View details
Monthly premiums
$20 and up
Service fees
$100 or $125
per claim
States available
48
states, and Washington, D.C.
View details
American Home Shield Review 2024
With high coverage caps and flexible monthly premium pricing, American Home Shield is a good option for homeowners.
Edited by Claire Tsosie
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American Home Shield’s home warranties feature high coverage caps and low monthly premiums starting at $19.99, making them a strong option for homeowners looking to reduce premium costs. It also pays up to $1,000 to bring walls, ceilings and floors to a rough finish if a technician has to cut through them to repair a covered item. But the company has low customer satisfaction ratings on some review websites, with customers citing bad experiences with repair technicians and customer service representatives.
Deciding factors | |
|---|---|
Monthly cost | $19.99 and up. |
Service fees | $100 or $125 per call. |
Average coverage cap* |
|
Average customer service rating† | 2.87 out of 5. |
Technician choice | In some locations, American Home Shield may approve you to use your preferred technician. |
*Annual coverage cap assumes a 12-month plan. †Average customer service rating is based on three sources: Trustpilot (a consumer review site), ConsumerAffairs and the Better Business Bureau. | |
How does American Home Shield work?
American Home Shield offers three plans:
The ShieldSilver plan covers systems that include heating and air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems.
The ShieldGold plan covers the same systems as the ShieldSilver plan plus kitchen appliances and clothes washers and dryers.
The ShieldPlatinum plan includes everything from the other two plans and adds in roof leak repairs and increases the appliance coverage cap.
Add-on items, which come with an additional fee, include pools, built-in spa equipment, septic pumps, well pumps and guest units.
While most of the company’s competitors only cover items that malfunction due to wear and tear, American Home Shield covers items that malfunction because of:
Wear and tear from normal use.
Insufficient maintenance.
Improper installation or repair on most items if you were unaware of the issue before your home warranty started.
Corrosion, rust or sediment.
Like its competitors, American Home Shield doesn’t cover the cost of regular maintenance (such as replacing filters), cosmetic repairs or physical damage due to misuse.
American Home Shield customers can file claims by phone and through its online portal. Once filed, the company will assign a third-party contractor to your claim, who will contact you within 48 hours to set up an appointment. In some locations, the company might let you choose your own technician, but American Home Shield must approve you to do so — and it doesn’t outline situations where hiring your own technician is appropriate.
Like other home warranty companies, American Home Shield limits the amount it will pay to repair or replace a covered item. The company will pay or reimburse you up to:
$5,000 per covered system on heating and air conditioning systems.
$3,000 on plumbing.
$3,000 on electrical.
$2,000-$4,000 per covered item on appliances, depending on the plan.
$1,000 on roof leak repair.
Compared with its competitors, American Home Shield is at the higher end of coverage caps, especially for heating and air conditioning systems and appliances. Whether the company’s coverage caps will pay for most of your repairs depends on the specific issue your appliance or system has and where you live.
How much does an American Home Shield warranty cost?
American Home Shield plans start at $19.99, though rates vary by location. Among home warranty companies, this is a relatively low cost.
Examples of American Home Shield quotes for monthly premiums
Unlike many of its competitors, American Home Shield offers two options for a service fee: $100 or $125. Customers who choose to pay $125 when a technician comes to their home will have a lower monthly premium, and customers who choose the $100 service fee will have a higher monthly premium.
American Home Shield guarantees its repairs for 30 days. If a completed repair has issues that require a technician to return within the first 30 days, you won’t pay an additional service fee.
Themes in customer reviews
NerdWallet considered customer reviews from three review websites — Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs and the Better Business Bureau — to get a wider perspective of customer experiences. We’ve highlighted the types of experiences that we’ve found to be most common, keeping in mind that online reviews tend to lean toward negative experiences. NerdWallet hasn't independently verified these reviews.
Trustpilot: 2.2 out of 5.
ConsumerAffairs: 4.2 out of 5.
Better Business Bureau: 2.11 out of 5.
Negative reviews of American Home Shield mentioned the company’s technicians being unable to repair covered items. Other reviews highlight technicians not being available for repairs as quickly as customers expected, or being difficult to contact.
Positive reviews of the company highlight that it is easy to file a claim and that the company assigns technicians quickly.
Pros of American Home Shield
American Home Shield provides several benefits to homeowners, including:
High coverage limits. Among home warranty companies that cap their coverage, American Home Shield has one of the higher limits for heating and air conditioning units at $5,000 per system. This coverage cap applies to all of its plans. The company also covers up to $4,000 in repairs or replacements per appliance with its ShieldPlatinum plan, which is on the higher end of coverage limits compared to its competitors.
Choice of technician, for some. In some locations and situations, the company will let you choose your own technician, but it’s up to American Home Shield when you can do it. Example situations aren’t listed in the contract, so it’s unclear when this could be an option.
Available in most states. The company has one of the largest coverage areas, providing warranties in all states except Alaska and Hawaii. It also offers coverage in Washington, D.C.
Pays for access repair. American Home Shield pays up to $1,000 to repair walls or concrete if a technician has to cut into them to access a covered system. Most companies don’t cover this.
Cons of American Home Shield
A drawback to American Home Shield’s coverage is:
Low customer satisfaction. On Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs and Better Business Bureau, customer ratings are relatively low compared to competitors.
Alternatives to American Home Shield
Monthly fees
$47 and up
Service fees
$75–$100
per claim
States available
49
states, and Washington, D.C.
Monthly fees
$20 and up
Service fees
$100 or $125
per claim
States available
48
states, and Washington, D.C.
Choice Home Warranty
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Monthly premiums
$47 and up
Service fees
$75–$100
per claim
States available
49
states, and Washington, D.C.
View details
Get started
on Choice Home Warranty's website
Liberty Home Guard
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Monthly premiums
$50 and up
Service fees
$70–$125
per claim
States available
50
states, and Washington, D.C.
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Get started
on Liberty Home Guard's website
Select Home Warranty
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Monthly premiums
$44 and up
Service fees
$75-$100
per claim
States available
47
states, including Washington, D.C.
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Get started
on Select Home Warranty's website
First American Home Warranty
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Monthly premiums
$42 and up
Service fees
$75, $100 or $125
per claim
States available
36
states, and Washington, D.C.
View details
Methodology
NerdWallet's Home Services team evaluated home warranties across several factors, including cost, covered items, coverage limits, customer ratings, ability to choose your own technician and warranty on work completed. Because costs can vary by location, it's best to get quotes from multiple companies before making a decision. Read more about how NerdWallet rates home warranties.
