American Residential Warranty home warranty review

About American Residential Warranty

American Residential Warranty (American Residential) is a home warranty carrier. A home warranty is a service contract that covers major home systems and/or appliances. American Residential has been around for almost 12 years. It also offers electronics protection plans and home security systems.

What types of homes are covered?

American Residential covers single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, multi-family properties (i.e. duplex or triplex), and mobile homes attached to a permanent foundation. Properties used for commercial and business purposes are not covered. American Residential follows the industry standard for the types of homes it covers. Shared appliances with other home units are not covered.

Available plans

American Residential offers six plans you can choose from: the Heating & Cooling plan, Kitchen Plus plan, Platinum plan, Platinum Premier plan, 3-in-1 Bundle plan, and 4-in-1 Bundle plan. Below is a breakdown of what systems and appliances are included in each plan.

Heating & Cooling

Covers the following heating and cooling items and systems:

• Central air conditioning
• Central home heating
• Humidifier
• Interior electrical system

Kitchen Plus

Covers the following kitchen appliances and systems:

• Refrigerator
• Range/oven/cooktop
• Dishwasher
• Built-in microwave
• Garbage disposal
• Kitchen exhaust fan
• Water heater

Platinum

Combines the Heating & Cooling and Kitchen Plus plans and covers everything included in the two plans.

Platinum Premier

Includes everything in the Heating & Cooling and Kitchen Plus plans, plus the following items:

• Plumbing system (fixtures not included)
• Plumbing stoppages
• Ductwork
• Garage door opener
• Refrigerator ice maker
• Ceiling fans

3-in-1 Bundle

Includes everything in the Platinum Premier plan, as well as the following:

Deluxe Advantage

• A/C refrigerant and coils
• Refrigerant recapture
• Plumbing faucets and fixtures
• Permits/modifications/code violations
• Toilets & internal mechanisms
• Improper installation
• Mismatched systems
• Garage door springs/tracks

Ultimate Electronic Protection

• Flat screen TVs
• Home theater system
• Desktops/laptops
• Tablets
• Gaming consoles
• Printers
• Routers
• Hand-held gaming devices
• And more

4-in-1 Bundle

Includes everything in the 3-in-1 Bundle and provides sewer and water line coverage.

What add-ons are available?

American Warranty offers some items that you can add to your plan at an additional cost. These items include:

• Additional coverage for heating/cooling systems
• Additional coverage for plumbing, including faucets and fixtures
• Deluxe Advantage (see what’s included above)
• Food spoilage
• Well pump
• External water or sewer lines
• Water heater (included with Kitchen Plus, Platinum, Platinum Premier)
• Additional refrigerator and freezer
• Additional range/oven/cooktop
• Clothes washer and dryer
• Additional air conditioner
• Ice maker (included with Platinum Premier)
• Plumbing system (included with Platinum Premier)
• Built-in microwave (included with Kitchen Plus, Platinum, Platinum Premier)
• Ceiling fans (included with Platinum Premier)
• Pool and spa

Note: commercial grade equipment, systems or appliances are not coverage.

How much does American Residential Warranty cost?

American Residential pricing varies by plan type. Add-ons will come at additional costs. American Residential Warranty also charges a one-time enrollment fee of $39, regardless of what plan you sign up for.

American Residential plan pricing summary

Note: these prices do not include taxes. They are also estimates. Check for actual pricing on American Residential’s site.

How’s the service contractor network?

American Residential’s uses pre-screened, pre-qualified, licensed service contractors/technicians. It also allows you to use your own contractors. To use your own contractor, you just have to indicate when you make the claim that you’d like to use your own contractor and your contractor must call American Residential for authorization prior to completing any repairs. American Residential also provides a 60-day guarantee for parts and 30-day for labor to repair problems that persist at no additional cost.

Reviews about American Residential praise the company for being fast with responding to service callings and sending a contractor to fix problems. They also compliment American Residential and the contractors/technicians for being easy to work with.

You may request service by calling American Residential’s customer service.

What types of malfunctions are covered?

American Residential covers malfunctions of covered systems and appliances due to “normal wear and tears” during the contract term; however, American Residential does not provide any definition of what “normal wear and tear” constitutes. Review the types of malfunctions and situations it doesn’t cover below to get a sense of what American Residential may cover.

What types of malfunctions are not covered?

American Residential does not provide coverage for covered systems and appliances that:

• Have failures due to abuse, misuse, improper installation and setup, rust, corrosion, warping, bending, animals, animal inhabitation, or insect infestation, lack of maintenance per manufacturer’s recommendations, use and storage in a manner inconsistent with its design or manufacturer specifications, or improper removal or installation of replaceable parts, modules, mechanisms, or peripherals
• Are determined to be defective by the manufacturer
• Have malfunctions caused by known pre-existing conditions, environmental conditions, exposure to weather conditions, perils of nature, or any kind of precipitation or humidity, collapse, explosion, or collision with another object, fire, lightning, dirt/sand, smoke, nuclear radiation, radioactive contamination, riot, war, or hostile action
• Have damage that is covered under any other insurance, warranty, guarantee, and/or service agreement providing the same benefits as your American Residential agreement
• Have breakdowns associated with usage of covered item without sufficient lubricants, coolant, or fuel, and with low or improper battery charge, improper electrical wiring or connections, power surge or outage, or contamination of or loss of fluids, fuels, coolants, or lubricants

Note: the above may not be the full list of what’s not covered by American Residential. Review your agreement for the full list.

What coverage amount limits are there?

Most home warranty plans have maximum amounts that the carrier will pay out to you for repairs and/or replacements of certain covered systems and appliances per covered item per contract term.

The maximum amount that American Residential will pay for all claims is $5,000 per contract term (consecutive 12-month period). American Residential also has the following limits per contract term:

• $500 for repairs or replacements if the item is 10 years of age or less and include interior electrical or plumbing systems
• $300 for repairs or replacements if the item is older than 10 years and include interior electrical or plumbing systems
• $1,000 for repairs or replacements if the item is 10 years of age or less and doesn’t include interior electrical or plumbing systems
• $600 for repairs or replacements if the item is older than 10 years and doesn’t include interior electrical or plumbing systems
• $500 for plumbing system

• $2,500 for external sewer line system
• $2,500 for external water line system
• $1,000 for well pump
• $250 for food spoilage
• $500 for central air conditioning covered system components, $1,000 for plumbing covered system components, and $1,000 for additional covered services under the Deluxe Advantage add-on.

When does coverage start?

You may start requesting services 30 days after you buy your warranty. In other words, there is a 30-day waiting period. This is the industry standard. Your coverage start date will also be on your contract.

What’s the cancellation policy?

You may cancel your contract at any time and for any reason. To cancel your plan, you have to call American Residential’s customer service line. If you cancel within the first 30 days after you purchase your plan, you’ll get a full refund. American Residential will add an extra 10% to your refund if they do not credit you within 30 days after your cancellation request.

After the 30 days, you’ll receive a pro-rated refund based on the months not used in the plan minus any service or claims costs incurred and a cancellation fee of 10% of the total contract price or $49—whichever is less.