Home warranty deductible, or a service call fee, is an important concept to master if you want to understand how to find the cheapest home warranty plans for your needs. You need to consider it when you are trying to figure out whether a home warranty is “worth it” because these deductible fees can add up to substantial amounts that will have a strong impact on the value/risk equation, together with the actual home warranty coverage provided.

In addition to the deductible costs, you need to consider annual premiums and coverage limits for all covered items to select the right coverage plan that would provide maximum value for your money.

    Best Home Warranty Plans by Deductible Range

    Before we delve further into home warranty costs and compare the deductible fees on a per-company basis, it is highly important to mention that choosing a company that is right for your home goes above and beyond the costs. A homeowner cannot benefit from a home warranty that doesn’t provide good coverage, has low limits and/or doesn’t provide good support for its clients. If customer support is unreachable throughout the day, the actual cost of deductible becomes insignificant! The idea of a home warranty insurance is an exceptional hassle-free service, which can save you both time and money. There are a lot more variables involved in determining that.

    If you’re looking for a trusted, industry-leading home warranty company, we recommend American Home Shield. American Home Shield is an industry leader in providing home warranties, and right now you can take advantage of their current promotions that get you $50 Off and The Service Fee of Your Choice. Get a free online quote or contact a specialist at 866-464-7521 before these deals end.

    Your next best option is Select Home Warranty which offers $175 Off + 2 Free Months and Free Roof Leak Coverage. Get a free quote online or request more information directly at 888-370-3954.

    Home Warranty Deductible: Delving Into the Nitty-Gritty

    If you’ve ever bought insurance, you might be familiar with the general concept of a deductible. When something goes wrong, the deductible is what you have to pay before the insurance kicks in.

    Any home insurance or home warranty is no different, the concept is similar. Most home warranties have deductibles, sometimes known as service fees. When you call in for service using your home warranty, you will need to pay this fee in order to receive service. In other words, the service call fees are the home warranty deductibles. For example, Choice home warranty deductible is Choice home warranty service call fee, Select home warranty deductible is Select home warranty service call fee. In American Home Shield review you can find that American Home Shield service fee is the cost of a service call.

    There are home warranty companies with no deductibles, such as Whirlpool warranty. It should be noted that while the vast majority of home warranty plans have a deductible, some do not and they don’t charge a service call fee. These are not specifically included in our survey because they are fewer in number, and less likely to be encountered by consumers. Most of the home warranties do have deductibles or service call fees with an industry average of approximately $75 per.

    Some companies, like American Home Shield or TotalProtect Home Warranty, let their customers choose the amount of a deductible, which depends on the amount of premium. The higher the American Home Shield warranty cost, the lower the deductible. For more detailed information on deductibles in different companies, please see the table below.

    Home Warranty Deductibles in Different Companies

    CompanyAmount 
    Choice Home Warranty deductible$60
    Select Home Warranty deductible$60
    American Home Shield warranty deductible$75 – $125
    HMS Home Warranty deductible$100
    HSA Home Warranty deductible$75 – $100
    Fidelity home warranty deductible$75
    Home Warranty of America deductible$75 – $100
    First American Home Warranty deductible$75
    Old Republic Home Protection deductible$65
    ServicePlus Home Warranty deductible$75 – $125
    Sears Home Warranty deductible$75

    It is important to pay attention to the coverage limits on any plan. Maximum limits which are very low render the plans largely ineffectual. This study considered plans with deductibles and reasonably high compensation limits, and the potential to compensate for major repairs. That is, after all, the main reason why so many opt for a home warranty policy in the first place.

    How Much Are Home Warranty Deductibles, and How Do They Affect Premiums?

    We surveyed 86 home warranty policies from 20 different companies to discover what consumers can expect to pay for deductibles. We found that home warranty deductibles range from $50 to $125 for these major policies, with 42 of the policies, about half, at $75. A smaller number are higher at $100 (16) and the highest figure of $125 (7).

    For premiums, we found a range from $240 annually to just over $1100. It might make sense that a higher premium would result in a lower deductible, right? This is not the case. In fact, some of the highest premiums have slightly higher deductibles and service fees.

    At first glance, this may seem to confuse the situation further. How do you decide which plan to buy when premiums and deductibles have a minimal relationship?

    In fact, however, knowing upfront that premiums and deductibles are not proportionate in any regular sense frees you to make a choice based not only on price but on coverage. You want to buy a plan you can afford to pay the premium and deductibles on, of course, but beyond that to ensure that you are covered for all potential issues in your home.

    What Are Common Issues Reported Relating to Deductibles?

    In order to discover the most common issues reported relating to home warranty deductibles, we surveyed 443 online comments and reviews relating to home warranty companies and found 58 which mentioned the deductible.

    Reviews mentioned a wide array of issues for which coverage was invoked, including air conditioners, ovens, water heaters, and refrigerators. It’s important to note that a good home warranty will cover all of these and many other potential problems within the home.

    Why, then, were deductibles mentioned in these reviews?

    The majority of issues related to either the refusal to repair an issue after a deductible was paid (36 percent) or a delay in repairs after the deductible was paid (19 percent). This indicates that many problems relate directly to obtaining repair service after the deductible is paid.

    A smaller number of consumers (22 percent) reported that repairs were done, but that the repair service was poor. Then, 14 percent mentioned that compensation was offered in lieu of repairs, and 9 percent mentioned other issues. Some consumers also complained that they paid a deductible several times for several visits on the same issue.

    What Are Common Issues Reported Relating to Deductibles?

    Finally, it’s important to consider the value of the deductible as a portion of the overall repair cost. In order to do make this calculation, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario in which all reviewers actually had repairs completed. If such were the case, what value would the deductible have represented?

    Out of the 58 reviews surveyed, 13 paid less than 15 percent of overall repair cost as deductible, and 19 paid either 15 to 24 percent of the repair cost or 25 to 49 percent of the repair cost.

    The value of repairs far exceeds the value of deductibles, especially when the repairs being sought are very expensive. In any given case, the ultimate value proposition depends upon the severity of the repairs. The more severe the repairs, the better value is the deductible by comparison, and the more money saved for the homeowner.

    Consumers ought to be cautious in ensuring that repair service will be rendered by their home warranty provider in a fashion that addresses the issue head-on, in a timely fashion. With proper research, however, consumers are empowered to decide which companies are likely to provide better service, and which are not.

    Conclusion: Know What Your Home Warranty Covers

    Ultimately, the decision about buying a home warranty is one that only you can make based on your own parameters and priorities. Home warranties with deductibles offer the greatest range of options for ensuring proper coverage for common household issues, despite the service call fees.

    As discovered by this survey, however, premium and deductible costs ought not to be the sole determining factor in purchasing a home warranty. Sift through plans based on what you can afford, and then, on what best meets your needs.

    Are home warranty plans worth it? The price and quality of a home warranty plan should be on the mind of every homeowner looking to invest in a home warranty. Keeping the issues in this article in mind will help to give context to that decision.


    i Companies surveyed include: Anchor Home Warranty, Choice Home Warranty, Fidelity National Home Warranty, First American Home Buyers Protection, Hello Super, HMS Home Warranty, Old Republic Home ProtectionSecure Home Warranty, Select Home WarrantyTotal Home ProtectionAmerican Home GuardHome Security of America, Home Warranty of America, Landmark Home, AFC Home Warranty, American Home ShieldTotalProtect Home Warranty
    ii Review data sourced from www.mythrecents.com and www.outscam.com.

    Editorial Contributors
    avatar for Ross Robinson

    Ross Robinson

    Contributor

    Ross Robinson has spent over five years working in interior design and six years as a marketing manager for an award-winning luxury design company. Now he focuses on what he loves most: writing. From reviewing home products and DIY design tips to discussing the latest architecture and design trends, he’s covered it all.

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    Andrew Dunn

    Senior Editor

    Andrew Dunn is a veteran journalist with more than 15 years of experience reporting and editing for local and national publications, including The Charlotte Observer and Business North Carolina magazine. His work has been recognized numerous times by the N.C. Press Association and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. He is also a former general contractor with experience with cabinetry, finish carpentry and general home improvement and repair. Andrew earned a degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a certificate in business journalism. He lives in Charlotte, N.C.

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