What Does a Fidelity Home Warranty Cover? Tiers, Caps, and Fees

A Fidelity National Home Warranty covers the repair or replacement of major home systems and built-in appliances when they fail from normal wear and tear. Every plan includes plumbing, electrical, central heating, ductwork, the water heater, and the standard built-in kitchen lineup (dishwasher, range/oven/cooktop, built-in microwave, garbage disposal, trash compactor), plus toilets, smoke detectors, garage door openers, ceiling and exhaust fans, doorbells, telephone wiring, central vacuum systems, sump pumps, and whirlpool bathtub motors.¹ Refrigerators, clothes washers, clothes dryers, and (in some states) air conditioning are not in the base plan; they come with higher tiers or as paid add-ons.²

What Every Plan Includes

FNHW sells four tiers, and all of them bundle the same core of systems and appliances before layering extras on top.

Heating, Ductwork, and Water Heater

Central heating is covered across all plans, including forced air (gas, electric, oil), built-in wall and floor heaters, heat pumps (including geothermal and water-source), mini-split ductless systems, electric baseboard units, evaporative coolers, and wall air conditioners. When a replacement is needed, FNHW covers the components required for compatibility with the new unit, including the air handler, evaporative coil, and accessible refrigerant lines.³ Central air conditioning in the base Standard plan varies by state and may only be available as an add-on at that tier.¹

Plumbing

Plumbing coverage includes leaks and breaks in water, waste, vent, and gas lines inside the home’s main foundation or garage, along with shower and tub valves, angle stops, gate valves, toilet tanks and bowls (replaced with white builder-grade), wax ring seals, permanently installed sump pumps, built-in jetted bathtub motor pumps, and pressure regulators. Mainline stoppages can be cleared through an existing ground-level cleanout.⁴ Showerheads and faucets are not covered in the base plan; neither are bathtubs, sinks, shower enclosures, bidets, saunas, steam rooms, septic tanks, water softeners, sprinkler systems, or booster pumps.

Electrical

The electrical system coverage includes outlets, light switches, main and sub panels, meter base, breakers, fuses, interior wiring connections, doorbells, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors.⁴ Light fixtures, alarms, intercoms, inadequate wiring capacity, low-voltage wiring, and damage from power surges are not covered.

What the Higher Tiers Add

Each step up adds a defined set of items rather than raising a general limit.

The Comprehensive Plus plan adds expanded plumbing, HVAC, and ceiling fan coverage, plus mismatched systems, improper workmanship, equipment removal and disposal, and specific small parts like knobs, handles, and dials.⁵
The Enhanced plan is the first tier that includes the kitchen refrigerator, clothes washer, and clothes dryer. It also adds the water heater expansion tank, radiant and steam heating, code violation and permit costs, and removal of defective equipment.²
The Enhanced Plus plan adds water softeners and reverse osmosis systems, inaccessible and concrete-encased pipe coverage, smart home devices, and labor on items still under a manufacturer warranty.⁵

Standard and Comprehensive Plus customers who want the kitchen refrigerator, washer, dryer, or AC need to add them individually.¹

Add-Ons for Items Left Out

Roughly 20 optional coverages can be layered onto any plan, with reported pricing per contract term:⁶

Air conditioning or evaporative cooler: $85
Kitchen refrigerator with ice maker and water dispenser: $50
Additional refrigerator: $50
Washer and dryer: $85
Washer, dryer, and refrigerator bundle: $120
Pool and spa equipment: $180
Septic tank system or sewage ejector pump: $75
Well pump: $100
Water softener or reverse osmosis: $65
Limited roof leak repair: $100 (single-family) or $160 (multi-family)
Outdoor kitchen: $100
Smart home devices: $100
Pre-season HVAC tune-up: $50
Appliance limit upgrade: $100
Enhanced slab or external pipe leak limit: $100
Home improvement installation: $100

Add-on availability varies by state.

Coverage Caps and the Service Fee

What is covered is only half the picture; the dollar limit on each item is the other half. Key caps per contract term include:³

Kitchen appliances: up to $3,500 or $5,000 per appliance, depending on state and plan
Combination, radiant, or steam water heater systems: $1,500 per system
Ductwork: $1,000
Geothermal heat pump: $5,000
Inaccessible or concrete-encased pipes: $1,000
Toilet replacement: $600 per toilet
Code violations: $250 per term
Optional roof leak repair: $1,000 per term⁵

MarketWatch cites an overall per-item cap of $1,000 for most systems and appliances, with higher limits on items like kitchen appliances and geothermal systems.² An Appliance Limit Upgrade adds $5,000 to appliance caps for $100 per term.⁷

Every service call also carries a trade call fee, reported between $65 and $95 depending on plan and state.⁸ It is non-refundable, including when the claim is denied or the homeowner cancels after a technician has been dispatched.⁹ Completed repairs carry a 30-day guarantee on labor and 90 days on parts.¹

What Is Not Covered

The contract excludes any item, part, or component not specifically listed in the plan.³ Beyond that, several categories are excluded across every tier:

Systems and equipment: solar energy systems, fireplaces and chimneys, wood, pellet, or gas stoves, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, window AC units, Wi-Fi components of appliances, and community or commercial systems.⁵
Conditions: mold, mildew, rot, fungus, asbestos, and cosmetic defects such as color or finish.
Causes of damage: misuse, missing components, weather and natural disasters, power surges, theft, vandalism, pests, pets, and accidents.
Consequential losses: food spoilage, alternative lodging costs, utility bills, and loss of income.
Structural work: carpentry, construction, or structural modifications needed to install or access equipment. Restoration of walls, floors, or ceilings is limited to a rough finish.

Pre-existing conditions are also excluded unless the defect was unknown and could not have been detected by a visual inspection or by operating the system when coverage began. FNHW does not require a professional inspection before issuing a contract, but all covered items must be in proper working order on day one.¹⁰

When Coverage Starts

A breakdown is only covered if the contract is already in force. Direct-to-consumer buyers have a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.² When the warranty is purchased as part of a home sale, there is no waiting period; coverage begins at the close of escrow.⁶ Sellers can get listing coverage with the premium not due until closing, but seller coverage has its own limits, including a $1,500 cap on heating and accessible ductwork combined and a $500 cap on furnace failures from a cracked heat exchanger.⁷ FNHW is sold in a limited number of states, with the strongest footprint in the West; what is actually covered, and at what price, can vary significantly from one state to the next.¹

How Coverage Plays Out in Practice

Coverage on paper is not the same as coverage paid. FNHW generally favors repairing a covered item rather than replacing it; a homeowner who wants a replacement can buy one themselves and submit for reimbursement of the repair cost the company would have covered.⁸ Hiring a contractor without prior authorization voids reimbursement.⁹

The Better Business Bureau lists 688 complaints against FNHW over the past three years, the majority involving service or repair issues; MarketWatch reports a 1.2 out of 5 customer rating on the BBB site based on nearly 2,000 complaints over three years and notes a pending class action alleging wrongful claim denials and breach of contract.¹¹² A separate wrongful death lawsuit filed in Clark County, Nevada alleges FNHW repeatedly delayed emergency air conditioning repairs for an 82-year-old Henderson woman, Virginia DeSapio, who filed a service request on August 11, 2022 and was found dead on August 22, 2022 with a cause of death listed as environmental heat stress; the suit alleges negligence, breach of contract, and violation of a Nevada law requiring warranty companies to complete emergency repairs within three days.¹² FNHW holds an A+ BBB rating, which reflects the company’s responsiveness to complaints rather than customer satisfaction.¹³

1
This Old House. Fidelity National Home Warranty Review
2
MarketWatch. Fidelity National Home Warranty Review
3
Just Sold It. Fidelity National Home Warranty Sample Contract
4
Boomtown. Fidelity National Home Warranty Contract
5
U.S. News & World Report. Fidelity National Home Warranty
6
Authory. Fidelity National Home Warranty Review
7
HNHC. CRES Home Warranty Coverage Details
8
ConsumerAffairs. Fidelity National Home Warranty
9
Fidelity National Home Warranty. Sample California Contract
10
Fidelity National Home Warranty. Frequently Asked Questions
11
Better Business Bureau. Fidelity National Home Warranty BBB Complaints
12
Las Vegas Review-Journal. Lawsuit: Elderly Woman Died From Heat After Requests for AC Repairs
13
Better Business Bureau. Fidelity National Home Warranty BBB Profile