TOH Rating: 7.28/10
Pivotal Home Solutions was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois. It has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 2010 and currently has an A+ rating. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t offer warranties in all states or throughout entire regions in the locations where they’re present. You can find out if your area is covered by entering your zip code in the company’s easy-to-use service area finder.
In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team will discuss the ins and outs of Pivotal Home Solutions, so you can determine if this is the best home warranty for you and your home. We go over plans and pricing, service fees, coverage caps, and how to make a claim.
Pivotal Home Solutions Plans and Coverage
Pivotal Home Solutions presents homeowners with numerous plan options. In addition to bundled packages for comprehensive protection, policyholders can choose to cover specific systems like plumbing, heating, or cooling.
Here’s what our team found when requesting coverage in the company’s hometown of Naperville, IL.
Complete Line Protection
The Complete Line Protection plan offers coverage for multiple home lines— sewer lines, natural gas lines, outside water lines, and more. Under this plan, Pivotal Home Solutions offers up to $24,500 worth of combined annual coverage.
- Exterior sewer lines
- Outside water lines
- Repairing sidewalk or driveway after line repair
- Landscape restoration
- Interior media lines
- Natural gas lines
- Interior and exterior electrical wiring
- Power surge
Complete Home Protection
Policyholders who choose the Complete Home Protection plan gain a warranty that covers most essential home systems and appliances, including:
- Exterior sewer lines
- Outside water lines
- Heating system
- Cooling system
- Water heater
- Washing machine
- Clothes dryer
- Oven range
- Refrigerator
- Built-in microwave
- Garbage disposal
- Dishwasher
- Garage door opener
- Interior media lines
- Natural gas lines
- Electrical wiring
- Main water supply and drainage lines
With this comprehensive package, up to $44,500 in combined annual coverage is provided.
While this coverage includes protection for the same appliances and systems under the Complete Home Protection Plan, the enhanced package includes higher financial contributions for select equipment.
Preferred Home Protection Plan
| System | Complete Home Protection Coverage Cap | Preferred Home Protection Coverage Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Heating System | $2,000 per contract or $400 per incident | $3,000 per contract or $1,500 per incident |
| Air conditioning | $2,000 per contract or $400 per incident | $3,000 per contract or $1,500 per incident |
| Natural gas lines | $2,500 per contract | $3,500 per contract |
The upgrades in the select maximum allowances result in up to $47,750 worth of combined annual coverage under the Preferred Home Protection Plan.
When our team requested coverage, there wasn’t a way to include optional add-ons to our policy. This is different than other home warranty companies, like American Home Shield, that include coverage for additional systems and appliances like pools, spas, or sump pumps for an additional fee.
Here are the states where Pivotal Home Solutions provides their services, but not all cities in these states are covered.
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
Pivotal Home Solutions Coverage Caps
A coverage cap, or coverage limit, refers to the maximum amount a home warranty company will pay out for appliances and home systems per term or per item. Pivotal Home Solutions offers relatively generous term limitations between $2,000 and $4,000, while the company’s per item payouts are a little on the low side at $400 per item for major appliances and home systems.
What’s Not Covered Under Pivotal Home Solutions?
When reviewing a sample contract from the company, the terms and conditions are clear about what’s not covered by Pivotal Home Solutions. Notable exclusions include cosmetic damage, preventative maintenance, issues caused by abuse, unauthorized modifications, acts of God, and pre-existing conditions.
A warranty from Pivotal Home Solutions will protect against problems from normal wear and tear, electrical or mechanical failure, and defects in workmanship to covered products within the main foundation of a home.
We received quotes for a hypothetical home in Naperville, IL, to reveal how much you should expect to pay for the comprehensive packages offered by Pivotal Home Solutions. Keep in mind, the average cost of a home warranty is between $300–$600 a year.
Pivotal Home Solutions Pricing
| Package | Contract Cost | Amount of Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Utility Line Protection | $29.99 per month $359.88 per year | $24,500 |
| Complete Home Protection | $69.95 per month $839.40 per year | $44,500 |
| Preferred Home Protection | $79.95 per month $959.40 per year | $47,750 |
Source: Pivotal Home Solution Packages
Service Fees
Most home warranty companies require a service fee of $75–$125 to be paid to technicians when they arrive to address an issue. With a Pivotal Home Solutions policy, customers don’t have to pay a service fee to contractors.
Pivotal Home Solutions Claims Process
With Pivotal Home Solutions, policyholders have a few options to request repair service.
- Your name and address
- Account number
- The type, brand, and model of the broken appliance or system
- A detailed excerpt about the issue you are experiencing
Once a claim is processed, an agent from Pivotal Home Solutions will dispatch a service technician from its local network of experts to address your problem.
Pivotal Home Solutions Reviews
As with any decent home warranty company, Pivotal Home Solutions has a mix of positive and negative customer reviews. Here are a few BBB reviews from Pivotal Home Solutions customers:
“Great professional service. No doubt it has saved me net dollars through great maintenance performed over the last 14 years…” — John C. on March 20, 2020
“Best service ever! Have had this service for over 20 years. I have the whole house covered. I have never had any problems [submitting] any claims. The service technicians are all very friendly and professional.” — Rosanne G. on January 24, 2020
Our Conclusion
The This Old House Reviews Team rated Pivotal Home Solutions a 7.28/10. The most significant advantage of Pivotal Home Solutions is its omission of a service fee for its policyholders. However, we feel that the lack of this expense may be a contributing factor to the high monthly premiums. We can also give points to the company for utilizing a 24/7 emergency repair hotline, as appliance or home system breakdowns can occur at any time.
While Pivotal Home Solutions has been in operation for numerous years, the company lacks in some notable areas compared to other companies. For example, our mock quote revealed that Pivotal’s most comprehensive package in Naperville, IL, will cost policyholders nearly $1,000 annually. While the coverage caps are generous, the fee is significantly higher than companies that offer similar protection for a portion of the price.
Another disadvantage is its limited service area. With only 12 states listed as eligible per its website—and only select regions in each state—a large portion of U.S. residents are disqualified from obtaining service.
Our Recommended Provider: American Home Shield
American Home Shield has been in business for 49 years, which is over two decades more than Pivotal Home Solutions. This provider offers three home warranty plans for customers to choose.
Since factors like your location and the size of your home may cause the cost of these packages to fluctuate, we recommend requesting a free quote online.
Here’s a side-by-side look at how these two companies stack up against each other:
American Home Shield vs. Pivotal Home Solutions
| By the Numbers | American Home Shield | Pivotal Home Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Years in business | 49 | 28 |
| Appliance coverage cap | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| Premium plan cost | $58.35 per month | $79.95 per month |
| Service fee | $75–$125 | No service fee |
| State availability | 49 | 12 |
Rather than purchasing individual policies for your desired appliances or systems with Pivotal Home Warranty, American Home Shield makes the process quick and easy with its comprehensive coverage and flexible plans.
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.