Generator Installation
Whole-home standby generators sized, installed, and serviced by licensed electricians, so an outage stops being an event.
Standby power, from sizing through service
A standby generator is permanently installed outside the house, runs on natural gas or propane, and starts automatically within seconds of losing utility power. An automatic transfer switch moves the house from the grid to the generator without anyone stepping outside, then moves it back when utility power returns. Robb's Electric sizes the system, installs it, coordinates the permits and the fuel connection, and services it afterward.
Sizing is the decision that matters most. A whole-home unit carries everything, including air conditioning and an electric range, while a managed install covers the circuits that actually matter to you at a lower price: furnace and blower, sump pump, well pump, refrigeration, internet, and key lighting and outlets. We walk both options with real numbers rather than steering you to the largest unit on the lot, and the estimate for either is free.
Who this is for
Homeowners on well and septic, anyone with a finished basement and a sump pump, families running medical equipment, and people who work from home and cannot lose a day. In Minnesota the risk is not only summer storms. A winter outage puts your heat and your pipes on a clock, and that clock runs faster than most people expect.
We also install standby power for commercial and industrial buildings where an outage means lost product or a stopped process, including generator sets with commercial transfer gear. Residential standby is the larger share of what we do.
What's included
One contractor owns the whole chain: the sizing, the install, the inspection, and the service after.
Load assessment and sizing
We measure what you want backed up and size the unit to it, then show you whole-home versus managed-circuit pricing side by side.
Site and fuel coordination
Pad location chosen for clearances, noise, and snow, with gas line sizing coordinated so the unit gets the fuel volume it actually needs.
Automatic transfer switch
Whole-home or managed transfer equipment installed and configured, so the changeover is automatic and safe for utility crews working the line.
Permits and inspection
Electrical and gas permits pulled, inspections scheduled, and the unit registered with the manufacturer so the factory warranty starts clean.
Commissioning and walkthrough
We start it, test the transfer under load, and show you the maintenance schedule, the monitoring, and what the indicator lights mean.
Ongoing service
Scheduled maintenance, oil and filter service, and repairs handled by the electricians who installed the unit.
Why buy your generator from Robb's
Plenty of companies will sell you a generator. Fewer are the electricians who will still be servicing it in year eight.
- Free estimates, including the load assessment that determines what size you actually need.
- We are electricians first, so the transfer switch and panel side is done by people who work in panels every day.
- Sizing is based on your loads, and we will tell you when a managed-circuit install is the better value.
- A one-year warranty on labor and materials, alongside the manufacturer warranty on the equipment.
- Local service after the sale, from a company that has been in the west metro since 1964.
FAQ
Generator Installation questions
Still have a question? Call us at (952) 448-4030 and we'll walk you through it.
It depends on what you want running. A managed install that carries heat, sump and well pumps, refrigeration, internet, and essential lighting is a common and cost-effective choice. Whole-home coverage that includes central air and electric cooking needs a larger unit and a larger gas supply. We assess your loads on site and quote both at no charge, so the size is a decision you make rather than a default you inherit.
The installed price varies with the unit size, the transfer equipment, how far the pad sits from the panel and the gas meter, and whether the gas line needs upsizing. Those variables move the number enough that a quote over the phone would be a guess. We look at the site, confirm the gas capacity, and give you a written price. That visit is free.
Both. Natural gas is the usual choice where there is a gas meter, and it means no tank to fill or monitor. Propane is the answer outside gas service, and the tank has to be sized so the generator can draw its full rate in cold weather. We confirm which your site supports and size the fuel supply as part of the install.
Manufacturers publish a maintenance interval based on hours run and elapsed time, which generally works out to annual service for a typical home, plus oil and filter changes after an extended outage. Units also self-test weekly on a schedule you can set. We service what we install and can put you on a maintenance schedule so it does not get forgotten.
Usually yes. The transfer equipment installs between the meter and your panel for a whole-home setup, or feeds a managed subpanel for an essential-circuits setup. Occasionally we find a panel that should be replaced first, either because it is full or because it is a type that should not stay in service. We check that before quoting so the plan is complete from the start.
Request service
Let's get your project done right.
Tell us what you need and someone from Robb's Electric will follow up. Prefer to talk it through? Call the office. Estimates are free either way.
- Free estimates on every job
- Licensed, bonded & insured · EA001548
- Serving the Twin Cities metro since 1964
Request service
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- Free estimates, priced before any work starts
- One-year warranty on labor and materials