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Home / 3D Electric Ann Arbor, MI / Generator Installation Ann Arbor, MI / Generator Transfer Switch Installation Ann Arbor, MI
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Generator Transfer Switch Installation Ann Arbor, MI
Automatic and manual switches for Ann Arbor, Pittsfield and Scio homes, matched to your panel, permitted and tested live. Free written quotes.
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3D Electric provides Generator Transfer Switch Installation Ann Arbor, MI for homes in the city, Pittsfield Township and Scio Township, whether the generator is a new standby unit or a portable you already own. The switch is the small gray box that decides whether your house runs on DTE power or generator power, never both at once. This page on Generator Transfer Switch Installation Ann Arbor, MI covers what changes for Ann Arbor houses: older panels, three different permit offices and the DTE shutdown on install day.
We are a family-owned, licensed and insured electrical contractor based in Belleville, about 18 to 22 miles down I-94. Our crews have installed 200 amp and 100 amp automatic transfer switches, and we have completed a generator install in Ann Arbor. If you are still choosing the generator itself, start at our Ann Arbor generator installation page. For everything else we do in town, see the 3D Electric Ann Arbor overview.
Lectro's tip
Label the circuits in your panel before the quote visit, so picking your must-run list takes minutes.
Why the switch matters on Tree Town streets
Ann Arbor's mature oaks and maples hang over a lot of overhead wire. On July 26, 2023, a storm left more than 176,000 DTE customers without power, and the National Weather Service reported fallen trees and limbs in the Ann Arbor area. DTE is rebuilding parts of the local grid, but limbs will keep bringing lines down.
Line crews work on wire they believe is dead
A generator tied into a panel without a switch can push power backward through your meter and onto that wire. That is called backfeeding, and it can kill a line worker. It is illegal for that reason. A transfer switch, or a listed interlock on the panel, lets the house draw from only one source at a time.
The switch also keeps returning DTE power from hitting a running generator.
Choosing the right switch for your Ann Arbor generator
The generator you own or plan to buy decides most of this. We match the switch to it, then to your panel.
Automatic switch for a standby generator
An automatic transfer switch senses when DTE voltage drops and signals the standby unit to start. Once the engine is up to speed, it moves the house over. When the grid is steady again, it moves the house back and lets the generator cool down. It works even when you are away. We wire these for the Generac, Honeywell and Kohler units we install, and our Generac installation in Ann Arbor page covers that pairing.
Manual switch or interlock for a portable
With a portable, you roll the generator out, plug its cord into an inlet on the outside wall and move the switch by hand. A manual switch usually carries a short list of circuits. A breaker interlock does a similar job at the main panel, which helps on tight downtown lots. See our generator interlock kit installation for Ann Arbor homes for that option.
Whole house or essentials
Service-entrance rated switch: sits between the meter and the main panel and can carry the whole service.
Essentials subpanel: a smaller switch feeds a subpanel holding the circuits you pick, such as the furnace, sump pump and fridge.
Load management: modules pause central air, an electric range or an EV charger when the generator nears full output.
Older Ann Arbor panels and the switch behind them
Some Ann Arbor homes date back well over a century. The Old West Side is a 19th-century neighborhood, listed on the National Register in 1972 and protected by city ordinances. A transfer switch is only as sound as the panel it connects to.
What we look for at the visit
Fuses instead of breakers, or a panel brand that no longer has parts.
A full panel with no room for the generator breaker.
A 100 amp service in a house that now runs central air and an electric range.
If the panel needs work, doing it together with the switch means the house goes dark once instead of twice. Our licensed electricians serving Ann Arbor handle panel replacements and service upgrades as part of the same plan.
Transfer switch permits in Ann Arbor, Pittsfield and Scio
Transfer switch work is permitted electrical work, and the office depends on your address.
City of Ann Arbor: the Building Department, part of Build, Rent, Inspect at 301 E. Huron St., takes permit applications online through its STREAM system.
Pittsfield Township: the township runs its own permit office for homes south and southeast of the city.
Scio Township: west-side addresses toward Delhi Metropark file with Scio.
A mailing address that says Ann Arbor does not always mean the city issues the permit. Forms and fees change, so confirm current requirements for your address with that office. Our guide to generator installation permits lists what inspectors usually check on a switch job.
How install day goes
Shutdown plan. A service-entrance switch lands between the meter and the panel. Some jobs need DTE to disconnect the service and reconnect it after, so you hear the plan before the day starts.
Mount and wire. We mount the switch, land the service conductors and run the control wiring to the generator.
Inspection. The inspector from your city or township checks the work.
Live test. We cut utility power, watch the generator pick up the house, then restore DTE power and watch the switch hand the load back.
Most addresses here are on DTE electric. Consumers Energy serves the far western edge of Washtenaw County, so check your bill if you live out that way. We cover floors, keep the work area contained and clean up before we leave.
Two photos that speed up your quote
Send a picture of your main breaker handle and the label inside the panel door. They show whether a 100 amp or 200 amp switch fits.
What sets the price of an Ann Arbor switch job
Every quote is free and written in advance, with no hidden charges. Financing is available. These factors move the number most:
Automatic or manual, and the amp rating of the switch
Whole-service switch or an essentials subpanel
How many load management modules the house needs
Any panel work an older house calls for
Our generator installation cost factors page shows how the switch fits into the full project. For the same service across the rest of our area, see transfer switch installation in Southeast Michigan. When you are ready, send your details through the Ann Arbor quote request page or the main 3D Electric contact page.
Related pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes. A service-entrance switch connects right after the meter, and some of those jobs need DTE to disconnect and reconnect the service. We tell you at the quote visit if yours does and plan the shutdown with you.
Usually, once the panel is in good shape. If it still has fuses, is full or shows wear, we may suggest replacing it in the same job. That way the house only goes dark once.
Each township runs its own permit office, separate from the City of Ann Arbor. The office follows your address, not your mailing city. Call that office to confirm current requirements before work starts.
Maybe. Generator brands use their own control wiring, so an old switch may not talk to a new unit. We also check its rating and condition. If it is worn or mismatched, replacing it is the safer choice.
You need a transfer switch or a listed interlock if the portable powers any house circuits. A cord into a wall or dryer outlet can backfeed the lines and is illegal. Cords run straight from the generator to each appliance need no switch.
Usually near the meter and the main panel, on an outside wall or in the basement. On a sloped Ann Arbor lot we also think about the path to the generator pad. We pick the spot with you at the visit.