Scottsdale, Arizona · Independent since 2016
The independent insurance agent in Scottsdale that puts it in writing
Sullivan James is an independent insurance agency in north Scottsdale. We compare more than thirty carriers for home, auto, umbrella and business coverage, and every review ends in a signed letter that says exactly what we found.
14350 N. 87th St., Suite 170, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM MST, Monday to Friday.
Independent, not captive
What the word independent actually buys you
There are two kinds of insurance agent. A captive agent works for one insurance company and sells that company's policies. An independent agent is appointed by many companies and works for the client across all of them.
The difference shows up at renewal. When one carrier raises its rates in Arizona or tightens its rules on roof age, a captive agent has nowhere else to take you. An independent agent re-shops the policy and you keep the same person on the other end of the phone.
Sullivan James has been independent since it was founded in 2016. See a selection of the carriers we represent.
The comparison is across companies
More than thirty carriers, rather than one company's price list. The same home can be a good risk to one carrier and an unwelcome one to another.
A rate increase is a reason to re-shop
When a renewal jumps or a carrier sends a non-renewal, the policy can be moved to a carrier whose appetite still fits. The agent stays the same.
One agency reads everything together
Home, auto, umbrella and business coverage reviewed side by side, so the liability limits line up and nothing is insured twice or not at all.
The Coverage Audit
Have your policies compared before you decide anything
A quote tells you a price. It does not tell you what is wrong with the policy you already have. We read your current policies line by line and tell you what we found. It is free, and there is no obligation to switch.
Send the declarations pages
The one- or two-page summary at the front of each policy. Upload it, email it, or photograph it.
Findings within 48 hours
A call or an email setting out every gap, overcharge and recommendation, in plain English.
A signed letter within five business days
The same findings on the agency's stationery, posted to you. Yours to keep whether or not you change anything.
What we write
One agency for the house, the cars and the business
Home insurance
Rebuild cost, roof settlement terms and monsoon deductibles, checked line by line.
Auto insurance
Arizona's 25/50/15 minimum, uninsured motorist coverage and teen drivers.
High-value homes
Homes of $2M and above in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, on true replacement cost.
Umbrella
$1M to $10M and above of liability over the home, the autos and any rentals.
Private client
Homes above $2M, agreed-value collections and umbrella limits of $5M and above.
Business insurance
Business owners policies, liability, commercial auto and workers' compensation.
Term life
How much to carry, for how long, and why employer coverage is rarely enough.
Short-term rentals
Why homeowners and landlord policies fail on Airbnb and other transient occupancy.
Buying a home in Scottsdale
Arrange the insurance before the closing date arranges it for you
A lender will want proof of homeowners insurance before closing. Leave it to the last week and you take whichever policy can be bound in time, which is rarely the one you would have chosen.
Call once you are under contract. The age of the roof, the cost to rebuild the home and any earlier claims on the property decide which carriers will write it. Insure it for what it would cost to rebuild, not for what you paid, because the purchase price includes the land.
Where we work
North Scottsdale and the towns around it
Including the north Scottsdale communities of DC Ranch, Grayhawk, Troon and Silverleaf.
The office is at 14350 N. 87th St., Suite 170, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Reviews and placements are also handled by phone and email. Call (480) 382-7332.
What clients say
5.0 on Google across 42 reviews
Every review is public on the agency's Google Business Profile. Read more client reviews or see them on Google.
“Sullivan James found a $4,200 coverage gap on our Paradise Valley home that our old agent had missed for six years. Worth every minute.”
“Saved us $1,890 a year and put us on a stronger policy. We had their findings in two days — the easiest insurance decision we've ever made.”
Questions
What people ask before choosing an agent in Scottsdale
Is Sullivan James an independent insurance agent or a captive one?
Independent. A captive agent represents one insurance company and can only offer that company's policies. Sullivan James is appointed with more than thirty carriers, so the comparison is across companies rather than within one company's product list. If a carrier raises your rate or stops writing your kind of home, the agency can move the policy without you having to find a new agent.
Where is the Sullivan James office in Scottsdale?
14350 N. 87th St., Suite 170, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, in north Scottsdale. Office hours are 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM MST, Monday to Friday. Reviews, placements and questions about a claim can also be handled by phone at (480) 382-7332 or by email.
Can Sullivan James review my current policies if I am not ready to switch?
Yes. The Coverage Audit is a free, line-by-line review of your current declarations pages. Findings come back within 48 hours by call or email, and a signed letter follows within five business days. There is no obligation to move anything, and keeping the coverage you have is a perfectly good outcome.
I am buying a home in Scottsdale. When should I arrange the insurance?
As soon as you are under contract. A mortgage lender will want proof of homeowners insurance before closing, and the age of the roof, the cost to rebuild the home and any earlier claims on the property all affect which carriers will write it and at what price. Starting early leaves time to compare carriers rather than taking the first policy that can be bound before the closing date.
Which parts of Scottsdale and the Valley does Sullivan James serve?
All of Scottsdale, including the north Scottsdale communities of DC Ranch, Grayhawk, Troon and Silverleaf, along with Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Carefree, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert. The agency is licensed in Arizona.
How is Sullivan James Insurance rated?
Sullivan James Insurance holds a 5.0-star rating on Google across 42 client reviews. All of them are public on the agency's Google Business Profile. The agency does not offer compensation of any kind in exchange for a review.
How do I check that an Arizona insurance agent is licensed?
Arizona licenses insurance agents and agencies through the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI). Its public license search at difi.az.gov/license-search lets anyone confirm that an agent or an agency holds an active Arizona license. It takes about a minute and is worth doing before you send anyone your declarations page.
Is Sullivan James the same as James E. Sullivan or the James S. Sullivan Agency?
No. Sullivan James Insurance is an independent agency in Scottsdale, Arizona, founded in 2016 and named for the 1937 marriage of Melvin Sullivan and Doris James. It has no affiliation with James E. Sullivan Insurance, the James S. Sullivan Agency of Marion, New York, or John Sullivan Insurance.
Just been non-renewed? Arizona gives you more rights than the letter suggests. Renewal gone up with no claim? Why Arizona premiums rise, and the four levers that lower one. To check an agent's license, use the Arizona DIFI license search.
Send us the declarations page
One document, and within 48 hours you hear exactly where you stand. The signed letter follows within five business days. Free, and no obligation to move anything.
Request your coverage auditOr call (480) 382-7332.
Sullivan James is an independent insurance agency, not an insurance company. Licensed in Arizona. General information, not advice on any particular policy; coverage depends on the terms of the policy issued.