Assessment
We inspect the electrical service, loads, fuel availability, unit location, access, clearances, and the circuits you expect to keep running.
Standby Generators
Whole-home backup, installed and tested
What we do and how
A generator that has never been load tested is a guess.
Request a site assessment →We size the unit against a measured load rather than square footage, wire it through a transfer switch, run it under actual load, verify the transfer and the return to utility power, and show you the numbers.
Included in scope
- Load evaluation and generator sizing
- Air-cooled and liquid-cooled standby units
- Automatic transfer switch installation
- Whole-home and critical circuit configurations
- Natural gas and propane fuel connection
- Concrete or composite pad set and leveling
Backup power has to carry the circuits you need when the utility does not.
The generator, fuel supply, transfer equipment, panel, selected loads, pad, wiring, controls, and load test are one system. A nameplate size alone does not tell you what will actually run.
The backup system
The unit, transfer, fuel, load, and test work as one system.
01
Measured load
We identify the equipment and circuits you need during an outage so the generator is selected around actual demand rather than an estimate.
02
Fuel and placement
The fuel source, run, pad, clearances, access, and unit location are evaluated before the system is specified.
03
Transfer and controls
Automatic transfer equipment and control wiring are configured so the system starts, transfers, and returns to utility power as designed.
04
Load test
We run the system under relevant load and verify generator operation, transfer, return, and the circuits the documented scope is meant to support.
How a generator project runs01 02 03 04
Clear before the outage does the testing.
Written scope
You see the unit, load plan, transfer equipment, fuel work, pad, wiring, testing, and related work included before installation begins.
Execution
Pad, equipment, fuel, transfer, wiring, controls, protection, and startup are sequenced before permanent work starts.
Load test
We run the system, verify transfer and return, review operation, and provide a clear handoff of the documented backup plan.
System options
The system follows the load, fuel, and backup plan.
Air-cooled units
Air-cooled standby generators are selected around the documented load, fuel source, placement, transfer equipment, and runtime expectations.
Liquid-cooled units
Larger liquid-cooled systems support higher-load applications when capacity, fuel, access, placement, and service requirements call for them.
Transfer equipment
Automatic transfer switches and controls are matched to the system configuration so selected circuits receive backup power reliably.
Fuel and pads
Natural gas or propane connections, clearances, pads, leveling, and site conditions are addressed as part of the documented installation plan.
What determines the price of standby generator work
The number follows the backup plan.
A written standby-generator scope is built around the actual load, fuel, unit location, transfer equipment, electrical path, access, and test requirements. Generator size is only one part of the job.
- Measured load, critical circuits, whole-home goals, and expected runtime
- Generator type, capacity, fuel source, placement, pad, and clearances
- Transfer equipment, panel configuration, electrical path, and controls
- Natural gas or propane connection and any required coordination
- Access, trenching, protection, permits, and site conditions
- Startup, load testing, documentation, and maintenance requirements
What is included, and what is not
Scope boundaries are part of the work.
Included when required
- Documented electrical, fuel, placement, pad, or load conditions identified during the assessment or included as a defined contingency
- System details identified in the written scope
- Jobsite protection, cleanup, equipment handling, startup, and load testing stated in the proposal
- Relevant operation, test, and handoff documentation
Needs a written decision
- Conditions hidden until electrical panels, fuel paths, exterior areas, or walls are opened
- Related electrical service, fuel-provider, structural, site, or utility work outside the stated scope
- Generator, load plan, fuel, transfer, or design changes requested after the scope is accepted
- Separate work that does not belong to the documented backup system
Standby generator questions
Get answers before you decide.
How do you determine what size generator I need?
We start with measured load, the equipment and circuits you need during an outage, fuel availability, desired runtime, and whether the system is meant for critical circuits or a broader backup plan.
Can a standby generator run the entire home?
Some can, depending on the measured load, starting demands, fuel supply, generator capacity, electrical configuration, and the documented scope. The plan should be based on actual requirements.
Why does a generator need a load test?
A load test verifies more than starting. It confirms generator operation, transfer behavior, return to utility power, and the circuits the system is intended to support.
Can I get an exact price without an assessment?
An exact scope needs the load, electrical equipment, fuel, placement, access, transfer plan, and any concealed conditions to be evaluated.
Free · No obligation
Tell us what needs backup power.
Start the request here. The existing Sentinel HighLevel assessment form will record your details for follow-up.
Get it looked at
before the next outage.
Start with a documented standby-generator assessment and a written backup plan that reflects the actual load.