First Premier Home Warranty Review
A home warranty policy protects your home's major systems and appliances, providing you with a financial safeguard if you need to repair or replace them. First Premier Home Warranty offers two home warranty plans and additional coverage for items not covered in these packages, such as swimming pools, stand-alone freezers and a second air conditioning system.
Read about pros, cons, plans, pricing, customer experiences and more in this First Premier Home Warranty review.
Best for low annual costs
Prices for First Premier's home warranty plans depend on your location and property size. Instant quotes are available directly from the company's website. You can choose to pay the premiums on a monthly or annual basis, with the annual plans offering a discount. First Premier's website indicates that the average annual premium for its home warranties is $500. Both of the company’s plans cover a combination of systems and appliances.
It's difficult to compare prices with other home warranty companies because each company uses different criteria for determining the cost of their services. For example, American Home Shield doesn't factor in the size of your property when giving a quote. Prices are also based on the breadth of coverages you select. For example, you can choose to cover only your systems or only your appliances with many other companies’ plans.
First Premier Home Warranty pros and cons
Weighing the pros and cons of First Premier will help you decide whether this home warranty service is worth your time and money.
- Has a promotion of $200 off with free roof coverage
- Technicians are sent out within 24-48 hours of placing a service request
- Offers a wide range of add-on coverages
- You can submit a service request by phone or email 24 hours a day
- Only two home warranty plans available
- No online chat feature on their website
- No systems-only or appliances-only option
Pros explained
Here are some of the advantages of First Premier's home warranty products:
Has a promotion of $200 off with free roof coverage
First Premier currently advertises a "$200 off with two months of free roof coverage" promotion on its website, providing an incentive for homeowners who want to reduce the cost of taking out a home warranty.
When obtaining a quote for a home warranty contract, First Premier didn't mention the "$200 off and free roof coverage" offer and instead listed a promotion of "two months free and limited roof coverage on an annual plan purchase." If you're interested in signing up with First Premier, be sure to speak to a representative directly about the promotional offers and get precise details on how they work.
Technicians are sent out within 24-48 hours of placing a service request
If and when a system or appliance covered by First Premier's home warranty requires a repair or replacement, the company will try to send a technician to your property within 24-48 hours after you file your claim online and pay a service call fee.
Offers a wide range of add-on coverages
You can pay extra to cover systems and appliances not covered by either the Premier or Premium plans. The company offers 18 add-ons in total (see the full list later in this First Premier Home Warranty review), including coverage for a limited roof leak, refrigerator ice makers, septic systems, second refrigerators, water softeners and water pumps.
You can submit a service request by phone or email 24 hours a day
You can make a claim on your First Premier home warranty by submitting a service request 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just call (800) 388-1918, email info@firstpremierhomewarranty.com or fill out an online form on the company's website. First Premier will then assign one of its approved contractors to perform services and repairs in your home.
Cons explained
Here are some of the disadvantages of First Premier Home Warranty:
Only two home warranty plans available
You can only choose between two home warranty plans with First Premier. Additionally, the Platinum tier only includes five additional systems and appliances not covered in the Premier tier, meaning there's not a lot of difference between these packages apart from the cost. For comparison, Home Warranty of America has three plans, with its more expensive tiers including coverage for at least 30 items not included in its basic tier.
No online chat feature on their website
You can only contact First Premier Home Warranty by phone or email, with no option to talk to a customer representative via live chat. However, this doesn't seem uncommon among other home warranty providers.
No systems-only or appliances-only option
Both of First Premier’s warranty plans cover a mixture of systems and appliances in the home. You can’t take out coverage for just systems or appliances, making First Premier's plans a less appealing option for homeowners who are seeking out a more specific policy.
First Premier Home Warranty plans
First Premier has two plans: Premier and Platinum. It also offers add-on coverage for systems and appliances not covered in these packages.
Premier plan
The Premier plan includes the following home warranty coverage:
- Plumbing systems
- Plumbing stoppages
- Water heaters
- Whirlpool bathtubs
- Electrical systems
- Ovens/ranges/stoves
- Cooktops
- Sump pumps
- Built-in microwaves
- Dishwashers
- Garbage disposals
- Trash compactors
- Ductwork
- Garage door openers
- Ceiling and exhaust fans
Platinum plan
The Platinum plan includes coverage for all the above items plus the following five items:
- Air-conditioning systems (2 Units)
- Heating systems (2 Units)
- Clothes washers
- Refrigerators
- Clothes Dryers
Optional coverages
First Premier lets you take out additional coverage for each of the following items:
- Limited roof leak
- Central vacuum
- Free-standing ice maker
- Refrigerator ice maker
- Sump pump
- Septic system
- Septic pumping
- Second refrigerator
- Sprinkler system
- Stand-alone freezer
- Swimming pool/spa and additional spas
- Water softener
- Well pump
- Additional air-conditioning system
- Additional heating system
- Additional water heater
- Additional garage door opener
- Additional oven/range/stove
First Premier Home Warranty pricing
You can obtain a custom quote based on your area and property size on the First Premier Home Warranty website. You need to enter your email address and phone number, but you will receive an instant quote on the company's site.
You can customize your plan with additional coverage for items not included in your package. For example, you can cover a septic system in your home, a free-standing ice maker or a water softener for an extra fee.
First Premier charges a deductible every time you make a home warranty claim for a repair or replacement of a system or appliance covered by your policy. This service fee ranges from $50-$150 in the home warranty market and allows a company to share the costs of a technician's labor with homeowners. However, First Premier doesn’t make mention of the service call fee it charges or fee options you may have, making it hard to compare the company with other providers.
First Premier Home Warranty financial stability
Founded in 1989, First Premier Home Warranty is not a new company. However, information about its financial stability is currently unknown. First Premier doesn't feature on websites like Moody's and Standard & Poor's, which assess companies' credit risk and financial obligations. There is also no information about First Premier's financials in press releases, reports or news articles.
First Premier Home Warranty accessibility
First Premier Home Warranty isn't available nationwide. However, customers in eligible states can contact the company via phone or email and apply for a home warranty on its website in a few clicks.
Availability
First Premier is available in 48 states. The company doesn't offer its services in California and Iowa.
Contact information
You can call First Premier at (800) 388-1918 or email info@firstpremierhomewarranty.com. There is no live chat option available.
User experience
Applying for a home warranty with First Premier is easy. First, you obtain a quote by providing your name, zip code, phone number, email address, property type and property size. The company will then provide you with a price for both its Premier and Platinum plans based on your circumstances and give you the option to add extra coverage. If you are happy with your final price, you can progress to the payment page.
The company accepts claims submissions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, online or via phone.
First Premier Home Warranty customer satisfaction
Feedback is mixed for First Premier Home Warranty on online review websites, with customers complaining about how the company denied home warranty claims for repairs and didn't cancel policies when asked to do so. However, some customers commend First Premier for its customer service and the professionalism of its contractors.
While First Premier is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), it has a B- rating, with the company resolving 173 complaints in the last three years. Consumers who have left reviews on the BBB website have given First Premier 3.5/5 stars.
First Premier Home Warranty FAQ
Is First Premier Home Warranty legit?
What are First Premier Home Warranty's complaints?
The majority of complaints about First Premier on the BBB website concern the company not honoring home warranty claims. For example, several people say the company didn't pay out for systems and appliances that their policies should cover. As a result, these customers had to pay for services out of pocket. Other people say they had difficulty canceling their warranties and receiving pro-rated refunds for the remainder of their policies.
First Premier responds to the majority of complaints on the BBB website and normally apologizes when customers don't receive a good level of service. It's also important to note that it's common for home warranty policies to require you to keep up with routine maintenance on covered items.How we evaluated First Premier Home Warranty
When evaluating First Premier Home Warranty, we looked at the following:
- The types of home warranty plans it offers
- The prices of these plans
- How easy it is to apply for a warranty
- What customers are saying about the company online
- How many complaints the company has received
- Public information about the company's financials
Summary of Money's First Premier Home Warranty review
First Premier makes it easy to obtain a quote and apply for a home warranty. It also offers optional coverage to protect systems and appliances not included in its standard policy offerings, making its policies very customizable. The annual costs for First Premier's plans are competitive with other home warranty providers. However, it is difficult to find clear information about the service fees it charges when customers make a claim, making it hard to compare its overall prices with other warranty providers directly. Additionally, First Premier does not offer systems-only or appliance-only plan options.