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Compare American Home Shield vs. First American Home Warranties

What’s the difference between American Home Shield and First American Home Warranty? See how our editors compare the two companies below.
Last Updated: May 15, 2024
American Home Shield
4.7 / 5 - Excellent
#3 in Home Warranties
First American
4.0 / 5 - Very good
#7 in Home Warranties
vs

Key Facts

  • Limited Time Offer: Save $150 
  • Covers some pre-existing conditions
  • 30-day workmanship guarantee
  • Option to use own contractor in some cases
  • $100 Off with Code PROTECT
  • Unlimited claims
  • Filing a claim does not increase your rate
  • $1.9 Billion in claims paid since 2011

OVERALL RATINGS

 American Home ShieldFirst American
Transparency4.8/54.5/5
Claims Processing4.8/54.0/5
Coverage Options4.7/54.1/5
Additional Benefits4.7/54.0/5
Customer Experience4.7/53.5/5

Coverage

Key Facts

 American Home ShieldFirst American
Plan Types
Systems
Appliances
Combo Plan
Appliances
Combo Plan
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Per Item
Unlimited
Typical Appliance Benefit Limit
$3,000
Typical Systems Benefit Limit
$0

Specialty Items and Additional Coverage


Coverage Details

Covered Built-In Systems

American Home Shield
vs
First American
  • Air Conditioning
  • Heating
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Water Heater
  • Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispenser
  • Doorbells
  • Ceiling Fans
  • Air Conditioning
  • Heating
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Water Heater

Covered Appliances

American Home Shield
vs
First American
  • Refrigerators
  • Dishwashers
  • Clothes Dryers
  • Clothes Washers
  • Ranges/Ovens/Cooktops
  • Built-in Microwaves
  • Freestanding Ice Makers
  • Built-In Trash Compactors
  • Garage Door Openers
  • Built-in Food Centers
  • Refrigerators
  • Clothes Dryers
  • Clothes Washers

Exclusions

For a full list of American Home Shield exclusions, check out https://www.ahs.com/pricing-and-plans/contract-policies

Exclusions

For a full list of First American exclusions, check out http://coverage.firstam.com/images/samplecontracts/LL/LLTX.pdf

Specialty Items

American Home Shield
vs
First American
  • Guest Unit
  • Pool/Spa
  • Well Pump
  • Septic
  • Roof Leaks
  • Pool/Spa
  • Well Pump

Contract & Price

Contract Details

 American Home ShieldFirst American
Annual Premium
Starting at $0
Starting at $300
Minimum Contract Length
12 month(s)
12 month(s)
Home Inspection Required for Contract?
No
Online Quote/Application

Sample Contract

American Home Shield provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: https://www.ahs.com/pricing-and-plans/contract-policies

Sample Contract

First American provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: http://coverage.firstam.com/images/samplecontracts/LL/LLTX.pdf

Cancellation Policy

Customers can cancel anytime within their 30 day wait period and receive a full refund, and can cancel anytime during the contract term, as this is a non-binding contract.

Claims & Service

Claims

 American Home ShieldFirst American
Service Fee
$100 and $125
$75 - $100
Maintenance Records Required for Service?
No
24/7 Claims Department?
Waiting Period
30 days
30 days

Contractors & Service

 American Home ShieldFirst American
Contractor Selection
In-Network Only
In-Network Only
Contractor Network Size
14,000+ contractors
Number of Technicians
45,000 technicians
Service Recall Period
30 days
0 days

Reputation Compared

Company Details

 American Home ShieldFirst American
Year Founded
1971
1984
NHSCA Membership
Number of Customers
1.7 million
450,000
Number of Employees
1,700
351
TrustPilot Rating
2.1 out of 5
8.0 out of 5
BBB Rating
B
B+
BBB Positive Reviews
392
6
BBB Neutral Reviews
50
4
BBB Negative Reviews
1,874
277
Date Collected
2023-07-24

Contact & Additional Information

 American Home ShieldFirst American
Homepage URL
Company Phone
(888) 429-8247
(800) 992-3400
Headquarters Address
150 Peabody Place, Memphis, TN, 38103
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 849, Carroll, IA, 51401
P.O. Box 7248, Santa Rosa, CA, 95407
Year Founded
1971
1984

Final Verdict

American Home Shield has a higher overall rating than First American Home Warranty. American Home Shield scores better than First American across: Reputation, Contractor Network, Contract & Price, Transparency, Claims Processing, Coverage Options, Additional Benefits, and Customer Experience.


Customer Comments & Reviews

A
Ayana C
5/13/2024
First American Home Warranty review
I am a new homeowner and I love First American. Yes, every company has its issues and bumps along the road, so they appreciate the customer's and the technicians' feedback to work through these issues. The first year in my home, my HVAC went out and needed to be replaced. This warranty company helped me from being scammed by one of their vendors. I submitted a claim for a possible leak on the roof. The estimate was questionable, and the tech attempted to deduct a fee out of the allowable cash-out. The HVAC was programmed incorrectly and we were without heat for a few weeks and had to get portable heaters, they reimbursed me for the portable heaters. The home warranty is WORTH IT! The cable guy stopped by and we chatted about repairs, he mentioned about some expensive plumbing issues. I asked him why he didn't use his home warranty, he dropped his head and said he never purchased it. He said he wished he had purchased it. You have to ensure you are submitting claims correctly. I have made the mistake with submitting the incorrect claim, and then the tech the correct claim I should submit for the issue I am addressing. So as a customer, I am willing to accept accountability for user error. Can the company improve at getting more technicians? Yes Should they pay the techs a higher pay? Yes I think it would be great if they had better roof protection! Especially if a roof was recently replaced Overall, this is a REALLY GOOD company!!


S
Suzanne M
2/8/2024
American Home Shield review
We just received a new rate for 2024 which is higher. Our service fee also went up. We'll be shopping around to compare prices. Last year I received lower rates on a new contract. I've never been able to log into that contract to update my credit card. For service I've had to call rather than order online. I need some help.


bdellacca4
12/19/2023
First American Home Warranty review
AD Military customer for 3+ years since returning from overseas. Customer service has always been great; not difficult to contact and they are always pleasant and professional. Wait times on the other hand have been far from ideal. Some examples include: • 7 month wait for a simple HVAC repair (common part replacement) •• Wait time fault mostly on FAHWs assigned contractor (not sure how well they vetted the contractor given the awful reviews on many sites) however nothing tangible was accomplished through frequent communication with both parties during the process • cash-out request delayed nearly 3 weeks (typically 3 business days) • (current/unresolved issue) Hot Water Tank replacement delayed multiple weeks due to FAHWs inability to find similar replacement unit (even after I provided example replacement models given directly from the tank manufacturer) • Poor communication; FAHW reps have often stated that a process will be complete or that I will recieve an update within a specified time frame and it rarely has been true. I want to believe they care about customer interest but actions can speak louder than words. I'm unlikely to continue business with them after my contract term is up.


dcomito2
11/14/2023
American Home Shield review
I have had their coverage for almost 40 years. One item I noticed in my current contract is the refrigerator ice maker is no longer covered. When I read their standard contract for the 2022-23 year it shows it's covered. So my question is, why, as a customer for almost 40 years, was this exclusion made in my contract.


J
John D
7/16/2016
First American Home Warranty review
We have used First American Home Warranty since we bought this house in 2004. It was included in the purchase the first year, then we continued to pay each year. Overall we e found it a good value. We've had one full a/c unit replaced and the evaporator coil on the other unit. We've had both water heaters replaced as well as two front load washers that could not be repaired and a dishwasher. We've also had minor plumbing and electrical problems repaired. The only claim we were denied was a lever on our built in oven that locks the door for the self cleaning oven to function. That was ok, we still can use the oven and manually clean it. However, it is important to understand that these repairs are not done immediately. It takes a day or more after the initial trouble call to schedule a repair person. Then after they evaluate the problem, they have to send a report to the warranty company to authorize parts and labor. For small things, that is pretty quick, usually on the initial service call. For big items there can be a wait of a week or more. On our latest a/c outage we're going on a week waiting for the compressor to be replaced. When I checked with the a/c contractor this morning, they advised that the part had been authorized but would not be available till next week from the supplier. So we're here in Houston in July with only the downstairs unit providing cooling. I did ask today if it was possible to get a "cash out" for the repair so I could go ahead and call another company to do the repair more quickly. I'm waiting on an answer on that. If you understand the rules and fine print, and you have the ability to wait for repairs, a home warranty can work out in the long run. If you don't have patience and need your a/c in July or heat in the winter, saving that annual payment into a repair account might be a better idea.


J
JoAnn S
6/27/2016
First American Home Warranty review
The worst!!! If you call to place a claim or get info plan to be on hold for at least 1 hour. There is nothing in there website for comments. Their contractors ask you to sign a release if liability before they even service you so if they break something they do not want to be held responsible. Not worth the aggravation.


E
Ersie R
2/29/2016
American Home Shield review
Our hot water heater leaked and the contractor responded quickly and repaired the problem. He also recommended the Dry Wall Service that we would need to dry the walls surrounding the water heater. We were pleased with the time it took to restore everything to normal. The contractors were very polite, efficient and punctual. They did a marvelous job of cleaning up when they were finished.


N
Nahun H
2/18/2016
American Home Shield review
It was 20degres,was very cold my heather fan went out,I call Home shield,in 20min.i receive a call from a vendor in less of 2 Hrs.a Tech show up,he adjust the Fan to work until he pick up the new part,he return the next day first thing in the morning,and install the New a Fan,the Tech was very resourful,he was well,presented,left the area very clean on both times he work on my Unit.imwas very please,with the customer service,they understud my problem and act very fast,looking for a Contractor that was available .