Tend Home Warranty Review

In 2021 Tend introduced a new breed of home warranty coverage with a reimbursement plan that allows homeowners to choose their own provider. The brand has a short track record, but customer reviews so far are positive regarding their extended appliance warranty -- on both the structure of Tend plans and the quality of service. Policies can be had by calling (877) 290-8182. Disclaimer: we receive a small commission if you buy a policy, but that has no bearing on our review.

Pros of Tend home warranty plans

• High coverage limits relative to other home warranties 

• Low monthly premiums 

• You can use your own service providers.

Cons of Tend home warranty plans

• You pay for repairs upfront and then file a claim for reimbursement.

• There is a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins. 

• Per-claim deductibles are high relative to other warranty plans.

The companies behind Tend home warranty 

According to a sample contract, Colorado-based Tend functions as the distributor for its branded home warranty plans. The contract also lists Bankers Warranty Group of Florida as the plan administrator and Ironwood Warranty of Indiana and Hornbeam Insurance Company of Kentucky as provider and insurer.¹ 

Bankers Warranty Group is now known as Centricity, a division of Bankers Financial Corporation. The Centricity name came to be in 2017 when Bankers Financial merged two of its divisions, Bankers Warranty Group and Bonded Builders Warranty Group.² The combined entity has decades of retail, manufacturer, and building warranty experience.³ 

Centricity's Better Business Bureau (BBB) page shows a customer rating of 3.36 stars out of 5, with 67 customer complaints filed in the last year.⁴ 

Ironwood Warranty, LLC and Hornbeam Insurance Company are both divisions of Ironwood Warranty Group. And Ironwood Warranty Group is owned by Kentucky-based holding company Hardscuffle, Inc. 

Ironwood Warranty, Hornbeam Insurance, and Hardscuffle have A+ ratings with the BBB and zero customer complaints.⁵,⁶

The short history of Tend home warranty

Centricity launched Tend in 2021 as a response to customer feedback and complaints about home warranty plans. With Tend plans, homeowners choose their own providers and file reimbursement claims after the repairs are done. This is very different from the traditional home warranty model, in which the provider dispatches technicians and pays them directly. 

Tend previously had a separate warranty offering for homeowners interested in the legacy dispatch model -- but that product now appears to be off the market.⁷

Coverage overview 

Today, Tend has two plans available: Tend Home Standard and Tend Home Plus. Both include coverage for primary home appliances, in-home equipment (like ceiling fans), and home systems, including electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

The more affordable Standard plan has lower coverage limits, lower premiums, and a per-claim deductible of $250. The Plus plan costs more but has much higher coverage allowances. You can also choose your deductible on the Plus plan; the options are $125, $250, or $500. As you'd expect, a lower deductible translates to higher premiums. 

Note that these deductibles are comparable to "trade service fees" on traditional home warranty plans. Typically, trade service fees range from $75 to $125, depending on the provider. Tend subtracts the deductible from your repair reimbursement, while traditional home warranty plans have you pay the fee directly to the technician who completes the repair.

Tend Home Standard 

Tend's Standard plan provides up to $2,500 in coverage annually. You can use that $2,500 on primary appliances and toilets, plus the electrical system. HVAC work has a lower cap of $1,000, unless your system is 15 years or older. In that case, the higher $2,500 limit applies. 

Tend Home Standard also reimburses you up to $1,000 for services necessary to gain access to any covered systems that need repair. 

Tend Home Plus 

Tend Home Plus provides more expansive coverage with an annual payout cap of $15,000. The sublimit for appliances and systems is $5,000. In-home equipment, such as garage door openers and ceiling fans, is eligible for reimbursement up to $2,500.

Like the Standard plan, Tend Plus has $1,000 coverage limits for HVAC and systems access work. If your home's HVAC is 15 years or older, Tend bumps up your HVAC coverage to $2,500. 

Traditional home warranty plans have varying coverage limits, but per-item caps are commonly $2,000 to $3,000.

Deductibles, coverage limits, annual limits, and premiums 

The table below outlines the deductibles, coverage limits, and premiums for Tend plans.

Table data source: Mytend.com.

Waiting period and main exclusions 

Tend enforces a waiting period of 30 days. This means any appliance or systems repairs that happen during your first 30 days of coverage are not eligible for reimbursement. 

Tend also excludes various appliances and components, such as: 

• Second refrigerators

• Stand-alone ice makers and freezers

• Second HVAC systems

• Pool and spa equipment

• Solar water heaters

• Water heaters used in radiant heating system

• Septic tanks

• Water softeners

• Saunas

• Whirlpool jets 

You will find the full list of exclusions in your contract. Take the time to review that documentation carefully so you're not caught off guard by claims denials later.⁸

Claims process 

As noted, Tend plans are reimbursement programs. You must have the work done and pay the provider first before you file a claim. At claim time, you will need these documents and information on hand to share with Tend:  

• Provider name, contact information, and licenses number 

• Photos or videos of the damage 

• Work order or estimate for the repairs, including separated costs for parts, labor, and service call fee 

• Model or serial number of equipment

• Proof of payment, such as an invoice marked as paid

• Form of payment and date of payment 

Online reviews 

Tend has a 4-star rating on TrustPilot and a 4.5-star rating on Google.⁹,¹⁰ Across those two channels, there's only a single 1-star review. The customer mentions a claim denial and deadline. Tend responded to the review to clarify, "there's no deadline once a claim is initiated." 

Other reviews cite fast, friendly service. 

Customer service contacts

You can reach Tend customer service by phone at 888-303-7090 or by email at support@mytend.com, info@mytend.com, or claims@mytend.com. There's also a contact form on Tend's website.

Is Tend Home right for you?

Tend Home Standard and Plus are relatively affordable warranty plans with ample coverage limits. The per-claim fees are higher vs. traditional warranty plans, but the exact coverages and exclusions are easier to understand. If you want simple protection on your appliances and home systems, and like the idea of using your choice of technicians, a Tend home warranty is probably a good fit. You can get a policy by calling (877) 290-8182.