ARW Home Review: Coverage and Cost (2022) – MarketWatch

In this article: Pros and Cons | Our Thoughts | Plans and Coverage | Cost | Availability | Reviews | ARW Home vs. Other Providers | The Bottom Line | FAQs | Methodology

ARW Home, formerly known as American Residential Warranty, has been serving homeowners nationwide since 2008. It provides multiple customizable plans to fit your home’s specific needs, and its $55 service call fee is among the lowest in the industry.

We at the Home Media reviews team have analyzed ARW Home’s monthly costs, customer service, coverage and add-on options to help you determine whether it’s the best home warranty company for your needs.

Pros and Cons of ARW Home

Below are a few of ARW Home’s advantages and disadvantages:

+ Charges affordable $55 service call fee per filed claim
+ Covers unique items such as humidifiers and food spoilage
+ Provides comprehensive electronics protection plan as an add-on

– Caps home systems at $1,000 per covered item and $500 per covered appliance
– Includes clothes washer and dryer coverage as an add-on only
– Requires written consent for policy cancelation

Our Thoughts

ARW Home is a suitable provider for homeowners who want to pay affordable monthly premiums and minimal trade service fees. ARW Home scored 4.19 out of 5 points in our rating system. It has a reputation for putting homeowners first and employs all of its customer service representatives in-house to minimize wait times and expedite repairs. When we called for a quote, a representative picked up in less than one minute.

Although coverage comes at affordable monthly rates, ARW Home caps coverage at $5,000 for all covered items within a 12-month policy. Other providers offer more generous coverage caps, such as American Home Shield’s $3,000 cap per covered item. Along with affordable rates, ARW Home provides plan options with minimal coverage to match specific needs. For example, ARW Home offers plans that cover just kitchen appliances or heating and cooling systems. 

While requesting an online quote, our team discovered that ARW Home’s website and sample contract don’t align regarding plans. ARW Home omits two plans in the sample contract from its website. We spoke to a representative for clarification, and the representative noted that the omitted plans are available for homeowners to purchase but are not available on the website because it believes those plans aren’t as valuable to customers.

ARW Home Plans and Coverage

ARW Home offers five home warranty plans to protect your home appliances and systems from unexpected breakdowns caused by normal wear and tear. All plans come standard with ARW Home’s $55 service call fee. You must pay the service call fee each time you file a claim.

ARW Home will send its own service technician to perform the repair, and it provides an industry-standard 30-day workmanship guarantee on completed repairs. ARW Home doesn’t let you choose your service provider.

Here is a detailed overview of ARW Home’s coverage options:

• Heating and Cooling: The Heating and Cooling plan is ARW Home’s most basic coverage plan. It protects interior electrical, central heating, and air conditioning systems and humidifiers.
• Kitchen Plus: The Kitchen Plus plan covers six standard kitchen appliances, including refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, built-in microwaves, garbage disposals and kitchen exhaust fans. The plan also covers water heaters and interior electrical systems.
• Platinum: The Platinum plan covers all nine items in the Kitchen Plus and Heating and Cooling plans. ARW Home allows you to opt out of air conditioning coverage to save on your monthly premium.
• Platinum Premier: The Platinum Premier plan is ARW Home’s mid-tier plan. It includes everything in the Platinum plan plus plumbing systems and stoppages, garage-door openers, ductwork and ceiling fans.
• 4-in-1 Bundle: The 4-in-1 Bundle is ARW Home’s most comprehensive plan. It bundles all 16 coverage options plus clothes washers, dryers, and water and sewer lines. ARW Home offers Deluxe Advantage and Ultimate Electronics Protection as add-ons.

Note: The Deluxe Advantage add-on is only available with the 4-in-1 Bundle plan. It covers home items not included in ARW Home’s standard plans, such as AC refrigerant and coils, refrigerant recapture, plumbing faucets and fixtures, code violations, toilets, improperly installed and mismatched items, and garage-door springs. The Ultimate Electronics Protection add-on covers common household electronics such as laptops, desktops and tablets; LED, LCD, flat-panel and plasma TVs; and printers and gaming consoles.

Here are ARW Home’s coverage options per plan:

ARW Home Availability

ARW Home provides coverage in all 50 states.

ARW Home Reviews

ARW Home has a positive reputation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), where it holds an A+ rating*. The company has an overall positive reputation among customers. It has a 2.76 out of 5 star rating based on more than 210 customer reviews on its BBB webpage. It also has a 4.1 out of 5 score* on Trustpilot. 

Below are a few sample ARW Home reviews. Customers generally praised ARW Home’s quick and personable customer service, but some had concerns about ARW delaying coverage payouts. We reached out for comment regarding negative reviews and did not receive a response.

“They have great customer service and don’t require a contract. The service is what keeps you with them.” —Oladipo B. via Trustpilot

“As soon as I called for service on my AC unit a claim was set up instantly. Had a company call me right away to set up a time to come out. The company they called — it was very sufficient and professional [and] had all the parts with them. It was fixed within an hour. Very thorough and professional company that came out. I would recommend this warranty company as well as [the] service company [that provided] the service. The best warranty company I had ever dealt with.” —Janet D. via Trustpilot

“I just spent an entire afternoon trying to get assistance from them. Twice they took our money and didn’t get the work done. First was a no show for the HVAC system. They didn’t reimburse like I requested. I’ve been trying to get my pc repaired for 3 months. I was tossed around from one person to another yesterday. I was not allowed to talk to a supervisor. In my last attempt, I was on hold for 2 hours then received a message that they weren’t available. I asked for a premium refund since I haven’t been able to get them to [d]o anything this year. They denied it. I paid $1,200 for this!” —Serena B. via Trustpilot

“ARW is not great. It’s easy to make a claim but the follow up is torture. They don’t want to pay for anything and if they do, it usually takes about 3-4 wks to get anything fixed. Customer service kinda sucks. They have so many numbers to call and they always redirect you several times. Be prepared to spend 30 mins on the phone minimum” —Fabian Y. via Trustpilot

*BBB and Trustpilot ratings are accurate as of August 2022.

ARW Home vs. The Competition

See how ARW Home compares to other top home warranty providers in the table below:

The Bottom Line: ARW Home

ARW Home is a decent provider for homeowners who want low service call fees. Its plan variety, coverage for second refrigerators and cooling systems, and unique add-on options make it worth considering. 

ARW Home falls short on coverage caps compared to other top providers. Home systems are capped at $1,000 per item and $500 per appliance. Clothes washer and dryer coverage is only available in its most expensive plan or as an add-on, whereas most providers include them as standard coverage. For those reasons, we believe American Home Shield is a better choice. 

You can fill out ARW Home’s quote form or call 855-725-2056 to get a free quote.

Frequently Asked Questions About ARW Home

Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Home Warranty Companies

Our consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information — as such, we create a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best home warranty companies. This system accounts for a wide range of ranking factors, and we collect data on dozens of home warranty providers to grade the companies on each factor. The end result is a cumulative score for each provider — companies that score the most points top the list.

To ensure our research is as thorough as possible, we call every major home warranty provider directly and speak with representatives to get quotes, specifics on coverage options, availability based on location and additional information. We also review sample contracts to better understand what each plan covers and to identify limitations. In addition, we simulate the process of reaching out to each company’s customer service team to evaluate their level of helpfulness and ability to solve problems.

Once we gather all relevant data, we use the following scoring system to grade each home warranty company on a 100-point scale, then convert the score to a 5-point rating:

• Overall plan options (25 points): Companies that offer a variety of plan options are more likely to meet consumer needs. Thus, we award more points to providers that offer more plans and greater flexibility.
• Cost (25 points): Monthly fees and service fees are both taken into consideration. The lower the fees, the higher the score.
• Trust (25 points): We analyze customer feedback on third-party review sites to gauge the reputation of each company. We deduct points for companies that are currently facing or have recently faced civil lawsuits.
• Customer service (10 points): We base this factor on the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of a company’s customer service team.
• State availability (5 points): Most home warranty companies do not serve all 50 U.S. states. Providers that offer service in most states score the highest in this category.
• Additional benefits (5 points): Promotions and discounts are among the perks that can make a home warranty more attractive to consumers. Companies that offer benefits that competitors don’t are awarded more points.
• Coverage specifics (5 points): While the total number of plan options is important, it is also essential to consider what is covered under each plan. The more comprehensive the coverage, the better.