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7 Best Home Warranty Companies in San Diego for 2023
By Marco Monroy MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
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- Online Business Bureau Accredited with A+ Rating
- Covers Major Home Systems, HVAC & Appliances
- Free Roof Coverage, No Inspection Needed
24/7 support whenever your appliances fail
- Large network of independent prescreened contractors and qualified technicians
- In business for over 30 years
- Good coverage on home systems
- Does not cover pre-existing issues
- They will replace items that fail if they can't be fixed regardless of age, make or model
Get $50 OFF Any Plan
- Industry leader since 1971
- More than $2 Billion in claims paid in last 5 years
- More than 2 Million customers served
- No inspection or maintenance records required
- 30-day workmanship guarantee
Having the right home warranty plan can make a world of a difference when things go wrong. If your plumbing system goes out, you’ll want to be protected with the best home warranty in San Diego.
So, how do you ensure you pick the right one? We’ve ranked and analyzed the best home warranties in San Diego to provide you with valuable summaries so you can choose the plan that suits you best.
Our Top Picks for the Best Home Warranty Companies in San Diego
- Best overall: American Home Shield
- Best for 24-hour support: First American Home Warranty
- Best for high coverage caps: Choice Home Warranty
- Best for choosing your own contractor: AFC Home Club
- Best for affordability: Select Home Warranty
- Best for fast service: The Home Service Club
- Best workmanship guarantee: Cinch Home Services
The 7 Best Home Warranty Companies in San Diego Reviews
Best Overall: American Home Shield
Why we chose it: American Home Shield has earned its spot as the best home warranty company in San Diego thanks to its comprehensive coverage, affordable plans, responsive customer service department and extra benefits. AHS has been protecting customers’ homes across the U.S. for over 50 years.
- No coverage limit for HVAC
- Maintenance records not required
- Comprehensive coverage
- 30-day guarantee for repairs
- Restricted to AHS technicians only
American Home Shield offers three home warranty plans: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold and ShieldPlatinum. These plans range from $30 to $100 a month for a home in San Diego. Each plan allows you to choose from the three service fees of $75, $100 or $125, which will impact the price of your monthly premium.
All three AHS standard plans offer protections for major systems, including plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling. The ShieldGold and ShieldPlatinum plans also include coverage for kitchen and laundry appliances, while the ShieldPlatinum includes additional benefits like roof leak repairs, free tune-ups for your HVAC and coverage for permits, modifications and code violations. You can add coverage to any of the three plans, including coverage for pools, home electronics, guest units, septic pumps, well pumps and more.
With over two million active home warranty plan holders, AHS has the power of numbers behind its reputation. However, the company has mixed customer reviews online, with average customer reviews ranging from 2.25 to 4.2 stars, depending on the platform. Its BBB profile has received over 27,000 customer complaints in the last three years. Among one-star reviews, the most common complaint involves issues with AHS’s customer service department, resulting in policy confusion and extended repair times.
An AHS home warranty policy comes with some unique benefits, like coverage for older items, coverage for items with undetectable pre-existing conditions and breakdowns from lack of maintenance. In fact, AHS will not ask for a maintenance record, unlike most other companies. It also does not have limits on the total repair or replacement costs. Other benefits include removing old and defective items, coverage for improper installations and repairs, coverage for duplicates of the same item and protection against malfunctions caused by rust or corrosion.
Best for 24-Hour Support: First American Home Warranty
Why we chose it: First American Home Warranty offers 24/7 customer support 365 days a year. This can be helpful if one of your systems or major appliances goes out over the weekend or during a holiday.
- More than 35 years of experience
- High-quality customer support
- Affordable plans
- Basic plan has limited coverage
- AC coverage only available as an add-on
First American offers two straightforward plans: Basic and Premier, which start at $36 and $49 monthly, respectively. First American plans are built around providing appliance coverage. It does not offer a systems-only plan, unlike most home warranty companies.
While First American excels in customer service, it lags behind its competitors regarding included coverage. The Basic Plan only protects appliances like the dishwasher, oven, kitchen refrigerator, washer and dryer. The only system covered is the fans system (exhaust, attic and ceiling), so you’ll have to upgrade to the Premier Plan to get coverage for your electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems.
First American also does not include air conditioning in any plans, but you can add it for $9 a month. Other optional add-ons include pool and spa equipment, well pump, septic system and additional refrigeration.
First American has mixed online reviews with an average five-star rating ranging from 2.31 to 4.5 stars. It has received over 4,700 complaints over the past three years on its BBB profile, putting it below the average number of client complaints for home warranty companies of its size. The most common type of one-star complaint involves unreasonably long turnaround times for repairs and replacements.
A unique benefit of First American is the First Class Upgrade to its packages, which provides protection for cosmetic damages like cracks and scratches at $9 a month.
Best for High Coverage Caps: Choice Home Warranty
Why we chose it: Choice Home Warranty has coverage caps of $3,000 for most appliances and systems, which can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket costs on repairs.
- Higher coverage caps than its competition
- 24/7 customer service team
- Fast repairs
- Inflexible plan options
- Only one plan offers air conditioning coverage
- Sued in 2019 for alleged false promises to clients
Choice Home Warranty offers two levels of service: Basic and Total. The monthly fees are $49 for the Basic plan and $57 for the Total plan. Depending on your needs, this may be cost-effective as you can cover most of your major systems and appliances for under $60 a month.
Both plans offer comprehensive coverage, including heating, electrical and plumbing systems, plumbing stoppage, water heater, oven, cooktop, built-in microwave and most appliances. Additionally, the Total plan covers an air conditioning system, refrigerator, washer and dryer.
The biggest concern with CHW home warranty plans is the company’s client satisfaction ratings — it has the worst customer satisfaction track record of all the companies on this list. Its BBB profile shows an average rating of 1.06 out of five stars and over 10,000 customer complaints in the last three years.
Additionally, BBB reports that customers have complained that CHW continues to charge them after account cancellations. CHW responded to these complaints by reassuring customers that it is aware of the issue and working to prevent it from happening again.
On the other hand, CHW is one of the few home warranty companies that doesn’t require a pre-contract home inspection. It also does not deny coverage based on home age, unlike other companies that will refuse to offer a home warranty plan to houses past a certain age. This can make CHW a good option for clients who want to avoid a pre-coverage inspection or live in older homes.
Best for Choosing Your Own Contractor: AFC Home Warranty
Why we chose it: AFC Home Club will let you select your own technician or contractor when requesting service. Unlike other home warranty companies, AFC actively advertises this as one of its biggest benefits, giving customers control over who performs the requested services.
- Can choose your own technician
- Fast appointments within 8 hours
- 5-year price guarantee
- $75 cancellation fee
- Service limit of 24 appliances and systems
AFC Home Club offers some of the most flexible and customizable pricing options on this list. It has four plans — Silver, Gold, Platinum and Systems — and allows you to select your service fees, which range from $75 to $125. Your prices will also vary depending on if you want to pay monthly, yearly or upfront for a 3-year plan. The San Diego home warranty plans range from $31 to $54 per month.
The Systems Plan covers heating, water, electrical, plumbing, ductwork and air conditioning systems. The Platinum — the most comprehensive plan — includes all systems plus all major appliances, including the refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes dryer, oven, ice maker, garbage disposal, fans and more.
Regarding client satisfaction, AFC has one of the best track records of any home warranty company in the country. Average customer ratings range from 3.14 to 4.5 stars, skewing positive. Additionally, AFC has the fewest complaints on its BBB profile of the companies on this list, with just over 300 registered complaints in the last three years.
Other advantages of AFC include the following:
- Pet benefits
- Discounts on homeowners, auto, vision and dental insurance
- Special pricing on Cove Smart Home Security plans
- Complimentary utility concierge
AFC partners with Encompass, a national parts supplier, to offer discount pricing for repair parts and home goods in addition to the options above.
Best for Affordability: Select Home Warranty
Why we chose it: On top of having affordable plans, Select Home Warranty has a standard $75 service call fee across all plans, even its cheapest option. This means Select offers both low premiums and low service fees, making it the best home warranty for affordability.
- Low service call fees
- Discounts available for new customers
- Roof coverage included on all plans
- Slower response time than competitors
- Requires three years of maintenance records
- Relatively low coverage maximums
Select Home Warranty offers three standard plans: Bronze, Gold and Platinum. These plans range from $41 to $46 per month. The best part of Select’s plans is the standard service call fee of $75. Unlike other companies, you won’t get penalized with a higher service fee for choosing a plan with lower premiums.
The Bronze package covers eight appliances, including a refrigerator, oven and washer. It does not offer any systems coverage. On the other hand, the Gold package focuses exclusively on systems coverage, including air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, cooling, heating, ductwork and water heater. The Platinum package covers all appliances and systems included in the Bronze and Gold packages.
Select Home Warranty has mixed-to-negative online reviews. Depending on the platform, it ranges from an average customer rating of 1.55 to an average of 4.2 stars. It has a BBB rating of B-, so saving with this company may include shortcomings in customer service.
Select has a home warranty with roof coverage, which is an add-on coverage with most providers. If you want to purchase a home warranty plan with roof protection, you should consider the extra costs when comparing plans.
Best for Fast Service: The Home Service Club
Why we chose it: The Home Service Club has faster than average response times, typically initiating a service request within 12 hours during business hours. This beats the industry standard of 48 hours, making HSC the best home warranty company for fast service.
- Fast service
- Large technician network
- More expensive plans
- Coverage exclusions
- Poor customer service
The Home Service Club’s prices start relatively higher than other companies, at $45 per month for the Standard Plan and $55 a month for the Comprehensive Plan. However, even the Standard plan offers above-average coverage, with major systems like air conditioning, electrical, heating and plumbing and appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, washers and dryers. The Comprehensive Plan also covers alarm wiring, gas leaks, pest control, plumbing stoppage, smoke detector, telephone wiring, sump pump and more.
HSC has an average score of 3.58 stars on its BBB profile based on 224 reviews. While this is higher than other home warranty companies, it’s also worth noting that it has a lower number of reviews at approximately 200, whereas other companies have thousands. Note that this company has a BBB alert, citing a pattern of complaints regarding its customer service department.
The biggest benefit of HSC warranty plans is the quickness of service with average service call times of under 12 business hours. This beats the 48-hour requirement laid out by the California Department of Insurance for home warranty companies in California.
Best Workmanship Guarantee: Cinch Home Services
Why we chose it: Cinch Home Services offers a 180-day guarantee — one of the best workmanship guarantees in the industry and the best of all home warranty companies on this list.
- Generous workmanship guarantee
- Homeowners insurance reimbursement
- Coverage of unknown pre-existing conditions
- High service fees
- Few discounts
Cinch Home Services offers customizable home warranty plans in San Diego. You can adjust your service fee from $100 to $150 per call, lowering your home warranty cost. The cheapest plan with a service fee of $150 will cost you $28 a month, while the most expensive plan with a service fee of $100 will cost $52 a month.
Cinch offers three plans: Appliances, Built-in Systems and Complete Home. As the names suggest, the Appliances plan covers major appliances and the Built-in Systems plan covers major home systems. The Complete Home plan covers all major systems, appliances and even some items that may cost extra with other home warranty companies, like sump pumps, smoke detectors, Whirlpool tubs and central vacuums.
Cinch customer online review averages range from 1.12 to 3.6 stars. The most common issue reported in customer reviews is slow repair times after the first technician visit. It is BBB accredited with a rating of B.
Cinch offers unique benefits to its clients, like a $500 homeowners insurance reimbursement that might help if you’re looking for the best home insurance at the same time. Other benefits include a $25 air conditioner or water filter credit and a $50 credit toward purchasing an energy-efficient appliance.
Other home warranty companies in San Diego we considered
Liberty Home Guard
- Offers many discounts and bonuses
- Won't deny your claim based on the age of the item
- A- BBB rating
- Service fees aren't listed on the website
- Won't cover pre-existing conditions
Liberty Home Guard is one of the most consumer-friendly home warranty companies in San Diego. With an A- rating from BBB, this company has a solid track record of good customer relations. Remember that it doesn’t publish service fees on its website, which may mean you’ll pay more than average for service calls.
Home Warranty of America
- GreenPlus plan available for energy-efficient homes
- Add-on coverage available
- Air conditioning not included
- Slower response time
- Negative customer reviews
Home Warranty of America is designed for energy-efficient homes. If that is not your priority, you may want to look elsewhere.
2-10 Home Warranty
- 40 years in business
- 24/7 emergency services
- Plans for sellers, builders, buyers and real estate agents
- Poor customer reviews
- Plans are more expensive than average
2-10 Home Warranty may be a good choice if you want 24/7 emergency services. However, this company has some serious issues with customer complaints.
Home Warranty Companies in San Diego Guide
How to choose the best home warranty plan in San Diego
When choosing a home warranty plan, the most important thing is ensuring it fits your needs. There’s more than pricing to think about, so be sure to look at other factors as you consider how to buy a home warranty, such as coverage, response times, ratings, etc.
Consider the San Diego climate when deciding your coverage needs
While San Diego weather can get pretty hot in the late summer, it’s also a very dry climate. Because of this, many companies only offer air conditioning coverage as an add-on service.
Skim through customer reviews
Reading a company’s online reviews will give you an idea of its reputation before you request a home warranty quote. A great place to review a company’s reputation is the Better Business Bureau (BBB). There, you will find customer reviews and specific reports on policy violations or claim underpayments. It is generally more reliable than anonymous reviews elsewhere, as BBB verifies that each reviewer actually interacted with the business before publishing their review.
Know what’s included and excluded
One of the customers’ most common complaints regarding their home warranty company is getting a claim denied due to an unknown exclusion. If you’re still wondering, “What does a warranty cover?” you should take some time to carefully review what each plan includes before making your first payment.
When you ask for a home warranty quote, you can request a sample contract from the company, which should include exact details of the systems and appliances that are covered, any coverage limits and exclusions, any limits to service calls and the price of each service call. Being clear on what is and isn’t included in your plan is one of the best ways to ensure a pleasant experience with your home warranty provider.
Compare workmanship guarantees
A company’s workmanship guarantee is one of the clearest indicators of the quality of its work, though it’s often overlooked. If a company won’t guarantee its workmanship for longer than a month, how can you be sure that it’s providing quality service?
Home warranty regulations in San Diego
The California Department of Insurance is in charge of maintaining and updating the home warranty regulations in San Diego and issuing and renewing licenses for home warranty companies. According to the regulations, all home warranty companies must specify the following information in the contracts:
- List of appliances covered by the warranty
- All relevant exclusions and coverage limits
- Contract period and renewal terms
- A list of services to be performed
- Service fees
- Restrictions and limitations on service requests
- A statement confirming that clients will be able to make claims over the phone without having to fill out forms or unnecessary paperwork
- A statement confirming that all services are to be initiated within 48 hours of receiving a request
Best Home Warranty Companies in San Diego FAQs
What is the average cost of a home warranty in San Diego?
Is a home warranty in San Diego worth it?
Simply having the peace of mind that you won't have to pay out of pocket for large expenses may be worth the monthly fee of your insurance plan. If you do need to replace an expensive component of your house, then your home warranty will be a sound investment. For example, the average cost of an HVAC system is $7,000, so you would have to pay for the average home warranty plan for almost 13 years to spend as much.
If you're still wondering, "Are home warranties worth it?" try thinking about your personal circumstances and how they will affect the lifespan of your systems and appliances. Here are some questions to consider:
- Do you have high-quality appliances from reputable brands?
- Are your appliances new or refurbished?
- Do you service your systems and appliances regularly?
- Do you have pets or children who may accidentally damage an appliance?
- Do you live in an area with harsh weather that may put excessive pressure on your home systems?
- Do you have a hobby or home business that requires you to use an appliance intensively?
What does a home warranty cover?
Many homeowners are confused about the difference between home warranty and home insurance. While similar, a warranty and an insurance plan are not the same. Home warranty plans are designed to protect major systems like plumbing and heating. Others may also cover major appliances, and almost all home warranty companies offer add-on coverages so that you can choose what you want to protect.
Home warranty coverage can include the following:
- Air conditioning systems
- Heating systems
- Plumbing systems
- Electrical systems
- Water heaters
- Sump pump
- Roof leaks
- Refrigerator
- Garbage disposal
- Oven
- Stove
- Pool equipment
- Ceiling fans
- Ice maker
- Trash compactors
How do you file a home warranty claim?
No matter what home warranty provider you have, the first step is to verify coverage and eligibility by reviewing your plan's terms and conditions. The fine print of your plan may prevent you from being covered unless certain criteria are met. For example, some companies won't cover an appliance if it's past the expected lifespan or was damaged by an extreme weather event.
Once you've verified that your broken appliance or system is covered, contact your home warranty company. Many providers have an online form you can submit to request service, while others will have a customer service line you will need to call to request the service.
How We Chose the Best Home Warranty Companies in San Diego
Here are the main criteria we used to evaluate the top seven home warranty companies in San Diego.
Cost-effectiveness
At the end of the day, a home warranty is there to save you money. With dozens of home warranty solutions in the market today, we considered companies that offer the best value for what’s included in their warranty plans.
However, you can’t just choose the plan with the cheapest premiums. Some plans can only offer low monthly premiums because of high service fees, which may cost you more in the long run. That’s why we examined plan premiums and service fees — to give you an accurate representation of how much each plan will cost.
Coverage
You shouldn’t assume that all companies offer plans with similar coverage. In fact, many coverage discrepancies between companies may make the difference between a plan that’s worth it and one that’s not. For example, some companies include both systems and appliances in their starter package, while others only include one of the two. To help you find a plan that best aligns with your needs, we considered top home warranty companies with a range of coverage options.
Customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is one of the easiest ways to tell what it’s like to do business with a company. We pored over hundreds of home warranty company reviews to identify common themes in complaints so you can make a more informed decision.
Extra benefits
Some home warranty companies stick to providing coverage, while others go above and beyond to offer extra benefits. Simply having a plan with a particular company can earn you discounts on homeowners, auto, vision and dental insurance, a credit toward green appliances or even complimentary services like roof leak protection. We considered the extra benefits that home warranty companies may offer to let you know which plans come with extra perks.
Summary of Best Home Warranty Companies in San Diego for 2023
- Best overall: American Home Shield
- Best for 24-hour support: First American Home Warranty
- Best for high coverage caps: Choice Home Warranty
- Best for choosing your own contractor: AFC Home Club
- Best for affordability: Select Home Warranty
- Best for fast service: The Home Service Club
- Best workmanship guarantee: Cinch Home Services