As published by the provider
American Home Shield
4.1/5
“Homeowners who want broad systems coverage and a choice of service fee.”
Photo · Naomi Hébert / Unsplash
First American Home Warranty
3.8/5
“Owners of newer homes who prioritize appliance coverage and some improper-installation protection.”
Photo · Avi Werde / Unsplash
vs
§ 01Round by round
The Warranta verdict
If HVAC or systems coverage is the reason you are buying, American Home Shield is the answer: it caps a covered HVAC system at $5,000 and all claims at $50,000 per agreement term, and it wins the coverage-breadth round below. First American sets no total cap per contract term, and Warranta could not verify its per-item limits. The exception is the newer home where appliances are the real exposure. There, First American's appliance-first plans can win, so check its appliance limits in its sample contract before you buy.
Round by round · 11 criteriaSourced ratings
| Criterion | American Home Shield | First American Home Warranty | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.1Wins | 3.8 | — |
| Pricing | 3.7 | 4.2Wins | — |
| Coverage | 4.5Wins | 3.7 | — |
| Claims process | 3.8Wins | 3.4 | — |
| Customer service | 3.6Wins | 3.5 | — |
| Contractor network | 4.3Wins | 3.8 | — |
| Pricing | Tie | Tie | AHS publishes plans starting at less than $1 a day and a $100 or $125 service fee; First American publishes no plan price or service fee Warranta could verify, so this round is a tie. Confirm the service fee in the contract before you buy. |
| Annual caps | Tie | Tie | AHS caps a covered HVAC system at $5,000, a covered appliance at $2,000 or $4,000 depending on plan, and all claims at $50,000 per agreement term. First American says its plans have no dollar limit on the total per contract term but that some items, such as appliances and roof leaks, have dollar limits; Warranta could not verify those amounts against a current sample contract, so the two cannot be compared. |
| Coverage breadth | WinsWins | — | Both cover some installation or maintenance-related failures others deny; AHS's systems coverage is broader while First American's appliance coverage is competitive for newer homes. |
| Customer sentiment | WinsWins | — | AHS's overall 4.1 leads First American's 3.8, with AHS ahead on coverage and contractor-network sub-scores. |
| Claims experience | Tie | Tie | Both carry denial and dispatch complaints; First American's are concentrated on older equipment, AHS's are broader, and both rate near 3.4 to 3.8 on claims. |
American Home Shield
Founded 1971
4.1
Overall
First American Home Warranty
Founded 1984
3.8
Overall
Sources
- American Home Shield BBB profile (BBB profile, accessed 2026-05)
- First American Home Warranty BBB profile (BBB profile, accessed 2026-05)
- American Home Shield plan overview: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold and ShieldPlatinum limits; plans starting at less than $1 a day (Provider official, accessed 2026-10-07)
- First American Home Warranty plan and pricing pages (Provider official, accessed 2026-05)
- First American Home Warranty FAQ (no cap or dollar limit on the total per contract term; appliances and roof leak coverage have dollar limits) (Provider official, accessed 2026-10-07)
§ 02Who wins for you
If
“Coverage breadth matters most”
Both cover some installation or maintenance-related failures others deny; AHS's systems coverage is broader while First American's appliance coverage is competitive for newer homes.
EdgeAmerican Home Shield
If
“Customer sentiment matters most”
AHS's overall 4.1 leads First American's 3.8, with AHS ahead on coverage and contractor-network sub-scores.
EdgeAmerican Home Shield
If
“Pricing matters most”
AHS publishes plans starting at less than $1 a day and a $100 or $125 service fee; First American publishes no plan price or service fee Warranta could verify, so this round is a tie. Confirm the service fee in the contract before you buy.
Evenly matchedToo close to call
If
“Annual caps matters most”
AHS caps a covered HVAC system at $5,000, a covered appliance at $2,000 or $4,000 depending on plan, and all claims at $50,000 per agreement term. First American says its plans have no dollar limit on the total per contract term but that some items, such as appliances and roof leaks, have dollar limits; Warranta could not verify those amounts against a current sample contract, so the two cannot be compared.
Evenly matchedToo close to call
Across 5 rounds, American Home Shield takes more than it loses, but the right pick still turns on which of these criteria you weight. See the verdict above.
§ 03The figures, side by side
American Home Shield
- Published price
- Starting at less than $1 a day (published starting price)
- Service fee options
- $100$125
- Service fee range
- $100 or $125 trade service-call fee
- Coverage caps
- $50,000 total per agreement term; $5,000 per covered HVAC system; $2,000 (ShieldGold) or $4,000 (ShieldPlatinum) per covered appliance
- Waiting period
- 0 days on AHS's 2024 All Other States sample plan; 30 days on its California sample
- Eligibility notes
- No home-age limit; pre-existing/known issues excluded
At a glance
Set in the contract
Across plan tiers
Per agreement term
Before claims are eligible
Home age / pre-existing
First American Home Warranty
- Waiting period
- 30 days for many new customers, per its FAQ; the contract sets the details
- Eligibility notes
- No home-age limit; pre-existing conditions excluded
At a glance
Before claims are eligible
Home age / pre-existing
American Home Shield
4.1/5
“Homeowners who want broad systems coverage and a choice of service fee.”
First American Home Warranty
3.8/5
“Owners of newer homes who prioritize appliance coverage and some improper-installation protection.”
Round winners and the use-case cards above reconcile against Warranta’s rating methodology. Scores are on a 5-point scale.
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