Last updated: October 28, 2026
Quick answer
Yes, you can cancel. In every agreement we reviewed, the best window is the first 30 days (90 days for the Lowe’s Protection Plan), when you can get back what you paid minus the cost of any service. After that you get a pro rata refund minus a fee of about 50 to 75 dollars or one month of the plan price, depending on the company. The Lowe’s plan lists no fee. Auto-renewal is where people get caught, so note the dates below.
Most people search for this after a bad claim or after signing in a hurry. We read the cancellation sections of the official agreements and summarized them in one place. Terms vary by state, plan and date, so treat this as a guide to what to look for in your own paperwork. Below you will find the refund windows, the fees, the renewal traps and a simple step list.
How to Cancel in 5 Steps
- Find your start date. Refund windows run from the start of the agreement, not from the day you stopped being happy.
- Read the cancellation clause. It tells you the method (phone or writing), the refund formula and any fee.
- Cancel the way the agreement says. If it asks for writing, send it in writing and keep a copy.
- Ask for the refund amount in writing. Get the formula, fees and service costs deducted.
- Track the refund date. Some agreements add a penalty if a refund is late (see below).
Paste it into our free Contract Decoder to flag cancellation, fee and renewal wording.
Check my contract →Refund Windows and Fees by Company
| Agreement | Early window | Fee after the window | Service costs deducted |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Home Shield (all other states, July 2024) | 30 days: full refund if no service request filed | Lesser of your monthly plan price or the legal limit | ✓ Yes |
| America’s Preferred | 30 days: 100 percent minus claims paid | Up to the lesser of 10 percent or 50 dollars (annual payers); monthly payers get no refund after 30 days | ✓ Yes (claims paid) |
| Choice | 30 days: agreement fee minus service costs | Lesser of 50 dollars or what the law allows | ✓ Yes |
| Select | 30 days: full refund only if no service provided | 75 dollars | ✓ Yes |
| Lowe’s Protection Plan | 90 days: 100 percent refund | None listed | Check your terms |
Our comparison reads the plans, not the marketing. If you want to compare them as a whole, see our best home warranty companies page and the individual reviews of American Home Shield, Choice, Select and America’s Preferred.
Terms vary widely. The Cinch agreement we read gives a full refund within 30 days, then a pro rata refund less a $25 fee (see our Cinch review), while the Old Republic plan we read gives a pro rata refund less service costs and a $50 processing fee (see our Old Republic review).
How to Cancel American Home Shield
The AHS plan agreement we reviewed (the all-other-states version dated July 2024) says you may cancel at any time, for any reason, by contacting AHS by phone. The refund then depends on timing:
- First 30 days, no service request: a full refund of what you paid, with no administrative fee.
- First 30 days, service request filed: a refund minus the cost of the service, and you may owe the difference if the service cost more than you paid.
- After 30 days: a pro rata refund of the unearned price, minus service costs and an administrative fee of the lesser of your monthly plan price or the legal limit.
- Late refunds: the agreement adds 10 percent per month to any refund not paid within 45 days.
Two details matter. First, the service fee is non-refundable, even when the breakdown is not covered. Second, the plan renews automatically unless you contact AHS at least three days before the renewal date, and after the initial term the price is paid monthly unless the company agrees otherwise. AHS says it sends a renewal notice at least 30 days ahead. The Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin sample agreements repeat the phone cancellation, the three-day renewal notice, the 30-day renewal notice and the 45-day late refund rule (Sections 14 and 15, page 11). Differences: Arizona caps the administrative fee at the lesser of 50 dollars or 10 percent; Nevada charges a 25 dollar cancellation fee; Wisconsin gives a full refund only in the first 15 days; New Hampshire uses the lesser of 10 percent or 75 dollars and Illinois the lesser of 10 percent or 50 dollars; Iowa shortens the late refund period to 30 days. Check your own agreement.
How to Cancel America’s Preferred
America’s Preferred requires you to cancel in writing. Within 30 days you get 100 percent of the contract fee minus claims paid. After 30 days, an annual payment is refunded pro rata, minus claims and an administrative fee of up to the lesser of 10 percent of the fee or 50 dollars. Monthly payers get no refund after 30 days. Renewal is at the company’s option, and it must tell you the proposed terms and price first. More in our America’s Preferred review.
How to Cancel Choice Home Warranty
In the first 30 days, Choice refunds the agreement fee minus service costs. After 30 days it refunds the unexpired term, minus service costs and an administrative fee of the lesser of 50 dollars or what the law allows. The agreement also lists state variations: several states give a free-look period of 20 days (10 if the contract is delivered at sale), and refunds not paid within 45 days can carry a 10 percent monthly penalty. Renewal defaults to a monthly plan, so decide before the term ends. See the Choice review.
How to Cancel Select Home Warranty
Select refunds in full in the first 30 days only if no service was provided. After day 30 you get a pro rata refund at the non-discounted annual price, minus a 75 dollar cancellation fee and service costs. Monthly payers renew automatically each year unless they give written notice 30 days before the end date. The service fee is owed even if a claim is denied, and the agreement gives no dollar amount for it. Details in the Select review.
Lowe’s Protection Plan: A Different Product
The Lowe’s plan is not a home warranty. Its terms let you cancel at any time with no fee, with a 100 percent refund within 90 days and a pro rata refund after that. If your issue is a claim rather than cancellation, read our guide to Lowe’s Protection Plan claims.
At a Glance: What Works in Your Favor
| Question | AHS | America’s Preferred | Choice | Select | Lowe’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early refund window | ✓ 30 days | ✓ 30 days | ✓ 30 days | ✓ 30 days | ✓ 90 days |
| No fee after the window | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Service fee refundable | ✗ Not refunded | Not stated here | Not stated here | ✗ Owed even if denied | Not stated here |
| Renews unless you act | ✓ Yes (3 days before) | ✗ Company option | Defaults to monthly | ✓ Monthly payers (30 days) | Check your terms |
Renewal Traps That Cost Money
- Auto-renewal dates. Put the renewal date in your calendar the day you start. AHS asks for three days, Select monthly payers for 30.
- Monthly plans. Several agreements shift to monthly billing at renewal. Read the new price notice.
- Late refunds. AHS and some Choice states add a 10 percent monthly penalty after 45 days. Ask for the refund date.
- Service fees. If you opened a request before cancelling, expect service costs to be deducted.
Signed in a Rush After a Mailer or Call
Some post-closing mailers use urgent wording. Urgent wording does not change the contract: what counts is the cancellation clause in the agreement you actually receive. Keep the date you signed, ask for the agreement in writing, and request the cancellation in the method it requires. If a company refuses a refund that the agreement gives you, you can ask your card issuer how its dispute process works. Rules vary, and this is general information, not legal advice. Before you buy any plan, our cost guide and worth-it guide explain what to compare. If a claim was denied and you want to appeal instead of cancel, use our free appeal letter generator and read what to do after a denied claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel a home warranty at any time?
Every agreement we reviewed allows cancellation, but the refund depends on timing. The American Home Shield agreement says you may cancel at any time for any reason by phone. America’s Preferred requires written notice. Check the cancellation clause in your own agreement for the method.
Will I get a full refund if I cancel in the first 30 days?
Usually only if you have not used the plan. AHS refunds the full price if you have not filed a service request. America’s Preferred refunds the fee minus claims paid. Choice refunds the agreement fee minus service costs. Select refunds in full only if no service was provided.
Is there a cancellation fee after 30 days?
Yes, in most agreements. AHS charges an administrative fee of the lesser of your monthly plan price or the legal limit in the national sample (Arizona: the lesser of 50 dollars or 10 percent; Nevada: 25 dollars). America’s Preferred charges up to the lesser of 10 percent or 50 dollars. Choice charges the lesser of 50 dollars or what the law allows. Select charges 75 dollars. The Lowe’s Protection Plan terms list no fee.
How do I stop automatic renewal?
Contact the company before the renewal date. The AHS agreement asks you to cancel at least three days before the renewal date, and says the company sends a renewal notice at least 30 days ahead. Select monthly payers must give written notice 30 days before the end date.
Is the service fee refundable if I cancel?
Not under the agreements we read. AHS says its service fee is non-refundable even when the breakdown is not covered. Select says the fee is owed even if a claim is denied or if you cancel after the technician starts traveling.
Sources
- American Home Shield, Plan Agreement (all other states, July 2024): ahs.com plan agreement PDF.
- America’s Preferred Home Warranty, Homeowner Terms and Conditions: aphw.com/homeowner-terms-conditions.
- Choice Home Warranty, Homeowners User Agreement (last modified December 31, 2025): choicehomewarranty.com/user-agreement/.
- Select Home Warranty, plan agreement: selecthomewarranty.com/terms-and-conditions.
- Lowe’s Protection Plan terms, as summarized in our claims guide.
Contract terms change and differ by state. Confirm the details in the agreement you receive. This page is general information, not legal advice.