Many homeowners worry about all of the expensive components that make their home comfortable and functional. A solid home warranty covers HVAC systems, water heaters and even electrical.
Repairing these systems can be costly and a warranty coverage for the home helps mitigate the expense of needing to replace one.
In this article, we’ll discuss how a Fidelity National Home Warranty covers your home, what you can expect, and if one is right for you. We’ll also cover different price points, plans and any of those details in the fine print. We’ll also describe why our recommended provider is American Home Shield.
To get a free quote, you can call 844-529-9298 or fill out this online form.
By the end of the review, you’ll be able to decide exactly what you want from your home warranty plan, which will give you the peace of mind that every homeowner deserves.
Our Preferred Home Warranty Alternatives
Today’s Homeowner recommends a few home warranty companies to our readers. Below, you’ll see our latest suggestions and their money-saving deals. You can also read our review of the companies with similar home warranty plans to learn more about these top picks.
Our Research
Our team provides in-depth research so our readers can make the best choice possible. We consider each facet of a product or service before we write our reviews.
We hold our reviews to a high standard and want to provide the most transparency as possible. For these reasons, we’re able to write reviews that are comprehensive, informative, and valuable to consumers like you.
Overview of Fidelity National Home Warranty
Fidelity has been in the home warranty business since 1984. Its parent organization is the National Alliance Marketing Group, and its subsidiary is BPG Holdings, LLC. Fidelity National holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Fidelity National offers plans for homeowners, people in the real estate business and service providers. No matter who you are, they offer different plans to keep your property safe and your appliances protected.
Home Warranty Resources
- What is a Home Warranty?
- How Much Do Home Warranties Cost?
- Is a Home Warranty Worth It for You?
- Best Home Warranties in 2024
- Do Your Appliances Need Extended Warranties?
Fidelity National Home Warranty for Homeowners
Homeowners often have to worry about problems with HVAC units and electrical in their homes. However, a Fidelity National Home Warranty covers any problems you may have with these systems. It’s always possible to upgrade your protection from just the essentials to appliances that you may not have even known were possible to cover.
One benefit of Fidelity for a home warranty plan is their very diverse set of plans that can accommodate many situations. Besides electrical systems and HVAC, Fidelity offers plans that extend beyond the basics. The right Fidelity National Home Warranty plan can also cover:
- Vacuums
- Refrigerators
- Ice Makers
- Wine Refrigerators
- Ice Chests
- Microwaves
- Ovens
- Dishwashers
- Water Dispensers
- Trash Compactors
- Garbage Disposals
- Ventilation Hoods
- Ceiling Fans
- Bathroom Exhaust Fans
- Washer and Dryers
- Plumbing
- Water Heaters
Plans & Coverage
Knowing what plan is right for you is essential for keeping your home protected. Fortunately, Fidelity offers quite a few different plans for homeowners who are just looking to cover the basics or cover most things in their house. Fidelity offers five different plans:
- New Construction or New Construction Comprehensive Plus
- Standard Plan
- Comprehensive Plus Plan
- Enhanced Plan
- Customized Plan
It’s important to note that some of Fidelity’s policies provide limited coverage for certain home systems.
- Ductwork — up to $1,000
- Heating systems — up to $5,000
- Plumbing — up to $1,000
- Refrigerators — up to $5,000
- Water Heaters — up to $1,500
New Construction and New Construction Comprehensive Plus
One of the most stressful things about becoming a new homeowner is thinking about the construction quality of your new home. Of course, there are laws and regulations in place to keep building standards high but houses also have many different systems within them that can break. Forbes tells new homeowners why they should consider investing in a New Construction warranty plan. Unlike most other home warranty companies, Fidelity offers warranties for new homes, however, you will have to pay a premium for this service. Below is a quick overview of their two new construction plans.
- New Construction: A home warranty plan for newly built houses. Fidelity’s New Construction home warranty costs $720 and covers a large variety of issues new homes may have.
- New Construction Comprehensive Plus: This plan is the go-to for new homeowners who want a little more coverage. It’s a bit more expensive than the basic New Construction plan at $800, but it does offer more protection if anything goes wrong. The New Construction Comprehensive Plus plan also pays out reimbursements for system damage due to improper installation, repairs or modifications.
Fidelity’s Other Plans
If you’re a homeowner and want protection for the systems and appliances in it, you’re most likely going to want to stick with one of the three plans Fidelity offers. Fidelity offers three main plans that cover a wide range of home systems to varying degrees. Each plan has increased costs with each level of coverage. We’ve listed each of these three plans with their cost and some basic coverage details.
- Standard Plan: This is Fidelity National’s basic home warranty plan, and it’s $490 per year. If you’re interested in extending your contract with Fidelity, you can get this plan for as little as $800 for two years, a $180 discount compared to a single year. The standard plan covers most systems in the house, however, it does not cover dryers, washers and refrigerators. In addition to either $490 for one year or $800 for two years, Fidelity also charges a $75 service call fee.
- Comprehensive Plus Plan: This warranty plan covers more of your home’s systems and their parts compared to the standard plan. The Comprehensive Plus Plan covers all of the home systems the standard plan does and more. While the standard plan doesn’t cover dryers, washers or refrigerators, the Comprehensive Plus Plan does. The Comprehensive Plus Plan costs $590 per year and the $75 service call fee still exists.
- Enhanced Plan: The Enhanced Plan doesn’t cover any more household systems compared to the Comprehensive Plus Plan, and it actually covers less. Like the Standard Plan, the Enhanced Plan doesn’t cover washers, dryers, or refrigerators. However, the Enhanced Plan does offer more coverage for the problems that may arise with any of your household systems. The base price of the Enhanced Plan is $660 per year with a $75 service call fee.
Fidelity’s Customized Plan
While Fidelity’s basic plans only cover certain home systems, it’s possible to customize one of the three basic plans to cover other home systems. Fidelity allows homeowners to choose up to six additional home systems that they want to protect. Each system costs a varying amount of money.
- Customized Plan: Fidelity allows homeowners to extend the coverage of any of their plans at the price of a higher premium. It’s possible to get coverage for pools, hot tubs, wells, septic tank pumping, wine refrigerators, ice makers and ice chests. Each item added to your plan will cost you somewhere between $35 and $180 for coverage. This option is geared towards homeowners who would like to supplement their existing coverage. These systems do have some limitations in coverage. The coverage for pools and hot tubs is unlimited, however, wells are only covered up to $1,500 and septic pumping up to $500. Wine refrigerators, ice makers and ice chests are covered up to $1,000.
Details for Top Systems and Appliances
To understand which home systems and appliances matter most to consumers, our team at Today’s Homeowner surveyed 1,000 homeowners and asked them which items in their homes were most valuable to them.
From our findings, the top three systems people care about are the electrical, plumbing, and air conditioning systems. The top three appliances that are the most important are the refrigerators, washers/dryers, and oven/stove/range.
Unfortunately, FNHW does not provide a sample contract online, so we don’t have in-depth coverage details for the top systems and appliances. However, it’s worth noting that the refrigerator, clothes washer and dryer, and air conditioning are “optional items” that aren’t covered under the Standard Coverage plan. Seeing as how these are some of the top items homeowners care about, we view this as a drawback to the company.
Coverage Length
Your Fidelity home warranty is effective for one year upon receipt of payment. There is a 30-day waiting period from the time you pay for your warranty until the time coverage begins. Your plan won’t automatically renew, but you have the option to renew near the plan’s expiration date.
Coverage Limits
Covered systems and appliances must be in good working order at the start of coverage for Fidelity to accept a claim. Unknown pre-existing conditions will be covered if, at the time coverage began, the defect or malfunction would not have been known to the buyer, seller, agent, or home inspector by a visual inspection or by operating the system or appliance.
If any defects are found at the time of a home inspection report, they will be excluded from home warranty coverage until FNHW receives proof of repair or replacement.
Additionally, malfunction and improper operation due to rust or corrosion of appliances and systems are not covered for the seller or the buyer for the first 30 days after the close of escrow.
Remember: Your contract covers only the parts, systems, and appliances mentioned explicitly as protected and excludes all other items. Before signing up for a warranty, read through your agreement carefully, and make sure you understand any coverage exclusions or limits.
What Doesn’t Fidelity Cover?
Fidelity offers coverage for a multitude of different home systems that may become damaged, but there are some stipulations that are in place that may affect what can get repaired.
For heating and cooling systems, Fidelity will reimburse you for any part that breaks. However, they will not cover systems that operate off of solar energy or glycol systems. There is also no coverage for fireplaces, chimneys or portable heating systems.
For electrical systems, Fidelity offers protection for any part of an electrical system inside a house that is deemed essential. This does not include alarms, power circuits and intercoms. Also, Fidelity won’t cover damage to electrical systems caused by power surges or failures.
Fidelity also covers plumbing to a certain extent, but they don’t cover faucets, showers or toilets. Compared to other home warranty services, this is quite limited as Fidelity will only repair plumbing components that are essential to your home.
Fidelity Warranty Reviews
We dug through online reviews of Fidelity National so you wouldn’t have to. In summary, many customers have been unsatisfied by the service after signing up. A handful of reviewers shared positive experiences, however. It seems that the service experience is dependent on your location and, perhaps, your luck.
Below are a few customer testimonials from BBB:
Our Verdict On Fidelity National Home Warranty
Though Fidelity National does offer many solutions to keep your home systems protected, their premium prices are well above the rest of the industry. This may be appropriate for some consumers, but won’t make sense for all budgets.
Here are a few reasons why Fidelity isn’t our recommended brand:
- Only available in 13 states
- Many negative customer reviews
- Limited plan information available online
For a homeowner who is looking to save and get better coverage, American Home Shield may be the way to go.
Our Recommended Provider: American Home Shield
One of the biggest differences in Fidelity and American Home Shield is that AHS doesn’t require you to complete a home inspection. This is great for people who want to start their coverage quickly, as they won’t need to wait around for an inspector to come by. On top of this perk, American Home Shield is the oldest brand in the industry with a number of great benefits.
Below are a few other key features that American Home Shield provides:
- Three plan options. Customers can choose between the ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum plans with increasing levels of coverage.
- Choose your service fee. Based on the monthly premium you select, you can adjust the amount you’ll pay at the time of service.
- Easier to get a quote: Compared to Fidelity’s website, American Home Shield’s website is a little more streamlined, which makes getting a quote easier. In fact, you may not even need to get a quote for your warranty, making the process of purchasing your warranty only a few clicks or a single call away.
The Bottom Line
While Fidelity offers a number of options for people looking to get a home warranty plan, American Home Shield offers consumers better coverage and service. We recommend checking out our article on the best home warranty providers and getting quotes from the providers you’re considering. That way, you can see which will best fit your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Fidelity Home Warranty cover?
Fidelity offers one home warranty plan that covers a combination of systems and appliances and optional add-on coverage for items like your septic tank and air conditioning.
Can I purchase optional coverage for my home with Fidelity?
Yes, Fidelity provides optional coverage for items like pool and spa equipment, air conditioning, and roof leak repair. You can purchase this extra coverage when you sign up for a home warranty or up to 30 days after purchasing your plan.
What does the FNHW claims process look like?
If a covered system or appliance breaks in your home, you can sign in to your account online or call FNHW to request service. Fidelity will send a repair person to assess the issue and fix the problem. During the contractor’s visit, you’ll pay them a $75 service fee.
How much is the cancellation fee if I want to opt out of a FNHW contract?
If you want to cancel your plan with Fidelity National Home Warranty, you’ll have to pay a $50 fee, which is in line with the industry average.
How is Alliance Warranty related to Fidelity?
Fidelity National Home Warranty previously began as Alliance Home Warranty in 1998, but was acquired by Fidelity National Financial in 2015.
Home Warranty Rating Methodology
To help you find the best home warranty, our reviews team researched numerous home warranty companies, analyzing their coverage plans, pricing and customer service, among other factors:
- Coverage: Home warranty companies that provide extensive coverage and protect important systems and appliances, including your air conditioning, refrigerator and heating, scored higher than companies with minimal coverage.
- Plan variety: A provider with more coverage plans allows for more flexibility among customers. In general, most home warranty companies provide an appliances-only plan, systems-only plan and combination plan.
- Pricing: We scored providers based on their monthly plan prices and service call fees compared to the industry average pricing. Companies with more affordable coverage received more points than companies with more expensive plans.
- State availability: Where you live will determine what companies are available in your area. Home warranty companies that covered more states received more points than companies with a limited state availability.
- Trustworthiness: There are some home warranty companies that are scams and don’t follow through on their service agreements. We rated companies based on their years of experience, ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and customer reviews.
To keep our data current, our team regularly updates the data points for each company to ensure their coverage offerings, pricing and availability are accurate.
Reviews of Other Home Warranties
