First American Home Warranty Review

First American Home Warranty stands out for its comprehensive plans, especially its starter plan which covers key appliances and systems at a competitive price, which makes it one of our best home warranty companies.

Below, we review First American Home Warranty, including its coverage, pricing, availability and common customer complaints. We also include side-by-side comparisons with other companies so you can make an informed decision when choosing a home warranty.

Table of Contents

• First American Home Warranty plans
• First American Home Warranty coverage
• First American Home Warranty coverage limits
• First American Home Warranty availability
• First American Home Warranty’s credentials
• First American Home Warranty’s customer satisfaction
• First American Home Warranty comparisons
• First American Home Warranty FAQs
• How we evaluated First American Home Warranty

First American Home Warranty overview

Founded in 1984, First American Home Warranty (FAHW) has over 35 years of experience in the home warranty industry, providing plans that cover the cost of repairing or replacing home systems and appliances of any age. Although the company is available in only 35 states, it features an extensive network of service providers.

First American Home Warranty plans

A home warranty provides coverage for covered appliances and home systems when they break due to normal wear and tear. This type of service contract can save you money in out-of-pocket expenses and provides peace of mind against unforeseen malfunctions involving major home items like refrigerators or air conditioners.

First American Home Warranty offers three home warranty plans and lets you choose a service fee of $75, $100 or $125. The plans are:

• Starter Plan
• Essential Plan
• Premium Plan

The Starter Plan is the most basic plan, with coverage for only three major home systems (plumbing, electrical and heating) and a few kitchen appliances. The Essential Plan covers the same items as the Starter Plan plus clothes washers and dryers, water heaters, air conditioning systems and garage door openers. The Premium Plan is the most comprehensive plan and the only one that includes coverage for luxury appliances, water dispensers and central vacuums.

Plans are available for single-family residential properties (owned or rented), multi-units, and guest houses. As with most home warranties, First American doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions and has a 30-day waiting period for coverage to start. You may, however, choose a different start date for your policy up to 60 days from the purchase date.

First American Home Warranty coverage

Below are all three First American plans and the items that each cover:

Optional add ons

First American Home Warranty offers optional coverage for the following items:

• Well pump
• Spa equipment
• Pool equipment
• HVAC tune-up
• Septic system
• Septic tank pumping
• Additional refrigerators
• Water softener
• Limited roof leak
• Central air conditioning

First American Home Warranty also offers products for landlords, real estate investors and homeowners in the process of buying or selling a home.

First American Home Warranty coverage limits

Coverage limits, or coverage caps, are the maximum amount a home warranty company will pay you for repairing or replacing a specific home appliance or system.

First American Home Warranty’s coverage caps can vary depending on the purchased service contract and the type of warranty claim you make. For instance, First American covers up to $3,500 per appliance with the Starter Plan and Essential Plan, while the Premium Plan has a $7,000 limit.

If your appliance’s replacement or repair exceeds the coverage cap, you‘d have to pay the difference out of pocket.

First American Home Warranty coverage limits include:

What First American Home Warranty doesn’t cover

Not everything is covered under the First American Home Warranty plans. The company does have exclusions for:

• Cosmetic issues, known pre-existing conditions or factory defects

• Routine tune-ups or maintenance

• Damage from natural disasters — fire, flood, smoke, lighting, earthquake or storms

• Replacement of items with toxic materials like mold, mildew, and asbestos

• Repairs or replacement as a result of missing parts

• Issues brought by neglect, misuse, or poor maintenance

• Damage due to wood rot (i.e. from a broken pipe under the sink)

• Stoppages caused by roots, collapsed or broken lines outside the property foundation

For more information on what items are not covered you can check First American Home Warranty sample contract.

First American Home Warranty availability

State availability

First American Home Warranty is available in 35 states in the US, excluding:

• Alaska
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New York
• North Dakota
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Wisconsin

Contact information

To request a warranty service you can sign in through the online customer portal and fill out a service request or you can contact a First American Home Warranty representative by calling 800-992-3400.

All cancellations must be submitted by email to cancellationsupport@firstam.com or requested by phone at 800-327-9292 ext. 7521.

For other services you can call the following phone numbers:

• Sales: 888-875-0533
• Renewals: 800-327-9292
• Real estate sales: 800-444-9030

User experience

First American’s website offers comprehensive information about its plans and coverage options. Like most home warranty companies, it allows you to request a free quote online and compare its plans side by side.

Once you become a client, you can place a claim and manage it online through the customer portal, where you can keep track of your claim status and history.

First American’s response time is generally 48 hours. This is the time it can take for a service provider to contact you after submitting a claim. According to the company, claims should be dispatched within four hours after confirmation of coverage if received during working hours Monday through Friday.

If no service provider is immediately available after you contact customer service, First American may authorize the use of an out-of-network provider and reimburse you the cost up to the authorized amount. Information on the reimbursement process can be found on your service contract.

First American Home Warranty’s credentials

Regulatory or legal actions

As of this writing, we found a lawsuit filed in July 2022 alleging violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

We also found a class action complaint filed against First American home Warranty in October 2013 claiming the company refused to make timely repairs, wrongfully denied claims and contracted substandard service providers. However, the claims were dismissed.

Although we always try to include accurate and up-to-date information on regulatory and legal actions, this information may not be complete or fully up to date. We recommend you do your own research as well.

First American Home Warranty’s customer satisfaction

Third-party ratings

• Better Business Bureau (BBB): 1.78 out of 5 star rating average based on 1,890 customer reviews.

Customer complaints

First American Home Warranty has been accredited by the BBB since the year 2000, and currently holds a B rating.

At the time of publishing, the company had a total of 4,444 complaints closed in the last three years, out of which 1,231 were closed in the last 12 months.

Some common complaints we found against First American Home Warranty have to do with:

• Delayed responses for service requests
• Issues with fulfilling claims or getting authorization for replacements
• Uncomplete repairs
• Being unable to reach out or follow up service status with contractors
• Issues getting reimbursements

The research above is based on data that was available at the time of publication.

First American Home Warranty comparisons

First American Home Warranty plans offer comprehensive coverage and fairly high coverage caps, however it isn’t available in all 50 states. In addition, First American only offers roof leak coverage as an add-on, meaning you have to pay extra for a service that some companies often include in their plans.

Read on to see how First American compares to other home warranty companies in the industry: American Home Shield and Old Republic Home Protection.

First American Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield

American Home Shield (AHS) provides similar home warranty services to First American Home Warranty. Both companies’ plans cover a combination of systems and appliances with some differences in coverage limits.

For instance, American Home Shield offers higher coverage caps up to $5,000 for HVAC systems, whereas First American covers a maximum of $1,500. The AHS premium plan, ShieldPlatinum, also includes coverage for roof leak up to $1,000. This service is only available with First American if you add it to your contract at an additional monthly charge.

However, First American offers higher coverage limits for appliances than American Home Shield. First American’s lower-tier plans — the Starter Plan and Essential Plan— cover up to $3,500 per appliance and up to $7,000 if you choose the Premium Plan. AHS, on the other hand, covers a maximum of $2,000 for its two lower-tier plans, and up to $4,000 for premium customers.

A consideration about First American is that it’s only available in 35 states, whereas American Home Shield serves all states except Hawaii and Alaska.

Read the full American Home Shield review

First American Home Warranty vs. Old Republic Home Protection

Similar to First American Home Warranty, Old Republic Home Protection offers three different plans that cover a mix of both appliances and home systems. Old Republic also features considerably higher coverage limits, especially for customers who purchase its Elite plan which doubles the coverage amount for kitchen appliances and clothes washers and dryers.

Old Republic Home Protection plans are: Basic, Deluxe and Elite.

The Basic plan includes coverage for heating, electrical, plumbing, kitchen appliances, garage door opener, central vacuum and rekeying services.

The Deluxe plan covers the same items as the Basic plan plus air conditioning, washer and dryer, and full garage door system, including springs, hinges, key pads and transmitters.

The Elite plan includes all items plus coverage for improper installations, code violations, haul away and permits; in addition, it doubles coverage for appliances to up to $7,000 per appliance and per plan term.

Customers with the Basic and Deluxe plan get a maximum coverage limit of $3,500 per appliance in addition to the maximum coverage of $6,500 for heating systems and air conditioners.

However, Old Republic is available in fewer states than First American, servicing only 32 states. Additionally, its plans are somewhat more expensive and feature higher service fees of $100 and $125, whereas First American’s service fee starts at $75.

Read the full Old Republic Home Protection review

Explore other home warranty options

Check out our reviews for other home warranty companies you can consider:

• Select Home Warranty
• Liberty Home Guard
• AFC Home Club
• Cinch Home Services
• 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
• American Residential Warranty
• Choice Home Warranty

How we evaluated First American Home Warranty

We evaluated First American Home Warranty based on publicly available information. Our review was based on the following factors:

• Services offered: We evaluated the company’s plans, coverage caps and limitations, and compared them with those from comparable companies.

• Cost: We compared pricing with the coverage offered to determine cost-effectiveness, and compared it to other home warranty providers.

• Legal actions: We researched any legal or regulatory actions filed against First American Home Warranty to assess the company's reputation and behavior.

• Customer service: We reviewed customer complaints and reviews on sites like the BBB, and available information from consumer advocacy agencies like the Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Summary of Money’s First American Home Warranty Review

First American Home Warranty offers three tiers of home warranty plans with competitive pricing when compared to other companies. Its plans are available for single-family units as well as for rental and real estate properties.

First American also stands out because of its fairly high coverage limits for appliances, including up to $3,500 for customers with the Starter Plan and Essential Plan and up to $7,000 with its Premium Plan. However, the company is currently available in only 35 states.

Make sure to do your own research and compare between home warranty providers before deciding whether First American Home Warranty offers the coverage you need.