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Our Take on American Home Shield
Last Updated: May 2024
Founded in 1971, American Home Shield has long served as the leader in the home warranty industry. Today, they happily serve nearly two million members, providing them with true peace of mind in their homeownership journey. As if that’s not enough testament to their quality of service, they are also backed by Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs, and other notable entities.
When you sign up for their service, you can get a basic plan or any number of add-ons to customize the coverage to your liking. Either way, you can rest assured that their quality contractors will handle all issues fast and without any trouble on your part.
Founded in 1971, American Home Shield has long served as the leader in the home warranty industry. Today, they happily serve nearly two million members, providing them with true peace of mind in their homeownership journey. As if that’s not enough testament to their quality of service, they are also backed by Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs, and other notable entities.
When you sign up for their service, you can get a basic plan or any number of add-ons to customize the coverage to your liking. Either way, you can rest assured that their quality contractors will handle all issues fast and without any trouble on your part.
View Plans
American Home Shield offers several plans for both homeowners and real estate professionals. The basic homeowner plan covers kitchen and laundry appliances, while the next step up provides heating and cooling, electrical, and plumbing coverage. For the best value, homeowners can select the Combo plan, which covers all of the above.
The basic plan offered to real estate professionals focuses on major home systems, like HVAC and plumbing. The middle of the road coverage adds all the appliances in the kitchen and laundry room. For the most comprehensive coverage, there’s the ShieldComplete plan that covers all home systems and appliances plus garage door openers and other important equipment.
Although their three service levels provide plenty of coverage, they also have add-ons for you to consider once you sign up for a basic plan.
Their add-ons help cover: Electronics, like TVs, gaming systems, and tablets ; Swimming pools and spas ; Septic system components ; Well pump parts ; and Guest units up to 750 square feet.
You can even build your own plan by selecting a total of 10 systems or appliances.
No matter which plan you select, you can expect them to provide coverage for all the named items, despite their age or condition at signup. They will not ask for maintenance records, worry about improper installations, or deny coverage due to rust or corrosion.
Their coverage does have limits to consider. For their appliance coverage, you can only get up to $3,000 in parts and labor for each item. Plumbing has a $1,000 per slab limit, while well pumps are capped at $1,500. HVAC and other systems do not have a cap.
When you sign up for your plan of choice, you can customize your payments to align with your budget. They have several options, like the $45 monthly premium that comes with $125 service calls.
If you want to pay less for each service call, you can select the options with a higher monthly premium. If you go with the $75 service calls, for example, then you’ll pay $60 per month instead. Add-ons increase the monthly premium, but do not change the service call price. Once you have your pricing dialed in, you can either make monthly payments or pay the entire balance annually.
To sign up, you just have to fill out their online form or give them a call. You can make changes to your selected plan and add-ons anytime during the first 60 days. After that, your choices are locked in for a year. At the end of the year, you will receive a new contract about a month prior to the expiration date.
Once that arrives, you can either continue your current coverage or make changes. If you’re happy with the coverage, you can just let autopay continue and your plan will renew.
If you’re not happy with your service, you have the option to cancel anytime. Canceling in the first 30 days ensures you’ll get your full payment back unless you already made a claim or received service. After the first 30 days, they will provide a pro-rated refund instead.
You don’t always have to cancel if you’re not satisfied, however. Since they offer a 30-day workmanship guarantee, you can just submit a complaint and they will send out a contractor to resolve the issue at no extra charge.
Once you submit a request for service, American Home Shield will send out one of their contractors to take a look. In their network, they have over 13,000 licensed and insured repair experts who are always ready to come help you out. Their contractors collectively respond to over four million service requests per year.
They also allow you to select your own contractor if you wish. These out-of-network authorizations are given in limited cases, and the repair pro must meet all the requirements, such as possessing valid licenses, workers compensation coverage, and automotive liability insurance.
Beyond that, the contractors must submit a diagnosis and bid for approval before starting the repairs. If American Home Shield authorizes the repairs, you’ll pay for them out of pocket, and then submit a reimbursement request.
There’s a reason American Home Shield has remained a fan favorite for nearly 50 years — They always go above and beyond in serving their clients. Their customizable plans and competitive rates keep homeowners and real estate professionals coming back to renew their coverage year after year. If you want to join those happy customers, all you have to do is go to their website or give them a call to sign up.
