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Complete Protection Home Warranty

Complete Protection Home Warranty

Complete Protection Home Warranty sets itself apart from other providers by avoiding service call fees, letting you use your own contractors for repairs and replacements and avoiding the long list of exclusions many competitors have in their sample contracts.

Our rating: 3.1 out of 5

Best for: No service fee

Average cost: $49 - $79 per month

CPHW at a glance

We didn’t include Complete Protection Home Warranty (CPHW) on our list of the best home warranty providers. Its prices are higher than the industry average, and it doesn’t offer what we consider VIP coverage, but its customers can save money on service call fees.

Fast facts

  • Complete Protection Home Warranty — formerly Complete Appliance Protection — has over 25 years of experience in the home warranty industry.
  • The company is one of the few in the industry that doesn’t charge service fees.
  • You can customize any plan by adding individual appliances and system components.
  • The company, listed under its old name, has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and enjoys BBB accreditation.*

What we like

One of the most appealing aspects of Complete Protection Home Warranty is its lack of service fees. Not having to pay a fee for every service call means you’ll almost certainly save money over time. It also takes the sting out of a claim denial since you at least won’t have to pay a fee just to have your claim denied.

Additionally, CPHW allows you to choose your own contractor for any covered repair. This lets you work with local contractors you have relationships with. However, the company doesn’t have workmanship or money-back guarantees to cover repairs or a free policy cancellation period. Refunds for all cancellations are prorated.

What we don’t like

When reviewing home warranty companies, we looked for companies with plans to cover the six most crucial home appliances and the seven most critical home systems — VIP coverage. Only CPHW’s most expensive plan, the Ultimate Plan, covers all of these items, including dishwashers, garbage disposals, washers, dryers, electrical and plumbing systems. However, you can add them a la carte to lower-tier plans.

At  $49 to $79 per month, Complete Protection Home Warranty is more expensive than many competitors. Select Home Warranty has similar coverage to CPHW’s top-tier plan for $63 per month, while Choice Home Warranty provides similar comprehensive coverage for $54 per month. CPHW also has lower coverage limits than Select, Choice or American Home Shield. CPHW’s top coverage limit is $1,000, whereas Select’s and Choice’s coverage limit is $3,000, and American Home Shield’s is $5,000.

Finally, CPHW doesn’t enjoy favorable customer review ratings. These marks suggest the company doesn’t hold to its lofty promise of not using “exclusions, excuses and ‘gotchas’ ” that you can find with other companies.

*BBB scores are accurate as of October 2024.

CPHW pros and cons

In addition to its service call fee policy, Complete Protection Home Warranty allows policyholders to make as many service calls as needed. This provides some peace of mind that you can fix appliance problems and home system issues without racking up extra charges.

The company spells out its exclusions in its terms and conditions, but the list isn’t as extensive as we’ve seen from many other home warranty companies.

Pros

  • Contacts have few exclusions
  • Does not charge service call fees
  • All plans are customizable with individual appliance or system add-ons
  • No exclusions for unknown preexisting issues

Cons

  • Comprehensive plans are $10 to $15 more expensive per month than comparable competitors
  • Coverage limits are lower than many competitors
  • Only has discounts on plans if you get protection through a home purchase
  • No free cancellation period

How much does CPHW cost?

Complete Protection Home Warranty has four plans that range in cost from $49 to $79 per month ($588 to $948 annually). Your price depends on the plan you pick. Available plans include:

  • Essential Plan: This plan costs $49 monthly ($588 per year) and covers three appliances and the HVAC system.
  • Advanced Plan: At $59 per month ($708 per year), the policy protects six appliances and the HVAC system.
  • Comprehensive Plan: For $69 per month ($828 per year), the policy covers six appliances, the HVAC system and plumbing and electrical systems, excluding fixtures.
  • Ultimate Plan: The most expensive plan at $79 per month ($948 per year), it protects eight appliances, the HVAC system, plumbing and electrical systems, including fixtures.

Complete Protection Home Warranty has 27 add-on options. For an extra monthly cost, you can add appliances or system components to any plan. Prices range from $4 to $28 monthly, depending on the appliance or system.

Savings and discounts

Complete Protection Home Warranty offers only one discount for saving money on its plans. That discount was for people buying or selling a home and securing a home warranty as a part of that transaction. If so, here are your costs (and savings) for the company’s four plans:

  • Essential Plan: $500 per year, saving you $88
  • Advanced Plan: $600 per year, saving you $108
  • Comprehensive Plan: $700 per year, saving you $128
  • Ultimate Plan: $800 per year, saving you $148

What services does CPHW offer?

Complete Protection Home Warranty offers service for most appliances and home systems in its Comprehensive and Ultimate Plans. If the plan you select doesn’t include coverage for something specific you want to protect, you can tailor the Essential and Advanced plans by choosing any of the 27 add-on options. This is unique. Most competitors only include coverage for more appliances or systems if you buy more comprehensive and expensive plans.

CPHW prides itself on its lack of exclusions. After reading the terms and conditions, I can confirm that there are fewer exclusions than many home warranty companies. Complete Protection Home Warranty has no exclusions for appliances. Also, the exclusions listed for plumbing and electrical systems seem reasonable and are fewer than most competitors.

Finally, the company has a standard 30-day waiting period before coverage kicks in unless you’re purchasing the plan as part of a real estate transaction, in which case the waiting period is waived.

Complete Protection Home Warranty services

Essential Plan
Dishwasher
Dryer
Garbage disposal
Garage door opener
Microwave
Range
Washer
Refrigerator
Ceiling and exhaust fans
Electrical system
HVAC system
Plumbing and electrical fixtures
Plumbing system
Water heater
Preventative maintenance
Advanced Plan
Dishwasher
Dryer
Garbage disposal
Garage door opener
Microwave
Range
Washer
Refrigerator
Ceiling and exhaust fans
Electrical system
HVAC system
Plumbing and electrical fixtures
Plumbing system
Water heater
Preventative maintenance
Comprehensive Plan
Dishwasher
Dryer
Garbage disposal
Garage door opener
Microwave
Range
Washer
Refrigerator
Ceiling and exhaust fans
Electrical system
HVAC system
Plumbing and electrical fixtures
Plumbing system
Water heater
Preventative maintenance
Ultimate Plan
Dishwasher
Dryer
Garbage disposal
Garage door opener
Microwave
Range
Washer
Refrigerator
Ceiling and exhaust fans
Electrical system
HVAC system
Plumbing and electrical fixtures
Plumbing system
Water heater
Preventative maintenance

CPHW add-ons and optional features

Complete Protection Home Warranty has 27 add-on options, each with an additional monthly cost. The options include individual appliances and system components, creating specific coverage you might want. Some add-ons are basic, but your plan may not have them as part of the base coverage.

  • AC system: $28
  • Boiler: $26
  • Condensing unit: $18
  • Cooktop: $4
  • Deep freeze (plumbing breaks): $6
  • Dishwasher: $8
  • Dryer: $4
  • Evaporator coil: $18
  • Furnace/air handler: $18
  • Garbage disposal: $4
  • High-end appliances: $28
  • Ice machine: $6
  • Microwave: $8
  • Mini split evaporator: $18
  • Oven: $4
  • Pool heater: $12
  • Pool pump: $12
  • Range: $8
  • Refrigerator: $8
  • Septic pump: $8
  • Septic tank/lines: $20
  • Trash compactor: $4
  • Washer: $8
  • Water heater: $6
  • Well pump/tank: $8
  • Wine cooler: $6

What does CPHW not cover?

The list of exclusions in Complete Protection Home Warranty’s terms and conditions is significantly shorter than what you’ll find from many competitors. There are some overarching and per-item exclusions to be aware of

The general exclusions include:

  • Wireless remotes, doorbells, intercoms, telephone wiring and other electrical-related parts and components
  • Boiler systems, sprinkler systems, hose bibs, bath jets, hot tubs and other plumbing-related parts and components
  • Known preexisting conditions
  • Items covered by warranties or other home warranty plans
  • Damages from accidents
  • Damages from natural disasters
  • Damages from neglect
  • Damages from pets or pests
  • Damages from power surges or inadequate capacity
  • Damages from vandalism
  • Commercial appliances or components
  • Removal or disposal of old appliances or system components

These exclusions are all common in the home warranty industry. We recommend reading the listed exclusions for plumbing and electrical systems detailed in the terms and conditions. These are also typical, but you should familiarize yourself with them before agreeing to a one-year contract.

Aside from the exclusions discussed above, note that Complete Home Protection has financial caps for each item it covers, and your coverage won’t ever exceed these limits in a 12-month period.

CPHW customer experience

Complete Protection Home Warranty has a 24/7 customer service line for submitting claims or getting general customer service. You can also submit a claim using an online form. Unfortunately, CPHW doesn’t have an email, online chat or mobile app available for customers.

The company promises to connect you with a live representative within four rings. When we called as a secret shopper, we were connected in two rings. The customer service line has no automated menus, as promised on the company’s website, and the representative with whom we spoke was friendly and answered questions about the company’s plans and protections.

Customer reviews online paint a less dreamy picture of Complete Protection Home Warranty. The company scores 3.1 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot — above average for the home warranty industry. However, that rating pales compared to that of Liberty Home Guard, a competitor with a Trustpilot score of 4.7 out of 5 stars. CPHW has no customer reviews with the BBB but has an A+ rating.

The Complete Protection Home Warranty reviews below should give you a good idea of what it’s like to work with it.

The fine print: Terms and conditions you should know

Complete Protection Home Warranty has a simple terms and conditions page that details coverages, exclusions and limitations.

Limits for repairing and replacing individual items range from $100 to $1,000, and some items — such as toilet and septic repairs — have no limits. However, the aggregate (the total amount) limit per category is only $1,000. So if both your toilet and septic system qualify for coverage, you only get $1,000 toward that cost.

If the company cannot repair a covered item, it will provide a small amount of money toward its replacement. This amount ranges from $100 (for a garage door opener) to $950 (for a packaged HVAC unit), depending on the item. The $300 replacement reimbursement limit for dishwashers, ovens and laundry machines may give some potential customers pause.

CPHW vs. competitors

Complete Protection Home Warranty has relatively low coverage caps topping out at $1,000. So, if you want more room for more expensive repairs and replacements, we recommend going with American Home Shield, a company with coverage caps reaching up to $5,000 for certain covered systems.

Homeowners looking for more affordable monthly premiums who don’t mind having to pay service fees should also consider Select Home Warranty (SHW). For $63 per month, SHW’s comprehensive plan provides better value than CPHW’s $79 comprehensive plan.

Complete Protection Home Warranty competitor comparison

Our score
Complete Protection Home Warranty 3.1
Select Home Warranty 4.5
American Residential Warranty 4.4
Home Warranty Inc. 4.3
2-10 Home Buyer’s Warranty 4.3
AFC Home Club 4.3
American Home Shield 4.3
Cinch Home Services 4.3
Home Warranty of America 4.2
The Home Service Club 4.2
Best for
Complete Protection Home Warranty No service fee
Select Home Warranty Value
American Residential Warranty Frequent claims
Home Warranty Inc. Choosing your own contractor
2-10 Home Buyer’s Warranty Kitchen appliances
AFC Home Club Flexibility
American Home Shield Comprehensive coverage
Cinch Home Services Perks
Home Warranty of America Essential coverage
The Home Service Club Affordable add-ons
State availability
Complete Protection Home Warranty 48 states
Select Home Warranty 50 states
American Residential Warranty 50 states
Home Warranty Inc. 45 states
2-10 Home Buyer’s Warranty 48 states
AFC Home Club 47 states
American Home Shield 48 states
Cinch Home Services 50 states
Home Warranty of America 50 states
The Home Service Club 50 states

Methodology

The CNN Underscored team has collected nearly 1,500 data points to compare 25 of the best home warranty companies in the United States. We’ve organized the data into seven categories, including plans and coverage options, pricing, guarantees, customer service, reviews, availability and flexibility of coverage. We then weighted the scores based on what’s most important to homeowners like you. Our reviews aren’t influenced by company partnerships.

The author of this Complete Protection Home Warranty review has also spent several years researching, comparing and writing about home warranty companies. He uses his experience and industry knowledge to compare each provider to industry averages and homeowner expectations to provide the most accurate and helpful information possible.

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