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Fidelity National Home Warranty

Fidelity National Home Warranty provides generous combination coverage for systems and appliances for single-family and multi-family homes across the country’s western region. It is a particularly good option for home buyers and sellers as it doesn’t require a waiting period when you purchase the policy in a real estate transaction.

FNHW at a glance

Though Fidelity National Home Warranty didn’t make our list of the best home warranty companies, it may be appropriate for some homeowners. Here’s a skimable version of the details I’ll cover in this review.

Fast facts

Fidelity National Home Warranty (FNHW) opened for business in 1984 as Western Home Warranty.
Parent company Fidelity National Financial, Inc. bought Western Home Warranty in 1996.
Under normal circumstances, FNHW responds to claims within three business hours, among the fastest response times I’ve encountered.
Fidelity National Home Warranty is accredited by and carries an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

What we like

Fidelity National Home Warranty has no waiting period for coverage when you buy a policy through a real estate transaction. Financial protection starts the minute you close on your property — even before you move in. Also, FNHW’s add-ons give customers more control over their coverage.

What we don’t like

Though FNHW’s plan prices are fixed, making them predictable, you can’t split them into monthly installments. That may put their policies out of reach for more budget-conscious consumers. In addition, FNHW doesn’t sell systems- or appliance-exclusive plans, which may lead to customers buying coverage they don’t need.

*BBB ratings are accurate as of September 2024.

FNHW pros and cons

On the plus side, FNHW offers a long list of extra coverages to add to its base policies. Those add-ons include HVAC tune-ups and protection for smart-home systems and outdoor kitchens. These additional protections make it easy to customize a policy to your home and what you value most. The company also allows you to work with a contractor you know or buy replacement appliances by offering cash in lieu of repairs if that is your preference.

I also like that FNHW publishes sample contracts in English and Spanish, making them more accessible to non-English speakers.

However, FNHW sells policies only in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. It also doesn’t deliver online quotes or check-out options, and its plans overlap a lot, making them difficult to understand if you’re not well-versed in home warranties.

Pros

Uncommon add-ons, like HVAC tune-up, smart-home components and outdoor kitchens
Offers cash-in-lieu of repairs first, which can expedite resolutions
Has Spanish and English versions of its sample contracts
Highly customizable plans

Cons

Limited availability outside the western United States
Doesn’t have online purchase options
Plan options can be confusing

How much does FNHW cost?

First National Home Warranty operates a bit differently than other home warranty companies. Instead of providing customizable quotes, it has fixed annual prices that you pay up-front if your house is under 5,000 square feet. Plan costs vary by property type.

FNHW offers plans for home buyers and sellers, but some plans, like the Enhanced Plan and Enhanced Plus Plan are exclusive to home buyers. The most comprehensive plans aren’t available for multi-family units.

You can compare prices in the table below. All plans have a $75 service call fee, which you must pay to your assigned service provider every time you file a claim. This is in line with average home warranty costs.

What services does FNHW offer?

Fidelity National Home Warranty markets to people who are buying or selling a home, but its plans are available to any homeowner. Buyers coverage starts at the property closing, but direct-to-consumer service agreements have a 30-day waiting period before the policy takes effect.

FNHW provides coverage in four tiers. The Standard and Comprehensive plans do not protect washing machines, refrigerators or air conditioning systems. So, if those appliances and systems are your biggest priorities, you must buy one of the more comprehensive plans or purchase an add-on protection to gain any coverage.

Beyond that, FNHW’s coverage is straightforward. It does go further than some competitors by offering rekey and pest control services, two areas that often go uncovered in warranty contracts.

Fidelity National Home Warranty’s most comprehensive plan, Enhanced Plus, has “Mods and More” coverage. It protects the water heater expansion tank by providing $1,000 in protection for radiant, hot water and steam heating systems. It also provides up to $250 in protection for plumbing stoppages from tree roots, code violation upgrades and labor costs for anything already covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.

You can compare plans in the table below.

FNHW services

FNHW add-ons and optional features

Fidelity National Home Warranty only offers add-ons to home buyers. Here’s a breakdown of those options:

Additional refrigerator: If you buy the kitchen refrigerator add-on, it will add $50 per plan term.
Air conditioning/evaporative cooler: For $85, the air conditioning and evaporative cooler add-on protects all parts and components that affect the system’s functionality. It covers built-in wall units but will not cover window or portable units.
Appliance limit upgrade: With this $100 extra plan, you can add $3,500 to your appliance protection. This plan applies only to kitchen appliances, refrigerators, washers and dryers.
Enhanced slab leak limit/external pipe leak: This add-on adds $100 to your annual plan costs but increases coverage for inaccessible plumbing leaks to $2,000 per plan term and external pipe leak coverage to $1,000 per plan term. Only owners of single-family homes can buy it.
Guest home or casita: You can add coverage for an on-property guest home or casita. If you buy this add-on, your base plan automatically applies to the detached structure. Costs for this extra protection depend on your base plan and the size of your home and guest house.
Kitchen refrigerator with water dispenser and ice maker: This add-on covers one built-in kitchen refrigerator or one freestanding kitchen refrigerator with a freezer. For $50, it protects all functional parts and components.
Limited roof-leak repair: With this protection, FNHW pays up to $1,000 for roof leaks caused by rain. The policy will repair shake, shingle, composition, tile, tar, gravel and metal roofs. For a single-family home, the add-on costs $100. The price rises to $160 for multi-family homes.
Pool/spa equipment: This add-on covers all above ground and accessible components of the filtration, pumping and heating systems for $180 per plan term. It caps saltwater coverage at $1,500 but delivers more financial protection for regular pools.
Septic tank system/sewage ejector pump: The septic tank system add-on costs $75 and covers all parts and components required for the system to function.
Washer/dryer: For $85, the washing machine and dryer add-on covers one set of laundry machines, including all components that affect functionality.
Washer/dryer and kitchen refrigerator: With this extra coverage, you can bundle protection for your kitchen refrigerator and laundry machines. It costs $120 per plan term.
Water softener/reverse osmosis system: For $65, you can buy extra protection for your home’s water filtration system as long as you use the system for drinking water. Coverage will be capped at $500 per plan term.
Well pump: If your well pump is the primary source of water for your home, you can protect it for $100. It has a $1,500 coverage cap.

Comprehensive option

You can buy comprehensive coverage for $100 per plan term if it is not otherwise included in your base plan. It covers:

Added plumbing components, including faucets, shower heads and interior hose bibs
Additional appliance components for your garage door opener
Building code upgrades
Ceiling fans
Cooktops
Crane use for HVAC repairs
Dishwashers
Filters
Grills
Heat lamps
Heating registers
Improper installations
Microwaves
Permit costs
Refrigerant recapture
Repairs and modifications
Recovery and disposal
Trash compactors

Home improvement installation

For $100, you can add coverage for home improvement installation if you’re upgrading your kitchen or bathroom faucet, shower head, toilet or ceiling fan. You’ll need to provide the replacement item, but FNHW will cover the labor costs for installation after you pay the service call fee.

Outdoor kitchen

With the outdoor kitchen add-on, FNHW will cover electrical and plumbing components that supply water, gas or electricity for an outdoor kitchen. It also covers the faucet, garbage disposal and ceiling fan for the kitchen. It doesn’t cover cooktops, barbecue equipment, pizza ovens, dishwashers, entertainment systems, light fixtures or costs associated with accessing any items that enjoy protection.

This add-on costs $100, and it caps coverage at $1,000.

Smart home

For $100 per year, the smart-home add-on covers replacement for one smart switch, outlet, Wi-Fi enabled doorbell, thermostat, door lack or garage door opener. You can file a claim for one of each item per plan term. The plan caps coverage at $5,000.

Pre-season HVAC tune-up

For $50 per plan term, the HVAC tune-up add-on provides free air conditioning maintenance for one tune-up service between February and April and a free heating system tune-up between September and November.

What does FNHW not cover?

Home warranties reduce out-of-pocket costs for unexpected home repairs but don’t cover every situation. When you file a claim, you’ll pay a service call fee, and any costs not explicitly defined by your warranty agreement.

FNHW lists the covered components of each item in its sample contract under the limits of liability section. The company doesn’t have any unusual exclusions. Like any home warranty provider, its coverage is limited to normal wear and tear. As such, it won’t cover damage stemming from insufficient maintenance, accidental damage or neglect.

FNHW won’t cover the following issues unless you buy an add-on that explicitly covers them:

Code upgrades or permits
Damage due to fire, flood, smoke, lightning, freeze, earthquake, theft, storms, accidents, riots, war, acts of terror, vandalism, animals or pests, power surges, structural changes or design deficiency
Items with a manufacturer’s recall or defect
Cosmetic defects
Secondary damages caused by the failure of a covered item
Costs to modify equipment to match replacement item
Electronic components of covered items, such as HVAC zone controls
Solar systems
Shared systems and appliances, unless you buy multi-unit coverage

In some cases, FNHW may not be able to find a service provider to respond to your claim. The company maintains sole discretion to offer cash in lieu of repair instead of service.

FNHW customer experience

Fidelity National’s website is bare-bones and lacks many customer support features. To buy or renew a policy, call 1-800-862-6837. For more general questions, call 1-800-308-1420. If you’re a current customer, you’ll have access to the online portal to request service and review your plan terms. FNHW accepts service requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

FNHW will respond to service requests within three hours during normal business hours and within 48 hours under other circumstances. If an item breaks after being serviced, FNHW protects it with a 30-day workmanship guarantee for labor and a 90-day workmanship guarantee for parts. Also, you won’t pay another service-call fee to fix Items that break within these windows.

When I called the general inquiries line, I spoke to a representative within 10 minutes. The Fidelity National rep was helpful and polite. However, the customer reviews I read were a mixed bag, but many reviews were written by customers who have been with the company for years and have renewed their policies multiple times.

Here’s a positive review that illustrates one customer’s experience:

I have had mixed experiences with FNHW. Sometimes they are fine, sometimes they drop the ball, and they don’t approve a needed part until a week later when I repeatedly have to call back, or when they double charge me for a service call. What I must say is that today I finally, after 4 calls and 7 people, got an outstanding customer service [agent] who saw the error and within moments fixed it and apologized for the error. He was outstanding, kind, smart, and savvy…

–– Penny L., via BBB (January 4, 2024)

Not all customers were so happy, despite being loyal customers for years prior. Here’s a less-than-glowing review from a long-time customer:

I’m very frustrated with the warranty company. We’ve had them since 2017 and had no issues until this year. We’ve had service repairs on the dishwasher, dryer, and washer and a replacement on our washer since 2017. This year has been rough regarding our refrigerator. We’ve been dealing with the build-up of ice since November! We are talking about 5 times now - replacement of the door latch, done seam and sensor, [plus] several defrost and drain repairs. The technicians have told me personally that they will reach out to my warranty company about replacement options. Then, when I call to get a status, the warranty company tells me that they want to do another recall on the repair. I just got off the phone with them. I will not be paying them another dime or extending my warranty. They don’t want to replace the refrigerator. They told me today they will just continue recalling the issue every 90 days. Are you serious? How is this helping? They are stalling until I pay another year, and it’s highly doubtful they will even replace the fridge.

The fine print: Terms and conditions you should know

In addition to knowing FNHW’s policy exclusions, you should be mindful of your policy’s coverage caps. FNHW makes it easy to find coverage limits under the description of each covered item. It also has a table in the sample contract for quick reference.

Here’s a quick breakdown of FNHW’s clearly defined coverage limits:

If not explicitly stated, FNHW will assess the covered item and suggest replacement or repair at its sole discretion. The policy doesn’t have a total payout limit, which may make it more flexible than others. You can file claims as often as necessary as long as you pay the required service call fee and haven’t exceeded the coverage cap for the item.

FNHW vs. competitors

Fidelity National Warranty’s limited availability and focus on real estate transactions can make it a great fit for customers who are buying or selling a home in the Western region of the country, but it doesn’t offer much if you live elsewhere.

While FNHW has a compelling suite of add-on options that can allow you to customize the policy to your needs, it doesn’t offer systems- or appliance-exclusive plans, like 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty or AFC Home Club. Both of these companies offer customizable service call fees, which gives you more control over your pricing.

FNHW competitor comparison

Methodology

The CNN Underscored team interviewed experts, read sample contracts and requested quotes from more than 20 home warranty providers and compared them against the factors most likely to matter to our readers. We placed the heaviest burden on each provider’s coverage and pricing to ascertain the value they offered.

After that, we evaluated their workmanship and money-back guarantees. Next, we vetted each company’s reputation by researching their customer reviews, BBB profile and any pending legal actions. We also secret-shopped by requesting quotes and connecting with customer service representatives to learn more about the company’s availability and flexibility for different property types.

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Fidelity National Home Warranty review: A comprehensive guide to cost and coverage