How does a home warranty work?

After purchasing a home warranty through a provider, coverage usually begins 30 days after your first payment. Some home warranty providers, like The Home Service Club, offer coverage within 10 days of signing up for coverage. Once coverage starts, you can file claims whenever a covered item breaks down, usually over the phone or online. Once the claim is approved, the company will either send a pre-approved technician to your home to diagnose the issue or allow you to choose your own contractor for repairs. The contractor will then diagnose the problem and make a recommendation to repair or replace your broken appliance or system. During the technician’s visit, you’ll pay an agreed upon service fee, usually between $75–$125.

How do I choose a home warranty?

When looking for a home warranty provider, you’ll want to consider the type of coverage you need, as well as your budget. Think about the appliances and systems that you couldn’t afford, should you need to replace or repair them, such as a water heater or plumbing system. Those appliances and systems should be included in all the plans you consider to get the most out of your home warranty. Additionally, consider a monthly or annual price that you’d be comfortable paying. Most home warranty plans cost between $25–$50 a month, with basic plans falling on the lower end of that spectrum. Plan pricing and coverage details should be listed in the terms and conditions of a sample home warranty contract, so make sure you review one before signing up for coverage.

Are home warranties worth it?

When compared to the average cost of repairing or replacing a home appliance or system, a home warranty may be able to save you money in the long run. Additionally, it can provide peace of mind that you’re covered if a system or appliance breaks in your home.

Endurance Home Warranty Review

In 2019, Endurance Home Warranty received a slew of complaints from consumer reporting sites, with customers expressing concerns about the company’s lack of response to filed claims. For example, one customer said the company dodged their calls and refused to send a technician to repair their pool, despite the coverage being outlined in their plan.

As of April 2019, the company halted operations due to customer complaints and accusations of fraud. Though Endurance isn’t a trustworthy home warranty company, there are trusted home warranty providers available that offer comprehensive and affordable coverage at affordable prices.

The This Old House Reviews Team has done the research for you and compared top home warranty companies in the industry to help you find the best home warranty.

Top-Rated Alternatives to Endurance Home Warranty

With a home warranty from one of these top-rated companies, you can rest assured that you’ll receive comprehensive, affordable coverage along with accessible, responsive customer service.

1. American Home Shield

Our top home warranty provider is American Home Shield (AHS). The company is a home warranty veteran, with almost 50 years in the industry.

Here are the pros and cons of choosing American Home Shield for your home warranty coverage:

AHS Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Offers you the ability to choose between a $75, $100, or $125 service fee	Doesn’t provide nationwide coverage (not available in Alaska)
Provides generous coverage caps on systems and appliances	Has only a 30-day repair guarantee
Offers roof leak coverage and an HVAC tune-up with the ShieldPlatinum™ plan	Not as many add-on options as competitors

To receive a free home warranty quote from American Home Shield, fill out this form or call 888-751-6014 to speak to a customer service representative.

2. Select Home Warranty

Another top provider is Select Home Warranty. The company has positioned itself as an affordable and comprehensive home warranty company, offering free roof coverage and low monthly premiums to its customers. It offers three coverage plans, each covering the repair or replacement of different appliances and systems throughout your home.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of signing up for a Select Home Warranty:

Select Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Provides free roof leak coverage to customers	Has a $75 cancellation fee
Has 24/7 customer service through its claim center	Low coverage caps for appliances and systems
Offers customer discounts on multi-year coverage plans	Doesn’t offer a mobile app for its customers

To get a free quote from Select Home Warranty, fill out this online form or call them at 888-370-3956.

Our Conclusion

At This Old House, we strive to provide transparent reviews, only recommending companies that provide honest coverage. That’s why we would never recommend Endurance Home Warranty, or any other company with similar coverage and lack of customer satisfaction, as a provider.

If you’re looking for comprehensive coverage and affordable plans, we recommend American Home Shield and Select Home Warranty.

Our Preferred Provider: American Home Shield

As one of the most trusted companies in the home warranty industry, American Home Shield has comprehensive coverage, even allowing customers to build their own plan. They also provide responsive customer service and offer coverage throughout the continental United States, excluding Alaska.

To get a free quote, fill out this online form or call 888-751-6014 to speak to a customer service representative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Rating Methodology

We back up our home warranty ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to score each provider objectively. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts, and conducting focus groups and consumer surveys.

We score each provider against our review standards, which include four comparison categories: coverage, value, trust and transparency, and availability and service. We rate each provider across 31 factors within these categories. Each factor is assigned a point value based on its importance to a homeowner, totaling 100 points. We then convert the final scores to a 5-star rating.

Here’s a breakdown of our weighted factors:

Coverage (40%): We scored coverage based on included home systems and appliances, add-on options, and unique benefits. We also compared coverage caps and policy exclusions.

- Additional coverage items
- Annual coverage cap
- Home systems coverage
- Major appliances coverage
- Obstructed wall coverage cap

Value (30%): We compared the coverage level received to monthly pricing to determine plan value. We considered premium pricing, service fees, and flexibility in customizing plan costs.

- Average monthly cost
- Cost flexibility
- Lowest service fee

Trust and Transparency (16%): We evaluated each company’s reputation using the Better Business Bureau ratings and customer reviews on third-party review sites. We read through plan change policies, workmanship protections, and sample contract availability.

- Brand reputation
- Policy change flexibility
- Sample contract availability
- Workmanship guarantee length

Availability and Service (14%): We award higher scores for faster claim processing and response times. We also considered service technician policies, including options to choose your technician.

- Claims process
- Guaranteed response time
- Service flexibility

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