Select Home Warranty Review

Company Overview

Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey, Select Home Warranty offers homeowners three plan options and, for an additional charge, coverage for things like central vacuums, pools, and septic systems. Coverage is for 12 months, but discounts may be offered.

Policies are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The company offers home warranties for single-family homes, mobile homes, rental properties, condos, and multiple units. Select Home Warranty opened its doors in 2012 and offers different home warranty plans for homeowners, realtors, and real estate investors. Your monthly fee covers repairs or replacement of home appliances and systems covered as stated within the policy. You’ll be responsible for paying a trade service fee per repair and any amount above the policy’s allowance.

Select Home Warranty has competitive offers such as roof leak coverage and two months of free service when you pay annually. Ratings from third-party organizations are lower compared to other warranty companies and suggest that claims take longer than advertised to complete. We did a comprehensive review of Select Home Warranty by diving into their prices, coverage, caps, and exclusions.

Investopedia surveyed consumers about what they found most important when choosing a home warranty plan. Select Home has good, average, and slightly below average scores in several of the items respondents said were the most important:

• 48% said the service being available in their state is the most important factor and Select Home is available in every state plus D.C.
• 74% said the cost of the plan as the most important factor. With a nationwide average annual plan cost of $503.32, Select Home is right at the average of the 25 home warranty plans we reviewed.
• 63% said the service fee amount is the most important factor to them and Select Home has a service fee range of $75-$125 depending on your state. A $75 service fee (also referred to as a trade-service fee) is average for the industry but a $125 fee is one of the highest of any plan we reviewed.
  

Available Plans

Select Home Warranty offers three different tiers, all with 30-day waiting periods, a list of items covered, and the option to add on additional items. The price you pay does not include the trade service fee (TSF). Think of the TSF as a deductible you need to pay upfront in order to get an independent contractor to come to your home to assess and fix the issue.

States Covered

Select Home has warranty plans available in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.

Real Estate Plans

Realtors can purchase home warranty plans from Select Home Warranty. However, there is no tangible information on specific plans or pricing. To receive more information or to get a quote, real estate professionals can fill out the online inquiry form or call customer service at 855-267-3532 to speak to a representative.

Plan Pricing

Select Home Warranty lets you request a quote online so you can preview pricing before signing up. The company offers a decent list of items it covers with a bonus introductory offer—free roof leak coverage, two extra months free, and $150 off your plan if you pay for an annual plan upfront.

Pricing for plans depends on the number of items you want to get coverage for within your home, your home state, whether you are paying annually or monthly, and what promotions you sign up through. For example, on July 28, 2022 for a single family home in St. Louis billed annually the Gold Care (covers systems) and Bronze Care (covers appliances) plans cost $44.42 a month each, but they only cover up to six and eight items, respectively. Compare this to the Platinum Care plan, which covers 17 items but costs $47.75 a month. Overall, we found the average annual plan cost for the states that Select Home Warranty covers is $502.49.

Add-ons are available to customize the policy to your home needs. These items include your home’s central vacuum, pool, sump pump, well pump, spa, standalone freezer, lawn sprinkler system, septic system, and roof leaks.

For all plans, customers will pay a trade service fee anywhere from $75-125, depending on location. This is on the higher side compared to their competitors.

Plan Exclusions

Systems and appliances that break down from normal wear and tear are typically covered under your Select Home Warranty policy. However, the company has a list of exclusions you’ll want to consult before signing up. Keep in mind that an item may be covered, but there are exclusions as to which parts or components are included in your policy.

For example, window, wall, and portable air conditioning units are excluded from coverage, as are Freon leaks or any damage caused by one. Also, roof leak coverage does not include metal roofs, shingles, patios, gutters, or skylights. Look at Select Home Warranty’s terms and conditions page for a more exhaustive list of what’s included and what’s not.

Payout Caps and Limitations

There is no limit to the number of repairs serviced during the contract term. However, there are dollar cap amounts that are slightly lower than the industry average. Examples of caps include $3,000 for heating or cooling equipment, $500 for plumbing and electrical equipment, $250 for Freon coverage (if you chose this as part of your policy), and $400 for other additional coverage options.

In addition, homeowners need to provide annual maintenance and cleaning records by a licensed technician for covered items or risk losing coverage. If you don’t have proof of maintenance records for the past three years, then Select Home Warranty will offer a maximum payout amount of $150 for appliances.

Repair Times

Select Home Warranty has its own network of authorized independent contractors throughout their service areas. You won’t be able to choose your own repair person, although there may be exceptions with prior company consent. Without consent, repairs made by repairmen outside of the network are not reimbursable. Once you’ve made a claim, most major repairs will receive authorization within 48 to 96 hours. For emergency service, Select Home Warranty will work with you to dispatch a contractor as quickly as possible, similar to what other companies offer.

Customer Service and Claims

Customers can file a claim through an online form, via email to claims@selecthomewarranty.com, or by calling customer service at 855-267-3532. Once the claim is made, Select Home Warranty will start the process immediately. It can take anywhere from 48 to 96 hours to receive an authorization for a major repair, as is the industry standard.

Complaints and Third-Party Assessments

As of February 2023, Select Home Warranty has a rating of 1.51 out of five stars on the Better Business Bureau website based on 5,289 complaints and 1,741 customer reviews. Some complaints reported a lack of responsiveness by the independent contractors who service warranty claims.

American Home Shield vs. Select Home Warranty

We chose American Home Shield to compare alongside Select Home Warranty. Both competitors offer 24/7 coverage, similar pricing, and have a network of contractors.

American Home Shield offers more competitive pricing overall but does become more expensive based on its coverage levels with higher-tiered plans that have a lower trade service fee (TSF). American Home Shield’s lowest TSF is $75, with options as high as $125 to keep monthly costs down. Select Home Warranty has the same TSF range of $75-125 contingent on location, not monthly plan price.

Where American Home Shield shines is the flexibility in coverage options. Homeowners are able to do more than just choose the TSF they are comfortable with, they can also customize coverage with add ons. Given these considerations, American Home Warranty is the winner because of its ability to tailor plans to suit customer needs.

Final Verdict

Select Home Warranty offers an attractive sign-up bonus, which includes $150 off, two months free, and free roof leak coverage when paying for your annual policy upfront.

However, given the number of complaints regarding the claims process, be sure to read the fine print on the policy's caps and exclusions to fully understand what you are purchasing. Ultimately, Select Home Warranty offers average pricing for average coverage, making it a viable choice but not the best one out there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is the Owner of Select Home Warranty?

Select Home Warranty is a limited liability company (LLC) that is headquartered in New Jersey. As of 2023, the CEO is Joseph Scott Shrem.

What States Does Select Home Warranty Cover?

Select Home Warranty offers plans in all 50 United States, as well as in the District of Columbia.

What Does Select Home Warranty Cover?

What your warranty covers depends on the warranty plan you choose. Gold Care covers household systems like electrical and plumbing; Bronze Care covers household appliances; Platinum Care covers both systems and appliances. Like most home warranties, Select Home Warranty doesn't cover normal wear and tear. It also limits coverage on appliances if you lack cleaning and maintenance records that match your appliance manufacturer’s recommended schedule. 

How Do You Cancel Select Home Warranty?

You can cancel the plan by contacting Select Home Warranty. If you cancel within 30 days of the order date of the agreement and have not made any claims, you can receive a full refund. If more than 30 days have passed when you cancel, you can receive a pro-rated refund. If you cancel, there is a $75 cancellation fee, and you will be charged for any service costs.

How Much Is the Service Fee for Select Home Warranty?

Each time an independent service technician is scheduled and dispatched to your home, you will be required to pay the Select Service Call Fee. The service fee for Select Home Warranty ranges from $75 – $125, depending on the length of your contract.

Methodology

There are several aspects to consider when evaluating a home warranty company and its coverages. To assist in your decision process, our methodology for reviewing home warranties includes a quantified scoring system that evaluates four major categories - total plan cost, coverage and support, customizability and transparency. Within those four major evaluation categories we look at 18 core features that include annual plan fees and service fees, claim response times, payout caps, states available, contract length range, customizable coverages, ability to use own repair person, free cancelation, plan pricing, plan exclusions and other plan provisions available online. We assign fractional score values ranging from 0.00 to 1.00 points for each feature and then weight those feature values according to subject matter expert advice and consumer survey importance ranking.  We also compare features for each company to industry average values determined from our data collection for the top 25 home warranty providers. Third-party ratings and customer satisfaction scores are factored in to help assess a home warranty company’s overall quality, suitability and value.