Choice Home Warranty (CHW) provides comprehensive coverage at an affordable price to customers and saves homeowners money on expensive repairs and replacement costs for home systems and appliances. Keep reading this review to learn more about plans, pricing, and customer reviews.
Choice Home Warranty (CHW) offers home warranty plans to homeowners in every state in the country except Washington. The company has been in business since 2008 and offers affordably priced home warranty policies.
This Choice Home Warranty review explores the company’s coverage, prices, add-on coverage, and reputation.
Our Take on Choice Home Warranty
After reviewing dozens of home warranty companies, we found Choice Home Warranty to offer affordable plan options, low service fees, and nationwide availability. The provider has recently raised its Better Business Bureau (BBB) score to a C (as of November 2022). The BBB cites a pattern of complaints that alleges CHW has continued to charge consumers for cancelled services and made it difficult to have those charges refunded.
Additionally, Choice Home Warranty is currently subject to a consumer fraud lawsuit filed by the Arizona Attorney General in 2019. A representative told us in late 2021 that the company couldn’t comment on pending legislation but stated that as of October 2021, 90% of 1.1 million claims filed in 2021 had been approved.
Our Best Home Warranty Companies of 2023
The home warranty companies with the best ratings include the following:
- Liberty Home Guard: Best Customer Ratings
- American Home Shield: Best Coverage Caps
- America’s First Choice Home Club: Best for Customization
- Select Home Warranty: Best Value
- First American Home Warranty: Best Appliance Coverage
- Cinch Home Services: Best Additional Perks
- 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty: Cheapest Appliance Plan
- ARW Home: Affordable Service Call Fees
- The Home Service Club: Quickest Coverage
Pros and Cons of Choice Home Warranty
✔ Doesn’t require home inspections to start coverage
✔ Guarantees repairs for 30 days if an item breaks down after a repair
✔ Offers a home appliances and systems coverage in its base plan
✘ Doesn’t allow customers to choose their own technician
✘ Charges a fee when choosing monthly premium over annual premium
✘ Has a few reputation concerns that homeowners should be aware of before purchasing a plan
Choice Home Warranty Plans and Coverage
Choice Home Warranty offers two home warranty coverage plans: the Basic Plan and the Total Plan. The Basic Plan covers items such as an electrical system or dishwasher. For complete protection, consider the Total Plan, which covers essential items including a home’s air conditioning, refrigerator, clothes washer, and clothes dryer.
Choice Home Warranty Plans
| Item Covered | Basic Plan | Total Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Heating System | ✔ | ✔ |
| Electrical System | ✔ | ✔ |
| Plumbing System | ✔ | ✔ |
| Plumbing Stoppage | ✔ | ✔ |
| Water Heater | ✔ | ✔ |
| Whirlpool Bathtub | ✔ | ✔ |
| Oven, Range, and Stove | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cooktop | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dishwasher | ✔ | ✔ |
| Built-In Microwave | ✔ | ✔ |
| Garbage Disposal | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ductwork | ✔ | ✔ |
| Garage Door Opener | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ceiling and Exhaust Fans | ✔ | ✔ |
| Air Conditioning System | – | ✔ |
| Refrigerator | – | ✔ |
| Clothes Washer | – | ✔ |
| Clothes Dryer | – | ✔ |
Here’s more detail about what CHW specifically covers for a few items listed above:
- Plumbing system: Covers leaks and breaks of water, valves for shower and tub, and stoppages in lines up to 100 feet from an access point
- Air conditioning: Covers compressors and condenser coils
- Ceiling and exhaust fans: Covers motors, switches, controls, and bearings
Optional Add-Ons
Choice Home Warranty customers can also pay an additional fee to acquire protection for items that are not covered in the plans. Before purchasing a home warranty, we recommend analyzing the user agreement to understand the full extent of coverage and know what is and isn’t covered under your policy.
The following add-ons are also available for coverage:
- Additional spa
- Pool and spa
- Central vacuum
- Second refrigerator
- Well pump
- Limited roof leak
- Sprinkler system
- Standalone freezer
- Sump pump
- Septic system
- Septic tank pumping
Coverage Exclusions
Choice Home Warranty excludes preexisting conditions from its coverage. If you think your home systems are old enough to begin experiencing issues, it’s important to purchase coverage before problems occur.
Other items that aren’t covered include the following:
- Cosmetic items, such as knobs, rollers, handles, and doors
- Air conditioning maintenance and associated registers or grills
- Sediment build-up or reservoir tanks for water heater coverage
- Damage caused by theft, fire, and storm damage
Choice Home Warranty Pricing
This Old House Reviews Team called Choice Home Warranty for a quote on a single-family home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and gathered the following data.
- Monthly Cost: $50–$59
- Service Fee Cost: $85 per claim
Policyholders must pay a service fee directly to a service technician when they arrive to address an issue. The average cost of a service fee generally ranges from $75 to $125, so Choice Home Warranty’s fee is in line with industry standards. This charge will hold regardless of the actual cost of the repair or replacement that’s been made.
Coverage Caps and Limitations
While Choice Home Warranty offers extensive protection on numerous systems and appliances, the full cost of a repair or replacement isn’t always covered. According to the sample agreement, the company states that its liability will, in no event, exceed $3,000 per covered item for access, diagnosis, and repair or replacement. That means that once that $3,000 limit is reached for a certain item, customers are responsible for paying any expenses past that limit. Note that the coverage caps differ for optional coverage items. For example, septic systems, stand-alone ice makers, and trash compactors max out at $500.
State Availability
Choice Home Warranty plans are available in 49 states—all but Washington.
Here are alternative home warranty companies to consider if you live in Washington: Best Home Warranty Companies in Washington
Choice Home Warranty Reviews
You can get an idea of the performance of a home warranty company by researching its online reputation. Customers share both positive and negative experiences with CHW.
Some homeowners praise the company for its prompt service, while unexpected claim denials are a common complaint among negative reviews. This Old House readers have also reached out to us about the provider’s vendors failing to properly diagnose issues, and our Reviews Team has received feedback from customers who had trouble getting refunds upon cancellation. Additionally, the BBB currently cites a pattern of consumer complaint regarding charges after cancellation and difficulty obtaining refunds.
Here are a few Choice Home Warranty reviews pulled from the BBB:
“I have used Choice 3 times, perfect service every time.” —Joe A.
“I would most definitely recommend CHW at this point, and will spread the word to my friends and my family. It was the most painless, satisfying experience ever. I was totally pleased with the customer service and the expediency of the company they hired to do the job. I’d give them six stars if I could.” —Shirley C.
“I have purchased the warranty service for my two properties. Almost half claims got declined for various unreasonable excuses. Not recommended!” —Liang H.
We also received feedback from a reader who stated they had issues with the company:
“They refused to pay for repairs on my furnace. I did get my furnace fixed out of my own pocket for $227. CHW would not pay and canceled my policy on 12/02/2020. I pursued a BBB complaint and CHW said I canceled my policy and did not return my calls.” —Lucinda G.
Our Conclusion
If you’re looking for a basic plan, Choice Home Warranty offers two solid plan options. Additionally, the provider doesn’t deny coverage based on your home’s age. However, before choosing any service provider, you should read customer reviews and service contracts, and be aware of any patterns of concern.
Before choosing a home warranty plan, we recommend requesting at least three custom quotes from top home warranty providers.
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