Homeowners have a lot to be excited about — your home affords you a lot of fun times, great memories with family and friends, and the opportunity to express yourself through comfort and design.
There’s only one hitch in all the fun. The cost of owning a home can be overwhelming, especially when you take into account the breakdown of major systems and appliances that always seem to happen at the worst time.
These types of breakdowns aren’t covered by your insurance policy, but they can be covered by a home warranty. These exist to cover the cost of repair and replacement for major systems and appliances for homeowners looking for peace of mind.
In This Article:
- Global Home USA Home Warranty Overview
- Plans & Cost Breakdowns
- Availability
- Global Home USA Reviews
- Our Assessment of Global Home USA Home Warranty
- Our Preferred Provider: American Home Shield
- Home Warranty Provider Comparison Table
Today’s Homeowner works with an independent reviews team to create evidence-based research that helps our readers make informed decisions. The reviews are always independent. For transparency, we may be compensated if you purchase through a link.
Here at Today’s Homeowner, we’re reviewing Global Home USA. We hold the research team to the highest standards, and have reviewed many providers based on criteria like customer reviews, plan diversity, pricing, availability, service agreement transparency and more.
We’ve selected American Home Shield as the best home warranty provider in this Global Home Warranty Review.
To get a free quote, call 844-529-9298 or fill out this easy form.
Global Home USA Home Warranty Overview
Global Home USA has been in business since 2007 and is owned by Warranty Global Group Inc., based in Addison, Texas. The company offers services in all states except for Washington, Florida and California, according to a Global Home USA representative.
Home Warranty Resources
Plans & Cost Breakdowns
Global Home USA has home warranty plans available for both buyers and sellers for single-family dwellings under 5,000 square feet.
There are three plans to choose from, the Gold Plan, Platinum Plan and Elite Plan. The pricing and cost of each of these plans are not transparent in the brochure or on the website.
Here’s the breakdown of each plan and the respective service fees:
Systems and Appliances | Gold Plan ($100 service fee) | Platinum Plan ($75 service fee) | Elite Plan ($60 service fee) |
Central Air System | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Central Heat System | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Duct Work | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Dishwasher | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Garbage Disposal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Microwave | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Oven, Range and Cooktop | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Water Heaters | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Sump Pump | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Polybutylene Piping | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Kitchen Refrigerator | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Trash Compactor | ✓ | ✓ | |
Humidifier/Dehumidifier | ✓ | ✓ | |
Electronic Air Filters | ✓ | ✓ | |
Shower Heads | ✓ | ✓ | |
Faucets and Fixtures | ✓ | ✓ | |
Door Bell | ✓ | ✓ | |
Ceiling and Attic Fans | ✓ | ✓ | |
Water Softener | ✓ | ✓ | |
Sewer Ejector Pumps | ✓ | ✓ | |
Geothermal HVAC | ✓ | ✓ | |
Clearing of Line Stoppages | ✓ | ✓ | |
Kitchen Refrigerator Ice Maker | ✓ | ||
Hydro Jetting | ✓ | ||
Smoke Detectors | ✓ |
Optional Add-Ons
In addition to the items covered in the above plans, Global Home USA provides optional additions. Here’s what’s covered and their cost:
Gold Plan ($100 service fee) | Platinum Plan ($75 service fee) | Elite Plan ($60 service fee) | |
Home Inspection Service Option | $70 | $70 | ✓ |
—> Non-detected Pre-existing conditions | – | – | ✓ |
—> Permits & Code Violations | – | – | ✓ |
—> Improper Installation | – | – | ✓ |
—> Removal Of Defective Equipment | – | – | ✓ |
—> Refrigerant Recapture and Disposal | – | – | ✓ |
Garage Door Openers | $40 | $40 | ✓ |
Central Vacuum | $45 | $45 | ✓ |
Clothes Washer/Dryer | $80 | $80 | ✓ |
Stand Alone Ice Maker | $40 | $40 | $40 |
Additional Refrigerator/Freezer | $50 | $50 | $50 |
Well Pump | $85 | $85 | $85 |
Swimming Pool/Spa Equipment | $165 | $165 | $165 |
Spa (Free Standing) Equipment | $150 | $150 | $150 |
Salt Water Pool Equipment | $340 | $340 | $340 |
Roof Leak Repair | $60 | $60 | $60 |
In order to be covered, items must be:
- Located within the confines of the home’s main foundation or attached garage (with the exception of the exterior well pump, air conditioner and pool/spa equipment, if selected)
- Inoperative due to normal wear and tear
- In good working order on the effective date of your contract
- Properly installed throughout the term of this contract for proper diagnosis
In some cases, your services and appliances are not eligible for coverage. You can find the details in the brochure and sample service agreement here.
Service Fees
For each trade service call, you’ll need to pay a service fee. Here’s the breakdown by plan:
- Gold Plan: $100
- Platinum Plan: $75
- Elite Plan: $60, or the actual cost, whichever is less
You’ll have to pay this service fee if the service is performed, if you cancel while the technician is on the way to your house, or if you aren’t at home when they arrive. You’ll also need to pay your technician before the service is performed.
Agreement Aggregates
Global Home Warranty is responsible for losses up to the maximum amount of coverage shown for all sums paid or payable in the aggregate over the agreement period’s entire term. In simpler terms, this means that the company puts a cap on how much they’ll pay out to you for your claims.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Overall aggregate: $25,000
- Central heating systems: $5,000
- Central air systems: $5,000
- Home listing period, combined central heating systems and central air systems: $1,500
- Gold Plan Per item aggregate: $1,500
- Platinum Plan Per item aggregate: $1,500
- Elite Plan Per item aggregate: $2,500
Availability
Global Home USA is available in all states except for Washington, Florida and California, according to a representative from the company.
How to Get a Quote from Global Home USA
In order to receive a quote from Global Home USA, you will need to call 866-445-3604. There is no free quote option available through the website. However, Global Home USA is transparent in that it offers the contact information for the president, vice president and executive vice president of national sales of the company on the site.
How to Make a Claim with Global Home USA
You can submit a claim here, or call 866-237-4980. Global Home Warranty is available 24-7, except on Christmas Day.
Service will be performed during normal business hours within 48 hours after you’ve submitted your claim.
If the needed repair is the loss of heating or cooling, loss of plumbing, substantial loss of electrical service or any other condition that renders a dwelling uninhabitable, it’s considered a temporary emergency condition. In this case, service will happen faster.
For your item to be covered, you have to notify Global Home USA prior to the repair or replacement of the item, or they are not liable for coverage.
Global Home USA Reviews
We took a look at Global Home Warranty reviews across a few sites and found it listed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), where it is accredited with an A+ Rating. The company has accumulated an average of two-star customer reviews and 27 customer complaints.
“They cover almost nothing in each mechanical/electrical system. It’s misleading to have a home warranty where portions of systems (built-in ice dispenser in the fridge) are not covered because ‘the refrigerator can still operate without it.’ Not worth the money the contract is written on.”
-Andy G, 1 Star, BBB
“…Less than one month after we provided all the documentation of the completed work, we received a check from Global Home USA for over $2,600, the full replacement cost minus $75 deductible for each claim. Global’s Customer Service reps were always polite and patient with me on every telephone call, and they were very efficient. When I emailed them the documents, I had a rep on the line and she could see them immediately. My experience was first class – excellent! Thank you, Global Home USA. You’ve changed my opinion about home warranties.”
-Jerry E, 5 Star, BBB
Our Preferred Provider: American Home Shield
Our favorite option for a home warranty is American Home Shield.
Here are some of the reasons why we chose this company:
- Transparent pricing
- In business since 1971
- A combination of comprehensive and customizable plans
- Customer service requests are responded to in 24 hours 98% of the time, according to the company
- Optional add-on coverage
American Home Shield covers 14 critical home systems and 9 essential appliances. From 2015-2020, American Home Shield paid out more than $2 billion in service requests. The company claims to have founded the home warranty industry and boasts a network of more than 15,000 licensed contractors and professionals throughout 49 states in the US.
Home Warranty Provider Comparison Table
Here’s how American Home Shield stacks up against Global Home Warranty:
✓ American Home Shield | Global Home Warranty | |
Sample Contract Provided | Yes | Yes |
Number of Plans | 3 | 3 |
Average Lowest Cost | $500 | Not Listed |
Optional Add-Ons | Yes | Yes |
# of States Covered | 49 | Not Listed |
Excluded States | Alaska | Not Listed |
Waiting Period | 30 Days | Not Listed |
Service Fee | $75, $100 or $125 | $60, $75 or $100 |
In Business Since | 1971 | 2007 |
BBB Accredited | Yes | Yes |
# BBB Complaints | 10,978 | 27 |
BBB Rating | B | A+ |
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