to begin the claims process.
A representative of the company will reach out to one of their contracted technicians, who will then contact you to schedule an appointment. You’ll pay a $75 fee to the contractor (pest control services require a slightly higher co-pay), who will diagnose the problem.
If Nations Home Warranty decides the problem is covered by your contract, they will send the contractor back to fix it. You will pay the contractor and the company reimburses you. If repairs aren’t possible, Nations Home Warranty will pay a cash settlement for the lowest priced product or part.
Nations Home Warranty Reviews
Although Nations Home Warranty is not accredited with the BBB, it does maintain an A+ rating based on its transparent business practices and response to consumer complaints. As with any top home warranty company, there will be a mix of positive and negative customer reviews. Here’s what some of the company’s customers had to say.
“My experience with Nations Home Warranty has been as expected and as outlined in the contract. I have not had any ‘surprises’ nor unsatisfactory customer service. Every time I made a claim/service call, a professional was promptly scheduled and the issue was resolved.” — Home B., via BBB
“Called them because my ice machine in my freezer quit working. Their vendor, BHB Appliance Services, changed some sort of chip. They told me to give it a few hours to start working. It never worked. After numerous attempts to correct the situation through Nations Home Warranty, it never got fixed.” — Frederick S., via BBB
How To Buy a Home Warranty
Buying a home warranty involves researching providers, comparing coverage options, and understanding contract terms to ensure you get the best protection for your home. Whether you’re a new homeowner or looking to add coverage to an existing property, following these steps can help you make an informed decision.
- Assess your needs: Consider the age and condition of your home’s systems and appliances to determine which areas need the most protection. Review your homeowners insurance policy to identify any gaps in coverage that a home warranty can fill.
- Research providers: Look for top-rated home warranty companies using credible review sites, customer testimonials, and resources like the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Checking company reputations can help you find a reliable provider with good customer service.
- Compare plans: Review different home warranty plans to understand what each one covers, including exclusions and limitations. Some providers offer add-ons for extra protection, so check for customization options that suit your needs.
- Get quotes: Request personalized quotes from multiple providers to compare pricing for similar coverage levels. Some companies offer discounts for seniors, veterans, or multi-year contracts, so be sure to ask about potential savings.
- Review contracts: Carefully read a provider’s residential service contract to check for service fees, coverage limits, and terms related to preexisting conditions. Make sure you understand when coverage begins and any restrictions that may apply.
- Understand coverage options: Decide whether you need home warranty coverage for just systems, just appliances, or a combination of both. Make sure the plan you choose covers essential items specific to your home and lifestyle.
Our Assessment of Nations Home Warranty
Nations Home Warranty may be ideal if you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Unfortunately, the company’s warranties are unavailable to most of the country. Additionally, though Nations provides comprehensive coverage at affordable rates, its basic plan doesn’t provide home appliance insurance for items such as refrigerators, washers, or dryers.
If you live outside Dallas/Ft. Worth, or if you just want to look at other options, we recommend American Home Shield, Elite Home Warranty, and Liberty Home Guard. These companies are available in most states and they offer the right mix of coverage and affordability.
FAQs About Home Warranty Coverage
What’s the difference between home insurance and a home warranty?
A home insurance policy covers items in your home damaged by theft, fire, or storms. A home warranty policy covers items in your home that fail due to normal wear and tear. Having both policies in place could save you significant repairs because they provide complementary coverage.
What does a home warranty not cover?
Home warranties typically don’t cover routine maintenance, appliance removal and disposal fees, or commercial property. We recommend reading your provider’s sample contract to determine what it covers or doesn’t cover in your policy.
Do home warranties cover broken home items?
All home warranty providers require your home items to be in working condition before providing coverage. You can file a claim if a covered item breaks after your initial waiting period.
Do I need a home warranty when buying or selling a home?
A home warranty can bring peace of mind to a new home buyer by covering their new home’s systems and appliances within the length of its policy, typically the first year of home ownership. For home sellers, it adds an extra incentive for home buyers to consider your home over others; it raises the value of your home and could lead to a quicker sale.
Our Rating Methodology
We use a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each home warranty company we review. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts, and running focus groups and homeowner surveys.
We use this information to score each provider in six comparison categories that we think are most important when choosing a home warranty. We rate each provider across 23 factors within those categories. Each factor is assigned a point value based on its importance to a homeowner, totaling 100 points. We convert the final scores to a 5-star rating.
Here’s a breakdown of our weighted factors:
- Coverage (35%): This category looks at how comprehensive each provider’s coverage is, including whether it covers unique items. Companies that cover the most items and have higher annual limits received the highest scores. We docked points from providers that impose long waiting periods or have depreciation policies that decrease your payouts for aging items.
- Cost (20%): We looked at average monthly prices and service call fees. We gave the most points to companies offering pricing at or below the industry average that don’t impose any surcharges or extra fees.
- Trustworthiness (15%): To gauge reputation and reliability, we reviewed customer ratings across sites such as the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot, as well as companies’ responses to complaints. We also checked for National Home Service Contract Association (NHSCA) membership. Providers with the highest ratings and longest workmanship guarantees received higher scores. We deducted points for any ongoing legal issues.
- Plan transparency (10%): We read terms, policies, and disclosures in provided contracts and on each company’s website. Providers with transparent contract details and policies received more points.
- Customer support (10%): Companies with multiple claims filing options, fast response times, and accessible customer support scored well in this category.
- Flexibility (10%): We awarded more points to providers offering more plan options, larger add-on catalogs, the ability to choose your own technician, and customer-friendly cancellation policies.
