Old Republic Home Warranty Review

Old Republic Home Protection is a home warranty company that covers 24 states. It is one of the few providers we reviewed with an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Its home warranty plans offer a range of options, from basic appliance insurance coverage to more comprehensive plans that cover essential home systems like HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. 

Our research shows that customers appreciate Old Republic’s clear service agreements and competitive pricing, making it a strong choice for homeowners looking for reliable coverage. The company also stands out for its extended workmanship guarantees, which ensure it covers repairs for a longer period than other brands. Our team reviewed Old Republic to determine whether it makes our list of the best home warranty companies nationwide.

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Pros and Cons of Old Republic Home Warranty

Pros

• Allows customers to view status of service requests via portal
• Provides multiple plan options tailored to region
• Has a transparent claims process

Cons

• Isn’t available in all states, while most competitors are nationwide
• There’s a 10% cancellation penalty in some states
• Coverage and pricing varies based on where you live

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Old Republic Home Protection plans are available in 24 states and coverage options and limitations will vary based on your state of residence. Across the covered states, there are four home warranty plans and optional coverage add-ons available.

In addition to the items covered under each plan, customers have the option to include additional items, such as:

• Pre-season HVAC tune-up
• Swimming pool/spa equipment
• Ornamental fountain
• Limited roof leak repair
• Outdoor kitchen
• Additional refrigeration units (not available with the Essential plan)
• Water softener/reverse osmosis and water filtration system
• Well pump
• Booster pump
• Enhanced slab leak limit/external plumbing
• Septic tank pumping/septic coverage
• System/sewage ejector pump

In most cases, items are covered only if they are in proper working condition at the date on which your service agreement starts. This is true of all providers, which is why there’s typically a wait period when you start your coverage. For more information about when items are covered and when they are not, please reference your sample service agreement.

Old Republic Home Protection covers a variety of home types, including:

• Single-family homes
• Multi-units
• Duplex
• Triplex
• Fourplex
• New construction homes

The annual cost of your home warranty depends on the type of property that you’re looking to cover, the coverage plan you choose, and how many add-ons you include with your plan.

Here’s a cost breakdown for home warranty plans for Louisiana residents:

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Old Republic Home Protection Pricing

Service Fees

In addition to paying a monthly premium, you’ll also be expected to pay a trade call fee, or deductible, when a contractor comes out to your home to assess the broken item. Here’s the breakdown for each plan:

If you choose to add optional items to your home warranty coverage, here’s the list of items and their related costs.

Optional Coverage Pricing

Because plan pricing will vary based on where you live and the coverage you select, we recommend calling Old Republic Home Protection for an accurate and personalized quote specific to your home.

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Old Republic Home Protection Reviews

Old Republic Home Protection is BBB-accredited with an A+ rating. As with any good home warranty company, Old Republic has a mix of positive and negative customer reviews. Old Republic Home Protection customers generally express satisfaction with the company’s friendly and professional service, timely repairs, and knowledgeable staff.

Here’s a sampling of BBB reviews from ORHP customers:

“Very pleased with the overall Old Republic Home Protection service – from creating a claim, assigning a contractor, the contractor’s professionalism, courteousness, and availability.” — Art K., via BBB

“My pool filter needed to be replaced. The authorization took a few days to be approved after the contracted person submitted it but then the job was done timely. The person taking my initial call was nice and understanding. The technician took care of the problem and all worked out.” — April E., via BBB

Amazing company, friendly, professional and very knowledgeable, I would have given 5 stars and this was not really their fault, but my first experience with them was with an extremely terrible plumbing company, that did nothing but made things worse, It was my hot water heater and I was out of hot water for over a month or more. I would be wise if they would make sure that the contractors could actually do the job. Overall great company. — Wanda W., via BBB

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Old Republic Home Protection Claims Process

To submit a claim, log in to Homeowner Central, Old Republic Home Protection’s portal for customers. Claims are accepted 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Here’s what the claims process looks like:

1. Place your claim on the Old Republic Home Protection portal.
2. Old Republic Home Protection will notify a contractor in your area. That contractor will contact you directly to schedule an appointment during normal business hours.
3. Service efforts will be initiated in 48 hours and be guaranteed for 30 days. At the time of service, you’ll pay the trade call fee to the contractor.

If there’s an emergency, repairs or replacements can be made within 24 hours. An emergency is defined as no electricity, gas, water, or toilet facilities to the entire home, a condition that immediately endangers health and safety, a condition that interferes with the healthcare support of occupants, or a system malfunction that is causing ongoing damage to the home.

If you should request non-emergency service outside of normal business hours, you will be responsible for additional fees, including overtime compensation.

In addition to letting customers make service requests, the ORHP portal provides a variety of options for homeowners to manage their service agreements, including:

• Registering and managing your plan
• Accessing the name and phone number of your service provider
• Checking the status of service requests at your convenience
• Viewing service history
• Renewing your plan
• Making credit card payments and updates (for monthly payment plans)
• Paying trade call fees

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Common Home Warranty Red Flags

A home warranty can provide peace of mind when it comes to covering unexpected repairs. However, not all plans or providers are created equal. Some companies use vague terms or hidden fees to make their plans seem more appealing than they actually are, which can lead to frustration when it’s time to file a claim. Be cautious of the following red flags:

• Complicated cancellation procedures: Avoid companies with cumbersome cancellation policies or high cancellation fees. Read reviews from current customers and confirm that the provider’s stated procedures make sense to you.
• Excessive exclusions: Watch out for plans that exclude common items or repairs, which decreases the plan’s value.
• Lack of transparency: Avoid companies that are unclear about fees, coverages, and exclusions. Some may hide exclusions or hidden costs in their residential service contracts.
• Limited coverage: Ensure the plan covers what you actually need, rather than just basic appliances. Pay attention to coverage caps and extras needed for comprehensive coverage.
• Poor customer service: Inconsistent, unprofessional, or unhelpful customer service can lead to frustrating service calls and misunderstandings. Read reviews from third-party review sites, such as Trustpilot, to understand the average customer service experience.

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Our Final Old Republic Home Warranty Review

In our Old Republic home warranty review, we found that the company’s competitive pricing and plan coverage make it a solid contender in the home warranty industry, but it is not available to residents in most U.S. states.

ORHP is ideal if you want protection for your newly built home or you manage a multi-family unit. If you’re looking for a home warranty provider similar to Old Republic Home Protection, but with more nationwide coverage, we recommend American Home Shield, Elite Home Warranty, Liberty Home Guard.

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FAQs About Home Warranty Coverage

Are home warranties worth it for older homes?

A home warranty is worth considering for an older home. Older homes typically have aged appliances and home systems, which are more likely to break down from wear and tear. The exception is if your home systems and appliances have preexisting conditions, as many providers exclude these.

What does a home warranty not cover?

Home warranties typically don’t cover routine maintenance, appliance removal and disposal fees, or commercial property. We recommend reading your provider’s sample contract to determine what it covers or doesn’t cover in your policy.

What is a home warranty coverage cap?

A home warranty coverage cap is the dollar amount a provider is willing to cover for a home item breakdown. Some providers cap coverage collectively, which means every item breakdown is subject to a set coverage cap (e.g., $5,000 per year) for the policy period. Other providers cap coverage per home system or appliance.

How often do I have to pay my service call fee?

Typically, you must pay your provider’s service call fee each time you file a new claim. However, reputable providers won’t charge an extra service call fee if your completed repair has issues again within 30 days. In addition, certain providers extend their repair guarantee past the industry standard of 30 days.

Our Rating Methodology

We use a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each home warranty company we review. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts, and running focus groups and homeowner surveys. 

We use this information to score each provider in six comparison categories that we think are most important when choosing a home warranty. We rate each provider across 23 factors within those categories. Each factor is assigned a point value based on its importance to a homeowner, totaling 100 points. We convert the final scores to a 5-star rating. 

Here’s a breakdown of our weighted factors:

• Coverage (35%): This category looks at how comprehensive each provider’s coverage is, including whether it covers unique items. Companies that cover the most items and have higher annual limits received the highest scores. We docked points from providers that impose long waiting periods or have depreciation policies that decrease your payouts for aging items.
• Cost (20%): We looked at average monthly prices and service call fees. We gave the most points to companies offering pricing at or below the industry average that don’t impose any surcharges or extra fees.
• Trustworthiness (15%): To gauge reputation and reliability, we reviewed customer ratings across sites such as the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot, as well as companies’ responses to complaints. We also checked for National Home Service Contract Association (NHSCA) membership. Providers with the highest ratings and longest workmanship guarantees received higher scores. We deducted points for any ongoing legal issues.
• Plan transparency (10%): We read terms, policies, and disclosures in provided contracts and on each company’s website. Providers with transparent contract details and policies received more points.
• Customer support (10%): Companies with multiple claims filing options, fast response times, and accessible customer support scored well in this category.
• Flexibility (10%): We awarded more points to providers offering more plan options, larger add-on catalogs, the ability to choose your own technician, and customer-friendly cancellation policies.