Fidelity National Home Warranty Review

Fidelity National Home Warranty got its start in 1995 as Alliance Home Warranty. The company has gone through several mergers and transitions, and officially became Fidelity National Home Warranty in 2001. Though Fidelity is available in only 17 states, it provides decent coverage at an affordable price.

Choosing the best home warranty provider can be challenging, especially if you don’t have the time to research service plans, costs, and customer reviews. Because of this, the This Old House Reviews Team has done the legwork for you in this comprehensive Fidelity home warranty review and found details on coverage, pricing, and current ratings.

For any homeowner thinking about purchasing a home warranty, we recommend multiple quotes from the top companies:

Pros and Cons of Fidelity Home Warranty

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of signing up for Fidelity National Home Warranty:

Fidelity National Home Warranty Plans and Coverage

Fidelity offers four plans, but the availability of those plans varies across the 17 states the company serves. Below is a breakdown of what each plan covers:

In addition to its four core plans, Fidelity Home Warranty offers optional coverage for many systems and appliances. Depending on your state, the following add-ons may be available:

• Kitchen refrigerator
• Washer/dryer
• Air conditioning
• Pool and spa equipment
• Limited septic leak
• Roof leak repair
• Washer/dryer/kitchen refrigerator with water dispenser and ice maker
• Additional refrigeration
• Appliance limit upgrade
• Septic tank system
• Sewage ejector pump
• Well pump
• Ornamental fountain motor + pump
• Water softener/reverse osmosis water filtration system
• Extended slab leak limit/extended pipe leak
• Home improvement installation
• Outdoor kitchen
• Pre-season HVAC tune-up
• Smart home
• Emergency lodging/portable AC reimbursement
• Homeowners insurance deductible coverage

In our review of Fidelity Home Warranty, we noticed that while coverage under the Standard plan is comprehensive, there are some notable differences when compared to the items covered under standard service plans offered by other companies. For example, companies like First American Home Warranty and AFC Home Club include refrigerators, washers, and dryers as part of their basic plan coverage, whereas Fidelity does not.

Note: Fidelity National Home Warranty has a limited service area. Its offerings are currently available only in the following states:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Missouri
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington

Fidelity National Home Warranty Pricing

Fidelity National Home Warranty plans cost $30.40 per month or $364.80 for an annual plan. However, this cost will vary based on where you live, how big your house is, the type of home you have, and the amount of add-ons you include in your plan.

Fidelity Home Warranty charges a $65-$75 service fee for every claim made, which is at the lower end of the $75–$125 industry average. This means that whenever a service technician comes to your house to address the broken system or appliance, you’ll have to pay a $65-$75 deductible, with the exact price determined by where you live.

Fidelity Coverage Caps

Some items in your Fidelity warranty will have repair limits and coverage exclusions. When you sign up for service, your contract will contain complete details of coverage limitations, letting you know exactly what types of repairs are covered and which parts or damages are not. Ask if you can read a sample contract before signing up for coverage so you understand these limits and learn what is and isn’t covered.

Fidelity National Home Warranty Claim Process

Once you have an account with Fidelity National Home Warranty, you can easily submit a claim for service via a link on their website.

A qualified service technician will be contacted within three hours during normal business hours and within 48 hours on weekends.

The approved service technician will contact you to set up an appointment to inspect and diagnose the problem. If your issue is an emergency, Fidelity National Home Warranty will try to get someone scheduled to come to your home as soon as possible. When the service technician arrives, you will pay the $65-$75 service call fee.

Fidelity National Home Warranty Reviews

Fidelity National Home Warranty has been Better Business Bureau-accredited since 2005 and holds an A+ rating with the BBB. Positive customer reviews reveal a high rate of customer satisfaction, quick service, and dependable coverage. Negative Fidelity home warranty reviews discuss customers only receiving partial payments and “getting the runaround” from Fidelity National Home Warranty.

“I have been with Fidelity National Home Warranty for three years now. This company has never failed to meet the mark in providing great customer service. The service providers that have been dispatched have all been great with the exception of one. In that singular instance, I simply contacted Fidelity, and they dispatched a new provider who did great work.” — Chris W., 5 stars, BBB, 7/15/2019

“I have dealt with several home warranty companies over the years and this company has been by far the worst experience I have had. I would NEVER USE THEM AGAIN. I have called repeatedly to correct a service fee issue for an issue that they ended up sending out the same HVAC contractor out three times and the only thing I saw them do is collect three service fees. They were supposed to have their dispute resolution group contact me on two separate occasions and I NEVER received a call. On this third visit, I again paid the service fee and they are now sending me an invoice saying the service fee is unpaid and due. I have a copy of the cancelled check. Again, NEVER again. There are too many reputable companies out there for me to do business with this company again.” — Scott B., 1 star, BBB, 4/13/2017

Our Reviews Team has also received feedback from a This Old House reader who noted that their experience with the company has been far from pain-free:

“I would like to warn people about this company[,] which is a fraudulent operation. It should be put out of business by the government. It’s one big hassle doing business with them. You are frustrated at every turn!” — Bob R., 2/17/2021

Fidelity Home Warranty Compared to the Competition

Since Fidelity Home Warranty is not offered by This Old House, we recommend comparing Fidelity to other top home warranty providers and getting a quote from each company to compare pricing and negotiate the best deal for your home warranty plan. Compare Fidelity National Home Warranty to American Home Shield below:

Our Conclusion

With an A+ rating from the BBB and a dedication to ensuring quick, reliable service, we think Fidelity National Home Warranty is a contender in the home warranty space. However, because Fidelity doesn’t cover basic items like a refrigerator or air conditioning in its standard plan, we think customers can find better coverage elsewhere.

Our Preferred Provider: American Home Shield

While we identified several benefits in our Fidelity home warranty review, we ultimately recommend American Home Shield as the best overall company in the industry. This home warranty provider has been providing services since 1971, and unlike Fidelity National Home Warranty’s limited service area, American Home Shield offers services in all states except for Alaska.

AHS offers three comprehensive and affordable coverage plans: ShieldPlatinum^™, ShieldGold^™, and ShieldSilver^™. It also offers five optional coverage add-ons for your pool and spa, septic pump, well pump, guest unit, and electronics.

Company Information

• Company name: Fidelity National Home Warranty
• CEO: Bill Jenseh, President
• Years in business: 35 years
• Address: 1850 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 400
• City/State: Concord, CA
• Zip code: 94520
• BBB rating: A+

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.