(346) 420-5744

Richmond, TXServing Greater Houston

Standby power that actually starts when the grid stops.

Generator installation, service and repair across Greater Houston — plus commercial electrical contracting, built and inspected by our own licensed crew. One contractor, both scopes.

Get a Free Quote Call (346) 420-5744

Not sure what size you need? Use the sizing tool — about a minute, no contact details required.

  • TECL #37583
  • Kohler Certified
  • Generac Authorized Dealer
  • Family & veteran owned since 2022
  • A Generac air-cooled standby generator installed by Critical Power Solutions on an elevated platform

    Generac

    Authorized Dealer

  • A Kohler standby generator installed and commissioned by Critical Power Solutions on a concrete pad

    Kohler

    Certified

Our own installs — not manufacturer stock photos. Both brands, sized, permitted and inspected under TECL #37583.

  • Licensed & Insured

    TECL #37583

  • Kohler Certified

    Factory-trained technicians

  • Generac Authorized

    Dealer & warranty service

  • BBB Accredited

    Better Business Bureau

  • 16 Years

    Electrical experience since 2010

4.9 from 202 Google reviewsRead them

What we do

Two trades, one licensed contractor

Most of our competitors do generators or commercial electrical. We bid and self-perform both, which means one point of accountability when a job touches each.

A standby generator running at night beside a home after a storm

The real math

What a power outage actually costs you

Standby generators get compared to their sticker price. The more useful comparison is against what one multi-day outage takes off you — and on the Gulf Coast, that is not a hypothetical.

  • Medical equipment

    CPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, powered beds and refrigerated medication do not wait for the grid. This is the single most common reason our customers stop postponing the decision.

  • A freezer full of food

    USDA guidance gives a full freezer roughly 48 hours and a fridge about 4 hours once the door stays shut. Restocking both is the first bill people forget to count.

  • Heat, in a Houston August

    Indoor temperatures climb fast here once the AC stops. For anyone elderly, very young, or managing a health condition, that stops being a comfort problem quickly.

  • Work you cannot do

    No internet, no workstation, no card terminal. If you run a business from home or a storefront, a day of downtime is a real invoice you never get to send.

  • Water, if you are on a well

    Well pumps are electric. Parts of Fort Bend County lose running water entirely, not just pressure, and that includes sanitation.

  • The house itself

    Sump pumps stop, pipes are exposed in a hard freeze, and security systems fall back to battery. Winter Storm Uri left some Texas customers without power for days in February 2021.

Sizing tool

What size generator do you need?

This runs a real NEC load calculation rather than adding up wattages — the same method an electrician uses. Enter your house, add the loads you want backed up, and it will size the unit. Nothing is submitted anywhere.

Your house

Living space plus anything convertible. Exclude a detached garage and open porches.

Kohler ratings are being added; we sell and install both.

Units are rated differently on each fuel — propane usually gives slightly more.

Advanced settings — NEC version, sizing method, elevation(defaults are fine for most homes)

Whichever your local inspector enforces.

Both are permitted. Whichever gives the smaller result is the one to use.

Houston is near sea level. Output drops ~3.5% per 1,000 ft.

From the A/C data plate. Overrides our estimate — nameplate always wins.

Add the loads you want backed up

Server-rendered so it works without scripts and is readable by search engines.

Something not in the list? Enter its nameplate amps and voltage yourself.

Appliances & pumps

Kitchen, laundry, water and motor loads

Air conditioning

One kVA per ton of cooling

Heating

Heat pumps, strip heat and thermal storage

EV charging

Level 2 chargers

Selected loads

Nothing added yet. The base calculation already covers general lighting, receptacles and the kitchen and laundry circuits.

How it works

From first call to a generator that's been tested under load

No surprises, and nothing you have to chase. We handle the permit and the inspection as part of the job.

A Generac standby generator installed on a pad beside a home, with the family on the patio behind it
  1. 01

    Site visit and load assessment

    We look at your panel, service size and gas supply, and work out what you actually need backed up — not what fits a package price.

  2. 02

    Written proposal

    Equipment, transfer switch, electrical and gas work, permits and inspection, itemised so you can see what each part costs.

  3. 03

    Permits and installation

    We pull the permit, set the pad, run the electrical and gas, install the transfer switch and coordinate the inspection.

  4. 04

    Commissioning and handover

    We start it, test the transfer under load, walk you through the controls, and set you up on a maintenance schedule.

Why us

What actually separates us from the next quote

Worth checking against whoever else you're getting a price from — these are the questions we'd ask.

Critical Power Solutions compared with a typical local generator contractor
 Critical Power SolutionsA typical local contractor
Generators and commercial electricalBoth, self-performed under one TECL licenseUsually one or the other
Manufacturer credentialsKohler Certified and Generac Authorized DealerOften a single brand, or none
Electrical licenseTECL #37583Varies — worth asking to see it
Brands servicedKohler, Generac and CumminsTypically whatever they sell
OwnershipVeteran- and family-owned, same owners since 2022Frequently private-equity rolled up
Tenant finish-out capabilityWe bid and build from engineered drawingsGenerally subcontracted out

The other half of the business

We also bid and build commercial electrical

Hand us a plan set and we'll price the electrical scope and self-perform it. Retail, restaurant, medical and office finish-outs across Greater Houston — under the same TECL #37583 that covers our generator work.

  • Tenant finish-out from engineered drawings
  • Lighting — layout, fixtures, controls
  • Power distribution and branch circuits
  • Service upgrades and panel work
  • Competitive bid from your plan set

Got drawings out for bid? Send them over and we'll get you a number.

Electrical contracting Submit plans for bid

Financing

Don't let the sticker price make the decision for you

A standby generator is a serious purchase, and most people would rather spread it than drain savings before hurricane season. We offer financing options — we'll walk you through what's available and what it costs when we quote the job.

Financing optionsGet a quote first
Where we work

Serving Fort Bend County and Greater Houston

Based in Richmond, covering Fort Bend, Harris, Brazoria, Galveston, Waller, Austin, Wharton and Colorado counties — everything within about an hour of the shop.

Our core service area

  • Alief
  • Arcola
  • Barker
  • Bear Creek
  • Beasley
  • Bellaire
  • Booth
  • Brookshire
  • Cinco Ranch
  • East Bernard
  • Fairchilds
  • Fresno
  • Fulshear
  • Greatwood
  • Guy
  • Houston
  • Iowa Colony
  • Katy
  • Kendleton
  • Manvel
  • Meadows Place
  • Memorial
  • Meyerland
  • Mission Bend
  • Missouri City
  • Needville
  • New Territory
  • Nottingham Country
  • Orchard
  • Pattison
  • Pecan Grove
  • Piney Point Village
  • Pleak
  • Richmond
  • Rosenberg
  • Rosharon
  • San Felipe
  • Sharpstown
  • Sienna
  • Simonton
  • Southside Place
  • Stafford
  • Sugar Land
  • Thompsons
  • Wallis
  • West University Place
  • Weston Lakes

Plus 49 more communities further out — the Villages, Cypress, Tomball and Spring to the north; Pearland, Alvin, Angleton and the Clear Lake area to the south; Sealy, Wharton and Columbus to the west. See the full list.

Not sure if you're in range? We're in Richmond and we cover most of Greater Houston. Give us a call and we'll tell you straight away.

All service areas Check my address
FAQ

Questions we get asked a lot

What is the 80% rule for generator sizing?
A standby generator should not run continuously above about 80% of its rated capacity. Sizing to 100% leaves nothing in reserve for startup surges, degrades the unit faster, and means any load you add later pushes it past its limit. When we size a system we work out your running load, add the largest single startup surge, then allow that 20% headroom on top. It is why a 22 kW unit is not the right answer for a 22 kW load.
How long does a generator installation take?
The installation itself is typically a short job once everything is on site. The longer part is usually sequencing: equipment lead time, the permit, coordinating the gas supply, and scheduling the inspection. We will give you a realistic timeline in writing with your proposal rather than a number over the phone.
How often does a standby generator need servicing?
Manufacturers generally specify service at least annually, and more often for units that run frequently or carry heavy commercial loads. Skipping it is the most common reason a generator fails on the one day it was bought for — and on most units it will also void warranty coverage. Oil, filters, plugs, battery and a load test are the core of a proper visit.
Can I run a standby generator on natural gas or propane?
Both. Most homes in our area run on natural gas because the supply is already there and never needs refilling. Propane is the answer where there is no gas line, and it stores well. The trade-off is supply: a gas line keeps running as long as the utility does, while a propane tank runs for as long as what is in it. Either way the gas supply has to be sized for the generator, which is a common thing to get wrong.
Do I need a permit to install a standby generator in Texas?
Yes. A standby generator installation involves both electrical and, in most cases, fuel-gas work, and that requires a permit and inspection from whichever authority has jurisdiction over your address. In Fort Bend County that may be the county or your city, depending on where you sit. We pull the permit and coordinate the inspection as part of the job, so it is not something you need to chase yourself.
Do I need to back up the whole house, or just some circuits?
Either works, and the difference is mostly cost. Backing up essential circuits — fridge, lights, outlets, internet, one HVAC zone — needs a much smaller unit. Whole-home coverage means not thinking about it during an outage. The sizing tool on this page will show you what each approach costs you in kW, which is usually the clearest way to see the trade-off.

Get a straight answer on what it costs

Tell us about your home or building and we'll come out, size it properly and put a written number in front of you. No charge for the visit.

Request a Free Quote Call (346) 420-5744

TECL #37583 · Kohler Certified · Generac Authorized Dealer ·BBB Accredited Business · Veteran & family owned