American Home Shield (AHS) is a veteran in the home warranty industry and one of the best home warranty companies. It provides comprehensive coverage alongside excellent customer service. Read on to see if it’s the right home warranty provider for you.
Our Take on American Home Shield
We rated American Home Shield 4.4 out of 5 stars.
We consider the company to have one of the most comprehensive home warranty plans due to its three plan options, generous coverage limits, and flexible service call fees. Its extensive plan options, nationwide availability, and decades of experience make it a good investment for homeowners.
Additionally, Frontdoor, American Home Shield’s parent company, offers a mobile app that pairs well with a coverage plan. Our team downloaded the app and found an extensive how-to library that provides routine maintenance tips, repair instructions, and more.
With a home warranty from AHS, you’ll only pay your monthly premium and chosen service call fee when your systems and appliances unexpectedly break down. When we surveyed 1,000 homeowners, 76% said they paid $400 or more for a broken system or appliance repair. An AHS plan could pay for itself within the first repair because plans start at $360 annually.
Note: The pricing above and throughout the article reflects a sample quote our team pulled for a 1,500-square-foot single-family home in Raleigh, North Carolina. Your pricing may vary depending on your location, your home’s size and type, and your plan and add-on selections.
Best Home Warranty Companies of 2023
The home warranty companies with the best ratings include the following:
- American Home Shield: Best for Comprehensive Coverage
- Liberty Home Guard: Best Customer Ratings
- 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
- America’s First Choice Home Club: Best for Customization
Summary of the Best Home Warranty Companies
| Best For | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | BBB Rating | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Home Shield | | Best for Comprehensive Coverage | $64–$74 | $100–$125 | B | VISIT SITE |
| Liberty Home Guard |  | Best Customer Ratings | $49–$60 | $65–$125 | A | VISIT SITE |
| Select Home Warranty |  | Best Value | $44–$48 | $60–$75 | B- | VISIT SITE |
| AFC Home Club |  | Best for Customization | $48–$55 | $75–$125 | B | VISIT SITE |
| First American Home Warranty |  | Best Appliance Coverage | $60–$76 | $75–$125 | B | VISIT SITE |
| Cinch Home Services |  | Best Additional Perks | $47–$64 | $100–$150 | B | VISIT SITE |
| 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty |  | Cheapest Appliances Plan | $22–$74 | $65–$100 | B+ | VISIT SITE |
| American Home Shield | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Best For | Best for Comprehensive Coverage |
| Monthly Cost | $64–$74 |
| Service Fee | $100–$125 |
| BBB Rating | B |
| Liberty Home Guard | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Best For | Best Customer Ratings |
| Monthly Cost | $49–$60 |
| Service Fee | $65–$125 |
| BBB Rating | A |
| Select Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Best For | Best Value |
| Monthly Cost | $44–$48 |
| Service Fee | $60–$75 |
| BBB Rating | B- |
| AFC Home Club | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Best For | Best for Customization |
| Monthly Cost | $48–$55 |
| Service Fee | $75–$125 |
| BBB Rating | B |
| First American Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Best For | Best Appliance Coverage |
| Monthly Cost | $60–$76 |
| Service Fee | $75–$125 |
| BBB Rating | B |
| Cinch Home Services | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Best For | Best Additional Perks |
| Monthly Cost | $47–$64 |
| Service Fee | $100–$150 |
| BBB Rating | B |
| 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Best For | Cheapest Appliances Plan |
| Monthly Cost | $22–$74 |
| Service Fee | $65–$100 |
| BBB Rating | B+ |
Annual Home Warranty Cost Calculator
Our team created a calculator to break down the estimated annual cost of owning a home warranty. Enter your monthly premium, service call fee, and estimated number of claims to see your projected annual cost. It’s best to request a quote directly from one of our recommended providers, as annual costs and service fees vary between them.
Lifespan and repair cost data sourced from InterNACHI and Home Depot
Pros and Cons of American Home Shield
American Home Shield Plans and Coverage
American Home Shield plans cover some of the most important household systems and appliances. AHS offers the following three plans:
- ShieldSilver: This plan covers a variety of major systems, such as air conditioning and electrical systems.
- ShieldGold: This plan covers systems and home appliances, including cooktops and refrigerators.
- ShieldPlatinum: This plan is best for comprehensive coverage because it covers systems and appliances and adds roof-leak repair coverage, a free HVAC tune-up, and code violation fee coverage.
American Home Shield provides multiple coverage caps. For example, AHS includes a $5,000 limit per covered system in all plans. AHS pairs major appliances with a $2,000 limit. Its most comprehensive plan, ShieldPlatinum, doubles the appliance coverage limit to $4,000 per covered item. You are responsible for the additional cost if a repair or replacement exceeds the established coverage cap.
In addition to generous coverage caps, American Home Shield covers unique conditions other providers do not. For example, it covers items with rust, corrosion, sediment damage, and preexisting conditions. It doesn’t require a home inspection before granting coverage.
American Home Shield has notable coverage exclusions. It won’t cover standard maintenance, such as air filter changes for your air conditioner. It won’t cover construction costs associated with repairing or replacing an item, manufacturing defects, mold or mildew removal, and more.
Here is American Home Shield’s sample contract, which lists its exact terms and conditions. Note that service contract terms vary from state to state. Contact American Home Shield for more information on your state-specific clauses.
Plan Details
We compiled a list of American Home Shield’s covered items per plan in the table below.
| Coverage | ShieldSilver | ShieldGold | ShieldPlatinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air conditioners | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in exhaust/vent/attic fans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in microwave ovens | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ceiling fans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clothes dryers | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clothes washers | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dishwashers | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Doorbells and chimes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ductwork | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Faucets and valves | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Garage-door openers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Garbage disposals | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Heating units | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instant hot/cold water dispensers | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interior electrical lines | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interior plumbing lines | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Main breaker and fuse panel box | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ranges/cooktops | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Refrigerators | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roof-leak repairs | – | – | ✓ |
| Ovens | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Toilets | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water heaters | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Whirlpool tub motor and components | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Optional Add-ons
American Home Shield offers coverage for five additional items that you can include with any plan. American Home Shield provides comprehensive coverage limits and flexible service call fees to compensate for its limited additional coverage. Providers that offer more add-ons, such as Liberty Home Guard, tend to have lower coverage limits.
Here are the optional add-ons with the sample pricing our team requested. For ShieldSilver and ShieldGold holders, roof-leak protection is also available for purchase.
- Electronics extended warranty ($14 per month)
- Guest unit ($10 per month)
- Pool and spa ($24 per month)
- Roof-leak repair ($10 per month)
- Septic pump ($5 per month)
- Well pump ($8 per month)
American Home Shield Pricing
American Home Shield’s home warranty prices are higher than industry averages. Plan pricing depends on where you live, the plan type you choose, and how many add-ons you include in your coverage. For example, a plan may cost more if you live in a state with severe weather or if your home is larger than 5,000 square feet. In addition, plans usually cost more if you choose more comprehensive coverage.
American Home Shield costs between $29 and $90 per month, not including $100 and $125 service call fees. Our team utilized American Home Shield’s online quote tool for pulling pricing data. In total, the online quote process took under two minutes to complete. Selecting add-ons was easy. You simply check a box next to the add-on you want. Your monthly premium adjusts automatically based on your selections.
One of our team members owns an American Home Shield plan and confirmed that the company automatically withdraws the monthly premium from the credit card on file.
Choosing a higher service fee means your monthly premium will be cheaper and vice versa. The table below shows pricing details for each plan paired with a $100 or $125 service fee:
| Plan | $100 Service Call Fee | $125 Service Call Fee |
|---|---|---|
| ShieldSilver | $29.99 | $39.99 |
| ShieldGold | $49.99 | $59.99 |
| ShieldPlatinum | $79.99 | $89.99 |
The pricing above reflects the quote we pulled for a single-family home located in Raleigh, North Carolina. We recommend filling out this simple online form to get a free quote for plans in your area.
How To Use Your American Home Shield Plan
Once you sign up, you’re a click or call away from using your American Home Shield plan. During our secret-shopping process, we experienced brief wait times each time we called AHS, averaging under three minutes per call. Each representative we spoke with answered our questions fully without pressuring us to sign up.
American Home Shield’s claims process involves filing a claim via your online portal or calling its 24/7 claims phone line. Although you can file a claim anytime, American Home Shield’s response time may vary. It aims to process your claim and send a service technician to diagnose your issue within 48 hours of receiving it. However, if you file a claim after normal business hours or during holidays, American Home Shield may take longer to process your claim.
You can choose your own technician if American Home Shield cannot find one within its network of licensed service providers. You must first obtain approval from American Home Shield before your technician does work and keep itemized receipts of the repair or replacement.
It’s a good idea to review your service contract to understand your plan’s specific terms and conditions, especially how it handles claims. According to Arthur Chartrand, of counsel to the National Home Service Contract Association (NHSCA), American Home Shield, and home warranties in general, are in business to send someone to your home and fix your issue within a commercially reasonable time. He adds that expecting quick fixes for large breakdowns, such as an HVAC failure, is unreasonable.
Filing a Claim
During our testing process, a member of our team filed a claim for a plumbing leak. He filed the claim on his smartphone online by signing into his claims portal account. American Home Shield’s claims portal displays the repairs covered under your selected plan. Our team member entered his issue by selecting several prompts. After he submitted his claim, AHS sent a confirmation email and text stating it received the claim. Within an hour, our team member received a call from a local service provider and scheduled an appointment for the next day. Our team member recalled the service contractor arrived before their scheduled appointment and repaired the issue in roughly two hours. Our team member reported that the contractor was courteous, knowledgeable, and provided satisfactory service.
Our team member shared the images below displaying American Home Shield’s online portal on his mobile phone. The first image displays the repair issues covered in his plan. The second shows the selected repair—in this case, a pipe leak. The third shows the name of the in-network service provider AHS chose to fulfill the repair.
American Home Shield Reputation and Customer Reviews
American Home Shield has a mix of positive and negative customer reviews. Overall, we found customers were satisfied with the service and value American Home Shield provides. Some customers are happy with the quick fixes and easy claims process, while some complain about denied claims and negative experiences with on-site technicians.
We analyzed dozens of customer reviews from sites such as the Better Business Bureau, ConsumerAffairs, and Trustpilot.
Take a look at this list of reviews from customers who had a positive experience with American Home Shield:
“My HVAC fan that blows air for my AC died. I filed a claim online, was assigned a contractor, Climate Masters, and am extremely pleased with the outcome. I received a $900+ repair and a skilled technician for a low co-pay of $125. I would highly recommend American Home Shield.” — John C., Jun. 6, 2023, on BBB
“I had my home rekeyed. Submitting the claim was very good and easy. The technician was wonderful. He was very good at communicating what he was doing and why he was doing it. He explained a lot. I was surprised that he was so thorough for just a rekey.”— Tami, Jun. 18, 2023, on ConsumerAffairs
“The necessary service was done promptly, the serviceman was professional and explained everything thoroughly, and the problem was resolved without further action.” — BJ, Jun. 13, 2023, on Trustpilot
“I just purchased an AHS plan. I’d thought about it for quite some time and felt it was time. Easy to sign up, and I got a great monthly rate. Being on a fixed income and the economy the way it is, I have to watch my money. Thank you, AHS.” — Lorraine R., Jun. 3, 2023, on BBB
“My septic was backing up in my shower and inside the house. I placed a service request online with AHS. Someone called me within two hours. The gentleman was very good, courteous and knowledgeable. He seemed to be able to diagnose the situation quickly. The tech came out twice, and the second time seemed to do the trick. I would recommend AHS.” — Renita, Jun. 17, 2023, on ConsumerAffairs
“Very pleased with the responsiveness of the company as well as the contractors assigned to do the work. Job was completed less than 24hrs after submitting the work order–which is unheard of especially considering it was a holiday. Great job.” — Brian P., Jun. 1, 2023, on Trustpilot
Take a look at the following reviews from customers who had a negative experience with American Home Shield:
“American Home Shield came out in February and charged me and never fixed the hole in my wall going to tub and yet they charged me and never fixed my toliet. Also, I dispatched them for my whirlpool tub, and they sent a plumber instead of an electrician and it has been over 2 weeks and no movement. Also, I called them about my pool, and they will not cover the t-cell when they did in the past. I will be dropping them!” — Milly G., Jun. 21, 2023, on BBB
“I’ve called American Home Shield three years in a row because my air conditioning kept going out, and they kept sending people. Each time, I had to pay the $100 deductible. The first year, I didn’t have enough Freon in my air conditioning, so I had to pay out of pocket for a bunch of Freon at $250, then it was fine. The next year, I called them for the exact same thing again. They sent another guy, and I was told I needed a new furnace. It cost me $960 to have the new furnace put in. My air conditioning went out this year, and I called them again. They sent another guy, and he found the leak, which fixed the problem. They had to replace my air conditioner, which cost me $2,600.” — Jay, Jun. 15, 2023, on ConsumerAffairs
“Have multiple home warranties in place and needed to cancel 1 of them because we sold the property- what a disaster to do so – multiple times on hold for 20+ min only to be disconnected- a 3rd time in hold for 1 hr and 5 min only to be disconnected- finally got it done and had to pay a cancellation fee even tho we had plan in place for more than the year we signed up for – making we want to cancel all of them – terrible customer service.” — Timothy G., Jun. 27, 2023, on Trustpilot
“We’ve had AHS for over 20 years. These last 5 years have seen a decline in their customer care. Every year the price goes up, and the service contractors go down. The worst is the multiple complaints about certain contractors, yet they keep them as vendors. Its like they give a kickback to contractors for listing stuff on the invoice that nulls your contract for that item.” — Chandra W, Jun. 21, 2023, on BBB
“We needed a faucet repair, and the first guy that AHS sent out was okay, but the repair was done incorrectly. So, we had to send for another one, and they came out and fixed it. Also, we had to call AHS eight times to get the proper information.” — Gregory, Jun. 7, 2023, on ConsumerAffairs
“I put in a service request on 5/7/23. They installed a new compressor which never worked, which is where my story starts. I am sitting here on 6/8/23, waiting on a second compressor to be shipped to their contractor. I keep calling AHS, and they keep trying to tell me it shipped, then give me info on the first compressor that was installed and never even started up. Stay away from this home warranty company. Customer service is below par.” — Peggy B., Jun. 8, 2023, on Trustpilot
We also received this feedback from one of our readers:
“They are unresponsive, do not follow through on calls, and use cut-rate service vendors who lack in their ability to complete repairs in a timely manner. I have now been waiting a month for hot water, have had three visits from the service vendor, and have been told by both the vendor and AHS that the parts are on order. My previous experience with AHS was to get a clothes dryer repaired. After over a month of waiting for parts, I finally purchased a new dryer. Several months later they did reimburse me for the purchase. AHS never did any follow-up until I cancelled the service call and demanded payment.” — John F., Oct. 28, 2022
Despite some negative reviews, we found American Home Shield takes customer service seriously. As noted, we had a positive experience speaking with representatives. In addition, the NHSCA, a non-profit industry organization that self-regulates member companies, lists American Home Shield as a member company. When we surveyed 1,000 homeowners about which home warranty provider they use, American Home Shield was the most popular at 23%.
Our Conclusion
Our team rated American Home Shield 4.4 out of 5 stars for its comprehensive coverage options and high coverage caps. Furthermore, AHS allows you to choose your service call fee to customize your premiums for further peace of mind.
If you’re ready to sign up for a home warranty with American Home Shield, get a free online quote for pricing in your area. Read its sample contract and call a representative to understand coverage options, exclusions, and limitations.
FAQ About American Home Shield
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our home warranty ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each provider. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts from each company, and conducting focus groups and consumer surveys. We then score each provider against our review standards for coverage, value, trustworthiness and transparency, availability, and customer service to arrive at a final score out of 100.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
New Jersey Residents: The product being offered by the featured brand is a service contract and is separate and distinct from any product or service warranty which may be provided by the home builder or manufacturer.