First American Home Warranty Review (2024)

We recommend First American Home Warranty (FAHW) as one of the best home warranties for homeowners with expensive appliances or higher-end homes. The company provides unlimited coverage for home systems (save for HVAC, which has a $1,000 cap). It also has an appliance cap of $3,500 in its base plan and $7,000 in its premium plan. These caps are some of the most generous in the industry, as the standard appliance coverage cap is around $2,000.

Our team researched FAHW by reading hundreds of customer reviews, speaking with industry experts, analyzing its policies, and breaking down its sample contracts. We then weighed FAHW against our comprehensive ratings and review standards. We also had a team member purchase a First American plan to test the experience of owning one. Below, we’ll review what we found and discuss everything you should know about First American Home Warranty before picking a policy. 

*Editor’s Note: This review was updated on March 15, 2024, with our latest consumer survey data, competitor comparison details, and added insights from industry experts. All pricing information in this article was gathered from a sample quote for a 2,000-square-foot home in Tempe, Arizona.

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Our Take on First American Home Warranty

We like First American Home Warranty’s generous appliance coverage, 24/7 customer service availability, and multiple service fee options. We recommend FAHW for homeowners with higher-end homes or brand-new appliances. Its plans include unlimited coverage caps for home systems and appliance coverage caps above industry standard on its most basic plan. Its Premium Plan increases its appliance coverage to $7,000, more than three times the industry average.

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How We Rated First American Home Warranty

We used our detailed review standards to rate First American Home Warranty based on the criteria homeowners find most important. FAHW received points in each category, up to a total of 100, to determine its final star rating of 4.6 out of 5. Here’s a breakdown of how FAHW performed in each category:

• Coverage: FAHW earned high points in this category for its strong plan coverage and high coverage caps. 
• Value: FAHW lost points in this category due to its higher-than-average monthly premiums and service fees. 
• Trustworthiness and transparency: FAHW earned most points in this category because of its workmanship guarantee, decent customer review scores, and willingness to provide easy-to-read sample contracts. 
• Availability and service: FAHW’s quick response times, efficient claims process, and multiple means of communication earned it strong points in this category. It lost out on some points for not letting customers choose their own technician. 

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What Plans and Coverage Does First American Home Warranty Offer?

First American Home Warranty’s coverage includes three plans: the Starter Plan, Essential Plan, and Premium Plan. The Starter and Essential plans cover both major systems and appliances. FAHW has a $3,500 coverage limit per appliance. The Premium Plan adds more coverage options, such as faucets and central vacuum systems. It also increases appliance limits to $7,000 per covered item. 

We read through a sample contract and discovered that FAHW only operates in 35 states. The states that it excludes are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. 

Reading through the contract also revealed that FAHW’s Essential and Premium plans come with First American Advantage upgrades. This bonus coverage includes minor upkeep and tertiary costs that most other home warranty plans exclude. Some of the most important inclusions in this bonus are lifting equipment (cranes) for installing HVAC systems, building permits to replace items, items that fail due to improper installation or repair, and refrigerant recapture, reclamation, and disposal. The First American Advantage upgrade has a combined cap of $500 for the Essential Plan and $1,000 for the Premium Plan.

Optional Add-ons

First American Home Warranty offers several add-ons to cover niche appliances and systems if you need more comprehensive coverage after purchasing your base plan. FAHW also provides optional services such as re-keying.

FAHW’s sample contract reveals that policyholders have 30 days to add optional coverage to their plan. First American Home Warranty offers nine add-ons. The costs range from $2.08–$20.83 per month, which is in line with other home warranty providers.  

Here is a full list of First American Home Warranty’s add-ons:

Why Would First American Home Warranty Deny My Claim?

Most First American Home Warranty’s exclusions are item- or plan-specific. It denies coverage for specific items or parts of items for each category of coverage. We combed through First American’s sample contract to find some common exclusions listed below:

FAHW also has general exclusions similar to most home warranty providers. For example, FAHW covers parts necessary for functionality, not cosmetic components. Some common general exclusions include the following: 

• Repairs or replacements resulting from flood, fire, high winds, and other natural disasters 
• Repairs or replacements resulting from theft, vandalism, or improper installation not covered by the contract
• Items that are not in safe and working order at the start of the contract
• Services involved with the handling of hazardous or toxic materials such as asbestos 
• Commercial property

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How Much Does First American Home Warranty Cost?

First American Home Warranty offers competitively priced plans within the home warranty industry. The company has a higher coverage limit for most items and wider coverage per plan, resulting in its premiums costing slightly more than other providers. Most home warranties cost $25–$50 per month. More comprehensive policies are $60–$75 or more monthly. 

Here’s what each plan costs based on our sample quote:

Our team member signed up for an automatic renewal policy that charges his credit card monthly.

What Is First American Home Warranty’s Service Call Fee?

First American has three service call fees: $75, $100, and $125. You select a service fee when signing up for a FAHW plan, and this fee affects your monthly premium price. Our team member confirmed First American charges his credit card on file after he files his claim.

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How Do I File a Claim with First American Home Warranty?

During our testing process, our team member filed a claim for his garage-door opener. Here is an overview of how he filed his claim: 

• Claim submission: He logged into his online claims portal via his smartphone and used a drop-down menu to select his issue and confirm his service request. The next window displays three drop-down menus and a text box to add additional information to describe the problem. You can also call the service line at 800-992-3400 to file a claim. First American’s claim support team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Confirmation and appointment scheduling: Once our team member submitted a claim, First American sent a text confirmation with the assigned contractor’s contact information. The contractor contacted our team member within 30 minutes to book an appointment. Our team member filed his claim on a Friday, so the service provider booked a service visit for the following Monday. FAHW’s policy states it can take up to 48 hours to process your claim and appoint a technician. You can select your own service technician if there isn’t one available in the network, but your technician will be subject to company approval. 
• Repair complement: Our team member reported that the contractor arrived on time and repaired his garage door opener within 30 minutes. Our team member said the service contractor was efficient, knowledgeable, and professional. Once your technician repairs the item, you must pay your service call fee. If repairing more than one item per visit, you’ll have to pay multiple service call fees, according to FAHW’s sample contract. Additional charges or fees may arise if the technician performs repairs outside normal business hours. 

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First American Home Warranty Reviews: Reddit, BBB, and More

We read over 100 responses from third-party review sites such as Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Reddit, and Google Reviews when researching First American Home Warranty. FAHW has mixed reviews across these sites. Customers praise its staff’s professionalism but also complain about overt claim denial. 

Below, we provide a more detailed summary of customer sentiments: 

What Homeowners Like

• Polite and skillful technicians: FAHW customers praise their assigned technicians’ professionalism and promptness. 
• Helpful customer service representatives: Customers who have called FAHW’s phone line are pleased with the customer support staff’s service.  
• Quick and efficient claims processing: Homeowners are pleased with FAHW’s quick claim processing, with many reporting claim processing in less than 24 hours. 

What Homeowners Dislike

• Claim denial: Customers state that FAHW continuously denied their claims, citing exclusions or contract “loopholes” as the reason for denial. 
• Poor repairs: Some customers complain that their technicians did a poor job repairing damaged items, with problems failing to be resolved or popping up after the technician departs. 
• Low-quality replacements: Homeowners complain that FAHW replaced their products with low-quality generic brands. 

Average Customer Rating

First American Home Warranty has mixed customer ratings and review scores across independent review sites. Its BBB page has over 1,800 reviews with an average rating of 1.8 out of 5 stars. Its score is much higher on Trustpilot, with a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars and almost 14,000 responses. These scores are standard for most home warranty companies. For example, American Home Shield has a 2.1 rating on Trustpilot.

Customer Reviews

Here is a collection of positive and negative reviews for First American Home Warranty.

*BBB Ratings are current as of March 2024.

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First American Home Warranty vs. Competitors

The following table compares First American Home Warranty with some of the best home warranty companies in the industry. 

First American Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield

First American Home Warranty provides better overall coverage than American Home Shield (AHS). Both FAHW and AHS offer protection for preexisting conditions, but FAHW has higher coverage caps across the board. Many of the bonuses included in FAHW’s First American Advantage upgrade, such as coverage for improperly installed items, aren’t included in AHS’s plans. 

Prices between FAHW and AHS are comparable. Monthly premiums for AHS are $29–$89, whereas FAHW’s are $42–$82. Service call fees are similarly priced, with AHS ranging from $100–$125 and FAHW $75–$125. Both companies offer tiered plans that cover a mix of home appliances and systems. However, FAHW’s wider selection of add-ons gives it better customization options than AHS. Another area where FAHW wins out is in roof-leak protection. FAHW offers this coverage for free in every package, while AHS only provides it within its Premium Plan. 

First American Home Warranty vs. Select Home Warranty

Select Home Warranty’s major advantages are its premiums and service fees. Select provides some of the most competitively priced plans on the market. Each of Select’s home warranty plans is under $50 per month, and its service call fees are $60–$75.

Select’s coverage caps are the downside to these affordable prices. The company has a $500 cap except for HVAC systems, which have a $3,000 cap. FAHW’s plans provide unlimited system coverage and a minimum $3,500 appliance cap. FAHW’s lowest coverage cap is for water heaters at $1,000, which is twice that of Select’s coverage cap. 

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Home Warranty Cost Calculator

We created a calculator to break down the estimated annual cost of owning a home warranty. Use the following steps to calculate your projected annual cost:

1. Enter your monthly premium
2. Enter your service call fee
3. Enter your estimated number of claims 

It’s best to request a quote directly from one of our recommended providers, as annual costs and service fees vary.

Use the table below to compare your average repair and replacement costs for common appliances:

*Life span and repair cost data sourced from InterNACHI and Home Depot.

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What’s Our Verdict on First American Home Warranty?

We recommend First American Home Warranty if you own a higher-end home, have expensive appliances, or don’t want coverage caps on essential home systems. However, its high premiums may make it unappealing to homeowners on a budget.

We scored First American Home Warranty 4.6 out of 5 stars. The company offers comprehensive home warranty plans, covers improperly installed, modified, or maintained items, and doesn’t have a coverage cap on cooling, heating, or ductwork. Additionally, First American provides 24/7 customer service and offers flexible payment options.

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FAQ About First American Home Warranty

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