Choice Home Warranty: Basic vs Total Plans, Cost and Claims

One dead air conditioner or a failed refrigerator compressor can cost more than a year of home warranty premiums — which is why the choice home warranty is one of the most-searched home warranties in America.

Choice Home Warranty sells two customizable plans — Basic and Total — covering major systems and appliances for normal wear and tear, with 24/7 claims at 1-888-531-5403, more than 9.8 million service requests handled, and a nationwide network of over 25,000 contractors. This guide explains the real plan details, costs, coverage caps, exclusions, and how to file a claim that gets approved.

Quick Answer: Choice Home Warranty at a Glance

Choice Home Warranty offers two plans: Basic (systems plus kitchen appliances, no AC or refrigerator) and Total (everything in Basic plus air conditioning, refrigerator, and washer/dryer).

2026 sample quotes put Basic around $45–$47/month and Total around $53–$55/month, with an $85 trade call fee per service request and coverage caps around $3,000 per claim. Claims are filed 24/7 online or at 1-888-531-5403, and the first month is free with a single-payment plan.

Official Policy Verification & Source Check

How We Check This Policy: We read Choice Home Warranty’s own plan pages and claims information — including the official coverage lists for the Basic and Total plans — not affiliate review sites. Where Choice publishes no national price list, we label 2026 review quotes as sample quotes.

Choice’s Basic and Total Plans in Detail

A choice home warranty is a service contract (Choice’s own term — “CHW offers service contracts which are not warranties”) that covers repair or replacement of covered systems and appliances when they fail from normal wear and tear. Both plans are customizable, so you can add optional coverage for the systems that matter most in your home.

Basic Plan covers the essential systems plus kitchen appliances: heating systems and ducts, plumbing systems and stoppages, electrical systems, water heaters, kitchen appliances (oven, range, stove, cooktop, dishwasher, built-in microwave), garbage disposal, whirlpool bathtub, garage door opener, and exhaust/ceiling fans. It does not include air conditioning, refrigerators, or laundry appliances.

Total Plan includes everything in Basic plus the big three most homeowners ask about: air conditioning, refrigerator, and clothes washer and dryer. If your AC is more than a few years old, the Total plan is usually the right call — a single AC compressor replacement can exceed $2,500.

Choice Add-On Coverage Options

Both plans can be extended with optional add-ons. The most popular Choice add-ons are pool and spa equipment, central vacuum system, well pump, roof leaks, sump pump, septic system and septic tank pumping, and a second refrigerator or stand-alone freezer. Add-on pricing is published on the quote page and typically runs a few dollars per month per item — price the exact combination with your quote.

Choice Plan Cost and Trade Call Fee

Choice does not publish a national price list — exact pricing comes from a quote on choicehomewarranty.com. Based on 2026 sample quotes: Basic runs about $45–$47/month (~$560/year) and Total about $53–$55/month (~$660/year). The first month is free when you buy a single-payment plan.

The trade call fee is $85 per service request — paid when the technician arrives. Coverage caps run around $3,000 per claim, which is generous for the industry but means a full HVAC system replacement may exceed the cap. Real math for the Total plan: roughly $640 a year in premiums plus $85 per claim — one $2,500 AC repair pays for nearly four years of coverage.

What Choice Home Warranty Excludes

The exclusions are what separate approved claims from denied ones. Read your contract’s limits of liability — Choice reserves the right to offer cash back in lieu of repair or replacement at CHW’s actual cost, which may be less than retail:

• Excluded Pre-existing conditions. Items already broken or malfunctioning before coverage started are excluded. A waiting period applies before your first claim.
• Excluded Items not listed in your plan. If it is not in the Basic or Total coverage list (or an add-on you bought), it is not covered.
• Excluded Misuse and neglect. Failures from misuse, abuse, improper installation, or lack of maintenance are excluded.
• Excluded Secondary and consequential damage. If your dishwasher floods the kitchen, the dishwasher repair is covered — the water-damaged floor is not.
• Excluded Cosmetic damage. Scratches, dents, and cosmetic issues are excluded.
• Excluded Code upgrades. If a repair requires bringing wiring or plumbing up to current code, you typically pay the difference.
• Excluded Non-covered components of covered items. Specific parts called out as excluded in the contract’s limits of liability.

How to File a Choice Claim

1. Contact the Claims Department at 1-888-531-5403 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year) or submit a claim online.
2. Explain the problem to the customer service rep — describe the symptom, not your diagnosis.
3. Pay the $85 trade call fee when the service request is dispatched.
4. Choice connects you with a licensed contractor from its network of 25,000+ — you do not need to find your own.
5. The contractor repairs or replaces the covered item up to your plan’s coverage cap. If it cannot be repaired, the plan replaces it.

Track the request through Choice’s customer service line. If the contractor cannot resolve the issue, escalate with the Claims Department rather than hiring your own repairman — unauthorized repairs are a common denial reason.

Choice Reviews and Company Reputation

Choice Home Warranty has been in business for over 15 years, handled more than 9.8 million service requests, and covered over 2.9 million homes — scale that few competitors match. Its contractor network is fully vetted and insured.

The honest caveats: review aggregators note a mixed reputation, with some customers reporting denied claims and slow service — common complaints across the home warranty industry. The cash-back-in-lieu-of-repair clause means a payout can be less than a retail repair quote. Read the limits of liability before you buy, and confirm availability in your state, since Choice is not offered in every state.

Choice Home Warranty FAQs

Conclusion

For most homeowners, a choice home warranty is a straightforward hedge: two clearly tiered plans, 24/7 claims, a 25,000-contractor network, and 9.8 million service requests of track record. The Total plan at roughly $54/month plus an $85 call fee is worth pricing if your AC or refrigerator is past its prime.

The honest downsides: ~$3,000 coverage caps that can leave a gap on full HVAC replacements, the cash-back-in-lieu-of-repair clause, and a mixed review record on denied claims. Read the limits of liability before you buy. Get your quote at choicehomewarranty.com and confirm the exact terms for your state.

Sources: choicehomewarranty.com (official plan pages and claims department information), topconsumerreviews.com (2026 plan and pricing review), consumeraffairs.com (2026 cost comparison), todayshomeowner.com (2026 plan details and add-ons).

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Choice Home Warranty may change plan names, prices, limits, and terms at any time, and pricing varies by state. Confirm current terms in your own service contract or with an authorized Choice Home Warranty representative before purchasing or filing a claim.