Serving Southeast Michigan & Surrounding Areas
24-Hour Emergency Service Available
Home / 3D Electric Ann Arbor, MI / Generator Installation Ann Arbor, MI / Generac Generator Installation Ann Arbor, MI
FAMILY OWNED | LICENSED & INSURED
Generac Generator Installation Ann Arbor, MI
Generac Guardian and liquid-cooled units sized to your loads, placed clear of heavy limbs and wired through the right transfer switch. Free written quote.
Get a Free Generac Quote
We call you back during office hours, Monday to Friday, 7 am to 5 pm.
Prefer to call? (734) 697-8477
Licensed and insured | Family owned | Free quotes | Office Mon to Fri, 7 am to 5 pm
3D Electric plans and wires Generac Generator Installation Ann Arbor, MI for houses in the city, Pittsfield Township and Scio Township. We set air-cooled Generac Guardian units and larger liquid-cooled Generac models, each one matched to the loads you name. This page on Generac Generator Installation Ann Arbor, MI covers how a Generac fits Ann Arbor housing, where it can sit on a shaded lot and what the city permit involves.
We are a family-owned, licensed and insured contractor from Belleville, and we have already finished a generator install in Ann Arbor. Our Generac work includes a 22 kW unit on natural gas and a 35 kW unit for a Belleville home. If you are still weighing brands or services, start with the Ann Arbor generator installation page. For every local page in one place, see the 3D Electric Ann Arbor overview.
Lectro's tip
Pick a time for the weekly self-test when nobody is napping or on a work call, and tell us at startup so we can set it.
Why Ann Arbor homeowners choose a Generac
On July 26, 2023, a storm knocked out power to more than 176,000 DTE customers, and the National Weather Service reported trees and limbs down around Ann Arbor. Under a canopy this thick, one storm can leave a street dark for days. DTE says it is putting about 360 million dollars into Ann Arbor from 2019 to 2029, including a rebuild in the southeast part of the city. That is the company's own figure, and line work takes years to reach every street.
A Generac home standby generator does not wait for the trucks. It senses the outage, starts on its own and carries your circuits until DTE power returns. Then it shuts itself down.
What it keeps running
The sump pump in a finished basement on a hillside lot.
The furnace blower and thermostat on a January night.
A home office, the Wi-Fi router and phone chargers during a workday outage.
The fridge, the freezer and any medical equipment that needs steady power.
Matching a Generac model to Ann Arbor houses
Generac builds two families of home standby units. Air-cooled Guardian models run from about 10 kW into the mid-20s and cover most houses. Liquid-cooled models start above that range and suit large homes with heavy motor loads. Our 35 kW Generac in Belleville belongs to that larger class.
Ann Arbor's housing spans both families. Here is how the choice often plays out, though your own load list decides it:
House | A common Generac setup |
|---|---|
19th-century house on the Old West Side with a small, full panel | A smaller Guardian on an essential-circuit transfer switch |
Ranch or colonial on city gas with 200-amp service | A Guardian near 22 kW with load management for whole-house coverage |
Large township home with central air, an electric range or a well pump | A 24 to 26 kW Guardian with several load modules, or a liquid-cooled model |
Read the natural gas rating
Inside the city, DTE Gas supplies natural gas. Generac publishes a lower output on natural gas than on propane, so the headline number in a model name can overstate what you get on city gas. We size from the natural gas figure. For the full load math, see the home generator sizing guide.
Placing a Guardian on a shaded Ann Arbor lot
Shade does a generator no harm. Debris is the problem. Maple seeds, oak leaves and pine needles pile up against the intake louvers, so we look up before we pick a spot and keep the unit out from under the heaviest limbs.
Clearances still come first
The Generac installation manual sets minimum distances from windows, doors, vents and the gas meter. Your building office may add its own rules. On a narrow lot near downtown, those distances can rule out the side yard, and a back corner of the house becomes the spot.
Plan for the weekly self-test
A Guardian runs a short exercise cycle on a schedule, often once a week. On close-set lots we turn the exhaust side away from the neighbor's windows and help you pick a quiet time for the test. If no spot on the lot meets the clearances, a portable generator with an Ann Arbor generator interlock kit can still cover the basics.
What your Ann Arbor Generac installation includes
A load list at your house. We check the panel, the gas meter and the circuits you want covered.
The Generac unit on a level pad. Set at the spot you approved, at the manual's clearances.
A Generac automatic transfer switch. Sized to your service, for the whole house or essential circuits. Our Ann Arbor transfer switch installation page explains the options.
Load modules where needed. They hold off central air or a range while the generator nears full output.
The gas line. A licensed gas installer runs and pressure-tests it under its own permit.
Wi-Fi monitoring setup. Many current Guardian models connect to the Generac Mobile Link app, and we help you sign in at startup.
A live test. We drop utility power and watch the Generac pick up the house with you.
If your panel is too full or too old to take a transfer switch, our Ann Arbor electricians can replace it as part of the same project.
Ann Arbor permits for a Generac standby generator
For a house inside city limits, the electrical permit goes through the City of Ann Arbor Building Department, part of Build, Rent, Inspect at 301 E. Huron St. Applications are filed online in the STREAM system. Homes in Pittsfield Township or Scio Township file with their own township office instead.
On the Old West Side, ask the city early whether a new generator outside the house needs historic review. Forms and fees change, so confirm current requirements for your address before the pad goes in. Our generator permit guide lists the documents inspectors usually ask for.
What moves the price of an Ann Arbor Generac job
The Generac model size sets most of the price. The transfer switch, the number of load modules and the distance from the pad to the panel and gas meter come next. Panel work, a gas meter upgrade if DTE Gas requires one, and permit fees can add to the total. A hillside lot that needs a built-up pad base also adds labor.
Every estimate is free and written before work starts, and financing is available. The generator installation cost guide breaks down each factor. For the Generac process from site visit to startup, see our main Generac installation page. To book a visit, use the Ann Arbor quote request page or the main 3D Electric contact page.
Related pages
Generac, Honeywell and Kohler, plus maintenance and repair
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single answer, because size follows your loads. Many houses on 200-amp service land near a 22 kW Guardian with load management. Older homes with small panels often do well with a smaller unit on essential circuits, and we confirm it with a load calculation.
Shade itself is fine. Leaves, seeds and needles can clog the intake, and a falling limb can damage the enclosure. We place the unit away from heavy limbs when the lot allows and show you which vents to keep clear.
Many current Generac home standby models support Wi-Fi monitoring through the Mobile Link app. It shows the unit's status and exercise results. If your model supports it, we help you set it up at startup.
The test is short and runs on a schedule you can change. On tight city lots we turn the exhaust side away from nearby windows. We also help you choose a time of day that suits your street.
Sometimes. The meter has to carry the generator plus your furnace, water heater and range at the same time. DTE Gas decides whether an upgrade is needed, and the gas installer sizes the line to match.
Yes. We install and service Generac, Honeywell and Kohler home standby generators across Ann Arbor, Pittsfield and Scio. For any other brand, call us before you buy.