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Whole House Generator Installation
Generac, Honeywell and Kohler standby generators sized to your house and wired through an automatic transfer switch. Permit, inspection and startup included.
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Licensed and insured | Family owned | Free quotes | Office Mon to Fri, 7 am to 5 pm
3D Electric handles Whole House Generator Installation for homeowners across Southeast Michigan, from the first load list to the final inspection. A whole house generator is a home standby generator wired into your electrical system and fueled by natural gas or propane. This page explains how Whole House Generator Installation works, what moves the quote and which decisions to make first.
When the grid fails, the generator starts on its own and an automatic transfer switch moves your house onto generator power. Nobody has to be home, pull a cord or run extension cords through a window. When utility power returns and holds steady, the switch moves the house back and the generator cools down and shuts off.
We are a family-owned, licensed and insured electrical contractor based in Belleville, with about two decades in the trade. We install and service Generac, Honeywell and Kohler home standby generators. Quotes are free, financing is available and every estimate is detailed and in writing before work starts.
Lectro's tip
Before your site visit, walk the house and list everything you'd miss in a three-day outage. That list becomes your sizing worksheet.
Generator services and planning guides
Why Southeast Michigan homes add a standby generator
Outages here come from summer thunderstorms, high wind and ice on the lines in winter. On July 3, 2026, storms left about 400,000 DTE customers without power across Southeast Michigan, and some Downriver homes waited days for full restoration. Whether a generator is worth it comes down to what your house can't do without power.
Basements with a sump pump
The storms that knock out power often bring heavy rain. A sump pump with no power can't keep up, and a battery backup pump only runs so long.
Homes on a well
A well pump runs on 240 volts. Without power there's no running water, no flushing and no showers.
Winter heat and frozen pipes
A gas furnace still needs electricity for the blower, igniter and controls. In January, a furnace that won't run puts your pipes at risk.
Medical equipment and home offices
Oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines and powered beds can't wait for the utility. A modem, laptop and phone chargers draw very little, so a standby unit keeps a home office open too.
What our whole house generator installation includes
A standby generator is a system, not a single box. Every quote we write covers the full list below, so you can compare it line by line.
Part of the job | What it covers |
|---|---|
Site visit and load calculation | Your panel, service size, gas meter, outside walls and the loads you want covered |
Generator and pad | The unit, set level on a composite or concrete pad at a spot that meets clearance rules |
Automatic transfer switch | Service-rated or essentials switch, plus load management modules when the plan needs them |
Wiring | Conduit and conductors between the generator, the switch and your panel |
Fuel connection | Gas or propane line sized for the generator, done under its own gas permit |
Permits and inspection | Electrical permit pulled before work starts and the inspection scheduled |
Startup and walkthrough | First start, exercise schedule, a transfer test under load and a tour of the controller |
We cover floors, contain the work area and clean up before we leave. Outstanding workmanship, property protection and straightforward pricing are the three guarantees behind every install.
How the installation goes, step by step
Before install day
Site visit. We look at your panel, gas meter and outside walls, and ask what has to stay on during an outage.
Load calculation. We total the loads you want covered, including motor starting surges, and pick the generator and switch to match.
Placement. The unit has to sit set distances from windows, doors, vents and the gas meter under the manufacturer's instructions and local code. We pick a spot that meets those rules and keeps wire and gas runs short.
Permits. We pull the electrical permit. The gas work gets its own permit.
Install day
Pad and generator. The ground is prepared and the generator is set level on its pad.
Fuel line. A gas installer runs and pressure-tests the line. Your gas utility may need to confirm the meter can carry the added load.
Transfer switch and wiring. We mount the switch and wire it to the generator and your panel. The house is without power for part of this step.
Startup and handoff
After inspection, we start the generator, set its exercise schedule and test a transfer by cutting utility power to the switch. Then we show you the controller, the shutoffs and what each status light means.
Sizing a home standby generator
Generators are sized in kilowatts. The right size comes from the loads you want covered, not the square footage of the house.
Whole-home or essentials
A whole-home system carries everything in the panel. It usually adds load management that sheds big loads, like central air or an electric dryer, when the generator nears its limit. An essentials system carries a short list of circuits, such as the furnace, sump pump, fridge, well pump and some lights, and can use a smaller unit.
Motors set the size
A central air conditioner or well pump pulls a surge of current when it starts. The generator has to handle that spike on top of everything already running. Past jobs include 22 kW Generac and Honeywell units on natural gas and a 35 kW Generac in Belleville. Our step-by-step generator sizing guide shows how the math works.
Generac, Honeywell and Kohler home standby generators
We install and service Generac, Honeywell and Kohler home standby generators. Air-cooled units cover most houses. Larger liquid-cooled units suit big homes and businesses.
The Generac standby generator installation page covers common sizes and what each install includes. If you lean toward the other major brand, see Kohler home generator installs. Still deciding? Our Generac and Kohler comparison lays out how the two differ. For any other brand, call and ask.
Generators for businesses
Stores, offices and shops lose money in every hour without power. Our commercial standby generator work follows the same steps at a larger scale, with three-phase service and bigger transfer equipment where the building needs it.
Natural gas or propane
Many homes in the area have natural gas service from DTE Gas or Consumers Energy, depending on the address. On those houses the generator ties into the gas supply that's already there, so you never refuel it.
Rural homes without gas service can run on propane from a tank. Then the tank size decides how long you can run, and someone has to keep it filled. Output is usually a little lower on natural gas than on propane, and we account for that when sizing. The natural gas vs propane generator guide covers the tradeoffs.
Transfer switch, interlock kit or portable hookup
Every generator connection needs a way to keep generator power off the utility lines. Backfeeding through a dryer outlet is illegal and can kill a line worker down the street.
Standby generators use an automatic transfer switch. On many homes it's a service-rated switch between the meter and the panel, sized for the full service. We have installed both 200-amp and 100-amp automatic transfer switches. Read more about automatic transfer switch installation.
If you already own a portable generator, an outdoor inlet box and a panel interlock let you run chosen circuits through one cord. It costs less and asks more of you during an outage. See portable generator interlock kit installation, or compare both setups in interlock kit vs transfer switch.
What moves the cost of a whole house generator
Two houses on the same street can get very different quotes. These are the pieces that move the number:
Generator size and brand
Fuel type, and how far the gas line runs from the meter to the unit
Whether your gas utility has to upgrade the meter
Transfer switch type and amperage, plus any load management modules
A panel upgrade, if your current panel can't take the switch
Distance between the panel and the generator, and any trenching
Pad, site prep and permit fees set by your city or township
We don't post prices because one number would be wrong for most houses. The whole house generator cost breakdown explains each factor, and your written quote from us is free.
Permits and inspections
A standby generator is permanent equipment, so it needs permits. In most communities that means an electrical permit plus a gas or mechanical permit, and some places also review where the unit sits. Your township or city building department issues them, so confirm current requirements for your address.
We pull the electrical permit and schedule that inspection. Read our generator permit guide for Michigan homeowners before the work starts.
After the install: maintenance, repair and the next outage
A generator that sits for months still wears. Oil, filters, spark plugs and the battery all have a schedule, and the transfer switch should be tested under load. Our yearly generator maintenance visit covers that list.
If your unit won't start, won't transfer or shows an alarm, see standby generator repair. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 7 am to 5 pm, and 24-hour emergency service is available. Keep our power outage checklist handy for the next time the lights go out.
Where we install whole house generators
We're based in Belleville and install generators across Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe counties. Our local pages cover permits, utilities and housing in each city: generator installation in Belleville, Ann Arbor generator installs and Ypsilanti standby generators.
The full list of towns is on our service areas page. Ready to start? Request a free generator quote and we'll set up a site visit.
Straightforward Pricing Guaranteed
We provide transparent pricing with detailed written estimates provided in advance. Our pricing is clear, consistent, and free of hidden charges.
Outstanding Workmanship Guaranteed
At 3D Electric, we stand behind every project with guaranteed workmanship. Our team works with precision and careful attention to detail on every job. From repairs and upgrades to full installations and generators, we deliver reliable results that are done right and built to last.
Property Protection Guaranteed
We protect your home as if it were our own. Floors covered, work areas contained, and cleanup done before we leave. Property protection, guaranteed.
Generator installation near you
Our home base: local permits, DTE service and recent installs.
Standby generators for Ann Arbor homes and neighborhoods.
Standby power for Ypsilanti and the surrounding townships.
Every town in Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe counties on one page.
Send the form and we'll set up a site visit.
What to know about electrical and gas permits before work starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
The on-site work is the short part. Permit review, inspection scheduling, gas meter work and equipment availability set most of the calendar. We go over the expected schedule for your job when we quote.
It can, if it's sized for it. Many whole-home installs pair a mid-size generator with load management, which turns big loads like central air off and on as capacity allows. An essentials system covers fewer circuits with a smaller unit.
Plugging a generator into an outlet backfeeds the utility lines, which is illegal and can kill a line worker. A safe connection needs a transfer switch or a panel interlock with an inlet box. That work needs an electrical permit and an inspection.
Yes. Most communities require an electrical permit, and the gas work needs its own. Your township or city building department issues them, so confirm current requirements for your address. We pull the electrical permit on every install.
Gas piping is done by an installer licensed for gas work, under a separate permit and inspection. Your gas utility may also need to check the meter. We'll tell you who handles the gas work on your job at the quote.
Somewhere level and close enough to the gas meter and panel to keep the runs short. It also has to sit far enough from windows, doors and vents to meet the manufacturer's clearances and local code. We pick the spot with you at the site visit.
Yes, financing is available. Ask about it when you call or request your free quote, and we'll go over it along with your written estimate.