Company file — Select Home Warranty

Select Home Warranty claims, decoded: caps, clauses, and the denials they're known for

The budget seller with the thinnest caps in the business — $500 an appliance — and a clause that cuts payouts to $150 when maintenance records can't be produced.

The basics

Waiting period: 30 days before coverage starts
Service fee (per claim visit): $75-$100 per claim (reported by reviewers/customers; Select does not publish a standard fee - its site/terms say only 'a fee' / 'small fee')
Workmanship guarantee: 60 days
Cancellation: Cancel within 30 days of the order date for a full repayment if no services have been provided. After 30 days: prorated repayment based on the non-discounted annual plan cost, less a $75 cancellation fee and any service costs incurred by Select. Source: TopConsumerReviews Select review (Oct 2026).

The public record

BBB rating: B- (This Old House, Oct 2026; Simply Insurance also reports B-). Note: TopConsumerReviews (Oct 2026) reports 'B' with over 5,000 complaints in the past three years, and Insurify reports a 1.49/5 BBB customer-review score - letter rating differs by read date. · Complaints on file: Over 5,000 complaints filed in the past three years (TopConsumerReviews, Oct 2026) (read 2026-10-18)
The BBB profile

Complaint counts are a record of volume, not a denial rate — no company publishes one, and we don't invent one.

Coverage limits (caps) by plan

PlanPer systemPer appliancePer term (aggregate)
Bronze Care—$500 per appliance per year—
Gold CareHVAC $3,000 per contract term; electrical $500 per item per year; plumbing $500 per item per year——
Platinum CareHVAC $3,000 per contract term; other systems $500 per item per year$500 per appliance per year—

Caps from the published sample agreement / plan terms cited below. Plans vary by state and by the year you bought — your issued agreement controls.

The clauses that decide claims

Pre-existing conditions

Pre-existing conditions are not covered. The service contract (as quoted by Architectural Digest) excludes 'improper installation, previous repair, damage caused by any construction activity, improper wiring, inadequate or lack of capacity, power failures, power surges, overloads, missing parts, failure to properly maintain, failure to properly clean, neglect, misuse, corrosion, rust, sediment and any modification to the system or appliance.'

Terms as quoted by reviewers of the service contract (see source)

Can they demand your maintenance records?

Select 'reserves the right to request maintenance records' and caps payment at up to $150 for any system or appliance that doesn't have proper maintenance (Money.com). Architectural Digest states the same rule as: if you cannot provide maintenance records upon request, the company may impose a coverage limit of $150 per item. Retirement Living: 'If you don't have proof of annual maintenance and cleaning records, Select Home Warranty will only cover up to $150 for appliances.'

Terms as quoted by reviewers of the service contract (see source)

The denials Select Home Warranty is known for

  • No maintenance records = $150 cap: payment capped at $150 per item if proper maintenance cannot be documented when records are requested — contract clause (as reported)
  • Pre-existing conditions and a long exclusion list (improper installation, previous repair, corrosion, rust, sediment, failure to maintain/clean, neglect, misuse, modifications) — contract clause (as reported)
  • $500-per-item caps on appliances, electrical and plumbing leave most replacement costs unpaid; HVAC capped at $3,000/term; freon at $200/yr — contract clause (as reported)
  • First-30-days carve-outs: during the waiting period Select will not cover replacement of entire systems/appliances, nor evaporator coils, compressors, control boards, condenser coils or motors of any kind — contract clause (as reported)
  • Secondary damage excluded (e.g. leak covered but resulting water/mold damage not), manufacturer defects and incorrect installation excluded; repair delays of weeks reported in complaints — complaint-pattern reporting / plan terms reporting

Run your own situation through the readiness checker — it uses this company's caps and clauses. Already denied? The denial decoder starts with the reason on your letter.

Be ready before it breaks — and fight it right if they say no

Included in the $39 WarrantyDecoded Kit

  • The evidence-file system — the day-one baseline file (photos, serial numbers, inspection report) that makes 'pre-existing' hard to claim
  • Maintenance logs organized by denial reason — each log page names the denial it defeats ('not maintained' dies when the records exist)
  • The claim-call script — what to say when you call a claim in, and the things to never say on a recorded line
  • The denial-appeal ladder — written appeal, escalation, your state's correct complaint door, and the arbitration/small-claims routing your contract actually allows
  • The cash-out worksheet — their 'actual cost' check vs. the real replacement price, so you know the gap before you accept it
  • The renew-or-cancel worksheet — caps against the replacement cost of YOUR oldest systems, with the numbers filled in
Get the WarrantyDecoded Kit — $39

One payment. Yours to keep. For any home warranty company, any plan.

Sources (sample agreement read October 2026; sample dated as published):
https://insurify.com/home-warranty/companies/select/
https://money.com/select-home-warranty-review/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/money-management/home-services/2026/08/24/select-home-warranty-review/87900546007/
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/home-finances/select-home-warranty-review
https://www.topconsumerreviews.com/best-home-warranty-plans/reviews/select-home-warranty
https://architecturaldigest.jppadmin.com/home-warranty/select-home-warranty-reviews
Your issued agreement controls — plan terms vary by state, tier, and purchase year.

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