What this is
A standby generator is not a portable Honda in the driveway. It sits on a pad, starts when the power drops, and feeds the circuits you actually need — furnace, fridge, well or sump, a few lights, maybe the freezer in the garage. The transfer switch and the panel are the work. The box in the yard is the last piece.
- Look at the panel, the gas service, and where a pad can legally sit
- Size the unit to the load you want to keep, not a catalog number
- Install the transfer switch, the feeder, and the generator — Generac Certified
- Pull the permit so the village can inspect it
The panel and the load
If the service is still 60- or 100-amp, the generator conversation starts there. A unit that can run half the house does not help if the panel cannot take the transfer switch. We look in person. If a panel upgrade has to come first, we price that separately — same licensed electrician.
Whole-house versus a managed load: most North Shore houses do not need to run every circuit in a storm. We pick the ones that matter and size to that.
Gas, pad, and setbacks
Northbrook, Lake Forest, and Highland Park care about setbacks from windows, property lines, and the meter. The pad has to drain. The gas line has to feed the unit without starving the house. We coordinate that before a crate shows up on the drive.
Permits and inspection
This is inspected work. We pull the electrical permit. If the village wants a gas inspection too, we tell you that up front. You should not be guessing which form to file.
What a visit looks like
We walk the yard, open the panel, and look at the meter. If the site works, you get a clear number for the generator, the switch, and the run. If it does not — too close to a window, a panel that has to move first — we say so on that visit.
- Call or request a visit. Photos of the panel and the side yard help.
- We look at load, gas, and setbacks in person.
- You get an estimate. No padded extras.
- We schedule, pull the permit, install, and meet the inspector.