First American Home Warranty Review (2024)
We recommend First American Home Warranty (FAHW) as one of the best options for homeowners with expensive appliances or high-end homes. The company provides unlimited coverage for most home systems except for HVAC, and the appliance caps significantly surpass the industry standard of $2,000.
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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 (except 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.
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.
- We rated First American Home Warranty 4.6 out of 5 stars and consider it the best home warranty for appliance coverage.
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.
The following table outlines FAHW’s plans and covered items:
Item Covered | Starter Plan | Essential Plan | Premium Plan |
---|---|---|---|
Air conditioning | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Built-in microwave | ✓ | – | ✓ |
Ceiling/attic/exhaust fans | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Central vacuum system | – | – | ✓ |
Clothes dryer | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Clothes washer | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Dishwasher | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ductwork | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Electrical systems | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Faucets | – | – | ✓ |
Garage-door opener | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Garbage disposal | – | – | ✓ |
Heating system | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Instant hot water dispenser | – | – | ✓ |
Kitchen range hood | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Luxury appliance | – | – | ✓ |
Oven/range/cooktop | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Plumbing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Plumbing stoppages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Refrigerator | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Shower head/shower arm | – | – | ✓ |
Toilet tank/bowl/mechanisms | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Trash compactor | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Water heaters | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Window AC unit | – | – | ✓ |
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:
Appliances
- Additional refrigeration
- Water softeners
HVAC/Plumbing
- Central air conditioning (Starter Plan only)
- HVAC tune-up
- Septic tank system/pumping
- Well pump
Outdoor Amenities
- Pool/spa equipment
Home Services
- Limited roof-leak
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:
Water Heaters
- Flues
- Fuel storage tanks
- Holding or storage tanks
- Vents
Heating System
- Chimneys
- Filters
- Grills
- Space heaters
Kitchen Appliances
- Dials
- Door glass
- Knobs
- Lock assemblies
- Rotisseries
Electrical System
- Doorbells
- Low voltage systems
- Power surges
- Timed circuits
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
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:
Plan | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | Coverage Cap |
---|---|---|---|
Starter Plan | $42–$57 | $75–$125 | Systems: UnlimitedAppliances: $3,500 |
Essential Plan | $52–$67 | $75–$125 | Systems: Unlimited (Water heaters: $1,000)Appliances: $3,500 |
Premium | $67–$82 | $75–$125 | Systems: Remain the sameAppliances: $7,000 |
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.
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.
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
- Customers praise First American Home Warranty’s professional staff, quick claim responses, and skillful technicians.
- 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
- Customers complain about claims denial, poor repairs, or low-quality replacements.
- 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.
Positive Reviews
Negative Reviews
*BBB Ratings are current as of March 2024.
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.
Company | BBB Rating | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | Visit Site |
---|---|---|---|---|
B | $42–$82 | $100–$125 | VISIT SITE | |
NR** | $49–$59 | $65–$125 | VISIT SITE | |
B | $29–$89 | $100–$125 | VISIT SITE | |
B+ | $44–$58 | $70 | VISIT SITE | |
B | $35–$94 | $75–$125 | VISIT SITE | |
B+ | $30–$56 | $100–$150 | VISIT SITE |
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.
How To Choose a Home Warranty
We recommend taking the following steps when shopping for a home warranty plan.
- Assess your coverage needs: Consider the specific coverage needs for appliances and systems. Look at your item’s age and condition before choosing a plan.
- Set your budget: Create a firm budget for your item’s coverage needs. Search for a plan that includes most of your required items and factor in add-ons and service call fees.
- Request multiple quotes: We recommend getting at least three free quotes from home warranty providers.
- Review sample contracts: Check all provider’s sample service contracts. Read through each for exclusions, coverage limits, and technician policies.
- Research each company: Check each company’s reviews through sites like the BBB. Remember to check your local branch offices’ review pages.
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 looking for a low-cost home warranty plan.
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.
FAQ About First American Home Warranty
How soon can I request a service call from First American Home Warranty?
You can request service from First American Home Warranty after a 30-day waiting period. This policy is standard in the home warranty industry.
How much does First American Home Warranty cost in 2024?
First American Home Warranty’s monthly premiums range from $42–$82, and its service fees range from $75–$125. Your premiums will increase if you choose a less expensive service fee.
What are the typical exclusions in a First American Home Warranty plan?
First American Home Warranty excludes specific items or parts of items for each coverage category, such as chimneys or various electrical system components. It also has general exclusions common to most other home warranty companies, including:
- Damage from flood, fire, high winds, or other acts of God
- Theft or vandalism
- Items that are not in safe and working order at the start of the contract
- The handling of hazardous or toxic materials such as asbestos
- Commercial property
What are the customer satisfaction ratings for First American Home Warranty?
FAHW has mixed customer satisfaction scores across review sites. First American Home Warranty has a rating of 1.8 out of 5 stars on the BBB and 4.1 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.