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Generator Transfer Switch Installation
Automatic switches for standby generators, manual switches for portables, sized to your panel, permitted and tested live. Free quotes from a family-owned crew.
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Licensed and insured | Family owned | Free quotes | Office Mon to Fri, 7 am to 5 pm
3D Electric handles Generator Transfer Switch Installation for homes across Southeast Michigan, from the first panel check to the live test with the generator running. A transfer switch is the part that lets a generator power your house without sending electricity back onto the DTE lines outside. Our Generator Transfer Switch Installation service covers automatic switches for home standby generators and manual switches for portable generators, with the permit steps planned in from the start.
We are a family-owned, licensed and insured electrical contractor based in Belleville, with about two decades in the trade. We have installed 200 amp and 100 amp automatic transfer switches, and we wire switches for the Generac, Honeywell and Kohler home standby generators we install. If you are still choosing a generator, start with our whole house generator installation overview. If you already have a generator, or you know which one you want, this page explains which switch fits and how the job goes.
Lectro's tip
The main breaker size is printed right on its handle. Snap a photo of it and your panel label before your quote visit!
What a Generator Transfer Switch Does
Your house gets power from one source at a time: the utility or the generator. The transfer switch picks which one. It disconnects the utility line before it connects the generator, so the two can never feed the house at once.
It keeps line workers safe
Without a switch, generator power can flow back out through your meter and onto the street wires. That is called backfeeding. A line worker who thinks a wire is dead can be badly hurt or killed. Backfeeding is illegal for that reason.
It protects your generator and your house
When utility power comes back, a switch keeps it from slamming into a running generator. It also stops the risky habit of plugging a generator into a dryer outlet or a wall plug, which can start a fire.
Automatic vs Manual Transfer Switches
The first choice is how the switch moves your house over. That depends on the kind of generator you have.
Automatic transfer switch (ATS)
An automatic transfer switch watches utility voltage. When it drops, the switch tells the standby generator to start. Once the generator is up to speed, the switch moves the load over. When utility power returns and holds steady, it moves the load back and lets the generator cool down. You don't touch anything, even if you are away from home.
Manual transfer switch
A manual transfer switch is for a portable generator. You roll the generator outside, plug its cord into an inlet box on the wall, start it and flip the switch by hand. Manual switches usually carry a set group of circuits. Our portable generator hookup service covers the inlet box, the cord and safe placement.
Question | Automatic switch | Manual switch |
|---|---|---|
Generator type | Home standby generator | Portable generator |
Who starts it | The switch, on its own | You, by hand |
What it covers | The whole house or a chosen subpanel | A set group of circuits |
When you are away | Power still comes back | Nothing runs until you return |
Some homeowners with portables use an interlock kit on the main panel instead of a separate switch. The trade-offs are laid out in our interlock kit vs transfer switch comparison.
Types of Automatic Transfer Switches
Standby generators pair with one of a few switch designs.
Service-entrance rated switch
This switch sits between the meter and your main panel and has its own main breaker, often marked as the service disconnect. It can move your entire service, such as a full 200 amp service, to generator power. It is the usual choice for a whole-home generator.
Non-service-rated switch with an essentials panel
This switch sits after the main breaker and feeds a smaller subpanel. We move the circuits you choose into that subpanel. It suits a smaller generator that only needs to carry the basics.
Load management
Load management modules watch the generator's output. When it nears its limit, they pause big loads like central air, an electric range, a dryer or an EV charger. When there is room again, they turn those loads back on. This is how a mid-size generator can carry a house with central air.
Meter-mounted switches
Some switches mount at the meter socket instead of on the wall. The meter belongs to the utility, so these need its approval for your service. Ask us whether one is an option at your address before you buy one.
How Transfer Switch Installation Goes
Most jobs follow the same order.
Free quote visit. We look at the meter, the main panel, its amp rating and its condition, and the wall where the switch and generator could go.
Written estimate. You get a detailed estimate in advance that lists the switch, any load management, the wiring and the permit.
Permit. The electrical permit is filed with your city or township building department. Our generator permit guide for Michigan homes explains that step.
Power down. A service-entrance switch connects between the meter and the panel, so the house is off while we make that connection. Some jobs need DTE to disconnect and reconnect the service.
Mount and wire. We mount the switch, land the service conductors, run the power and control wiring to the generator, and connect any load management modules.
Inspect and test. The inspector checks the work. Then we cut utility power, watch the generator pick up the house, restore utility power and watch the switch hand the load back.
We cover floors, keep the work area contained and clean up before we leave. You will know the shutdown plan before the work day starts.
Sizing the Switch to Your Panel and Generator
A transfer switch is rated in amps, like your panel. The switch has to match the service it carries and the generator that feeds it.
100 amp or 200 amp
Many Michigan homes have a 100 amp or a 200 amp service. A whole-home switch is usually sized to that service. An essentials setup can use a smaller switch feeding a subpanel. The main breaker size is printed on its handle, so a quick photo tells us a lot before the visit.
240 volt loads
A well pump, central air and an electric dryer run on 240 volts. They need a generator and a switch that supply both sides of the panel. Portables with only 120 volt outlets are not a good match for a panel connection.
Matching the generator
Generator brands use their own control wiring between the switch and the unit. A switch from one brand may not talk to a generator from another. That matters for a Generac generator installation and for any older switch you hope to reuse.
Replacing a Switch or Upgrading the Panel
Transfer switches wear too. A worn contactor, a failed control board, water or mice can stop one from working. If your generator runs but the house stays dark, the switch is a likely cause. Have it checked before the next storm.
A switch is only as good as the panel behind it. If you still have fuses, or your panel is full and worn, an electrical panel upgrade at the same time can save a second shutdown. It is also a sensible time to add whole house surge protection, since the work is already where power enters the house.
What Affects Transfer Switch Installation Cost
We price each job after a look at the panel. These factors move the number:
Automatic or manual, and the switch's amp rating
Service-entrance rated or a subpanel setup
How many load management modules you need
The wire run between the switch, the panel and the generator
The condition of your panel and meter, and whether DTE has to disconnect the service
Permit and inspection requirements in your town
See our generator installation cost guide for how the switch fits into the full project. Quotes are free, estimates are written in advance with no hidden charges, and financing is available.
Transfer Switch Installation Near You
We install transfer switches across Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe counties. Three towns have their own local pages with permit and housing details: transfer switch installation in Belleville, transfer switch installation in Ann Arbor and transfer switch installation in Ypsilanti.
Ready to plan yours? Request a free transfer switch quote or call (734) 697-8477.
Recent Transfer Switch Installs
200 Amp Automatic Transfer Switch
A 200 amp automatic transfer switch wired for a home standby generator.
100 Amp Automatic Transfer Switch
A 100 amp automatic transfer switch wired for a home standby generator.
Related pages
Local details for Belleville and Van Buren Township
Local details for Ann Arbor homes
Local details for Ypsilanti homes
Two ways to connect a portable
Inlet box, cord and placement
Standby units with matched switches
What moves the price
Permit and inspection steps
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if the generator connects to your house wiring. Code calls for a transfer switch or a listed interlock so the generator can't backfeed the utility lines. Plugging a generator into a wall or dryer outlet is illegal and dangerous.
An automatic switch starts a standby generator and moves the house over on its own when the power drops. A manual switch is for a portable generator: you plug it in, start it and flip the switch by hand.
It is matched to your service and your generator. A whole-home setup on a 200 amp service usually gets a 200 amp service-entrance switch. An essentials setup can use a smaller switch that feeds a subpanel.
The work connects to your service conductors, which stay live on the utility side even with the main breaker off. It also needs a permit and an inspection. Hire a licensed electrician, and ask your building department who may pull the permit at your address.
Yes, transfer switch work is permitted electrical work. Your township or city building department issues the permit and sets the inspection steps, so confirm current requirements for your address.
It depends on the switch type and whether DTE has to disconnect and reconnect the service. A service-entrance switch means the house is off for part of the day. You will know the plan before we start.
Test it under load during the generator's yearly service. The weekly exercise run usually doesn't move the house over, so a stuck switch can go unnoticed until an outage.