Service technician fixes a dishwasher for the homeowner. — Maca and Naca/iStockphoto

Elite Home Warranty

Elite Home Warranty offers home warranty coverage in 47 states. It offers three bundled plans that cover appliances, systems or a combination. The company stands out for its customizable plans and extensive selection of optional items, including lawn sprinkler systems, sump pumps and pools. Elite lets you choose your preferred service technician to fix your major appliance or system breakdown.

Availability: 47 states (excludes California, Texas and Wisconsin)

Elite Home Warranty at a glance

Elite Home Warranty is a relative newcomer to its sector, but its high customer satisfaction and bundled service options make it a compelling choice for many homeowners. It scored well in our assessment but just barely missed making our list of best home warranty companies.

Fast facts

Founded in 2020, Elite Home Warranty (EHW) is new to the industry, giving it a fresh perspective but less experience than many veteran providers in this space.
Despite some comments about inconsistent customer service, EHW has strong reviews across multiple sites and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).*

What we like

We like that Elite Home Warranty’s plans bundle items that make sense together, so you’ll only get coverage for items you need. We also appreciate that the company serves homeowners in 47 states and has readily available sample contracts for each one. Its 90-day workmanship guarantee is three times the length of many competitors’ 30-day guarantees.

What we don’t like

Customer service at Elite Home Warranty could be improved. Despite the company’s claim that it is reachable 24/7, getting a representative on the line is difficult.

Additionally, the company’s sample contract has a $15,000 maximum payout, but most items are capped at much lower amounts. Finally, different pages on the company’s website advertise different information. For example, the FAQ page says the workmanship guarantee is 30 days, while the sample contracts mention a 90-day workmanship guarantee. This makes it especially important to review your contract carefully.

* BBB ratings are accurate as of July 2024.

Elite Home Warranty pros and cons

One advantage of EHW’s coverage is that you can choose your own contractor to complete a repair for any reason and apply for reimbursement. You can also pick your coverage items, then further customize your policy by choosing as many add-ons as you need, such as HVAC maintenance, limited roof leak protection and pool/spa equipment.

We don’t like that EHW imposes two waiting periods. The standard 30-day waiting period at the start of the policy means you can’t file a claim during that time, and there’s an additional 60 days after that when further limitations apply. Finally, EHW’s website is not the easiest to navigate, and you won’t be able to request a quote online.

Pros

Can choose your own contractor
Can fully customize a policy to fit your coverage needs
More than 30 additional coverage options to expand base plans

Cons

Coverage is limited to $300 total for the first 90 days
Must call to receive a quote
Challenging to get in contact with customer service

How much does Elite Home Warranty cost?

Elite Home Warranty provides quotes only by phone, but it advertises the starting prices of its policies on its website. The company charges a standard service call fee of $75, but you can raise it to $100 to reduce monthly costs. If you purchase a plan to transfer with the sale of your home, the standard service call fee is $100. This is called Seller’s Coverage and will need to be purchased as an add-on.

Your home warranty plan costs will vary depending on your location, chosen coverage, service call fee and add-ons. Here are the starting costs of each plan.

Savings and discounts

Elite Home Warranty doesn’t offer many promotions, but there are a few opportunities to save or reduce the risk of trying out a policy:

Free 30 days: If you change your mind during the first 30 days of your policy, Elite’s money-back guarantee will issue you a full refund.
Save $150: Elite advertises a $150 savings on its website. There’s a countdown on the page, but we’ve seen it every time we’ve checked it since October 2023.
Customize your own: If a bundled plan doesn’t suit your needs, you can purchase coverage for individual systems and appliances.

What services does Elite Home Warranty offer?

Elite Home Warranty offers three home warranty plans and the option to purchase coverage of systems and appliances on an à la carte basis. All policies have a 30-day waiting period before you can file a claim, but you’ll be limited to $300 if you file a claim within the first 90 days.

Beyond that, Elite Home Warranty’s exclusions, limitations and covered items align with those of many of its competitors.

Elite Home Warranty services

Elite Home Warranty add-ons and optional features

Elite Home Warranty offers a long list of add-on options to expand your policy’s coverage. The costs aren’t advertised or disclosed by phone, so you’ll need to inquire about local pricing when you request your quote.

You can upgrade to Premium Systems or Premium Appliances to double or even triple the coverage caps offered in Elite plans. For all other add-ons, we’ve broken down the covered items and their applicable coverage caps in the table below.

What does Elite Home Warranty not cover?

Elite Home Warranty has exclusions for each covered item, so you’ll need to review the service contract to ensure you understand the covered components and what’s likely excluded. Here’s a general breakdown of commonly excluded scenarios:

All preexisting conditions
Any item recalled or banned by a state, federal agency or manufacturer
Any item covered by a renter’s/homeowners’ insurance or manufacturer’s warranty
Cosmetic damage
Cost of closing walls related to accessing covered items
Flues, vents, chimneys and exhaust lines
Damage due to accidents or acts of God
Home management systems, including smart technology
Loss of income, utility bills, living expenses or food spoilage due to covered malfunction
Malfunctions due to insufficient maintenance
Radon monitoring systems, sprinkler systems and solar panels
Toxic waste, hazardous material and disposal

Elite Home Warranty customer experience

Customer service is important anytime you subscribe to a service agreement. Our deep dive indicates that Elite Home Warranty’s customer service isn’t as responsive or knowledgable as we hoped. We called the company several times throughout the week and at different times of the day and had to wait at least 15 minutes each time.

When we spoke to representatives, they were in a rush to make a sale and wanted to wait to answer questions until we were committed to purchasing, which didn’t sit well with us. This issue was compounded by the inability to request a free quote online. You can start the process online, but it ends in a contact form for a future callback.

That said, the company’s Frequently Asked Questions page is one of the best we’ve seen, and it answers many questions you’d otherwise have to dig to find.

Here’s what real-life customers have to say about their experiences.

I have had two other home warranty companies over the last 13 years. I was unsatisfied with them, so I looked for a new company this spring. Elite is appreciably better across the board so far. My claim concierge, Will, was polite, knowledgeable, efficient, and professional. The service company sent out on my first claim solved the problem very quickly. Elite’s direct contact follow-up was a pleasant surprise and appreciated.

On Monday 6/17/2024, I called to follow up with the same claim and they said they will tell the personnel assigned to my claim to call me back but they never did. This claim has been opened for more than two weeks now…The premium plus $70 call fee when the problem doesn’t seem to get fixed because you send technicians that fixes the symptoms and not the root cause.

The fine print: Terms and conditions you should know

Elite Home Warranty’s website has a link to a sample contract specific to your state. We recommend you read it in its entirety, highlight passages, and cross-reference your agreement with claims made by salespeople and advertisements.

According to the service agreement, the number of claims you can file throughout your plan term isn’t limited, but you will be capped at $15,000 in aggregate for all claims. However, individual items have their own coverage caps and exclusions.

Unlike many home warranty providers, Elite Home Warranty lets you choose your own contractor. It will reimburse you for the contractor’s hourly rate, but you won’t be able to take advantage of the company’s workmanship guarantee when you use an outside technician.

Elite Home Warranty vs. competitors

Elite Home Warranty is competitively priced for its essential coverage. Like Home Warranty Inc., you’ll have the flexibility to choose your own contractor for repairs. However, Elite isn’t as flexible as other home warranty companies when choosing your service call fee. If you’re looking for that option, we suggest AFC Home Club or 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty.

However, Elite Home Warranty gives AFC Home Club’s plan flexibility a run for its money. While the latter offers four plan options, which is more the typical home warranty provider, Elite Home Warranty subscribers have the option to build their plan from scratch.

Elite Home Warranty competitor comparison

Methodology

Home warranty companies aren’t created equally, so we developed an unbiased rating system to ascertain which companies were worth our readers’ time. We read service contracts, combed through dozens of customer reviews and secret-shopped to gather detailed information about each company’s offerings. Twenty-one companies and 1,449 data points later, we determined which home warranty companies were the best of the best.

FAQs

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Elite Home Warranty review: A comprehensive guide to cost and coverage