How the Home Warranty Service Process Works

With a home warranty, you’ve got a simple, budget-protecting way to get important appliances and home systems repaired or replaced. When covered items like your air conditioning, water heater, and refrigerator break down, we'll take care of getting them repaired or replaced.

Unlike homeowners insurance, which protects you from accidents and major damage, a home warranty covers everyday appliances and systems when they break from wear and tear. When an item breaks, you contact us for service. A prescreened technician from our network will schedule an appointment with you, diagnose what's wrong, verify coverage, and then fix or replace the item.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Request Service

• When an item covered by your home warranty breaks down due to normal wear and tear, you simply call us or go online to file a claim 24/7 to start the repair or replacement process.
• You’ll pay the service fee when you place your request. This is the fee you pay each time you place a home warranty service request.
• We’ll assign a prescreened technician from our network as soon as possible. They will reach out to schedule an appointment.

Step 2: Problem Diagnosis

• The assigned contractor will arrive at your home at the agreed-upon time and diagnose the broken system or appliance. If necessary, they’ll report their findings to us.
• After we confirm the issue is covered by your home warranty, we’ll give the contractor the go-ahead to proceed in one of two ways: repair or replacement.

Step 3: Repair or Replacement

• If your system or appliance needs simple repairs to get it up and running again, often your technician can fix it the same day.
• If repairs won’t get your covered item working again, we’ll replace it. While we can’t guarantee you’ll receive the same make, model, and color as your old item, your new one will have similar features, efficiency, and capacity.

If Parts or Equipment Are Needed

When the technician doesn’t have the parts or equipment needed to repair or replace the item, we’ll work to get them as quickly as possible. Once the technician has the parts, they will set up an appointment to complete the repair. When additional appointments are needed, you don’t have to worry about paying extra service fees.

Learn More about Home Warranty Coverage

If you’d like to find out how First American’s home warranty process sets itself apart, you can look at our guide, What is a First American Home Warranty? If you’re ready to start the home warranty process, safeguarding your budget and simplifying things when a covered home system or appliance breaks down, compare coverage and get a home warranty quote now.

FAQs About the Home Warranty Service Process

What is a service fee?

This is the fee you pay each time you place a home warranty service request. Some home warranty plans let you choose your service when you purchase your plan, while other plans have a set fee. Your service fee is listed in your contract, or you can sign in to your online account and view it there.

How can I find out what my home warranty covers?

If you have a First American home warranty, sign in to your account and click Coverage. There, you can see details about all items your plan covers, as well as any limits or exclusions. If you don’t have an account yet, it only takes a few minutes to set up your online account.

How often can I request service?

There is no limit to the number of times you can request service during your contract. Many of our customers request service multiple times each year and save hundreds to thousands of dollars in repair and replacement bills.

Can I choose my own contractor?

There’s no need to. We have a trusted network of prescreened professional technicians who are ready to assist you, so you don’t have to search for help on your own. We take pride in our contractors’ professionalism and expertise, continually monitoring their performance and rewarding those who provide exceptional service.

What happens if parts for my appliance or system aren’t available?

If parts for your covered appliance or system are unavailable and we cannot repair it, we’ll replace the broken item with a comparable model. Rest assured, you’ll receive a new unit with like functionality.*

The exception to this is ice makers, ice crushers, beverage dispensers, and their respective equipment. These items will only be repaired or replaced when parts are available.

What’s not covered by a home warranty?

A home warranty covers appliances and home systems when they break from normal wear and tear, but it doesn’t cover every type of failure. For example, a home warranty doesn’t cover cosmetic damage or items that break from misuse.

Home warranties also don’t typically cover pre-existing conditions: items that were broken before your coverage started. Warranties for home buyers and sellers may cover pre-existing conditions if, when the warranty started, you couldn’t tell that the item was broken by looking at or using it.

*Please review your contract for specific coverage, terms, and limitations.