Franklin · Williamson County, Tennessee
The hail decided your renewal, not your claims history
Middle Tennessee has taken repeated severe storm losses, and carriers have responded the way carriers do — higher rates, tighter roof rules, and non-renewals for people who never filed a thing. Almost none of it is about you.
Sullivan James is an independent agency serving Franklin and the surrounding Williamson County towns. We shop the market rather than defend one company's rate.
Have my policy reviewedIf you got the letter
Tennessee gives you 30 days and a right to a reason
A carrier that does not intend to renew a personal risk policy has to mail or deliver notice at least 30 days before the policy expires — Tenn. Code Ann. §56-7-1901.
And if the notice does not tell you why, you can make them say. Under §56-7-1304 you may request a written statement of the reason for non-renewal, and the insurer has 20 days to respond. Put the request in writing and keep a copy.
Get that reason. It is the single most useful piece of information for working out which carriers are worth approaching next — roof age, claim pattern and geographic concentration all point in different directions.
Roof settlement is the whole hail question
In a market where hail is the loss, the line that matters most is whether your roof settles on replacement cost or actual cash value. Actual cash value pays the depreciated figure, not the cost of a new roof.
On a roof with some age on it, that is frequently the difference between a repaired house and a bill you were not expecting. Worth checking before spring, not after.
On the auto side
25 / 50 / 25 is the floor
Tennessee's minimum liability limits are $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage, per the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
The property damage figure is better than several neighbouring states, and it is still a legal minimum rather than advice. A newer vehicle passes $25,000 without much trouble, and raising liability limits is usually one of the cheapest changes on the whole policy.
Where we work
Franklin and the towns around it
We work as a service-area agency here rather than a walk-in office — a licensed agent on the phone and by email, handling reviews, placements and claims directly. Call (615) 378-7187.
Questions
What Williamson County homeowners ask
Is Sullivan James actually local to Franklin?
Sullivan James serves Franklin, Nashville, Brentwood, Cool Springs, Spring Hill, Nolensville, Murfreesboro and Columbia as a service-area agency rather than a walk-in office. You get a licensed agent on the phone and by email, and everything from a coverage review to a claim is handled directly. If you want somewhere to walk into, several fine Franklin agencies have storefronts — we would rather be straight with you about how we operate than imply otherwise.
How much notice does a Tennessee insurer have to give before non-renewing me?
At least 30 days before the policy expires, for personal risk insurance including homeowners — Tenn. Code Ann. section 56-7-1901. Under section 56-7-1304 you can also request a written statement of the reason for the non-renewal, and the insurer has 20 days to respond. That reason matters: it narrows which carriers are worth approaching next.
Why did my Middle Tennessee home insurance go up when I had no claims?
Severe convective storms — hail, straight-line wind, and the systems that produce tornadoes — have driven heavy, repeated homeowners losses across Middle Tennessee in recent years. That raises what carriers pay in claims and what they pay for their own reinsurance, and it flows through to renewals for people who never filed anything. Carriers also reduce concentration in counties they have been hit hard in, which is why a neighbour with a clean record can be non-renewed too.
What are Tennessee's minimum auto insurance limits?
25/50/25 — $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage — per the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Worth noting that the property damage figure is higher than several neighbouring states, but it is still a legal floor rather than a recommendation. A newer vehicle passes $25,000 easily.
Roof age keeps coming up. Why does it matter so much here?
Because hail is the loss. Carriers in storm-exposed markets look hard at roof age and condition, and many will settle an older roof on actual cash value rather than replacement cost. That single line decides most of what a hail claim actually pays, and it is worth knowing which one you have before the spring storm season rather than after it.
Can you help if I've already been non-renewed?
Yes, and bring the notice — the reason stated on it is the most useful thing you can hand us. A non-renewal is not a claim against you and it does not make you uninsurable; it usually means one carrier changed its appetite. Do not let the coverage lapse while you sort it out, though. A gap costs you far more in future rates than the non-renewal does.
Already been non-renewed? Tennessee gives you thirty days and a right to a reason. Insuring a home above roughly $1M? High-value homes in Franklin and Brentwood are a different market and a different page. Town by town — Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville and Cool Springs.
Send the declarations page. Or the non-renewal notice.
Within 48 hours you hear what you are actually carrying, how your roof settles, and what the market says about your price. Free, and no obligation to move anything.
Request your coverage auditOr call (615) 378-7187.
General information about Tennessee insurance law, not legal advice. Requirements depend on the reason given and the policy involved. Statutes referenced are Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 56-7-1901 and 56-7-1304; minimum auto liability limits are published by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance at tn.gov. Consumers who believe a non-renewal did not comply with Tennessee law can contact TDCI's Consumer Insurance Services. Sullivan James is an independent insurance agency, not an insurance company.