Looking to compare Select Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield? Select Home Warranty and American Home Shield are national home warranty companies available in every state, except Alaska. While American Home Shield offers more coverage plans than Select Home Warranty, Select Home Warranty offers cheaper plans and more optional coverage.
The This Old House Reviews Team compares these two providers head-to-head on their cost, coverage plans, customer reviews, and more. Keep reading to determine which company provides the best home warranty for you and your home.
Our Take
Select Home Warranty has cheaper monthly premiums, lower service fees, and offers free roof coverage. However, American Home Shield has more years of industry experience, more comprehensive plan options, and flexible service fees. While AHS offers coverage in 49 states, excluding Alaska, SHW is available in 46 states, excluding Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Select Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield Overview
| Provider | Select Home Warranty | American Home Shield |
|---|---|---|
| This Old House rating | 8.9/10 | 9.5/10 |
| Get a free quote | Visit site | Visit site |
| Plan options | Bronze, Gold, Platinum, and optional add-ons | ShieldSilver™, ShieldGold™, ShieldPlatinum™, and optional add-ons |
| Monthly premiums | $36–$38 per month | $40–$58 per month |
| Service fee deductible | $60–$75 | $75–$125 |
| State availability | 49 states (all except Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming) | 49 states (all except Alaska) |
| BBB rating | B | B |
| Years in business | 8 | 48 |
Select Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield Coverage
American Home Shield covers more appliances and systems than Select Home Warranty, but Select Home Warranty offers more optional coverage than American Home Shield. American Home Shield also offers coverage for items with undetectable pre-existing conditions.
Select Home Warranty Coverage
There are three Select Home Warranty plans: Gold, Bronze, and Platinum. Gold Care covers six home systems, Bronze Care covers eight home appliances, and Platinum Care covers everything in the Bronze Care and Gold Care plans, plus garage door openers and plumbing stoppages.
Compare what each Select plan covers in the table below:
Plans
| Plans | Gold Care | Bronze Care | Platinum Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC/Cooling | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ductwork | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Electrical system | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Heating system | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Plumbing system | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Water heater | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cooktop | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Dishwasher | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Garbage disposal | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Built-in microwave | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Refrigerator | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Stove/oven | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Clothes washer | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Clothes dryer | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Garage door openers | ✓ | ||
| Plumbing stoppages | ✓ |
Select Home Warranty also offers 12 optional add-ons to purchase separately, including:
- Plumbing fixtures
- Well pump
- Sump pump
- Central vacuum
- Septic system coverage
- Refrigerator ice maker
- Lawn sprinkler system
- Pool and spa equipment
- Lighting fixtures
- Switches and outlets
- Second refrigerator
- Stand alone freezer
To get a free quote from Select Home Warranty, call 888-370-3956 or fill out this simple form.
American Home Shield Coverage
There are three American Home Shield plans: ShieldSilver™, ShieldGold™, and ShieldPlatinum™. ShieldSilver covers major household systems. ShieldGold covers 10 essential kitchen and laundry appliances with all the systems in ShieldSilver, and ShieldPlatinum protects up to 23 home items with additional benefits that include coverage boosts and roof leak coverage.
Compare each American Home Shield plan in the table below:
Plans
| Systems and Appliances | ShieldSilver™ | ShieldGold™ | ShieldPlatinum™ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Heating System | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ductwork | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electrical | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Doorbells | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smoke Detectors | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ceiling Fans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plumbing and Stoppages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water Heaters | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water Dispensers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Central Vacuums | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Refrigerators | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ranges, Ovens, and Cooktops | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clothes Washer | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clothes Dryers | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dishwashers | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-In Microwave | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Trash Compactors | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Freestanding Ice Maker | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Garage Door Opener | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-In Food Centers | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coverage Boost | - | - | ✓ |
| Roof Leak Coverage | - | - | ✓ |
In addition to its three standard plans, American Home Shield offers five optional add-ons:
- Electronic extended warranty
- Septic pump
- Well pump
- Pool and spas
- Guest units up to 750 square feet
Select Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield Cost
American Home Shield premiums cost more than Select Home Warranty premiums, but Select Home Warranty has a lower service call fee range of $60–$75. American Home Shield allows you to choose a service fee of $75, $100 or $125. The service fee you select with American Home Shield affects the cost of your monthly premium—the higher the service fee you select, the lower your monthly premium will be and vice versa.
Note: The optional add-on cost for each provider depends on the items you select and may add about $40 to $180 per year to your home warranty cost.
Home Warranty Cost Comparison
| Provider | Select Home Warranty | American Home Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Premium Cost | 35.83–$37.50 per month | $39.99–$57.99 per month |
| Service Fee Deductible | $60–$75 | $75–$125 |
Select Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield Reviews
While these two companies received a B rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), we found that American Home Shield reviews on the BBB are more positive, on average, than Select Home Warranty reviews.
Home Warranty Reviews Comparison
| Provider | Select Home Warranty | American Home Shield |
|---|---|---|
| BBB rating | B | B |
| BBB accreditation | No | Yes |
| Average BBB customer review rating (out of 5 stars) | 1 star | 2 ½ stars |
| Number of customer reviews on BBB webpage | 772 reviews | 6,198 reviews |
Our Conclusion
American Home Shield and Select Home Warranty are two of the best home warranty companies in the industry, offering comprehensive plan options across the country. If you want comprehensive coverage and a flexible service fee, we recommend choosing American Home Shield. If you want more affordable plans and a greater selection of optional coverage items, consider Select Home Warranty.
To determine the specific cost of each provider’s plans, request a free quote using the panel below.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.