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Choice Home Warranty Review
Choice Home Warranty has affordable service plans that cover some of the most typical and expensive repairs on systems and appliances.
Choice Home Warranty is a home warranty service provider established in 2008 and headquartered in Edison, New Jersey. The company is the second-largest home warranty vendor in the country and offers comprehensive coverage options on a variety of household appliances and systems. Choice Home’s industry experience and rapid growth in recent years have given the company the ability to process claims faster than many other warranty service companies available while providing top-notch customer service experiences. They also have reasonable service fees and are available in 48 out of the 50 states.
Choice Home Warranty at a glance
| Company | Year Founded | Service Fee | Recall Period | States Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choice Home Warranty | 2008 | $44 to $53 per month | 90 days | 48 |
Choice Home Warranty plans
Choice Home Warranty offers two different warranty plans to choose from, ranging from $44 to $53 a month, with both basic and total coverage options.
Basic Plan: Choice Home Warranty plans are designed to provide extended warranty coverage on appliances and household systems for 13 months with the option to renew each year. The Basic plan offered by Choice Home covers some — but not all — common problems that can occur in household systems. One monthly payment of $43.75 covers repair or replacement of heating systems, plumbing systems, duct work, ceiling fans, exhaust fans and other systems. Customers also have an à la carte pricing option for adding coverage on specific appliances and systems not currently covered under the Basic plan.
Total Plan: The Total plan is the most comprehensive coverage option offered by Choice Home Warranty and covers a much larger selection of appliances and systems when compared with their Basic plan. For $52.50 a month, homeowners can get all the coverage of the Basic plan plus HVAC systems, refrigerators, washers, dryers and even microwaves. As with the Basic plan, customers have the option of adding on more coverage through an à la carte pricing model. This is useful for homes that have pools and spas as well as complex electrical systems with a variety of different components.
Call 800-816-1053 to find out more about their plans.
What we like about Choice Home Warranty
While the company only has two main coverage plans to choose from, Choice Home Warranty makes up for this by adding à la carte pricing flexibility for additional coverage options, something that is very uncommon among other warranty service providers. Another difference between Choice Home and other companies is that this company prides itself on creating an easy and seamless claim submission process. Choice Home Warranty processes 80% of their claims in only four hours or less and has a great reputation for customer service.
Things to consider
While Choice Home Warranty is a popular choice for homeowners, there are some drawbacks to consider when comparing them against similar companies. For one thing, Choice Home doesn’t have enough à la carte options for customers who want a more customized solution. In many cases, the Total plan is a better value overall, so it’s wise for customers to consider all of their coverage needs before opting for a lower-cost plan. In many instances, these solutions can end up costing more in the long run if too many additional services drain Choice Home Warranty’s liability caps. Some of the spending caps listed on specific categories are much lower than other warranty service companies, so customers living in older homes prone to more extensive repairs may want to consider other options.
How Choice Home Warranty compares with the competition
Choice Home Warranty vs. AFC Home Club
Choice Home Warranty and America’s First Choice Home Club have very similar coverage levels when it comes to the systems and appliances included in their plans, but vary significantly in their fee structure and workmanship guarantees. Choice Home Warranty guarantees any replacements or repairs for 90 days to cover parts and 30 days to cover labor. While this is pretty standard for many warranty service companies, AFC wins this category hands down by offering a lifetime guarantee on repairs, so long as you maintain a contract with them.
Choice Home Warranty vs. Cinch Home Services
Cinch Home Services is another great warranty service company to consider because it offers comprehensive coverage on a variety of household systems and appliances. One thing that Cinch Home Services does a bit better than Choice Home is identifying exactly what is covered on their plans and what is not. While Choice Home Warranty isn’t as transparent in this area, they do have an outstanding reputation for customer service and tend to be quicker to respond to inquiries and claim submissions.
Choice Home Warranty vs. The Home Service Club
While both Choice Home Warranty and The Home Service Club both offer standard and premium plans with various coverage protection options, The Home Service Club does have slightly better coverage with its basic plan. Unlike Choice Home’s Basic plan, The Home Service Club’s introductory coverage plan covers HVAC systems, refrigerators, washers and dryers. Unlike Choice Home Warranty, however, The Home Service Club is not currently accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and it doesn’t have the same service reputation as Choice Home.
Too long, didn’t read?
When it comes to flexibility, it’s hard to beat Choice Home Warranty’s à la carte add-on coverage options. Many home warranty service providers limit their customers to predefined plans with a mixed bag of appliance and systems coverage. Choice Home’s add-on services allow customers to create a custom plan that works well for them while being supported by a leader in claims processing and customer service. Overall, Choice Home Warranty is an excellent choice for all-around home warranty coverage with competitive price points and reasonable liability caps. While its workmanship guarantee isn’t the greatest when compared to companies like Cinch Home Services and AFC Home Club, Choice Home Warranty has more pros than cons and is a great solution to go with.
Keep Reading
Methodology
The SimpleScore is a proprietary scoring metric we use to objectively compare products and services at The Simple Dollar.
For every review, our editorial team:
- Identifies five measurable aspects to compare across each brand
- Determines the rating criteria for each aspect score
- Averages the five aspect scores to produce a single SimpleScore
Here’s a breakdown of the five aspect scores and their rating criteria for our review of the best home warranty companies of 2020.
Why do some brands have different SimpleScores on different pages?
To ensure the SimpleScore is as helpful and accurate as possible, we developed unique criteria for every category we compare at The Simple Dollar. Since most brands offer a variety of financial solutions, their products and services will score differently depending on what we’re scoring on a given page.
However, it’s also possible for brands to have multiple SimpleScores. For example, when we apply our methodology to Chase’s stock trading product, it scores a 3.6 out of 5. On the other hand, when we compare Chase checking accounts, it scores a 4.4 out of 5. this is because we each criterion for every category is different to account for different industry standards and product offerings.
Questions about our methodology?
Email Hayley Armstrong at hayley@thesimpledollar.com.
Average monthly cost
Many home warranty companies advertise a range of monthly costs for their home warranty plans. We took the average of these costs and assigned SimpleScore aspects based on the amount.
Add-on coverages
Home warranty usually just covers kitchen appliances and HVAC systems. However, homes have so much more than that. We gave higher scores to home warranty companies that offer a variety of add-ons to home warranty coverages, such as pool, washer/dryer, guest houses and more.
Customer support
When it’s time to file a home warranty claim or homeowners have questions, how can they contact support? The SimpleScore rewards home warranty companies with more channels of customer support.
Trade service fee
Much like a deductible, a trade service fee is the fee homeowners pay for each service call. The lower the service fee, the higher the score that the brand gets. If the trade service fee was a range or differed among plans, we took an average of the fees advertised.
Number of pre-made plans
Sometimes it’s just easier to pick a package and get your home warranty coverage started. That’s why we awarded companies with more premade plans higher scores.
