Featured Partners
State availability: 46 + District of Columbia
Sample plan pricing: $44.42 - $47.75 per month
Service call fee: $75 - $100
State availability: 49 + District of Columbia
Sample plan pricing: $46 - $54 per month
Service call fee: $100
State availability: 48 + District of Columbia
Sample plan pricing: $29.99 - $79.99 per month
Service call fee: $75, $100 or $125
AFC Home Warranty (America’s First Choice Home Warranty), also known as AFC Home Club, is a nationwide provider of home warranties, servicing 47 states. Founded in 2009, AFC offers some of the best plan flexibility in the industry, with four base plans and 12 optional add-ons.
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
Best for: Flexibility
Availability: 47 states
AFC Home Warranty at a glance
Fast facts
- AFC Home Warranty has been in business for over 15 years.
- The company connects homeowners and home repair technicians in 47 states, allowing customers to choose contractors.
- AFC Home Warranty offers an appliance-only coverage plan and three combination plans with three choices of service call fees.
What we like
AFC Home Warranty offers a wide range of plan customization options, including three service fee levels and two plan length options (one year and three years). All plans include free roof-leak coverage, which most providers only cover through add-on protection at an extra cost.
What we don’t like
The company’s exclusions make its plans less desirable in some cases, such as its lack of coverage for freeze damage to plumbing or preexisting conditions, which you can get from several of the other best home warranty companies.
AFC Home Warranty pros and cons
AFC Home Warranty covers a home’s major systems and appliances, and you can customize the protection based on your needs. Its plans are more affordable than some competitors, ranging from $46 to $51 per month.
The service fee is flexible but can be as much as $125 for the lowest monthly premium, while some of the most affordable home warranties max out at $100.
Pros
- Workmanship guarantee lasts for the entire length of the contract, much longer than the 30- to 60-day average
- Lets you choose your service provider
- Free cancellation within 30 days
Cons
- Contract has many exclusions for each covered item
- Lifetime coverage cap of $10,000, much lower than AHS’s cap of $50,000
How much does AFC Home Warranty cost?
AFC Home Warranty has four preset plans, each with a different level of coverage and monthly price. Your total cost depends on your chosen service fee; higher service fees lead to lower monthly costs.
|
Monthly cost for $75 service fee
|
Monthly cost for $100 service fee
|
Monthly cost for $125 service fee
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Plan (1-year) | $51 |
$49 |
$46 |
| Gold Plan (1-year) | $67 |
$65 |
$62 |
| Platinum Plan (1-year) | $72 |
$70 |
$67 |
| Diamond Plan (1-year) | $107 |
$104 |
$102 |
| Silver Plan (3-year) | $82 |
$80 |
$76 |
| Gold Plan (3-year) | $101 |
$96 |
$92 |
| Platinum Plan (3-year) | $114 |
$109 |
$104 |
| Diamond Plan (3-year) | $168 |
$164 |
$159 |
*We pulled all prices from quotes for a single-family home in New York in March 2024. Prices may differ depending on location.
Savings and discounts
pro tip
- You won’t find significant savings in purchasing a longer contract with AFC Home Warranty. Its contract-length workmanship guarantee means that longer contracts are more likely to cost the company money over time in repairs it carries out for your covered items. You can save money by opting for a one-year contract over a three-year deal. This is, however, at the expense of a shorter workmanship warranty.
AFC Home Warranty offers a $100 discount on all plans if you order and pay online, and it offers discounts if you purchase a warranty for multiple properties. You can keep your monthly costs to a minimum by agreeing to a higher service fee, although that could mean paying more over time if you need to make multiple service calls during your contract.
You can pay for your plan monthly or once a year. Paying for the year in one lump sum will save you between $70 and $120, depending on your plan choice. Below is a comparison of plans and prices if you pay monthly or annually.
AFC Home Warranty annual cost
|
Annual total cost with 12 monthly payments
|
Annual total cost to pay lump sum
|
Amount saved with a lump sum payment
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Plan | $460 |
$387 |
$73 |
| Gold Plan | $648 |
$576 |
$72 |
| Platinum Plan | $711 |
$639 |
$72 |
| Diamond Plan | $1,127 |
$1,004 |
$123 |
*All prices are for a single-family home in New York in March 2024. Prices may vary depending on location.
What services does AFC Home Warranty offer?
AFC Home Warranty’s most expensive plan, the Diamond Plan, covers all major home appliances and systems, while more affordable plans exclude some items.
The company has a 30-day waiting period after sign-up before it makes any standard payouts. If you need service during that time, the maximum payout will be $150.
All covered items have exclusions and individual coverage caps, ranging from a low of $150 to $3,000, and AFC has a lifetime payout limit of $10,000 per contract.
AFC Home Warranty services
|
Silver Plan
|
Gold Plan
|
Platinum Plan
|
Diamond Plan
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clothes dryer | ? |
? |
? |
? |
| Clothes washer | ? |
? |
? |
? |
| Dishwasher | ? |
? |
? |
? |
| Fans (attic, exhaust, ceiling) | - |
- |
? |
? |
| Garbage disposal | ? |
? |
? |
? |
| Microwave (built-in) | - |
- |
? |
? |
| Stove/range/oven | ? |
? |
? |
? |
| Refrigerator | ? |
? |
? |
? |
| Air conditioning | - |
? |
? |
? |
| Boiler/water heater | - |
? |
? |
? |
| Exterior sewer lines | - |
- |
- |
? |
| Exterior water lines | - |
- |
- |
? |
| HVAC ductwork | - |
? |
? |
? |
| Electrical | - |
? |
? |
? |
| Faucets | - |
- |
? |
? |
| Heating system | - |
? |
? |
? |
| Ice maker | - |
- |
? |
? |
| Plumbing pipes | - |
? |
? |
? |
| Plumbing stoppages | - |
- |
? |
? |
| Electronics | - |
- |
- |
? |
| Garage door opener | ? |
? |
? |
? |
| Roof leak | ? |
? |
? |
? |
AFC Home Warranty add-ons and optional features
AFC Home Warranty also offers 12 add-on items, ranging in price from $25 to $150 per contract term for one-year contracts or $75 to $300 per contract term for three-year contracts.
|
Cost to add to 1-year plan
|
Cost to add to 3-year plan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Built-in microwave | $50 |
$150 |
| Central vacuum | $25 |
$75 |
| Double oven | $25 |
$75 |
| Electronics | $300 |
$444 |
| Hot water dispenser | $25 |
$75 |
| Ice maker | $25 |
$75 |
| In-ground pool | $100 |
$300 |
| In-ground pool and spa | $150 |
$450 |
| Septic system | $50 |
$150 |
| Stand-alone freezer | $25 |
$75 |
| Sump pump | $35 |
$105 |
| Well pump | $50 |
$150 |
*All prices are for a property in New York. Prices may vary depending on location.
What does AFC Home Warranty not cover?
Despite its robust protection of major systems and appliances and its list of add-ons, AFC Home Warranty doesn’t cover everything. Here are some things you can’t get from AFC but could get from a more inclusive company, like American Home Shield:
- AC refrigerant refills
- Building permits and code violations
- Doorbells
- Electric breaker
- Guest units
- Instant-hot water dispensers
- Included HVAC tune-ups
- Rekey services
AFC Home Warranty customer experience
AFC Home Club has a 24/7 customer service number to buy a plan or request service. You can also fill out an online service request form. The company’s website is organized, making it easy to compare, choose and order a plan.
We called the service phone number just to see how long we’d have to wait on hold. Unfortunately, the call failed several times, which wasn’t a good sign. It’s unclear when this issue will be resolved.
When we called the number to file a claim, we were texted a link to complete an online service request instead. We’re not huge fans of this; we’d prefer a company to be reachable by phone, too. Yet, it does seem to solve the issue of customers being unable to submit a service request due to phone lines being down. The online service request requires you to log in, which appears to be functioning. The company says it responds to service requests within 48 hours.
However, customer reviews with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) complain about long wait times for AFC’s service and declined claims based on contract stipulations. Below are two reviews from customers that provide a snapshot of what it’s like to get service from AFC:
The fine print: Terms and conditions you should know
pro tip
- Like other home warranty companies, AFC covers every item with exclusions. That’s why reading a sample contract before enrolling is important to see what components are protected.
All home warranty companies have exclusions, and it’s essential that you know what’s in the fine print. You should always know your key terms, especially the coverage caps. They almost always vary by item. And with AFC, the total payout per contract is capped at $10,000.
Exclusions that many customers miss, based on reviews, include declined coverage because of a lack of regular appliance or system maintenance, excluded parts and components, preexisting issues and age of the appliance or system.
AFC Home Warranty vs. competitors
Overall, AFC Home Warranty offers some of the most flexible and customizable home warranty coverage in the industry, making it a sound option for homeowners who want to be more selective about their coverage.
AFC Home Warranty has four plans, more than most competitors. For example, Select Home Warranty and American Home Shield each have three plans. AFC also provides free roof-leak protection with all plans, something most competitors would charge extra for.
AFC Home Club vs. competitors
|
Our score
|
Best for
|
State availability
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Home Club | 4.3 |
Flexibility |
47 |
| Select Home Warranty | 4.5 |
Value |
50 |
| American Residential Warranty | 4.4 |
Frequent claims |
50 |
| Home Warranty Inc. | 4.3 |
Choosing your own contractor |
45 |
| 2-10 Homebuyers Warranty | 4.3 |
Kitchen appliances |
48 |
| American Home Shield | 4.3 |
Comprehensive coverage |
48 |
| Cinch Home Services | 4.3 |
Perks |
48 |
| Home Service Club | 4.2 |
Affordable add-ons |
50 |
| Home Warranty of America | 4.2 |
Essential coverage |
50 |
Methodology
The CNN Underscored team compared home warranty companies across 17 categories, emphasizing plans and coverage options, pricing and guarantees because we believe these categories are most important for helping you get the coverage and customer service you need for your home.
We consider each company’s customer service ranking and reviews across several customer review sites, including the BBB, the breadth of each provider’s service area and the flexibility they offer homeowners in their coverage options.
