Founded in 1974, Old Republic Home Protection is a home warranty company that provides plans to homeowners to help offset the cost for the repair or replacement of major home systems and appliances. The company offers a selection of four to six plans, depending on the state in which you live.

Old Republic Home Warranty has a slightly lower annual cost as compared to some of the other home warranty companies we've reviewed. This company also provides optional coverage for things like solar hot water systems and outdoor kitchens. Our Old Republic Home Protection review considers costs, coverage items, limits, and exclusions.

Learn More: Read who made our list of the best home warranty companies.

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Pros

  • Up to $5,000 payout cap per appliance

  • Optional coverage available for outdoor kitchens

Cons

  • Only available in 24 states and the District of Columbia

  • Regular plans may not cover washers, dryers, and refrigerators

  • Air conditioner and cooler may fall under optional coverage

Company Overview

Old Republic Home Protection was established in 1974 with the company’s headquarters located in San Ramon, California. It is a division of the Old Republic Insurance Group and provides home warranty plans in and 24 states and the District of Columbia.

Available Plans

Although it is not uncommon for warranty companies to vary plan prices from state to state, Old Republic Home Protection takes things one step further and gives you four to five plan choices depending on where you live.

Prices differ per state; this includes standard plan coverage as well as the optional coverage. As an example, coverage for a washer, dryer, and refrigerator is part of the Standard, Ultimate, and Platinum plans in Georgia. In California, however, there are two different Ultimate packages with only one covering these items.

The trade service fees (TSF) also vary by state. While Georgia residents can choose between a $75 or a $100 trade service fee, many other states only have a $75 TSF.

We used the Georgia plan options to give you an idea of the type of coverage you might expect from an Old Republic Home Protection warranty plan.

Old Republic Home Protection also provides optional coverage for items such as pool or spa equipment, well pumps, and limited roof leak repair. In addition, they cover some items that are not typically covered by home warranty companies such as outdoor kitchens and pool fountains.

Plan Pricing

Old Republic Home Protection allows you to view pricing for your state by accessing a brochure (PDF) through their website. It not only provides you with plan pricing but also gives costs for optional coverage. You can choose a $75 or $100 trade service fee if available (some plans only offer the $75 TSF option).

Sample Monthly Plan Fees Based on Trade Service Fees

Plan Exclusions

Old Republic Home Protection covers almost all types of breakdowns for major home systems and appliances. The number of exclusions are about the same as they are for other home warranty companies. For example, breakers and fuses are covered, but light fixtures and ballasts are not.

However, the major difference from industry competitors is that the company offers a combination of plans that either do or do not cover washers, dryers, and refrigerators. Additionally, some states offer coverage within the plans for air conditioners and coolers while others only offer this as an add-on coverage option.  

Payout Caps

Payout caps vary greatly by state. As an example, in Georgia, there is a $3,500 payout cap per appliance, but California has a $5,000 payout cap per appliance. The type of plan that you purchase can also affect the amount of coverage you receive. Payout caps start at $1,500 for major home systems, but if you choose Platinum Protection, your coverage will increase to $2,500. We suggest carefully reading through the policy options for your state to ensure that you understand the limitations and caps.

Repair Times

An appointment with a service provider is typically set within 48 hours of a service request. This is about average within the industry. Since the company uses a network of independent contractors, they will not reimburse you if you use a service provider that is not pre-approved or in the company’s network. At their discretion, they will expedite service to within 24 hours if your problem is deemed an emergency.

Customer Service and Claims

There is support service available 7/24/365 and filing a claim is a simple process that is done online or by calling 800-972-5985. An appointment with a service provider is generally set within 48 hours of a service request.

Complaints and Third-Party Assessments

Old Republic Home Protection has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. The company has no noted complaints against it, although there are some negative comments in the 248 reviews that the company has on the BBB website. Most of the negative reviews are due to issues with the independent contractors that Old Republic Home Protection hires. Complaints range from failure to fix the issue to failure to complete the work in a timely manner.

To the company’s credit, it does go above and beyond to address any issues that customers have and this may contribute to why they have an A+ rating. This type of rating is better-than-average based on the industry standards we have seen in other reviews.

Competition: Cinch vs. Old Republic Home Protection

We compared Old Republic Home Protection ($525 to $630 annual cost) with Cinch Home Warranty ($456 to $912 annual cost). Both companies are similar in BBB ratings, are available in multiple states, have comparable plans, and their prices fluctuate depending on what state you live in.

As far as home warranty companies go, both get high marks from the Better Business Bureau with Cinch Home Warranty receiving an A- and Old Republic Home Protection receiving an A+. This is unusual for home warranty companies in general and both companies appear to take complaints from their customers seriously.

While exclusions for both companies are also similar and standard for the industry, we found that the payout caps for Old Republic Home Protection plans are what put the company ahead of Cinch Home Warranty in the end. This is because they provide a $3,500 to $5,000 payout cap for appliances and the ability for you to increase the major home system payout cap from $1,500 to $2,500. Cinch Home Warranty only provides an industry standard of $2,500 for covered appliances and only $1,500 for major home systems.

Our Verdict

We found that Old Republic Home Protection has pricing that is better than average for the industry in most of the states that it covers, but not all. Although their plan exclusions are about average, the amount of payout caps for appliances is better than average, which is helpful if your appliances are older and may soon need repair or replacement.

Old Republic Home Protection is the right choice for someone looking for affordable coverage with higher payout caps on appliances.

How We Review Home Warranties

Our home warranty evaluation process consists of a number of factors, including monthly and yearly cost, exclusions, payout caps, and service fees. We also take a look at how each company compares with other warranty companies in terms of coverage options, the amount of complaints, and overall price.

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Old Republic Home Protection Key Facts