Generator installation: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering generator installation

Generator installation is a combined electrical and fuel job, and the transfer switch and the exhaust location decide whether it is safe. Electricians who do it well size the unit on the load, explain the transfer method, and document the leak and load tests.

What customers ask

  • How big a generator do I need to run the things I care about?
  • Can I just use a cord and an inlet, or do I need a transfer switch?
  • Where can the generator sit, and how far from the windows does it need to be?
  • What happens during the switch from utility to generator?
  • Who checks the fuel line before the unit runs?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask which circuits the customer must keep running, such as the well pump, the furnace controls and the refrigerator. Those set the size.
  • Bring a load worksheet to the walkthrough, and show the customer how the chosen circuits add up.
  • Show the transfer switch and explain why the utility and the generator cannot be connected at the same time.
  • Quote the electrical, fuel and pad work as separate lines, so the customer sees who does each part.
  • Test the leak check and the load check in front of the customer, and record the readings on the commissioning sheet.
  • Walk the customer through starting, running and stopping the unit, and leave the written startup and maintenance sheet with them.

What to put on your profile

  • Photos of finished generator installs showing the pad, the exhaust clearance and the transfer switch
  • Examples of transfer switches installed for different load sizes
  • A short note on your commissioning and load-test process

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a yearly service visit to check the battery, the oil and the transfer switch, with the results written up
  • Suggest a review of the circuits the customer chose, when the household load changes
  • Offer to add a surge protector for the circuits that carry the most electronics

Licenses and permits

Generator installation is commonly done under an electrical contractor license, and fuel work often requires its own license or certification for the fuel type. A permit and inspection are often needed. Check with your state or local licensing agency and building department for the rules that apply to each part of the job.

Questions

Do I need a separate license for the gas line?

Often yes, and the rule depends on the fuel type and the state or local rules. Confirm what you need before you take the job, and bring in a qualified fuel installer if you do not hold that license.

What should I do if the customer wants to back-feed the house with a cord?

Refuse and explain why. Back-feeding can injure a utility worker and damage the home's wiring. Offer a transfer switch or an approved inlet instead, and show the cost difference in writing.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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