When can a home warranty customer hire their own contractor?
When your oven breaks, the first thing you probably do is Google oven repair technicians. Here’s why, if you’re a home warranty homeowner, that can end up costing you more in the long run.
In Landmark’s contract, it states in Section C #13 “Landmark Home Warranty will not reimburse you for services performed by your own contractor without prior authorization.”
But what does that mean, exactly? When you request service there is a possibility that Landmark will give you the option to find your own contractor if there are no qualified contractors to perform the necessary repair in your area.
When Can I Hire My Own Contractor?
It is important to remember that the first step to opening a service request is to call Landmark. Then, if your claims manager cannot find one of Landmark’s partnered contractors for the repair or replacement your home needs, they will let you find your own contractor. If this is the case, the contractor you have chosen must provide a diagnosis and an itemized bid before any work is performed. Landmark will review the diagnosis and bid and either approve or deny the repair or replacement. If Landmark denies the claim, the repair or replacement will not be covered.
Why Do I Have to Use Landmark’s Contractors?
Landmark only partners with licensed and highly qualified contractors to ensure that your repairs and replacements are addressed in a professional manner. Landmark, along with most other home warranty companies, also partners with vendors and wholesale suppliers to ensure you get parts and labor for the lowest rate.
A Home Warranty Saves You Money on Repairs
Contractors have agreements to give Landmark a discount in exchange for consistent work throughout the year. If you work with a contractor who doesn’t have this agreement, you will end up paying significantly more. Experts have recommended that homeowners plan to spend between 1-4% on home maintenance repairs yearly. That means if your house costs $200,000 you will spend anywhere from $2,000-$8,000 a year on average.
When you have a Landmark home warranty contract you usually only have to pay the service call fee for repairs, and $300-$600 per year for the coverage. If you were to work with a contractor one-on-one you would have to pay for the diagnosis, parts, labor, and removal.
If you open a service request with your home warranty company and your claim does get denied, you should reach out to the contractor that diagnosed this issue and work with them to repair the problem.
Landmark will not reimburse you for repairs and replacements done in your home if you do not get approval first. The only time Landmark will reimburse you is when there are no partnered contractors in your area, and Landmark approves the claim. So remember, if something breaks down in your home, call Landmark first! Don’t try to hire someone yourself. You’ll end up paying far less through Landmark.
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