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Old Republic Home Protection warranty plans start at $275 a year, but price varies wildly depending on location
Reviews.com awards Old Republic a Reviews.com Score 2.75 out of 5 based on price, service fees, add-ons, and more.
There are more than a dozen add-on coverages and six different plans available from Old Republic.
Old Republic Home Protection offers multiple home warranty options, depending on where you live. Customers can buy one of its Freedom Plans home warranties, a standard Old Republic policy, or a CRES warranty policy as part of a partnership with CRES Insurance Services.
In addition, Old Republic has home insurance warranties available for both existing homes and new construction. Warranties are customized based on the state where you live; for instance, some places need coverage for winter-related issues while others don’t. Our thorough Old Republic Home Protection warranty review reveals super-customizable policy options by each state and, sometimes, county.
Old Republic Home Warranty Overview
Reviews.com Score:
2.75
Starting Price:
$275/yr
Starting Service Fee:
$75
States Served:
28
BBB Rating: The BBB rates companies based on trustworthiness and performance. The company uses a variety of factors, including how the company handles customer complaints.
A+
Old Republic Home Protection has earned 4 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot, based on customer reviews, and it is very affordable compared to similar providers. That being said, its reputation on ConsumerAffairs is not as favorable. Customers there report major issues filing a claim and contractors being unable to get reimbursed by Old Republic as promised for services rendered.
PROS
High customer service ratingsBBB has rated the company A+ based on its review of available services and customer service.
Customizable options for homebuyersOld Republic offers over a dozen ways to upgrade and add on to home warranty policies for home buyers.
Indiscriminate appliance coverageSome policies in certain states will cover your appliances, regardless of their age.
Choose your own contractorIn the Freedom Plans, customers can choose their own contractors for repair work.
CONS
Limited availabilityOld Republic Home Protection only offers home warranties in 28 states.
Per year billingCustomers must pay for the warranty policy for 12 to 15 months upfront before coverage begins
Air conditioning coverage not includedOne of the most commonly maintained systems in the home, A/C, is only available as an add-on optional coverage.
Most plans only available to home buyersIf you already bought your home, or are shopping for a new warranty, you won’t be able to get comprehensive coverage through Old Republic Home Protection.
Old Republic Home Warranty Highlights
Coverage & Plans
Guarantees
Before You Buy
Old Republic Home Protection warranties offer Standard, Ultimate, and Premium plans with varying amounts of protection. The Premium plan is the most comprehensive, but it’s only available to home buyers, not home sellers who want to offer a plan as a perk to potential buyers. Old Republic also has Freedom Plans available in some states that start at $295 a year for the Patriot Plan, which includes a $75 trade call fee.
Furthermore, Old Republic Home Protection partners with CRES Insurance Services to provide 13- or 15-month CRES Preferred Coverage plans, but the details of what is covered is not available online.
Service work is guaranteed for 30 days after a project is complete. This means if the same issue reoccurs within 30 days, the customer will not have to pay another fee. The guarantee only covers the work conducted at the time of the original service call — if a separate issue arises in the same system or appliance, it would not be covered under the guarantee.
It’s worth noting that customers are responsible for $75–$100 service call fees whether they are granted or denied service. In other words, if a plumber comes out and is unable to fix your water heater because it needs to be replaced, you will still pay the service call fee. The plans only cover appliances and systems that work functional and properly installed on the day the customer signed up for a plan.
American Residential Warranty has coverage in all 50 states. It partners with AIG Warranty in most states, and AMYNTA in California, Iowa, Texas, and Virginia. Old Republic and American share the same A+ BBB rating, but Old Republic is accredited by the organization and American is not.
Another difference is that American Residential has coverage of electronics such as TVs and game consoles, which can be bundled with other coverage. Our Old Republic review reveals that Old Republic requires customers to pay for a separate Tech and Smart Home Protection Plan with no bundle option.
Old Republic vs. Choice Home Warranty
One way Choice Home Warranty beats the benefits to new customers is a free month of service. However, the company does have some limitations to its coverage that Old Republic doesn’t. For instance, with Choice, customers have a cap for plumbing repairs. Old Republic customers have more robust plumbing coverage with standard service — though they will have to increase their coverage to have fixtures and toilet coverage.
Another downside for Choice is the company only has a B- with the BBB, compared to Old Republic’s A+. That being said, you can stay with Choice if you move states because the company has nationwide coverage.
Old Republic vs. 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
Old Republic doesn’t have the reach of 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty, which is available in all 50 states. Price wise, the two companies both come in at a super affordable rate that averages about $20 per month for most customers, but Old Republic Home Warranty is billed annually.2-10 has better appliance coverage, with standard service covering refrigerators. It also approves more than 97% of all claims. One area where Old Republic wins out is that customers can get coverage for multi-unit properties, including duplexes. 2-10 has an A rating on BBB, just below Old Republic’s A+ rating.
The annual cost of an Old Republic depends on the state where you live. For example, annual premiums in California begin at $325, in Mississippi at $390, and in Texas at $405.
Standard coverage with Old Republic Home Protection includes plumbing, electric, pest control, dishwasher, and rekey service. Higher levels of coverage also include things like water heaters and trash compactors.
The best companydepends on your specific needs. For older homes with dated appliances and systems, a more expensive plan with robust coverage from a company like Old Republic or Choice Home Warranty are worth it. Basic American Residential coverage is ideal for people less likely to file a claim.
If you have older systems and appliances, a home warranty can help you save big if something breaks down. For newer homes or appliances with manufacturer warranties still in place, you’re less likely to get your money’s worth.
Methodology
We evaluated Old Republic Home Protection based on customer experience, customer satisfaction, monthly cost, trade service fees and coverage to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best home warranty reviews. To compare home warranty companies with other providers across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:
Starting Monthly Price: The lower the cost of a home warranty company’s monthly contract, the higher the score. Inversely, the higher the cost of the monthly contract, the lower the score in this metric.
Trade Service Fee: We awarded higher scores to home warranty companies with lower trade service fees.
Customer Satisfaction: Reviews.com utilized the Better Business Bureau ratings to assign customer satisfaction scores to home warranty companies.
Customer Experience: Using the Better Business Bureau, we reviewed rating of customer complaints lodged and resolved with BBB.
Coverage: We compared available coverage and add-ons offered by home warranty companies to assign Reviews.com scores.
Lara Vukelich is a freelance writer for Reviews.com. Over the last 12 years, she has covered internet service, home goods, travel and more at Expedia, Huffington Post, and other publications.
