Total Home Protection Review (2020)

Total Home Protection (THP) strives to offer their customers comprehensive and affordable home warranty coverage through their network of pre-screened and local service contractors.

Below you’ll find House Method’s 2020 review of Total Home Protection. This guide includes an overview of THP and its plans, coverage, and pricing, a recap of Total Home Protection reviews, as well as a comparison of the warranty provider against other popular home warranty companies. Read on to learn if Total Home Protection is right for you and your home.

Total Home Protection plans, coverage, and cost

Total Home Protection offers two coverage plans—Gold and Platinum—at a starting cost of $45 per month. THP also offers coverage for items like your pool, sump pump, septic system, second refrigerator, and water softener.

Pricing for a Total Home Protection warranty is on the higher end of the home warranty cost spectrum compared to other plans we’ve evaluated. Here’s what you can expect to pay under each plan:

Gold Plan: $45.33 per month ($543.96 for an annual plan). THP’s Gold Plan covers 15 major home systems and appliance—this is more than other companies’ most basic plans.

Platinum Plan: $52.00 per month ($624.00 for an annual plan). This is THP’s most comprehensive coverage, covering everything in the Gold Plan, plus a few extra systems and appliances.

Optional coverage: Price will vary based on the items you choose. It’s worth noting that Total Home Protection provides more add-on items (17) than most home warranty providers we’ve reviewed.

*Note: Total Home Protection charges a $75 service fee, which is average for most home warranty companies. This means you’ll pay $75 out of pocket each time your claim is approved and a technician is sent to your home.

Price of Total Home Protection vs. competitors

Details for top systems and appliances

Our team at House Method wanted to accurately rate home warranties based on the coverage they provide. To get a better idea of what type of coverage matters to customers, we surveyed 1,000 homeowners and asked them which systems and appliances are most important to them.

From our results we concluded that the top three systems people cared about are the electrical, plumbing, and air conditioning systems. The top three appliances that hold the most importance are the refrigerator, washer/dryer, and oven/stove/range.

Here’s what that coverage looks like under a Total Home Protection home warranty:

Refrigerator

Like other home warranty companies, your refrigerator must be located in the kitchen to receive coverage. All components and parts are covered, except racks, shelves, glass, lighting, handles, doors, door seals, hinges, gaskets, Freon, ice makers, ice crushers, beverage dispensers, and water lines. For a complete list of exclusions, read your home warranty contract. Note: refrigerator coverage is offered only under the Platinum Plan.

Oven/stove/range

All mechanical components and parts of these appliances are covered, except doors, door seals, hinges, handles, glass, knobs, lighting, clocks, meat probe assemblies, rotisseries, racks, range exhaust hoods, filters, screens, drip pans, and venting. You’ll receive coverage for these appliances under the Gold Plan and Platinum Plan.

Clothes washer and dryer

THP covers all components and parts of your washer and dryer, except soap dispensers, filter screens, knobs, dials, doors, door seals and hinges, glass, leveling and balancing, lint screens, and venting. These appliances are covered only under the Platinum Plan.

Electrical

All components and parts of your electrical system should be covered under Total Home Protection. To see if there are any exclusions, read your entire policy before signing up for a plan. Note: coverage is capped at $500 for access, diagnostics, and repairs or replacements per contract term.

Plumbing

Similar to other home warranty companies, THP provides plumbing coverage for leaks and breaks of water, drain, gas, vent, or waste lines; valves for showers, tubs, and diverters; built-in Whirlpool bathtub motors; and clogs in drains or sewer lines up to 100 feet from the access point.

Air conditioning

As one of the biggest systems in your home, most parts of your air conditioner should be covered. Fortunately, THP covers the mechanical parts and components on air conditioning units that are five tons or less and specifically designed for residential use. With a Platinum Plus upgrade, you can get coverage for window units and non-ducted wall units.

Coverage length

THP coverage begins 30 days from the enrollment date and after the applicable contract fees have been processed. One benefit of THP is that they’re willing to waive the 30-day waiting period if you can provide proof of prior coverage and show no lapse of coverage from a previous home warranty provider.

Total Home Protection home warranty plans last for one year. Customers can pay the annual fee upfront and get one month of free coverage (13 months of coverage for the price of 12) or they can pay in monthly installments. Like most home warranties, Total Home Protection plans are renewable year after year.

House Method recommends enrolling in a three- or five-year home warranty and paying the cost upfront if you can afford it since this will lock in your price for the next three to five years. The best part is that you can cancel at any time and receive a prorated refund less a small cancellation fee of $50. Note: Total Home Protection’s cancellation fee is actually $25 less than most companies, which charge $75.

Coverage limits

Unfortunately, home warranty coverage is capped at a low dollar amount between $200 and $500 per claim. That means THP will cover only $200–$500 for a repair or replacement that could cost $1,000. The homeowner would be responsible for the rest of the bill.

House Method considers coverage caps above $500 per item to be generous.

In order to receive home repair service on covered items in your contract, the following must be true…

• The item and its failed parts are covered by your plan and explicitly written in your contract
• It has failed due to normal wear and tear and not lack of maintenance
• It was in working condition on the effective date of your service agreement
• It was installed properly
• It has received routine maintenance
• It has not been modified from the original manufacturer’s design or application

You can access a sample contract on Total Home Protection’s website under their Terms and Conditions.

Total Home Protection covers all states except for California, Iowa, Nevada, New York, and Washington. If you live in one of these states, read our state-specific home warranty review guides to find the right home protection plan for you and your home:

• California Home Warranty Guide
• Iowa Home Warranty Guide
• Nevada Home Warranty Guide
• New York Home Warranty Guide
• Washington Home Warranty Guide

Our take

In our opinion, Total Home Protection isn’t the best home warranty company in the industry. Compared to companies like American Home Shield, America’s First Choice Home Club, and Choice Home Warranty, Total Home Protection is further down the list due to its expensive plans, low coverage caps, and poor ratings from trusted customer feedback sites.

One benefit to signing up for a home warranty with Total Home Protection is that you have the choice of adding on coverage for 17 different items to your existing plan—this is more than most home warranty providers offer. Additionally, THP offers coverage for septic systems and septic tank pumping, making it one of the more comprehensive providers for septic system coverage.

Also, THP’s customer service strives to address claims within two business days or four days on weekends and holidays. It’s up to the company’s discretion whether your repair request is an emergency or not.

Other than those main differentiators, we’re not sure Total Home Protection is as trustworthy as they say they are. Reviews are mixed, with recent complaints from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) mentioning denied claims, delayed payment processing for contractors, and failure to return calls and file claims. Some reviews are positive, however, and tout the company for its knowledgeable customer service team and repair excellence.

If it were up to us, we would recommend going with another home warranty company like American Home Shield or Choice Home Warranty to ensure you get the best coverage and home warranty experience possible.

What others are saying

As a consumer, you probably don’t have the time to sit around and sift through the hundreds of reviews left by Total Home Protection customers. That’s where we come in. At House Method, we go through user complaints, reviews, and ratings of each home warranty company and compile that information in a chart that’s easy for you to read.

Below, we’ve included Total Home Protection ratings compared to the industry average.

Total Home Protection reviews

Total Home Protection has a D rating from the BBB and an average of 2.5 stars from 166 customer reviews. It’s also worth noting that Total Home Protection currently has three separate Cease and Desist Orders in Iowa, California, and Nevada. These were issued against the company from selling home protection contracts without a license in each state.

Here are a few BBB reviews from THP customers:

Justin M. on November 1, 2019, said:

Will not cover what they say they cover. Once your coverage expires, they will spam call and text you even after requesting they stop.

Collin W. on December 6, 2019, said:

The claims process was seamless and very efficient. The service provider called the night before the service to confirm the best time to come for the repairs. He called the next morning to notify us he was on his way and the service was prompt and very professional. He repaired my heating issues in about 15 minutes, we paid him our deductible, and he left his business card should we need anything else. Outstanding experience! Thanks, THP.

Joseph T. on September 13, 2019, said:

I had a plumbing issue and I submitted a claim for it with Total Home Protection online. The process was easy. I did it on a Thursday or a Friday, and Lindsay Company, the contractor, came out the following Monday. Communication was good. There were things that needed to be added, which were recommended because the new water heaters are different-sized than the old water heaters. So, we needed all new connections.

Rebecca D. on July 22, 2019, said:

After reading all the reviews, need I say more. I rate them 0 as it won’t let me do that above. We have an older home and it seems that every time something goes wrong, it’s not covered. It’s a vicious cycle. I’m still waiting on a $250 check that I was told was already mailed out to me. It’s been a month. So when I called to advise I was cancelling my warranty, I was told that check would be no good if I did. Stay away from them.

Final thoughts

House Method gives Total Home Protection 3.35 out of 5 stars. We don’t think it’s a top home warranty contender, but it could be a great option for those who have a variety of miscellaneous items they want to tack on to their coverage.

Total Home Protection is a good choice for you if…

• you’re looking for a new home warranty.
• you have additional items you want to protect, like a second refrigerator or septic system.
• you’re about to move and want to include a home warranty in the sale of the home.

Total Home Protection may not be a good choice for you if…

• you’re looking for affordable home protection plans.
• you want higher coverage caps on systems and appliances.
• you want a company that’s been in business for a while.

Compare home warranty companies

Compare Total Home Protection to other top home warranty providers in the industry.

Methodology

At House Method, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader. That’s why we took the time to create an objective rating system and score each home warranty provider according to our methodology. Our team spent hours on the phone speaking to representatives from each home warranty company to get information right from the source.

Our rating system involves a weighted, 100-point scale that scores home warranty companies on plans offered, coverage, state availability, cost, trustworthiness, customer service, and unique benefits.

For more details, check out our affiliate disclosure and rating methodology.

Company information

• Company name: Total Home Protection
• Company type: Private
• CEO: Ronald Seruya, President
• Founding date: 1/1/2016
• Years in business: 4 years
• Telephone: 800-545-0402
• Address: 325 Chestnut St. Suite 800
• State/province: Philadelphia, PA
• Postal code: 19106-2608
• State availability: 45 states
• Service fee: $75
• BBB rating: D
• Number of BBB complaints closed within last 3 years: 589