Service call fees range from $65 to $150 per visit and work more like an insurance deductible than most homeowners realize. Here’s exactly how they’re charged.

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A service call fee is a flat, per-visit charge — typically $65 to $150 — that you pay directly to the technician each time a provider dispatches someone to diagnose or repair a covered issue. It’s easy to think of this as simply “the cost of a repair visit,” but it functions more like an insurance deductible or copay: a fixed cost you pay regardless of how expensive the underlying repair turns out to be, designed to offset dispatch costs and discourage filing claims for trivial issues.

How the Fee Actually Works

The service fee is charged per claim, not per repair outcome — meaning you pay it whether the technician fixes the issue on the spot, orders a part and returns later, or determines the issue isn’t covered at all. It’s paid directly to the technician at the time of service, not to the warranty company itself, which is why it doesn’t show up as a separate line item on your monthly or annual premium billing.

Does a Follow-Up Visit for the Same Issue Cost Another Fee?

Generally no. If a technician diagnoses your issue, needs to order a part, and returns to complete the repair, that’s typically treated as one continuous claim — you don’t pay a second service fee for the return visit. Where a second fee does apply is when you report a different, unrelated issue, even if it happens to be addressed during the same overall service window — see our guide on What’s Not Covered by a Home Warranty? Common Exclusions for how multiple simultaneous but unrelated failures are typically treated as separate claims.

Service Fee Ranges by Provider

Provider	Service Fee Range
Select Home Warranty	$75 – $100
Liberty Home Guard	$70 – $125
First American Home Warranty	$75 – $125
AFC Home Club	$75 – $125
American Home Shield	$75 / $100 / $125 (your choice)
Old Republic Home Protection	$75 – $150 (your choice)
Choice Home Warranty	$100 (flat, some quotes show $85)
2-10 Home Buyers Warranty	$65 / $85 / $100 (your choice)
Cinch Home Services	$100 – $150

The “Choose Your Fee” Model

Several major providers — American Home Shield, Old Republic Home Protection, AFC Home Club, and 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty among them — let you select your service fee tier at signup, and this choice directly affects your monthly premium. Choosing a lower service fee generally raises your monthly premium, since the provider is absorbing more of the per-visit cost upfront; choosing a higher service fee generally lowers your monthly premium, shifting more cost to the moments you actually use the coverage.

This is functionally identical to choosing a deductible on a home or auto insurance policy: a lower deductible (or in this case, service fee) means higher ongoing premiums, while a higher deductible means lower ongoing premiums but more out-of-pocket cost per incident. Whether the lower-fee or higher-fee option saves you more money overall depends entirely on how many claims you expect to file — see How Much Does a Home Warranty Cost Per Month? for the full math on running this comparison with your specific numbers.

A Notable Exception: 2-10’s Permanent Fee Buy-Down

2-10 Home Buyers Warranty offers an option not commonly found elsewhere in this comparison series: a one-time $50 fee that permanently reduces your service fee from $100 down to $75 for the remainder of your contract. If you’re on a longer contract term and expect to file several claims, this kind of one-time buy-down can pay for itself relatively quickly — worth calculating against your own expected claims frequency.

Does the Fee Apply If Your Claim Gets Denied?

This is genuinely inconsistent across the industry and worth confirming directly with any provider you’re considering. In most cases, the service fee covers the diagnostic visit itself, which means it typically applies even if the technician’s diagnosis ultimately results in a denied claim (for example, if the cause is determined to be a pre-existing condition or a structural issue outside your coverage). Some providers may waive the fee in specific circumstances, but this isn’t a guarantee you should assume applies — ask directly before filing if this is a concern.

How to Budget for Service Fees Realistically

Most households file somewhere between one and three claims per year, according to general industry patterns. At a mid-range fee of $100 per visit, that translates to roughly $100–$300 per year in service fees alone, on top of your regular premium. When comparing providers, always add your expected annual service fee total to your premium — see our full walkthrough of this calculation in How Much Does a Home Warranty Cost Per Month? — rather than judging a plan by its monthly premium in isolation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the service call fee the same as a deductible? Functionally, yes — it’s a fixed, per-visit cost you pay regardless of the size of the underlying repair, similar in structure to an insurance deductible or copay, even though the industry uses different terminology.

Do I pay the service fee even if the technician determines my claim isn’t covered? Generally yes, since the fee typically covers the diagnostic visit itself rather than being contingent on an approved repair — though this can vary by provider, so confirm directly if you’re uncertain.

Can I choose a lower service fee to save money? You can choose a lower fee with several providers, but this usually raises your monthly premium in exchange. Whether this saves you money overall depends on how many claims you expect to file per year.

Do I pay a new service fee if a technician has to come back to finish the same repair? No, typically not — a return visit to complete the same claim is usually treated as part of the original service call, not a new one.

Which provider has the lowest service fee? 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty offers the lowest published starting point at $65 (or $75 after paying a one-time $50 buy-down from its $100 default), though several other providers offer comparable $75 options as well.

Who do I actually pay the service fee to? The technician directly, at the time of service — not the warranty company itself, which is why it’s billed separately from your regular premium payments.

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Related reading: How Much Does a Home Warranty Cost Per Month? · Home Warranty Deductibles: How They Work · How to File a Home Warranty Claim: Step-by-Step Guide

Information in this article reflects publicly available pricing data as of mid-2026, compiled across multiple provider reviews on this site. Service fee structures vary by provider and plan — always confirm current terms directly with your provider before enrolling.