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A home warranty covers your home's appliances and other mechanical systems. Without a home warranty, if your furnace, air conditioner, water heater, refrigerator, or any other major system break down, you'll have to pay the cost to repair or replace them out-of-pocket.
Buying a home warranty reduces your chances of having to pay for expensive repairs when your appliances and internal systems break down. When it's time to choose the best home warranty company, you have many options.
While it's essential to choose a reputable company with excellent customer reviews and a history of paying claims, you also need an affordable home warranty with a comprehensive plan. It can be tough to balance all of those criteria, but Select Home Warranty and Choice Home Warranty are two significant players in the world of home warranty companies that stand out among the competition.
It's safe to add both companies to your shortlist. Here's what you need to know about each of these home warranty companies before you decide which one best meets your needs.
Home warranty vs homeowner's insurance
Your homeowner's insurance is different from a home warranty. Homeowner's insurance often has a deductible that is more than the cost to replace a broken appliance or system. It covers damage to your home resulting from common hazards such as fire, wind, weather-related incidents.
Home warranty vs builder's warranty
If you have a newly-built home, you may also have a warranty from the builder. This plan typically covers workmanship and materials for most things included with the home during the first year. You may also have coverage for your HVAC systems, plumbing, and electrical systems for two years. A builder's warranty doesn't usually cover household appliances, though. Check your current coverage to make sure you don't pay for additional coverage on things that your builder's warranty handles.
Choice Home Warranty and Select Home Warranty Basics
These two home warranty companies have a lot in common. There are a few differences worth noting, however. For example, Select Home Warranty offers a more robust promotional offer, but Choice Home Warranty has been in business for four years longer.
SHW vs CHW Comparision
| Select Home Warranty | Choice Home Warranty | |
| Promotional Offer | $100 off any plan + 2 months free + free roof leak coverage | $75 + 1 month free* |
| Monthly Premium Cost | $35 to $38 | $36 to $44 |
| Service Call Fee | $75 per claim | $85 per claim |
| Claim waiting period | 30 days | 30 days |
| Free Quote | Yes | Yes |
| Availability | ||
| BBB Rating | B | B |
| Years in Business | 8 | 12 |
| Service Area | Everywhere in the US except Alaska | Everywhere in the US except California, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin) |
| Additional Fees | $75 cancellation fee |
*Promotional offers change frequently, so please check each company's website to confirm their current offers before deciding.
What Do Home Warranty Plans Cover?
Every home warranty company provides lists of specific items they cover under each tier of their plans. These coverages vary widely from one company to the next. You'll get a quote based on the coverage plan you want plus any additional coverage you choose.
Choice Home Warranty Basic Plan covers:
- Heating system
- Electrical system
- Plumbing system
- Plumbing stoppages
- Water heater
- Whirlpool bathtub
- Oven
- Range
- Stove
- Cooktop
- Dishwasher
- Built-in microwave
- Garbage disposal
- Ductwork
- Garage door opener
- Ceiling fans and exhaust fans
The Choice Home Warranty Total Plan adds coverage for:
Air conditioner
- Refrigerator
- Clothes washer
- Clothes dryer
You can choose these optional coverages with Choice Home Warranty plans:
- Well pump
- Septic tank pumping
- Limited roof leaks
- Pool and spa
- Central vacuum
- Second refrigerator
- Stand alone freezer
- Sump pump
- Septic system
There are three options with Select Home Warranty plans. The Bronze Care plan offers coverage for:
- AC/Cooling
- Ductwork
- Electrical system
- Heating system
- Plumbing system
- The Gold Car offers coverage for:
- Cooktop
- Dishwasher
- Garbage disposal
- Built-in microwave
- Refrigerator
- Stove
- Oven
- Clothes washer
- Clothes dryer
The Platinum Care plan offers coverage for all appliances and systems included with the Bronze Car and Gold Car packages plus:
- Garage door openers
- Plumbing stoppages
You can choose up to 12 optional add-on coverages with your Select Home Warranty:
- Stand alone freezer
- Second refrigerator
- Switches and outlets
- Well pump
- Sump pump
- Plumbing fixtures
- Refrigerator ice maker
- Lawn sprinkler system
- Lighting fixtures
- Central vacuum
- Septic system coverage
- Pool and spa equipment
How To Get A Quote
Select Home Warranty and Choice Home Warranty both require you to give them your email address, zip code, and name before you can find out how much you'll pay for a home warranty.
Home Warranty Price Ranges:
- Select Home Warranty - $35 to $38 per month
- Choice Home Warranty - $36 to $44 per month
The price ranges for each service are similar, but get quotes customized to your zip code, the size of your home, and any optional coverages you need before you make a decision.
- Hassle-free 24/7/365 claims support
- Superfast signup, starting with a free quote
- Highly rated and recommended by users
- Flexible plans starting at $42/month
Home Warranty Claims Process
If you need to make a claim on your home warranty, you'll start by calling the 24/7 claim line to have a customer service rep open a claim for you. They'll assign a local professional to come out and take a look to see if you need a repair or replacement. Your home warranty company pays the costs associated with replacing or repairing the system or appliance, minus your service fee.
Some customer reviews noted that Select Home Warranty paid only for the depreciated value of their irreparable appliances, instead of the replacement value. If you have older systems and appliances you want to cover with a home warranty, verify the claims payout policy with each company to avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.
Home Warranty Company Customer Reviews
Choice Home Warranty has 12,900 reviews on Trustpilot. 64% of their customer reviews rate the company as "Excellent". Choice Home Warranty has responded to 95% of their "Bad" ratings within one week of the customer posting the negative review.
Select Home Warranty has 1,289 reviews, 55% of which are "Excellent." This company hasn't replied to a negative review in more than 12 months.
The Choice Home Warranty BBB profile shows a "B" rating from the organization. There were 7,063 complaints closed in the past three years.
The Select Home Warranty BBB profile shows a "B-" rating with 4,132 complaints closed in the past three years.
The COVID crisis has impacted many industries, including those that serve customers in their homes. Delays in getting a technician out to assess a broken appliance or system may be more common now than they were in the past. This could cause an uptick in negative reviews posted to sites like Trustpilot.
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How to Choose A Home Warranty Company
When choosing a home warranty company, evaluate your options based on more than a few reviews from a single website to make sure you get the best possible information. Get customized quotes so you understand the real monthly costs, instead of basing your decision on a range of costs.
Both Select Home Warranty and Choice Home Warranty offer somewhat flexible plans in similar price ranges. Select Home Warranty has a 3.5-star average rating on Trustpilot, and Choice Home Warranty has a 3.9-star average rating.
The differences between the company are subtle, but if you go into the process of understanding your needs, it should be easy to figure out which is the best home warranty for your household.
Article Topics
Home warranty
Rachel Morey is a journalist specializing in finance content. She has written for some of the major lenders in the online personal and business finance industry. She has been writing professionally for nearly a decade and has projects in print and broadcasting. A native Iowan, Rachel has a special fondness for the open roads of rural America.
