Most of the standby generator pages online are written to be found, not to be read. This one is an attempt at the opposite: what the job actually involves, in the order it happens, including the parts that surprise people.
It starts with the panel, not the generator
The first thing worth looking at is your existing electrical service, because it decides what is possible. A lot of Houston-area homes built before the 2000s are still on 100A or 150A service. A whole-home standby system on a house like that often needs a service or panel upgrade first, and that is a real cost that belongs in the conversation before anyone quotes equipment.
Newer construction is usually 200A and straightforward. Either way it gets checked on the site visit, not assumed.
Sizing is a calculation, not a guess
The most common way a generator install goes wrong is being sized on a rule of thumb. Undersize it and the unit runs at its limit, struggles on motor startup and wears out early. Oversize it and you have paid for capacity that never gets used.
A proper size comes from a load calculation — running load, plus the largest single starting surge, with enough headroom that continuous draw stays at or below 80% of the generator’s rating. Air conditioning is usually the constraint, because a compressor draws several times its running current for the first moments after it starts.
You can get a rough figure yourself with the sizing calculator. The binding number needs somebody looking at your actual panel.
Where the unit can legally sit
This is the part that catches people out. A generator cannot go wherever is most convenient. It needs clearances from windows, doors, vents and the property line, set by code and by the manufacturer’s installation manual. On a tight lot — and Fort Bend has a lot of tight lots — that can leave surprisingly few workable positions.
If you are in a master-planned community, there is usually a second layer: architectural review. Screening requirements, which side of the house is acceptable, whether visible gas piping is allowed. That gets settled before the permit, not after.
Fuel
Most homes here run natural gas, because the supply is already at the property and never needs refilling. Propane is the answer where there is no gas line, and it stores indefinitely — the trade-off is duration, since a tank runs as long as what is in it.
Either way, the fuel line has to be sized for the generator’s demand. An undersized gas run is one of the most common reasons a unit that passed inspection still struggles under load, and it is not something you find out about until the first real outage.
The transfer switch
The automatic transfer switch is what separates your house from the grid when the generator runs. It is a safety device as much as a convenience one — without proper transfer, a running generator can backfeed the utility line and endanger anyone working on it.
It also decides what actually gets powered. A whole-home switch covers everything. An essential-circuits switch covers a defined subset — typically HVAC, refrigeration, well pump, some lighting and outlets — for considerably less money. Which one makes sense depends on your load calculation and your budget, and it is worth understanding the difference before you choose.
Permits and inspection
The electrical permit is pulled with whichever authority has jurisdiction over your address. In Fort Bend County that may be your city or the county, depending on where you sit — and a mailing address does not reliably tell you which. Plenty of homes with a Richmond or Katy address are in unincorporated county.
We pull the permit under our contractor license and meet the inspector. It is not something you file or chase.
Commissioning is not just switching it on
Once the unit is installed and inspected, it gets started, the transfer is tested under load, and the exercise schedule is set. You should be walked through the controls, shown how to read a fault, and told what the maintenance schedule actually is.
A standby generator is a machine with an engine. It needs servicing on schedule to stay under warranty and to start when it matters. Our GenWatch service plans start at $35/month.
What to ask whoever quotes you
- What load calculation did you run, and can I see it?
- Is my existing service adequate, or does it need upgrading first?
- Whole-home or essential-circuits transfer switch, and why that one?
- Who pulls the permit, and who meets the inspector?
- Is the gas line sized for this unit’s demand, or just connected to what was nearest?
- What is the maintenance schedule, and what does a visit cost?
A contractor who answers those clearly is telling you something useful about how they work.
We install standby generators across Greater Houston and Fort Bend County. Kohler Certified, Generac Authorized Dealer, TECL #37583. Site visit and written quote are free — request one or see what it costs.