PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoffs have made backup power less of a luxury and more of a practical necessity for many Bay Area homeowners. At Site Electric Services, we install standby and portable generator hookups with properly rated transfer switches, so your home can safely run on backup power when the grid goes down.
We proudly serve Vallejo, Benicia, Napa, Fairfield, Concord, Martinez, and surrounding areas with expert-level service that's built on experience, honesty, and an unmatched reputation for quality.
It depends on which circuits you want to keep running during an outage — a few essentials like the fridge and some lights, or your entire home including HVAC. We size the generator and transfer switch based on a load calculation of your actual home, not a generic estimate.
A safe generator hookup starts with a transfer switch — either manual or automatic — that physically isolates your home's wiring from the utility grid whenever the generator is running. This prevents backfeeding power onto grid lines, which is a serious safety hazard for utility workers and a code violation without one.
We size the transfer switch and any required sub-panel to match your generator's output and your household's critical loads, whether that's a portable unit for essentials or a whole-home standby system.
Our focus is on residential electrical work done right the first time, not rushed patch jobs. We bring an unmatched level of care and expertise to each job, with a reputation built on referrals, repeat business, and integrity.
We start by discussing what you need backup power to cover — the whole house or just the essentials — and answering your questions up front.
Our electricians assess your panel, service size, and generator location to determine the safest, most efficient hookup.
We explain your options in plain language and provide an accurate, upfront estimate before any work begins.
We install and test the transfer switch and generator connection, then walk you through operating it before we leave.
Plugging a generator directly into an outlet or panel without a transfer switch can send power back down utility lines — a serious hazard for line workers and a violation of electrical code, not to mention damage to your generator and appliances.
We proudly provide backup generator installation throughout Vallejo, Benicia, Napa, Fairfield, Martinez, Concord, American Canyon, Vacaville, and Walnut Creek.
Whether you own a historic home in Benicia, a mid-century house in Vallejo, or a new construction in Napa, we have the knowledge and tools to get your backup generator installed safely and up to code.
Ready to get started? Call Site Electric Services today to schedule your backup generator installation. Your home deserves the best—and Site Electric Services provides the best electricians in Vallejo and surrounding areas.
A portable generator is manually connected when the power goes out and typically runs a limited number of circuits through extension cords or a transfer switch. A standby generator is permanently installed, runs on natural gas or propane, and switches on automatically within seconds of an outage.
Yes — a transfer switch safely isolates your home's wiring from the utility grid while the generator is running, which protects utility workers from backfeed and protects your generator from damage. Backfeeding a generator into your panel without one is dangerous and against code.
A good rule of thumb is about $1,000 per kilowatt installed — for example, a 10kW generator lands around that range — though the final price depends on generator size, whether a new gas line is needed, and panel/transfer switch requirements. Call us for a free estimate specific to your home.
Installation typically takes one to two days depending on the setup. Standby generators usually run on natural gas or propane, so if you don't already have a gas line sized correctly for the unit, that's coordinated as part of the project.
That's your choice — some homeowners want everything covered, others just want essentials like the fridge, well pump, and a few outlets. We size the system and transfer switch to match whichever you choose.
