Best Home Warranty Companies in San Diego

San Diego weather has a reputation for being perfect, but that doesn’t mean southern California homeowners want to go through the summer without an air conditioner. Systems and appliances that get a lot of use, like HVAC systems, don’t last forever, and when they wear out, you can face high repair or replacement costs. However, if you have a home warranty that covers the item, you only need to pay a small service fee to get it fixed.

Many nationwide companies offer home warranties in California, but you’ll want to be sure to pick the company that offers the coverage you need at a price you can afford. Thus, we’ve compiled this list of the top home warranty companies in San Diego and the details of the plans they offer to homeowners.

Top 4 Home Warranty Companies in San Diego

The highest-rated home warranty companies in San Diego include:

• American Home Shield: Best Overall
• First American Home Warranty: Best Appliance Coverage
• Select Home Warranty: Best Value
• Cinch Home Services: Best Additional Perks

American Home Shield

For the best overall home warranty in San Diego, we recommend American Home Shield. This provider allows you to customize your payments, on top of its long history in the home warranty industry.

American Home Shield Plans

American Home Shield offers three standard plans: one for systems, one for systems and appliances, and one for both with extra perks. Here is what each plan covers:

American Home Shield’s coverage doesn’t end inside the home, either. If you need it, you can purchase additional coverage for pools, spas, well pumps, septic pumps, and guest units up to 750 sq. ft.

American Home Shield Prices

American Home Shield’s customizable payments relate to the monthly premium versus the service call fee. The premium is what you pay every month of the contract, whether you use it or not. The service call fee or deductible is what you pay every time a technician comes to your house to diagnose, repair, or replace a covered item. If you choose a higher deductible, you will owe a lower monthly premium, and vice versa.

American Home Shield allows you to choose a $75, $100, or $125 service call fee. Since $75 is the industry-average deductible, here are the monthly premiums that go with it.

First American Home Warranty

First American Home Warranty also gets our recommendation for offering the best value. The company’s First Class Upgrade and numerous additional coverage options make it an appealing choice.

First American Home Warranty Plans

Instead of separating plans by systems and appliances, First American has a Basic Plan that covers many major systems and appliances and a Value Plan that adds the First Class Upgrade and AC coverage. The Eagle Premier Plan covers everything in the Value Plan plus refrigerators, washers, and dryers.

Note that the First Class Upgrade includes coverage for situations that most other home warranty companies don’t cover, like repairing improperly installed or modified appliances and code violations. This upgrade also covers related costs like lifting equipment, building permits, and refrigerant disposal.

First American also offers optional coverage for these items.

• Additional refrigeration (up to 4 units)
• Limited roof leak
• Ornamental fountain
• Outdoor kitchen
• Pool and/or spa equipment
• Pre-season HVAC tune-up
• Septic tank pumping/system
• Sewage ejector pump
• Smart home devices/equipment
• Water softener/reverse osmosis filtration system
• Well pump
• First Class Plus (raises coverage caps for water heating systems and code upgrades)
• Plumbing Plus (raises coverage caps for some plumbing issues)

First American Home Warranty Prices

All First American plans come with a deductible of $75. Here are some sample prices for the company’s three options.

Select Home Warranty

If your budget is your largest concern, take a close look at Select Home Warranty’s plans. You can still get the coverage you need at a reasonable price.

Select Home Warranty Plans

Like most other companies, Select Home Warranty offers plans to cover systems, appliances, or both.

Although Select Home Warranty doesn’t offer additional coverage options, all plans come with limited roof leak coverage.

Select Home Warranty Prices

Select Home Warranty offers the lowest deductible of any company on this list; the fee will be between $60 and $75 depending on where you live. The premium prices are similarly affordable. Note that the Platinum Care Plan has the lowest price of any combination plan.

Cinch Home Services

Finally, Cinch Home Services stands out for its workmanship guarantee. Most companies guarantee their technicians’ repairs for 30 days, but Cinch Home Services extends that to 180 days.

Cinch Home Services Plans

Cinch Home Services’ Complete Plan comes with homeowners insurance deductible reimbursement, which is a unique benefit for a home warranty company.

All plans also cover rust and corrosion damage as well as unknown pre-existing conditions. With any of these plans, additional coverage is available for the following.

• Pool/spa combination
• Septic system
• Well pump
• Premier Upgrade Package (covers some related repair charges like disposal and permits)

Cinch Home Services Prices

With Cinch, you can choose a service fee of $100, $125, or $150. While the $150 figure is high, the company’s premium prices start on the low end of the spectrum.

Our Conclusion

While American Home Shield gets our best overall recommendation, we realize that different homeowners have different priorities when it comes to home warranty coverage. For a plan with the best appliance coverage, we recommend First American Home Warranty. For the best value, we recommend Select Home Warranty. For the best additional perks, we recommend Cinch Home Services.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a home warranty cost in San Diego?

In general, home warranty premium prices range between about $30 and $60 a month or $360 and $720 a year. Extra coverage options are priced individually and will increase the total cost. Service call fees on all plans fall between $60 and $150.

What does a home warranty cover in San Diego?

A home warranty will usually cover:

• Wear-and-tear damage, no matter how old the item.
• Repairs of covered appliances or systems.
• Replacement of any covered items that can’t be repaired.

A home warranty will usually not cover:

• Damage from a natural disaster or catastrophic incident.
• Accidental damage.
• Manufacturing defects.
• Improper installation and modification (except where noted).
• Pre-existing conditions (except where noted)

What are the benefits of a home warranty in San Diego?

Home warranties offer the peace of mind that comes from knowing you won’t have to shell out huge, unexpected costs for wear-and-tear damage to important functional items in your home. Although these warranties don’t cover every type of damage, they do provide insurance against appliances and systems wearing out in the course of normal use.

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