Background Out-of-pocket payments are the major significant barrier in achieving universal health coverage, particularly in developing countries' rural communities. In 2011, the Ethiopian government launched a pilot community-based health insurance (CBHI) scheme with the goal of increasing access to modern health care services and providing financial security to households in the informal sector and rural areas. The main objective of this study is to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for CBHI scheme and factors that influence it among rural households in the South West Shoa Zone. Methods A household-level cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the WTP for the CBHI scheme and factors associated with it in rural communities of South West Shoa Zone. The study used a sample of 400 rural households. Systematic random sampling was employed during household selection, and double-bounded contingent valuation method was used to estimate WTP for the CBHI scheme. Results About 65 percent of the households are willing to pay for CBHI scheme. Moreover, the study found that the households were willing to pay 255.55 Birr per year on average. The result of the study also revealed that amount of bid, household income, family size, household head's education, household health status, membership to community-based health insurance scheme, membership in any association, and awareness about the scheme are factors that are significantly associated with WTP for the scheme. Conclusions Households are willing to pay a higher price than the policy price. Therefore, setting a new premium that reflects households' willingness to pay is highly valuable to policymakers. Social capital and awareness about CBHI scheme play an important role in influencing WTP. Thus, the study suggests that local communities need to strengthen their social cohesion and solidarity. It is also necessary to create awareness about the CBHI’s benefits.