Powder Springs, GA
678-903-3936

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers about how an independent agency works, what the three-state license covers, and how a few common pieces of Georgia insurance actually function.

About the agency and how it works

A captive agent works for one company and can only sell you that company's policy. Leonard Butts Insurance Agency is independent and appointed with 21 carriers, including Progressive, GEICO, Travelers, Nationwide, Chubb and Lloyd's. You describe the risk once and the agency shops it across all of them, then explains the real differences between the quotes. You are not the one filling in twenty forms.

Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. That matters if you are moving, own a second property, keep a boat or an RV registered out of state, or run commercial vehicles across state lines. One agency can hold all three states rather than handing you off at the border.

The whole state. The office is in Powder Springs and a lot of the book sits close by in Austell, Douglasville, Smyrna and Marietta, with more in College Park, East Point and Decatur. Coverage is written statewide, so distance is not a reason to stay with an agent who is not returning your calls.

Yes, and for a wider range of trades than most local agencies. Alongside the usual general liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation and business owners policies, the agency writes contractors, restaurants, retail stores, auto body shops, trucking, self storage, apartment buildings, churches, jewelers, woodworkers, videographers and special events.

Yes. SR-22 is a filing the insurer makes with the state to confirm you carry the required liability limits, usually after a licence suspension or a serious violation. It is written as part of an auto policy. Call 678-903-3936 and it can be quoted and filed rather than left sitting.

For personal lines: names and dates of birth for the drivers, the vehicles or the property address, and your current declarations page if you have one, because it shows the limits you already carry and makes the comparison honest. For commercial: what the business does, payroll or revenue, and any vehicles or property involved.

Call 678-903-3936. The agency runs the usual service requests directly, including claim reporting, auto ID cards, certificates of insurance, adding or removing a driver or vehicle, address changes and policy change requests. You can also text that same number.

Leonard Butts has more than 30 years of insurance and financial services experience and has lived in the Atlanta area for 30 years. The agency is small on purpose: the person who quotes your policy is the person who answers when you call about it.

Insurance basics, explained

General education, not a quote for any specific policy. Coverage, exclusions and pricing always depend on the actual policy and the carrier that issues it, so treat the answers below as background for a conversation, not a substitute for one.

What is a declarations page, and why does having one speeds up a quote?

A declarations page, often just called the 'dec page', is the summary sheet at the front of an insurance policy. It lists who is insured, what property or vehicles are covered, the coverage limits carried, the deductible, and the policy period. It does not contain the full contract language, just the numbers that make the policy what it is. Handing that page to an agent shopping a new quote matters because it shows exactly what is already carried, rather than a rough guess. A comparison built from a real dec page is an apples-to-apples comparison. A comparison built from memory usually is not, and can undercount coverage that would only be missed after a loss.

What is the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost on a Georgia homeowners policy?

Both are ways an insurer decides what to pay after a covered loss to a home or its contents, and the difference is depreciation. Actual cash value pays the cost to repair or replace the item minus depreciation for its age and condition, so a ten-year-old roof is valued as a ten-year-old roof, not a new one. Replacement cost pays what it actually costs to repair or replace the item with a similar new one, without subtracting for age, subject to the policy limit. Replacement cost settlements are typically higher after a loss, which is generally reflected in the premium. Which basis applies, and whether it applies to the dwelling, other structures, or personal contents, varies by policy and carrier, so it is worth confirming in writing rather than assuming.

Are Georgia's minimum required auto liability limits actually enough coverage?

Georgia law sets a minimum amount of liability insurance a driver must carry to legally operate a vehicle, but a legal minimum and an adequate amount of protection are not the same thing. Minimum limits are set to satisfy the state's financial responsibility law, not to reflect the real cost of a serious accident, which can easily include medical bills, lost income and vehicle damage well beyond those minimums. If a driver at fault carries only the state minimum and causes a serious injury, the difference between what the policy pays and what is actually owed can become the driver's personal responsibility. Most agents recommend carrying higher liability limits than the legal floor, and reviewing that number periodically as assets and driving exposure change.

What does a personal or commercial umbrella policy actually sit on top of?

An umbrella policy is extra liability coverage that sits above the limits of an underlying policy, most commonly a homeowners or auto policy for individuals, or a general liability and commercial auto policy for a business. It does not replace those underlying policies. It only responds once the underlying policy's liability limit is used up on a covered claim, and it usually requires the underlying policies to already carry a minimum liability limit before it can be added. In practice, it is a second, larger layer of protection for a lawsuit or judgment that costs more than the base auto or homeowners policy alone would cover.

What is a certificate of insurance, and who typically asks a business to provide one?

A certificate of insurance is a short document that summarizes the insurance coverage a business currently carries, including the type of coverage, the limits and the policy period. It is proof of coverage, not the policy itself, and it does not change what is or is not covered. Landlords commonly ask a business tenant for one before move-in. General contractors ask subcontractors for one before allowing work on a job site. Event venues ask vendors for one before an event. Client contracts sometimes require one before work begins. Leonard Butts Insurance Agency handles certificate of insurance requests directly as one of its standard service requests.

How does a claim actually get reported through this agency?

Call 678-903-3936, or text the same number. Claims reporting is one of the standard service requests the agency runs directly, alongside auto ID cards, certificates of insurance, adding or removing a driver or vehicle, address changes, policy changes and renewal reviews. Because the same person who wrote the policy is the one answering the phone, reporting a claim does not mean starting from zero with an unfamiliar call center. Specific claims handling and timelines are set by the carrier that holds the policy, and can vary company to company, but the first call for direction is always the same number.

Still have a question specific to your policy?

Call or text 678-903-3936, or request a quote and get the specifics from Leonard directly.

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