Select Home Warranty review 2024

Select Home Warranty (SHW) is a company geared toward homeowners on a tight budget, providing cost-effective protection plans and a low service call fee. SHW charges well below our national average monthly premium calculation of $55.70 for its entry-level plans. In addition, SHW provides coverage in all states except Nevada, Washington and Wisconsin.

However, SHW’s affordability makes its major appliance and system coverage less comprehensive than that of comparable home warranty providers.

For this review, our team examined SHW’s plans, read its service contract and analyzed customer reviews. We then rated SHW against our in-house review standards to determine whether to add it to our list of best home warranty companies. After careful consideration, SHW missed out on that list.

Our thoughts on Select Home Warranty

When evaluated against our review standards, Select Home Warranty scored 3.8 out of 5 stars. It earned full points in the pricing category of our rating system but lost points in other critical categories, such as coverage limits and options.

What we like

Select Home Warranty’s cooling and heating system coverage is one of its standout features. SHW’s sample contract states it pays up to $3,000 per repair or replacement for HVAC systems, such as air conditioners and furnaces. Few home warranty providers offer a comparable coverage limit for HVAC systems.

SHW offers affordable home warranty coverage plans plus a single service fee of $75 per claim, significantly lower than our calculated national average of $96.16 per claim.

Another feature that SHW includes is roof-leak coverage in all protection plans. It covers roof-leak repairs up to $400 per claim. Other home warranty companies we’ve reviewed offer roof-leak protection as an add-on only.

What we don’t like

Select Home Warranty’s biggest issue is its low reimbursement limits for covered appliances and all major systems except HVAC. I read through its sample terms and found that SHW pays up to $500 per claim for these items. Other home warranty companies have higher reimbursement limits for appliances and systems. While you pay less for a SHW plan, its coverage value is compromised.

SHW also doesn’t specify its workmanship guarantee online or within its sample contract. A workmanship guarantee is a policy home warranty companies implement that states they will fix previously repaired items free of charge if they break down again during an established time period. 

I called a representative to clarify this omission, and the representative said SHW provides a 30-day workmanship guarantee. He also mentioned that SHW will charge a service call fee for each issue you request service for, even if a technician repairs them in a single visit. 

Compare top home warranty companies

Select Home Warranty adds roof-leak protection free of charge to each affordable coverage plan. Other home warranty companies, such as American Home Shield and Liberty Home Guard, provide more robust coverage and longer workmanship guarantees.

See how the best home warranty companies compare on key factors:

Company	BBB Rating	Our Rating	Monthly Cost	Appliance Coverage	System Coverage	See Plans
Our top pick Liberty Home Guard Visit Site	NR	4.6	$49–$60	$2,000	$500–$2,000	Visit Site
2-10 Home Buyers Warranty Visit Site	A	4.5	$22–$74	$2,000–$5,000	$2,000–$5,000	Visit Site
Elite Home Warranty Visit Site	A+	4.4	$55–$75	$500–$3,000	$750–$3,000	Visit Site
American Home Shield Visit Site	B	4.4	$64–$74	$2,000–$4,000	$5,000–unlimited	Visit Site
Cinch Home Services Read view	B+	4.3	$47–$64	$2,000	$10,000	Read view
First American Home Warranty Visit Site	B	4.2	$60–$76	$3,500–$7,000	$1,000–unlimited	Visit Site
ARW Home Visit Site	A	4.0	$45-$85	N/A	N/A	Visit Site
Select Home Warranty Visit Site	B	3.9	$44–$48	$500	$500–$3,000	Visit Site

Company	BBB Rating	Our Rating	Monthly Cost	Appliance Coverage	System Coverage	See Plans
Our top pick Liberty Home Guard Visit Site	NR	4.6	$49–$60	$2,000	$500–$2,000	Visit Site
2-10 Home Buyers Warranty Visit Site	A	4.5	$22–$74	$2,000–$5,000	$2,000–$5,000	Visit Site
Elite Home Warranty Visit Site	A+	4.4	$55–$75	$500–$3,000	$750–$3,000	Visit Site
American Home Shield Visit Site	B	4.4	$64–$74	$2,000–$4,000	$5,000–unlimited	Visit Site
Cinch Home Services Read view	B+	4.3	$47–$64	$2,000	$10,000	Read view
First American Home Warranty Visit Site	B	4.2	$60–$76	$3,500–$7,000	$1,000–unlimited	Visit Site
ARW Home Visit Site	A	4.0	$45-$85	N/A	N/A	Visit Site
Select Home Warranty Visit Site	B	3.9	$44–$48	$500	$500–$3,000	Visit Site

See all

Coverage plans

Select Home Warranty offers three plan options. It pairs each with a $75 service call fee. Below is a quick summary of each plan:

• Bronze Care: This plan covers home appliances, such as cooktops and clothes washers.
• Gold Care: This plan covers home systems, including ductwork and electrical systems.
• Platinum Care: This plan bundles all items listed in the Bronze and Gold Care plans, plus plumbing stoppages and garage door openers.

Select Home Warranty lists several factors, such as per-item coverage caps, that influence the cost and quality of its protection plans. Here is an overview:

• Workmanship guarantee: 30 days
• Appliance coverage cap: $500 per claim
• System coverage caps: $500 per claim; $3,000 per claim for HVAC

The tables below highlight the items SHW covers by protection plan:

Appliance Coverage	Bronze Care	Gold Care	Platinum Care
Built-in microwave	✓	✗	✓
Clothes dryer	✓	✗	✓
Clothes washer	✓	✗	✓
Cooktop	✓	✗	✓
Dishwasher	✓	✗	✓
Garbage disposal	✓	✗	✓
Refrigerator	✓	✗	✓
Stove/oven	✓	✗	✓

Electrical Coverage	Bronze Care	Gold Care	Platinum Care
Ceiling fan	✗	✗	✓
Electrical system	✗	✓	✓
Garage door openers	✗	✗	✓

HVAC Coverage	Bronze Care	Gold Care	Platinum Care
AC/cooling	✗	✓	✓
Ductwork	✗	✓	✓
Heating system	✗	✓	✓

Plumbing Coverage	Bronze Care	Gold Care	Platinum Care
Plumbing stoppages	✗	✗	✓
Plumbing system	✗	✓	✓
Water heater	✗	✓	✓

Additional coverage options

Select Home Warranty provides nine additional coverage options to supplement its standard plans. Unlike other home warranty companies, SHW includes roof-leak repair coverage in each protection plan free of charge. Below is the full list of optional add-ons offered by SHW:

• Central vacuum
• Lawn sprinkler system
• Pool
• Roof-leak
• Septic system
• Spa
• Stand-alone freezer
• Sump pump
• Well pump

Coverage exclusions

After reading Select Home Warranty’s sample contract, I found it lists many of the same coverage exclusions as other home warranty companies. For instance, SHW won’t cover items damaged by hazardous materials, such as acids, asbestos and lead-based products. 

Other notable exclusions include malfunctions caused by improper appliance or system installations, rust or corrosion damage, cosmetic components such as doorknobs and hinges, acts of nature and manufacturing defects.

Quotes and pricing

Although Select Home Warranty has a low monthly premium and service call fee, it doesn’t meet the coverage standards of other home warranty companies we’ve reviewed. The average appliance coverage cap is $2,000 per claim — SHW’s appliance limits are just $500 per claim. 

However, SHW makes sense if you need affordable HVAC coverage, as it pays up to $3,000 per repair. The table below displays the monthly prices I requested for each SHW plan using a 2,140-square-foot, single-family home in Millville, New Jersey. 

Plan Name	Average Monthly Cost
Bronze Care	$44.42
Gold Care	$44.42
Platinum Care	$47.75

Customer thoughts

Select Home Warranty has a B- rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB), which is the same rating as roughly half of the other home warranty companies we’ve reviewed. However, customers rated SHW 1.48 out of 5 stars on BBB, with many citing poor customer service, denied claims and low reimbursements for repairs. A BBB review from Latasha F. mentions that SHW issued a $125 check for her broken dryer, which was much less than the item’s value.

That said, SHW holds positive reviews on other third-party review sites. On Trustpilot, most customer reviews I read highlight SHW’s simple sign-up process and affordable prices. A review from Jamie notes the friendly experience SHW’s sales representatives provide during sign-up.

After reviewing more than 100 customer reviews, however, I found very few instances of customers praising SHW’s claims process. Most customer reviews that related to SHW’s claims process were negative.

How do you use your Select Home Warranty coverage plan?

To maximize the value you obtain from your Select Home Warranty plan, you must first understand how a home warranty works. Below, we detail the two things you must do to effectively use your SHW plan.

Read your service contract

After signing up, we recommend reading SHW’s service contract again to understand the company’s coverage terms, limits and exclusions. SHW’s service contract can be found online by clicking “Terms” in the website footer. 

Here are the main service contract categories to focus on:

• Term: The term section of SHW’s contract outlines the duration of your coverage plan (typically 12 months unless you purchased a multiyear plan).
• Claims procedure: This section provides information on how to file a claim, how long it will take SHW to respond to your claim and other claims-related provisions.
• Covered systems and appliances: This section contains information on all covered items in each coverage plan. This section also lists the item components SHW excludes. 
• Select’s option: This section is important to understand because it highlights the general provisions SHW follows to approve or deny a claim. 
• Exclusions to coverage: This section lists SHW’s general exclusion categories, such as hazardous materials, acts of nature, manufacturer’s defects and more.
• Select’s liability: This section lists the dollar amount of SHW’s coverage limits per covered item. It also outlines other notable limitations, including SHW’s stance on old appliance and system disposals, delays in service and more.
• Cancellation: The cancellation section gives information on SHW’s 30-day free cancellation period. SHW will fully refund your premium if you cancel your plan within the first 30 days of sign-up. It charges a $75 cancellation fee for cancellations after the free cancellation period.

File a claim

Select Home Warranty has a 24/7 hotline and an online portal for filing claims. After receiving your service request, SHW will send an in-network service provider to your home within 48 hours. 

I contacted an SHW representative to confirm whether the company only fulfills requests with in-network technicians. The representative said you can choose your preferred local service provider, but you must contact SHW and obtain approval before any repair work begins.

How long does your coverage plan last?

According to the “Term” section of Select Home Warranty’s service agreement, a coverage policy will last 12 months from the coverage effective date. The coverage effective date, which SHW refers to as the coverage waiting period, is 30 days after the sign-up date. 

SHW will expedite the coverage effective date if you provide proof of coverage from a different home warranty company. To receive a shorter waiting period, there must not be a lapse in your previous home warranty policy.

How should you handle a dispute with Select Home Warranty?

Below are several steps to take if you have a contractual dispute with Select Home Warranty:

• Confirm your coverage details: Read your service contract again to ensure SHW has a clause covering your issue. Most negative reviews relating to denied claims were from customers who likely didn’t confirm that SHW covered their breakdown.
• Contact Select: Once you confirm your issue is a covered malfunction, contact SHW and state which section of the service contract lists your issue as a covered breakdown.
• Document everything: Each time you call SHW, note who you speak with. Ensure you save any emails you exchange with SHW, too.
• Contact your state’s consumer protection agency: You can file a complaint with your state’s consumer protection office if SHW continues to ignore your resolution attempts.

Select Home Warranty vs. other home warranty providers

While SHW stands out for its affordability and HVAC coverage, you should compare home warranty companies to ensure you select the one that’s best for your specific needs.

Select Home Warranty vs. Liberty Home Guard

Liberty Home Guard (LHG) is our choice for the best home warranty company. We gave LHG a 5 out of 5 stars for its reputation subscore, compared to SHW’s 3.7 subscore. SHW and LHG are both some of the best home warranty companies for HVAC because of their generous HVAC coverage caps. Note that SHW has limited coverage limits for appliances and most major systems.

Select Home Warranty vs. 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty

2-10 Home Buyers Warranty is the cheapest home warranty company, with an average monthly premium of $45, slightly edging out SHW’s average premium of $46. However, SHW has a cheaper average service call fee of $75, compared to 2-10’s $83 fee. 

Category	Select Home Warranty	Liberty Home Guard	2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
Our rating (out of 5)	3.9	4.6	4.5
Average monthly premium	$46	$55	$45
Average annual premium	$547	$662	$540
Average service call fee	$75	$95	$83
Number of add-ons	9	42	15
Reputation subscore	3.7	5.0	3.7

Final take: Select Home Warranty’s budget prices sacrifice coverage quality 

Select Home Warranty’s competitive pricing, solid HVAC protection and roof-leak repair coverage are valid benefits to note when considering SHW. However, its limited coverage caps for all other covered items significantly reduce the value SHW offers. Its poorly rated claims process also leads us to recommend other home warranty companies over SHW.

To request a personalized quote from Select, fill out the Select Home Warranty quote form. Our team suggests pulling quotes from three providers to compare plan prices, coverage options and workmanship guarantees.   

Our rating methodology for home warranty companies

BBB and Trustpilot ratings are accurate as of January 2024.