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
Home Warranty of America
Founded in 1996, Home Warranty of America (HWA) covers manufactured homes, condominiums and single-family and multi-family properties. The company offers two plan options for repairing or replacing 20 systems and appliances. Homeowners can request service 24/7, 365 days a year and access a large network of service technicians.
Our rating: 4.2 out of 5
Best for: Essential coverage
Availability: 50 states
Home Warranty of America at a glance
Fast facts
- Home Warranty of America has been in business for over 25 years, helping homeowners in 50 states find reliable contractors for home repairs.
- Home Warranty of America offers a 13-month contract, a month longer than typical home warranty plans.
What we like
- We like that HWA is available in all states and covers manufactured homes, condominiums, single-family and multi-family properties.
- HWA has 24/7 claims processing and customer service; its representatives typically process claims within 48 hours.
- While some home warranty providers exclude appliances and systems older than a certain age or cap financial allowances, HWA doesn’t.
- The company scored highest in our rating system for its bundled coverage of essential appliances and systems.
What we don’t like
- Home Warranty of America exclusively offers combination plans, so it’s not the best fit for homeowners looking only for home systems or home appliance coverage.
- Can only get air conditioning coverage with the most expensive plan.
Home Warranty of America pros and cons
Home Warranty of America maintains a user-friendly website with relevant information for homeowners and real estate professionals. Starting prices are clearly displayed, but it’s also convenient to request a free quote online for the exact price of your desired plan.
HWA’s policies have advantages and disadvantages, so you must decide what works best for you. For example, HWA’s Premier Plan is more robust than other companies’ basic plans, offering opportunities to expand financial protection for systems and items that many policies don’t cover, such as racks and lights that may not affect a product’s functionality. Its Green Plus add-on demonstrates a commitment to replacing damaged or broken items with ENERGY STAR-certified alternatives.
However, the company’s basic plan doesn’t include air conditioning coverage like many other combination plans. Additionally, HWA has a $100 service call fee, which is higher than the $75 many competitors charge.
Pros
- Doesn’t have age limits for appliances or home systems
- Offers premium coverage to expand the list of covered items and components
- Green Plus add-on will replace dishwasher, laundry machine, refrigerator, heater or water heater with a more efficient model
Cons
- Not rated or accredited by the BBB
- Basic plan doesn’t offer air conditioning coverage
- $100 service call fee is higher than many competitors
How much does Home Warranty of America cost?
Home Warranty of America offers plans to real estate professionals (for home sellers to entice buyers) and to individual homeowners. HWA? keeps its options simple for its conventional residential coverage, offering two straightforward plans with a fixed fee for service calls. Details are:
- Premier Plan: Starts at $46.08 per month *
- Premier Plus Plan: Starts at $59.92 per month
- Both plans have a $100 service call fee
pro tip
- Request a quote from at least three home warranty providers to compare coverage and pricing. That will help you find the best plan and value for your budget.
Your costs may increase if you live in an area with a higher cost of living or elect additional coverage options. Costs also may vary if your home is larger than 5,000 square feet or if you live in anything other than a single-family home. Requesting a personalized quote can help you get a more accurate monthly rate for your property.
We should note that the company offers different plans for home sellers. If you’re interested in including a home warranty with your home sale or if you received a plan as part of your home purchase, please contact your real estate agent for plan details.
* Prices gathered from the company’s website and accurate as of May 2024
What services does Home Warranty of America offer?
HWA’s basic plan, the Premier Plan, covers 20 essential appliances and systems but doesn’t protect air conditioning systems. To secure air conditioning coverage, you must upgrade to the Premier Plus plan, which expands coverage to other components and adds air conditioning protection.
When you buy a policy, you receive a contract that clearly specifies your coverage’s start and end date. Like most home warranty providers, you must wait at least 30 days before you can file a claim.
Home Warranty of America services
|
Premier Plan
|
Premier Plus Plan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Clothes dryer | ? |
? |
| Clothes washer | ? |
? |
| Dishwasher | ? |
? |
| Garbage disposal | ? |
? |
| Stove/range/oven | ? |
? |
| Refrigerator | ? |
? |
| Built-in microwave | ? |
? |
| Air conditioning | – |
? |
| Boiler/water heater | ? |
? |
| Electrical | ? |
? |
| Furnace/heat pump | ? |
? |
| Plumbing | ? |
? |
| Ductwork | ? |
? |
| Permanent sump pump | ? |
? |
| Doorbells | ? |
? |
| Ceiling and exhaust fans | ? |
? |
| Central vacuum | ? |
? |
| Burglar and fire alarms | ? |
? |
| Garage door opener | ? |
? |
| Whirlpool bathtub | ? |
? |
pro tip
- Consider the appliances and systems you can’t live without — and are most likely to break — and elect coverage for those items.
HWA add-ons and optional features
HWA offers many optional coverages that you can add to either plan tier. Some unique options include:
- SEER/R-410A modifications: For $6.08 per month, HWA service technicians will update older appliances and systems to comply with government regulations.
- Premium coverage: Premium coverage is included in the Premier Plus plan, but you can add it to the Premier Plan for $5.31 per month. It expands protection for each covered item and covers more than 30 more components, including heat lamps and air filters, which are not typically protected by home warranties.
- Green Plus: For $7.62 a month, Green Plus coverage enables you to replace malfunctioning appliances or systems with an ENERGY STAR item.
Here are some more traditional add-on options offered by Home Warranty of America:
|
Average cost per month *
|
|
|---|---|
| Additional refrigerator | $7.62 |
| Pool and spa | $19.15 |
| Saltwater pool | $25.13 |
| Septic pumping | $4.54 |
| Septic system | $5.31 |
| Stand-alone freezer | $3 |
| Well pump | $6.85 |
* Cost information is based on a quote for a single-family home in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
What does Home Warranty of America not cover?
Home Warranty of America has many exclusions, but they’re on par with the broader home warranty industry. It won’t cover the following:
- Commercial-grade equipment
- Consequential or secondary damage from a malfunctioning system or appliance
- Damage because of insufficient maintenance, improper modification or insufficient capacity
- Expenses to access or repair inaccessible or concrete-encased systems
- Fees and permits for code upgrades
- Haul away old equipment and appliances
- Identification, detection or abatement for mold, pest, or hazardous material damage
- Routine maintenance
Home Warranty of America customer experience
HWA’s quote process makes comparing its two plans and what each covers easy. If you’d rather speak to a representative, you can call the company directly at (888) 616-9901. The claims department is open 24/7, but general customer service seems to stick to standard business hours based on our calls to the company at different times.
pro tip
- Read your sample contract carefully. Cross-reference the manufacturers’ warranty for your systems and appliances to ensure you’re properly maintaining them.
We were on hold for less than 15 minutes on average, but customer service quality varied significantly based on who we spoke to. Some representatives were experienced and knowledgeable, while others were more sales-focused and couldn’t cite specifics of the company’s policies.
Because the claims department is open 24/7 and you can file a claim through the online portal, you can expect service to be dispatched within 48 hours. Extenuating circumstances include federal holidays, weather emergencies and limited contractor availability in your ZIP code.
Many reviews cited issues with communication throughout the claims and repair process, but most people were ultimately satisfied with their service.
The fine print: Terms and conditions you should know
We recommend reading the fine print of your service agreement, including the exclusions and limitations of liability sections, to avoid any surprises when you file a claim.
Home Warranty of America’s terms and conditions are within the industry’s typical standards. Unless otherwise specified in the sample contract, it will cover up to $5,000 per covered item.
For example, central vacuum coverage is limited to $400 for the entire plan term, including the cost to diagnose and repair the system. Both home warranty plans cover up to a maximum of $15,000, which is good to know if you anticipate frequent claims.
Home Warranty of America vs. competitors
Home Warranty of America falls neatly in line with many of the standards of the home warranty industry, but it breaks the mold on its plan options. While many home warranty providers, such as AFC Home Club, 2-10 Home Buyer’s Warranty and Cinch Home Services, offer at least three plans — an appliance-only, a systems-only and a combination plan — HWA offers only combination plans.
All three of those companies also offer flexible service call fees, which allow you to raise and lower your monthly rates according to what you’re willing or able to pay for an unexpected repair. On the other hand, HWA only offers a fixed service call fee option, so it may be helpful to look elsewhere if $100 to file a claim is outside your budget.
HWA also doesn’t cover any repair or replacement you complete outside its contractor network. You’ll need to get every claim approved before proceeding with a repair. Most other home warranty providers are similar in this regard, though some will allow you to choose your own trusted contractor.
The table below shows how our top-rated home warranty companies compare and the types of homeowners they’re best for.
Home Warranty of America vs. competitors
|
Our score
|
Best for
|
State availability
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Warranty of America | 4.2 |
Essential coverage |
50 states |
| Select Home Warranty | 4.5 |
Value |
50 states |
| American Residential Warranty | 4.4 |
Frequent claims |
50 states |
| Home Warranty Inc. | 4.3 |
Choosing your own contractor |
45 states |
| 2-10 Home Buyer’s Warranty | 4.3 |
Kitchen appliances |
48 states* |
| AFC Home Club | 4.3 |
Flexibility |
47 states |
| American Home Shield | 4.3 |
Comprehensive coverage |
48 states |
| Cinch Home Services | 4.3 |
Perks |
50 states |
| The Home Service Club | 4.2 |
Affordable add-ons |
50 states |
* We were unable to confirm 2-10’s list of covered states with a customer service representative.
Methodology
Our reviews of the home warranty industry are unbiased and informed by our first-hand experience in the industry. We call representatives to ask questions, read sample contracts thoroughly, and take notes on uncommon exclusions, limitations, and coverage caps.
We evaluate each company using our system, which rates coverage and pricing the highest while balancing them against flexibility, state availability, reputation, and guarantees. We also consult experts for industry insights, clarification of ambiguous contract terms, and tips for finding the best value.
