HSA Home Warranty 2020 Review

HSA Home Warranty, or Home Security of America, offers its warranties to those in the process of buying or selling a home. Headquartered in Cross Plains, Wisconsin, HSA has been in business since 1984 and currently serves 26 states, plus Washington D.C. In 2014, HSA Home Warranty was acquired by American Home Shield, however, it still operates as its own brand.

With hundreds of companies, both local and nationwide, choosing the best home warranty can be difficult. That’s why the This Old House Reviews team has taken a thorough look at what HSA has to offer, evaluating plans, pricing, availability, customer ratings, and more.

Our ultimate recommendation for a home warranty provider goes to HSA Home Warranty’s parent company, American Home Shield. American Home Shield offers warranty plans that are more customizable and available in nearly every state. To get a free quote from American Home Shield, fill out this simple form or call 844-529-9298.

Here are some of the most important factors to consider when deciding whether HSA Home Warranty is right for you.

HSA Home Warranty offers two types of basic home warranty plans: one that either home sellers or home buyers may purchase, and one that’s specifically for home buyers. Items covered by these plans may vary by state, so check HSA Home Warranty’s website to ensure you’re viewing the right coverage for your location.

HSA Home Warranty also offers optional coverage for the following items:

• Clothes washer and dryer (if not covered in basic plan)
• Standalone freezer
• Freestanding ice maker
• Wine chiller
• Hot tub
• Water well pump
• Septic system
• Swimming pool
• Water softener
• Roof leaks (if not covered in basic plan)
• Electronic air cleaner

Note: Coverage for the above items may not be available in every state.

In addition to individual systems and appliances, HSA Home Warranty offers an extended electronics warranty through Asurion and its Buyer 7-Star Upgrade, which covers the following:

• Code violations
• Improper installation/repair
• Removal and disposal of replaced items

The total cost for a home warranty includes a monthly or yearly premium and a service call fee. You pay the service fee every time a technician visits your home.

HSA Home Warranty actually offers both of its plans at the same price, but the Seller/Buyer option costs more if you want to include HVAC coverage. Here’s a price breakdown for each state.

*Homeowners in Montana can choose whether they want a higher premium and lower trade call fee or vice versa.

Here are the costs for additional coverage, which also vary by state:

• Clothes washer and dryer: $70–$80
• Standalone freezer: $30–$50
• Freestanding ice maker/wine chiller: $45
• Hot tub: $100–$150
• Water well pump/septic system: $30–$85
• Swimming pool: $150
• Water softener: $30–$40
• Roof leaks: $35–$45
• Electronic air cleaner: $35–$40
• Pool/hot tub combination: $175
• 7-Star Upgrade: $149
• Electronics warranty: $168–$216

Casey Sills

HSA Home Warranty Claims Process

Once you’re an HSA Home Warranty customer, you can use the company’s toll-free phone number, 800-367-1448, or the online customer portal to submit a service request.

Within 48 hours, an HSA Home Warranty representative will contact one of the company’s pre-screened technicians, who will then call you to set up a time to diagnose the problem. When the technician arrives, you’ll pay the trade call fee to them directly, and they will report back to HSA Home Warranty with information about the problem.

If HSA Home Warranty determines that the problem falls under your warranty, the technician will then begin the repair process and HSA Home Warranty will pay the remaining balance for the work. If repairs aren’t possible, HSA Home Warranty will pay for a replacement of the appliance or part at wholesale cost. There’s no limit to the number of claims you may file, but the plan and some of the individual items under it are subject to a coverage cap.

HSA Home Warranty Reviews

Since HSA Home Warranty is owned by American Home Shield, researching the parent company on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website brings up American Home Shield, which is BBB-accredited and maintains a B rating. However, some customers have left comments specific to HSA Home Warranty’s plans and customer service.

“I have used HSA Home Warranty since the purchase of my first home in 2006. Since then I have owned three different homes and have had to use them on three different occasions. They have been great to work with!” — John, 5 stars, BBB, 3/24/17

“My experiences with HSA Home Warranty have been mostly positive; however, sometimes they have been quite a hassle. Being new homeowners, the warranty has saved us a lot of money, but sometimes what they will cover vs. won’t cover hits a grey area and then we have been out more money.” — Will B., 3 stars, BBB, 4/6/17

“HSA Home Warranty customer service is extremely poor with dropped calls, no call returns, or representatives simply hanging up. At one time it took 7 call-in attempts to actually follow up on a service ticket.” —Tassilo B., 1 star, BBB, 4/20/17

Our Verdict on HSA Home Warranty

The This Old House Reviews team gives Home Security of America a 7.9/10 rating. While HSA does provide comprehensive coverage at affordable pricing, the coverage is completely unavailable to half the country, and much of it varies by state. Additionally, you can buy coverage only when you’re buying or selling a home.

Our Preferred Provider: American Home Shield

Although HSA Home Warranty and American Home Shield are owned by the same company, we prefer American Home Shield because of their customizable plans and coverage across the U.S. Instead of being limited by what’s offered in your state, you can choose one of three standard plans or the Build-Your-Own plan, which allows you to choose a combination of any 10 systems and appliances for completely customized coverage.

Here are American Home Shield’s three pre-set plans below:

You can also choose to add optional coverage for any of the following items:

• Pools and spas
• Well pumps
• Septic pumps
• Guest houses
• Extended electronics warranties

Finally, American Home Shield allows homeowners to personalize their premium payments with regard to service call fees. If you choose to pay a higher premium, your service call fee will be lower, and vice versa. The choice of service fees is either $75, $100, or $125.

To get a free quote from American Home Shield, call 844-529-9298 or fill out this easy form to get started.

Our Rating Methodology

The This Old House Reviews team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. This means earning your trust through transparency and having the data to back up our ratings and recommendations. Our rating system for home warranty providers is on a 100-point scale based on seven factors:

• Plan options (25)
• Coverage specifics (5)
• Pricing (25)
• Trustworthiness (25)
• State availability (5)
• Customer service (10)
• Additional benefits (5)

Our Reviews Team reviewed 45 companies and we have a full-time researcher who collects (and regularly updates) more than 100 specific data points from each company to help us compare them on key factors such as coverage, cost, service, and dependability. Read more on our methodology here.