Many Scottsdale households own more than a standard homeowners policy was built to protect. A typical HO-3 policy caps jewelry theft coverage at a few thousand dollars, sub-limits art and collectibles, and sets liability limits sized for an average household. In a city with North Scottsdale estates, Old Town galleries, collector cars and horse properties, those defaults can leave a family underinsured without anyone noticing until a claim is filed.
Hicks Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency licensed in Arizona. We compare 14+ carriers, including high-net-worth markets such as Chubb, AIG Private Client, Cincinnati and PURE that many captive agencies can’t offer. From our Tempe office, we serve Scottsdale clients in Old Town, Central Scottsdale, South Scottsdale and North Scottsdale, including the ranch corridor near the McDowell Mountains.
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Scottsdale homes range from 1950s ranch houses in South Scottsdale to custom estates on large desert lots in the north. The right policy depends less on the ZIP code than on what the home would cost to rebuild, what is inside it, and how close it sits to open desert.
Standard carriers and high-net-worth carriers approach the same house differently. The table shows the most common differences.
| Coverage area | Standard HO-3 (most carriers) | High-value carrier (Chubb, AIG PC, PURE, Cincinnati) |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling replacement cost | Stated limit; can fall short after recent construction-cost inflation | Extended or guaranteed replacement cost, depending on carrier and policy |
| Jewelry sub-limit | Often $1,000–$2,500 by default | Scheduled per piece with appraisal-based values |
| Art and collectibles | Sub-limited or excluded | Scheduled fine-art coverage, often worldwide |
| Wine collection | Limited spoilage coverage | Wine coverage for breakage and cooling failure on many policies |
| Cash and valuables at home | Low default limits | Higher limits available |
| Identity-theft restoration | Optional add-on | Often included |
| Loss of use | Typically a percentage of the dwelling limit | Broader limits, sometimes with no dollar cap |
| Sewer and drain backup | Optional, often capped | Often included at higher limits |
Note: Features and limits vary by carrier and policy form. We confirm the exact terms of any quote before you bind it.
Old Town’s gallery district and Scottsdale’s art-collecting community mean many homes hold pieces a standard policy barely covers. Jewelry, fine art, wine, watches, firearms and other collections belong on scheduled personal property coverage, where each item is listed at its appraised value instead of sharing one small sub-limit. We help you decide which pieces to schedule and how often to update appraisals.
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve borders many North Scottsdale subdivisions. Homes along this wildland-urban interface carry brush-fire exposure that most South Scottsdale and East Valley homes don’t. Some carriers price that risk carefully, and some decline to write it at all. We flag it at the start and shop carriers that still write in these areas.
North Scottsdale horse properties usually need a farm and ranch policy rather than a standard HO-3. Barns, equine liability, tack, trailers and equipment fall outside a typical homeowners form. We’ll help you find a policy built for a working horse property.
Related:Homeowners insurance Homeowners FAQ What is the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost? What are common gaps in homeowners insurance policies?
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Arizona’s legal minimum is 25/50/15: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage. That floor was never meant for Loop 101, Shea Boulevard and Scottsdale Road traffic, multi-vehicle households and the luxury vehicles common on Scottsdale roads. For most of our Scottsdale clients we suggest starting at 250/500/250 with matching uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Higher-value households often move to a carrier tier with broader auto features. Terms vary by carrier.
| Aspect | Standard policy | High-value tier |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | 100/300 typical | 250/500 or higher, often 500/500 or $1M combined single limit |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist | Matches liability | Matches liability, stacked across vehicles where allowed |
| Classic and exotic cars | Actual cash value | Agreed-value collector-car policy (Hagerty, Grundy, Chubb) |
| Diminished value | Usually excluded | Available for some late-model luxury vehicles |
| OEM parts | Not standard | Often included for luxury vehicles |
| Rental coverage | Daily and total caps | Comparable-vehicle rental with higher caps |
| Roadside | Basic | Expanded roadside and claims service |
WestWorld of Scottsdale hosts the Barrett-Jackson collector-car auction every January. If you bought a car there, agreed-value coverage matters more than market-value coverage, because a standard auto policy settles a total loss at actual cash value. A collector-car policy pays the value you and the carrier agreed on when the policy was written.
Related:Auto insurance Auto FAQ What are the minimum auto insurance requirements in Arizona? Bundle home and auto
Scottsdale’s economy leans on professional services, healthcare, tourism, resorts and events. A generic business owner’s policy (BOP) rarely fits these firms as written, so we build coverage around the work you actually do.
| Risk area | Standard small-business BOP | Specialized coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional liability (E&O) | Generic limits | Limits matched to wealth-management, legal or advisory work |
| Cyber liability | Often optional | Breach response for patient and client data, plus ransomware coverage |
| Resort and hospitality vendors | Generic general liability | Hospitality general liability plus liquor liability for event work |
| Equestrian and event vendors | Usually excluded | Equine-event liability, farm and ranch, and commercial auto for trailers |
Mayo Clinic Scottsdale and HonorHealth anchor a large healthcare economy. Any business that handles medical records needs cyber liability with data-breach response, and hospital vendor contracts can set specific cyber-coverage minimums. Advisory, legal and wealth-management firms along the Scottsdale Road corridor need errors and omissions limits sized to the value of the decisions they influence.
Caterers, event planners, beverage services and transportation companies working Scottsdale’s resorts and WestWorld events usually need hospitality-specific general liability, liquor liability and commercial auto. Many venues require certificates showing specific limits before you can work an event.
Housekeepers, nannies, drivers and estate managers are not covered by a homeowners policy. Arizona treats domestic workers differently from other employees under its workers’ compensation rules, so whether a policy is required depends on the arrangement. We review your situation and pair workers’ compensation and employment practices liability (EPLI) coverage where it makes sense.
Industry coverage pages: general liability, cyber insurance, restaurants and bars, commercial auto, contractors insurance and workers’ compensation.
Related:Commercial insurance Business FAQ Is workers’ compensation insurance required in Arizona? What types of businesses need cyber coverage?
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An umbrella policy adds liability protection above your home and auto limits. For Scottsdale households with significant assets, a pool, household staff or teen drivers, a $1 million umbrella is often only a starting point.
High-limit umbrellas from high-net-worth carriers differ from entry-level umbrellas in more than the limit. Terms vary by carrier.
| Aspect | Standard $1M umbrella | $5M–$10M+ umbrella |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier base | Most personal-lines carriers | Chubb, AIG PC, PURE, Cincinnati |
| Underlying limits required | Often 100/300/100 auto and $300K home liability | Often 250/500/250 auto and $500K home liability |
| Defense costs | May reduce the limit | Often paid in addition to the limit |
| Coverage territory | Often U.S. and Canada | Often worldwide |
| Excess UM/UIM | Optional | Commonly available |
| Personal injury (libel, slander) | Varies | Commonly included |
| Household employees | Limited or excluded | Commonly included |
| Kidnap and ransom | Not offered | Available as an endorsement from some carriers |
A common rule of thumb is $1 million of umbrella for each $1 million of net worth above your underlying liability limits. Future earnings, rental properties and business ownership can push that number higher. Moving from $1 million to $5 million often costs less than people expect, so we quote both and let you compare.
Related:Umbrella insurance Insurance FAQ How much liability coverage do I really need? Do I need umbrella insurance if I already have home and auto?
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Scottsdale shares the Valley’s desert weather, but its mountain-edge neighborhoods add a layer East Valley cities don’t have. These are the risks we review with every Scottsdale client.
Homes next to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and other open desert face wildland-urban-interface fire risk. Carrier choice matters, because some carriers no longer write in these zones.
Scottsdale sits in the same hail corridor as the rest of the metro. A flat-dollar wind and hail deductible of $2,500–$5,000 is often easier to live with than a percentage deductible: on a $1.5 million home, a 2% deductible is $30,000.
Lower-lying streets and washes can flood from July through September. Homeowners policies exclude flood, so comprehensive auto coverage and separate flood insurance are worth reviewing, especially for homes in mapped flood zones.
Dust storms can damage vehicles and exteriors, and the Valley’s record high of 122°F was set at Phoenix Sky Harbor. Heat-driven HVAC failures can lead to loss-of-use and food-spoilage claims under a homeowners policy.
Backyard pools are common in Scottsdale. They add liability exposure that makes adequate home liability limits, and often an umbrella, important.
Related:Flood insurance Is flood insurance included in my homeowner’s policy? Does homeowners insurance cover flooding?
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Hicks Insurance Group has been an independent agency since 1998, with a 5.0 rating across 1,400+ Google reviews. Our Tempe office serves Scottsdale and the rest of the Phoenix metro.
We work with 14+ top-rated carriers, including high-net-worth markets that captive agencies don’t offer. For Scottsdale clients, that means comparing the whole market instead of a single company’s options.
We size jewelry, art, wine, watch, collector-car and firearm coverage item by item, using appraisals rather than generic sub-limits.
We look at brush-fire exposure, hail deductibles and flood zones on day one and shop carriers that price them fairly.
You work with a real Hicks agent, not a call center or a different representative every time you call.
“Hicks Insurance Group provided an outstanding experience from start to finish. Their team was professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely took the time to understand my needs. They explained every option clearly and helped me choose the right coverage without any pressure.”— Arifa A., Google review
“I am very happy with the services provided by Lanie Hicks! … And I’m also happy with the insurance package that she got for me.”— Keith, Google review
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These are the questions Scottsdale clients ask us most often.
Scottsdale runs north from Tempe to the McDowell Mountains and borders Paradise Valley and Phoenix to the west. These local facts shape how we insure homes, cars and businesses here.
Population: about 245,000 (2024 estimate), in Maricopa County.
Household income: among the highest median household incomes in the Phoenix metro.
Home values: wide range, from older South Scottsdale homes to multimillion-dollar North Scottsdale estates and ranch properties.
Civic identity: “The West’s Most Western Town,” with Old Town’s Western and Southwest character at its center.
Healthcare: Mayo Clinic Scottsdale and HonorHealth are major employers and draw patients from across the country.
Landmarks: Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Open space: the McDowell Sonoran Preserve covers more than 30,000 acres and is one of the largest urban preserves in the U.S.
Arts: Old Town’s gallery district drives demand for fine-art and scheduled-property coverage.
Commuting: Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) is the main commuter corridor.
Climate: monsoon storms, haboobs, hail and extreme heat, plus brush-fire risk along the preserve.
Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1947, the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce represents businesses across Old Town, Central, North and South Scottsdale, with particular strength in resorts and hospitality, professional services and retail.
Our Tempe office serves the whole Phoenix metro, and our Mokena headquarters serves the Chicago suburbs.
Arizona:Tempe Paradise Valley Phoenix Mesa Chandler Gilbert
Illinois:Mokena Naperville Orland Park Chicago Bolingbrook Plainfield Lockport Shorewood Channahon Minooka Oak Lawn Palos Hills Palos Park Lisle Warrenville
Hicks Insurance Group serves Scottsdale from our Tempe office at 60 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Suite 9092, Tempe, AZ 85281. Call (480) 561-6210 or email plservice@hicksinsurance.com.
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Independent insurance for Scottsdale homes, cars, collections and businesses.
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If you are new to Hicks Insurance, you probably have some questions. Let's help you get some answers.
If you cause an accident, be prepared to pay your deductible. After you’ve done that, your insurance company should pay the remaining costs, including damages or medical expenses you caused to other parties involved.
Your business insurance needs are as unique as your business itself. While all businesses need certain types of coverage—general liability, business property, and workers’ compensation, for example—your other needs hinge on your type of business. If, for example, you use vehicles in your line of work, you need business auto insurance. Similarly, businesses that manufacture a product should consider product liability insurance. Talk to your agent to determine your exact needs.
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