Fidelity National Home Warranty review: Is it worth it? | CNN Underscored (2024)

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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.

Our rating: 3.3 out of 5

Best for: Real estate transactions

Availability: 13 states

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

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

Cons

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:

Comprehensive option

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

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:

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 circ*mstances. 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:

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:

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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