For those of you who are looking for a reliable home warranty, American Residential Warranty, or also known as ARW Home, is one of the best. This company offers a home warranty that can save you money and time when appliances and systems at your home, such as plumbing, stoves, dishwashers, and others, break down or need major repairs due to normal wear and tear.
Just like ARW insurance, you just need to pay a monthly fee to get this protection. ARW Home offers 5 different coverage plans as well as optional add-ons, giving you more freedom to choose one that meets your needs. In this article, we will talk about anything related to the company, including the American Residential Warranty review.
American Residential Warranty Overview
Founded in 2009 in Boca Raton, Florida, ARW Home is a residential home warranty company operating in all 50 states in the US. This company offers flexibility for most homeowners with its 6 standard plans and optional add-ons, allowing you to customize your selected plan to your personal needs. Their monthly fees cover the cost of replacement or repair of most major home appliances and systems.
The Better Business Bureau rates ARW Home A+. Moreover, it also receives relatively high satisfaction rates from its customers, showing that this residential warranty company is reliable and professional. Some of the largest companies in the United States are their partners, such as ADT, Asurion, GE Appliances, The Amynta Group, and AIG. Their standard plans are available for most household systems, including electrical systems, HVAC, kitchens, dryers, and washers.
If you need more coverage, American Residential Warranty also provides 2 bundled plans, which can save you from a high cost of repair and replacement. As it is said before, the company covers all 50 states, these include Florida, Illinois, California, Connecticut, Ohio, Nevada, Iowa, North Carolina, Washington, Texas, Virginia, and even Alaska and Hawaii. Note that services in Texas, Iowa, Virginia, and California are handled through AIG Warranty.
Besides flexibility, another major thing that they offer is customization. The company makes it possible for you to customize your coverage from one of their 7 different home warranty plans. So that you will be able to make sure that your coverage meets your specific, personal needs. What makes ART stand out among its competitors is its abundant plans, leaving you with multiple options to choose.
Just like all home residential warranty providers, there is a monthly fee that you have to pay to get the protection. And the amount of the monthly fee varies, depending on your selected plan. The Platinum Premier, which is one of ARW’s more comprehensive plans, costs $59,99 a month. There is also a less extensive Kitchen Plus plan that costs $34.99 a month, which does not cover as many systems or appliances.
Besides the monthly fee, you will also need to pay what the company calls as a trade service fee. You have to pay this fee every time you call for a service for $55 from your service technician who helps you with a home repair. You can consider it as a kind of deductible because you pay the service fee first, then the company pays for covered maintenance or repairs, up to the limit determined in your contract for each home system or appliance in your selected plan.
For example, ARW Home will cover up to $1,000 a system per 12-month period for home heating systems, central air conditioning systems, water heaters, and built-in microwave ovens. The home warranty provider will also provide up to $500 per system or appliance during a 12-month period for items like a fridge and stove top. As long as you do not exceed these limits, the cost of replacing or repairing these items will be covered by your home warranty plan.
American Residential Warranty Plans
Compared to most of its competitors, American Residential home Warranty offers more plans. It offers 7 customizable warranty plans to meet different needs and budgets of most homeowners. Below are the details of every ARW’s seven warranty plans.
- Kitchen Plus
As the name suggests, this warranty plan is most suitable for homeowners who are most concerned about paying for maintenance or repair of their kitchen appliances. It covers a water heater, kitchen exhaust fan, garbage disposal, built-in microwave, dishwater, cooktop, fridge, and interior electrical system. With an extra cost, you can also add coverage for a dryer and washer at your home. This plan costs $34.99 per month.
- Heating and Cooling
What this ARW’s warranty home plan covers are a home’s interior electrical system, humidifier, central home heating, and central air conditioning. You can also have additional coverage for your dryer and washer units at an extra cost. This heating and cooling plan is best for homeowners concerned about the reliability or age of their home’s cooling and heating systems. This plan costs $39.99 per month.
- Platinum
This platinum plan offers wider coverage for more home systems and appliances. This includes the water heater, kitchen exhaust fan, garbage disposal, built-in microwave, dishwasher, cooktop, oven, fridge, interior electrical system, humidifier, central home heating, and central air conditioning at your home. Once again, there will be an extra charge if you decide to add additional coverage for your dryer and washer.
This plan is ideal for homeowners who want to cover a broader range of their home’s systems and appliances. It costs $49.99 per month.
- Platinum Premier
Besides covering the same home systems and appliances that the Platinum Plan covers, this Platinum Premier plan also covers your home’s ceiling fans, fridge ice maker, garage door opener, and ductwork. Pay for an extra cost if you also want to cover your home’s pipe stoppages and plumbing system. This ARW’s home warranty plan might be slightly more expensive, but it offers more comprehensive, wider coverage that is worth the price of $59.99 per month.
- 3-in1 Bundle
This home warranty plan does not only cover everything that the Platinum Premier plan does, but also covers the Ultimate Electronics Protection and Deluxe Advantage packages. The Ultimate Electronics Protection package covers handheld gaming devices, routers, printers, gaming consoles, tablets, laptops, computers, home theatre systems, and flatscreen TVs.
While the Deluxe Advantage package includes coverage for garage door springs and tracks, improper installation, internal mechanisms, toilets, code violations, modifications, permits, plumbing faucets and fixtures, refrigerant recapture, and A/C refrigerant and coils. This 3-in-1 bundle costs $109.99 per month and might be a good option if you want to protect expensive electronics at your home.
- 4-in1 Bundle
This 4-in-1 bundle plan covers everything covered in the 3-in-1 bundle plan and additional coverage for sewer and water. If you want maximum protection and have an extra budget, this home warranty plan might be suitable for you. This 4-in-1 bundle plan costs $124.99 per month.
- Ultimate Electronics Protection
The ultimate electronics protection plan is already included in the 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 bundles. But you can also opt for separately buying it without signing up for either of those plans. This home warranty plan costs $24.99 per month.
American Residential Warranty Add-Ons
Besides its standard plans, ARW Home also offers add-on coverage options. Homeowners can include these additional coverages to their selected warranty plan at an extra cost per month. The additional coverages included in the add-on options are a second freezer or fridge, payment to cover the cost of spoiled food if a fridge shuts off, payment to cover the cost of digging up a well pump, as well as coverage for spas and pools.
Plan Pricing
ARW offers competitive pricing for the coverage it offers. For example, it charges $55 for a service call fee compared to an industry average around $75. The home warranty company offers both monthly and annual plans, as well as free cancellation. The price starts at $34.99 each month and $419.88 annually for the Kitchen Plus plan. Besides the monthly fee for each plan, there is also a service call fee ranging from $55 to $75 per visit that you pay to your service technician.
Pros and Cons of American Residential Warranty
Here are some pros and cons of American Residential Warranty that can be your consideration.
Pros
- Homeowners can choose their own service technician.
- It offers optional coverage for electronics.
- Homeowners can customize their selected plan with add-on coverage options.
- Includes coverage for multiple heating and cooling systems.
Cons
- Caps coverage for items 10 years or older based on depreciated value.
- Caps home systems at $1,000 per covered item and $500 per covered appliance.
- May not cover older appliances.
- May need additional coverage for duplicate appliances.
Why You Should Consider Choosing American Residential Warranty
There are quite many reasons why you should consider choosing American Residential Warranty for your home warranty. These include the 24-hour service, flexibility, customization, and low service fee compared to other competitors. Here are some of the reasons why ARW is a recommended home warranty provider.
- 24-Hour Customer Support
As it is mentioned before, ARW offers a 24-hour customer service, 7 days a week. But note that even though you can file American Residential Warranty claims in the middle of the night, it does not mean that the service technician will arrive at that hour at your home. Most electricians, plumbers, and other contractors work on normal business hours.
- More Affordable Service Fees
All home warranty providers charge a service fee that you have to pay every time you call a service technician to visit your home to repair or replace a malfunctioning appliance or system. However, ARW charges only $55, which is more affordable than its competitors that charge around $60 to $100.
- Guarantees Service Repairs for 30 Days
ARW guarantees replacements and repairs for 30 days. If a service technician repairs your fridge and then it breaks again 10 days later, the company will cover the cost of repairing your fridge again, even if another technician would have pushed you past your coverage limit on that appliance.
- Homeowners are Allowed to Use Their Own Contractor
ARW allows you to request service from your own contractor with whom you have worked with in the past. This way, you can have the option to work with a service technician or plumber that you already trust. If you do not have one, you can choose a contractor from the provider’s own network of licensed technicians.
Reviews of American Residential Warranty
Below are some American Residential Warranty reviews from other sites.
- Better Business Bureau
It has been mentioned before that the Better Business Bureau rated A+ for ARW. Those who give positive reviews about the provider pointed out its quick response to claims and its great network of licensed contractors. However, there are also customers who complain about insufficient coverage for more expensive systems and appliances, as well as delays before service technicians arrive at their homes.
- TrustPilot
This site gives ARW a rating of Great. Customers who praised this home warranty company pointed out its quick service and low service fee. Similar to Better Business Bureau, those who gave negative reviews cited that it took too long for the service technicians to arrive at their homes. Moreover, the coverage limits are not sufficient for some home appliances and systems. Some customers also complained about issues when filing a claim via a phone.
- ConsumerAffairs
On ConsumerAffairs website, ARW is rated 4.4 out of 5 stars. This site praises the home warranty provider for allowing its customers to choose their own contractors. It also praised the company as it serves all 50 states in the nation and does not require long-term contracts. For the minus points, the site said that ARW does not provide enough coverage for more expensive items.
FAQs About ARW
- Does ARW charge a deductible for repairs or services?
Since ARW offers residential home warranties and not home insurance, the provider does not charge deductibles. However, the service fee serves much like an insurance policy’s deductible. You pay the service fee before the company’s coverage kicks in and covers the rest of your replacement or repair cost.
- What does the plan not cover?
ARW’s plans do not cover damage due to neglect, misuse, or extreme situations like burglary or heavy storm.
