Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
With frigid winters, working home systems and appliances, especially HVAC, are extremely important for homeowners in River Falls. A home warranty is a way to protect your savings account from unexpected expenses. With a home warranty in place, your repair costs can be significantly lower and allow you to live in your home with more peace of mind.
Finding the right warranty for your home can be difficult, so our team at Today's Homeowner has compiled this guide to help you find the best home warranty companies in River Falls. Read on for our home warranty recommendations.
Over 10 years of experience
24/7 customer service team
Home inspections aren’t required
90-day repair guarantee
Plans aren’t customizable
Customers can’t choose their own contractor
Not available in washington
Choice Home Warranty offers the best overall home warranty in River Falls. Choice has established itself as a company with very high coverage caps and simple-to-understand service contracts. It also has great customer service, professional contractors, and lower out-of-pocket costs compared to other home warranties. Choice offers 2 plans for homeowners to decide between.
Choice Home Warranty has 2 plans that provide a mix of system and appliance coverage. The coverage caps from Choice are about $3,000. The service fees are an affordable $85, which is cheaper than other providers in the River Falls area.
For a more detailed breakdown, read our thorough review of Choice Home Warranty. To receive a free quote from Choice Home Warranty, fill out this online form or give them a call at 929-400-6164.
Basic Plan
Total Plan
The oldest and most trusted company in the industry
Allows customers to build their own plans
Ability to choose the service fee you want to pay
Broad coverage on up to 33 appliances and systems
Doesn’t let customers choose their own technician
Doesn’t provide coverage in alaska
American Home Shield offers the most customizable home warranty in River Falls. AHS has established itself as a company with the ability to customize your plan with the coverages that work specifically for your home. It also has a remarkably low claim denial rate in comparison to other home warranty companies. AHS offers 3 plans for homeowners to decide between.
American Home Shield has 3 plans that provide a mix of system and appliance coverage. The coverage caps from AHS are about $2,500. The service fees are customizable and range from $75 to $125, which is cheaper than other providers in the River Falls area.
For a more detailed breakdown, read our thorough review of American Home Shield. To receive a free quote from American Home Shield, fill out this online form or give them a call at 888-365-2839.
ShieldSilver
ShieldGold
ShieldPlatinum
Offers home insurance deductible of $500
Extra long 180-day workmanship guarantee
Offers free cancellation in the first 30 days
Charges high service fees of $75-$150
Doesn’t allow customers to choose their own technician
Isn’t available in hawaii or alaska
Cinch Home Services offers the home warranty with the best workmanship guarantee in River Falls. Cinch has established itself as a company with a 180-day workmanship guarantee that ensures your home systems and appliance repairs will be professionally done. It also has a broad range of coverage options that will give homeowners peace of mind. Cinch offers 3 plans for homeowners to decide between.
Cinch Home Services has 3 plans that provide a mix of system and appliance coverage. The coverage caps from Cinch are about $1,000-$2,000. The service fees are customizable and range from $75 to $150, which is cheaper than other providers in the River Falls area.
For a more detailed breakdown, read our thorough review of Cinch Home Services. To receive a free quote from Cinch Home Services, fill out this online form or give them a call at 877-589-0505.
Appliances Plan
Built-in Systems Plan
Complete Home Plan
Policy starts in ten days
24/7 customer service support
Generous coverage caps on important systems and appliances
30-labor guarantee and 90-day parts guarantee
Offers utility and home service outside line coverage
Higher service fee of $95
Not accredited by the better business bureau (bbb)
Only 2 plan options
The Home Service Club offers the best home warranty with the quickest service in River Falls. HSC has established itself as a company with quick coverage where the home warranty goes into effect just ten days after you pay for the plan, instead of the typical 30 days. It also has customer service representatives available 24/7, as well as a 30-day labor guarantee and a 90-day parts guarantee. HSC offers 2 plans for homeowners to decide between.
The Home Service Club has 2 plans that provide a mix of system and appliance coverage. The coverage caps from HSC are about $2,000. The service fees are customizable and range from $65 to $90, which is cheaper than other providers in the River Falls area.
For a more detailed breakdown, read our thorough review of The Home Service Club. To receive a free quote from The Home Service Club, fill out this online form or give them a call at 800-750-9443.
Standard Coverage Plan
Comprehensive Coverage Plan
Today's Homeowner looks at dozens of datapoints on home warranty companies to come up with our data-driven rankings. It's not possible for a company to pay for preferential treatment in our rankings. We look at the following key factors in determining who should top our list:
Home Appliance | Repair Cost |
---|---|
Air Conditioner | $5,960 |
Heating | $3,973 |
Electrical | $596 |
Toilets | $497 |
Washer/Dryer | $795 |
Plumbing | $596 |
Oven | $1,589 |
Fridge | $596 |
A home warranty is a protection policy that helps River Falls homeowners in lowering the costs of appliance and system repairs. The plans provide coverage to replace or fix appliances and systems that break down due to normal wear and tear.
When something breaks down, you file a claim and pay a service fee. The home warranty provider then finds a contractor to handle the replacement or repair. Homeowners may have out-of-pocket costs only if the repair or replacement costs exceed the item's coverage limit. A home warranty gives reassurance to homeowners, as it helps prevent expensive emergency repairs. Home warranties are the most useful for older construction homes with aging systems. New homes with modern appliances may not require a home warranty.
Home warranties cover your household systems and appliances. Typical covered appliances include refrigerators, washers, microwaves, dishwashers, garbage disposals, dryers, and more. Covered systems include electrical, heating, air conditioning, and plumbing. Various home warranty plans offer extra coverage for central vacuums, septic systems, roof leaks, and even locksmiths. Most home warranty plans require River Falls homeowners to wait 30 days before they can use the policy to pay for repairs. Moreover, policies usually only cover repairs and replacements resulting from normal wear and tear. Home warranties don't cover pre-existing conditions, cosmetic issues, natural disasters, or misuse of a system or appliance. To make sure your next repair or replacement is covered, keep up with preventative maintenance.
There are multiple home warranty terms to understand before signing an agreement, including:
There are several important factors to consider when selecting a home warranty provider:
Home warranties differ greatly in the items covered. Basic policies typically provide protection for heating, plumbing, AC, electrical, and appliances, while more comprehensive plans may also cover spas, roof leaks, pools, and well pumps. Look for a provider that offers an extensive selection of coverage options, including upgraded plans. Flexibility is important when trying to fit a home warranty to your home's specific needs.
You'll pay a service fee, typically $60–100, for each claim filed with your home warranty provider. This fee is charged per request and can quickly add up, so you may look for companies advertising more affordable fees to optimize savings on each repair claim. Certain companies may waive deductibles when a homeowner submits no claims in a defined period.
A home warranty provider's reputation can offer insight into things such as speed of repairs, contractor quality, approval rates for claims, and customer satisfaction. Use third-party review sites such as TrustPilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or Google Reviews to research companies. Positive ratings and reviews indicate that a provider is known for quality service.
Home warranty providers maintain networks of local professionals to handle repairs in your area. Reach out to potential providers to find out how many repair professionals they have in River Falls and get an idea for how quickly your repairs might happen in an emergency situation. Bigger networks improve the likelihood of getting qualified contractors to swiftly service your home.
Certain home warranty companies include extras such as protection for smart home devices, energy-efficient upgrades, and discounts on maintenance. These bonuses offer extra value beyond repair coverage. Added perks can enhance your home and help maximize your home warranty.
Temperatures in River Falls can drop to the negatives in the winter, which means your heating system is most likely going to get a decent amount of use. As a homeowner in River Falls, one of the benefits of having a home warranty is knowing that these home systems and major appliances can be covered if they need to be repaired or replaced.
A home warranty also saves you time and energy. Instead of spending hours researching and choosing a technician to fix your appliance or system, home warranty companies do the hard work for you and send a trusted professional to your door whenever you need them. Additionally, having a home warranty can help make your house more appealing to potential homebuyers if you ever decide to sell later. Many home warranty companies will allow you to transfer your plan to a new owner and give them the protection you’ve been receiving.
One main drawback of home warranties is not everything you care about may be covered. It’s important to compare the different plans and opt for one that covers all the appliances, systems, and add-ons you need.
Another potential pain point of home warranties is that they don’t cover items that have been improperly maintained. This can lead to your claims being rejected, so it’s important to be sure you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for maintenance of your home systems and appliances.
A home warranty plan costs, on average, around $300 to $600 a year in River Falls. Our top-rated home warranty companies' most comprehensive coverage options vary from $546 to $840 per year. You can get a lower monthly payment with some companies by opting for a higher service fee. In addition, it's typically cheaper to pay annually rather than monthly.
The difference between a home warranty and homeowner's insurance lies in what kinds of damage each covers. A home warranty plan covers normal wear and tear to home systems and appliances. Homeowners insurance protects a home in a situation such as a natural disaster or fire. With homeowners insurance, you won't be able to file a claim if you need a new dryer or stove, unless the damage is due to a natural disaster, which isn't that common in River Falls.
A home warranty can help homeowners, real estate agents, homebuyers, home sellers, and investors. It can offer peace of mind and savings to anyone involved with homeownership.
The different kinds of home warranties in River Falls include plans with coverage for either appliances or systems as well as comprehensive plans. A comprehensive plan covers your systems and appliances, such as your refrigerator, washing machine, and heating and cooling systems. An appliance or system plan will cover only the specific items listed in the policy.
Generally, a home warranty policy lasts for a year and can be renewed yearly. Some providers may offer month-to-month options.
Typically, the homeowner is the one who is responsible for paying the premium and service fees. However, when buying a new home, sometimes the seller will pay for the policy. This can then be transferred to the new homeowner, who will pay the service fees. In River Falls, where the median value of a home is $375,152, having the seller pay for the home warranty can save you some money on your new home.