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Select Home Warranty vs American Home Shield

Why Trust Us?

Here’s a breakdown of how we reviewed and rated the best home warranty companies
20
Companies Reviewed Our team reviewed almost 20 home warranty providers, collecting and comparing data on monthly costs, service fees, coverages and more.
350
Quotes Collected We’ve collected more than 350 sample quotes from home warranty companies to give readers an accurate view of pricing and how competitors stack up in terms of rates. We update our pages regularly to reflect accurate cost information.
22
Rating Factors Our comprehensive rating system scores providers based on 22 data points in seven key rating factors: plan options, coverage details, pricing, trustworthiness, customer service, additional benefits and state availability.
2,000
Homeowners Surveyed We’ve conducted multiple homeowner surveys to collect data on what real home warranty customers care about, such as policy features, company transparency and month premium cost.

Select Home Warranty coverage

Select Home Warranty provides homeowners with home warranty coverage through three plans, each offering protection on major home appliances, systems or a combination of both. The company also allows customers to supplement their existing coverage with up to 11 optional add-ons. Here’s an overview of the number of items covered under a Select Home Warranty plan:

Number of covered items under Select Home Warranty plans

Bronze CareGold CarePlatinum Care
Number of covered appliances810
Number of covered systems67

In addition to its standard coverage options, Select lets customers purchase optional coverage for any plan. Optional coverage is available for purchase on the following items:

  • Plumbing and light fixtures
  • Limited roof leak
  • Pool/spa equipment
  • Well pump
  • Sump pump
  • Central vacuum
  • Second refrigerator
  • Stand-alone freezer
  • Lawn sprinkler system
  • Septic system coverage
  • Refrigerator ice maker

To receive a quote from Select Home Warranty, call 888-370-3956 or fill out this simple form. Currently, Select is offering MarketWatch readers $100 off a selected plan with two months free.

Filters
Location
Service Fee
0-150
Monthly Cost
17-135
BBB Rating
At Least
Company Best For Service Fee Monthly Cost BBB Rating Visit Site
Most Experienced $100–$125 $42.31 B EXPLORE PLANS
Most Budget-Friendly $75-100 $44.45 B EXPLORE PLANS
N/A $85 $46–$54 B
Our Pick for Affordable Plans $75 $41–$45 NR
Most Coverage Options $75–$125 $35.18 B
N/A $95–$125 $43–$60 C
Most Customer-Friendly $65–$125 $50.19 NR
Our pick for appliance coverage $75–$125 $47.88 B
Our Pick for Bonus Benefits $100–$150 $44.93 B
N/A $49 $43–$50 N/A
Most Affordable Appliance Plan $65–$100 $17.00 B+
Our Pick for Discounts $75 $39–$48 B-
Our Pick for Contractor Flexibility $70 $44–$55 B-
N/A $55 $39–$135 A+
Most Plan Options $0–$100 N/A N/A
N/A N/A $46-$60 N/A
N/A $75 $37.5-$62.5 N/A
N/A $85 $33-$62.5 A+
N/A N/A N/A N/A
N/A $75-$85 $22- $37 N/A
N/A $85 $32.5 - $68 A+
N/A $75 $30-$85 A+
Most unique add-ons $100 $49.99 A+
Our pick for Maryland residents N/A N/A A+
Company BBB Rating Best For Service Fee Monthly Cost Visit Site
B Most Experienced $100–$125 $42.31 EXPLORE PLANS
B Most Budget-Friendly $75-100 $44.45 EXPLORE PLANS
B N/A $85 $46–$54
NR Our Pick for Affordable Plans $75 $41–$45
B Most Coverage Options $75–$125 $35.18
C N/A $95–$125 $43–$60
NR Most Customer-Friendly $65–$125 $50.19
B Our pick for appliance coverage $75–$125 $47.88
B Our Pick for Bonus Benefits $100–$150 $44.93
N/A N/A $49 $43–$50
B+ Most Affordable Appliance Plan $65–$100 $17.00
B- Our Pick for Discounts $75 $39–$48
B- Our Pick for Contractor Flexibility $70 $44–$55
A+ N/A $55 $39–$135
N/A Most Plan Options $0–$100 N/A
N/A N/A N/A $46-$60
N/A N/A $75 $37.5-$62.5
A+ N/A $85 $33-$62.5
N/A N/A N/A N/A
N/A N/A $75-$85 $22- $37
A+ N/A $85 $32.5 - $68
A+ N/A $75 $30-$85
A+ Most unique add-ons $100 $49.99
A+ Our pick for Maryland residents N/A N/A
No results were found.

American Home Shield Coverage

Similar to Select Home Warranty, American Home Shield offers its customers the choice to protect appliances, systems or a combination of both through its Appliances Plan, Systems Plan and Combo Plan. Here’s a look at the number of items covered under each American Home Shield plan:

Number of covered items under American Home Shield plans

Appliances PlanSystems PlanCombo Plan
Number of covered appliances1010
Number of covered systems1111

American Home Shield offers the following optional add-ons:

  • Electronics extended warranty
  • Pool and inground spa
  • Well pump
  • Septic pump
  • Guest unit under 750 square feet

To receive your personalized quote from American Home Shield, call 844-529-9298 or fill out this quick online form. American Home Shield is currently offering MarketWatch readers $50 off their policy.

Select Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield Cost Comparison

Most Select Home Warranty plans range between $41–$47 per month, while American Home Shield plans range between $50–$60 per month. Both providers require customers to select a service call fee that’s owed when a technician comes out to investigate, repair or replace a covered item. Select Home Warranty’s service fee is between $60–$75, while American Home Shield’s service fee is between $75–$125.

Note: The cost of your plan with either provider will vary based on factors like your location, selected plan and chosen service call fee. We recommend receiving quotes from both providers to get the most accurate pricing information.


Select Home Warranty and American Home Shield Reviews

American Home Shield is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and holds a B rating from the organization. Select Home Warranty also holds a B rating from the BBB, but the provider isn’t accredited. Both companies have received numerous BBB customer reviews, but American Home Shield holds a higher customer rating.


Our Conclusion: Select Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield

Select Home Warranty and American Home Shield both provide a variety of home warranty plans that protect major home systems and appliances like your air conditioning, plumbing system and refrigerator. While both providers offer comprehensive plans, each company is suitable for a particular homeowner.

We recommend Select Home Warranty if you’re looking for affordable system and appliance coverage. If you’re looking for coverage that protects a wide range of items and a company that offers coverage for items with undetectable pre-existing conditions, American Home Shield may be a solid option.

To get a free quote from Select Home Warranty, call 888-370-3956 or fill out this form.

For a free online quote from American Home Shield, call 844-529-9298 or fill out this form.


Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, there’s usually a waiting period before home warranty coverage begins. A waiting period is the length of time a customer is required to wait before filing a claim. Both Select Home Warranty and American Home Shield have a waiting period of 30 days.

American Home Shield is our “best overall” home warranty company. The experienced provider has served homeowners for over 45 years and offers customizable coverage plans that protect a variety of major appliances and systems. However, companies like Select Home Warranty and Choice Home Warranty are also top-rated home warranty providers.

On average, a home warranty plan costs between $300–$600 for an annual plan. However, the cost of a home warranty plan depends on many factors like your selected plan, coverage area, chosen deductible and number of optional add-ons you include in your plan.


Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Home Warranty Companies

Our team created a comprehensive rating system to rank providers based on objective factors. We researched each company by speaking with company representatives, reading sample contracts, and analyzing and comparing consumer reviews. We deepened our research by gaining homeowner insights through surveys and focus groups. After collecting data, we scored each provider based on what matters most to homeowners: plan options, cost, trustworthiness, customer service, state availability, additional benefits and coverage specifics. Here’s the breakdown of how we scored each home warranty company on our list:

  • Plan options (20%): Companies that offered at least three plan options and various add-on coverage scored the highest in this category.
  • Coverage details (20%): We rated companies both on their total number of home appliances and systems covered in their plans, putting more emphasis on the most essential systems like plumbing and air conditioning units.
  • Plan pricing (18%): Home warranty providers that had a service fee of $75 or less and offered combination plans for less than $50 a month earned the most points in this category.
  • Trustworthiness (14%): We evaluated the Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, sample contract availability, workmanship guarantee and years in the industry to determine the trustworthiness of each company.
  • Customer service (16%): Home warranty companies that are available 24/7, 365 days a year, provide emergency services and offer customers at least two claim filing options earned the highest points in the customer service category.
  • Additional benefits (8%): Companies that offer a 30-day free cancellation period earned points in this category, and any additional coverage perks and exclusive benefits a provider offered earned it extra points.
  • State availability (4%): Providers that are available in all 50 states earned full credit for this category.
Our review methodology for home warranty companies is intended to provide a thorough overview of the best providers nationwide. To learn more, you can read our full home warranty methodology.  


If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at editors@marketwatchguides.com.

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