Standby Generator Installation on Long Island: The Electrician's Guide

Nor'easters, summer storms, and hurricane season can leave Long Island neighborhoods without power for days. Lots with heavy tree cover and overhead lines tend to lose power more often.

A standby generator starts on its own within seconds of an outage. It runs on natural gas or propane, so nobody has to refuel it in the middle of a storm.

Generator size should come from your home's actual electrical load, not a guess. We look at central AC, well pumps, sump pumps, electric ranges, EV chargers, and medical equipment.

Most homes fall into one of two plans. Essentials coverage (about 10–14 kW) runs heat, fridge, sump, lights, and outlets. Whole-home coverage (typically 22–26 kW) runs nearly everything, including central air.

Oversizing wastes money. Undersizing leads to overloads at the moment you need power most.

The transfer switch keeps generator power and utility power separated. It is what protects line workers and your equipment. Never backfeed a generator through a dryer outlet or extension cord.

An automatic transfer switch (ATS) is standard with standby units. A whole-house ATS covers your entire panel. A load-managed setup sheds big loads like AC so a smaller generator can still cover the home.

Older or full panels may need work first. A panel that's out of space or obsolete is often the hidden cost in a generator project.

Placement follows the manufacturer's clearances from windows, doors, vents, and property lines, plus local zoning rules. We plan the spot with you before anything is ordered.

The unit sits on a level pad. The gas line has to be sized for the generator's full demand, and a licensed plumber handles that connection. On propane, tank size sets how long you can run.

Standby generators on Long Island need permits. Depending on your town, that can include an electrical permit with inspection, a building or zoning approval for placement, and the plumbing or gas sign-off.

Requirements differ by town and village. We pull the electrical permit and coordinate the inspection so the system is documented and insurable.

A typical install sets the pad and unit, mounts the transfer switch, runs the wiring to the panel, and connects the fuel. Then we commission it: test the transfer, check the exercise schedule, and walk you through the controls.

Most installs take one to two days on site once permits and equipment are in hand.

Installed with transfer switch, pad, gas, and permits: about $6,500–$9,500 for 10–14 kW essentials, $10,500–$14,500 for a typical 22 kW, and $12,500–$16,500 for 24–26 kW.

Price moves with gas line distance, panel condition, transfer switch type, and site prep. A site visit gives you a firm number.

Generator dealers sell equipment. The risks that matter are electrical: a bad load calculation, a wrong transfer switch, or a panel that can't take the connection.

Berman Electric is a licensed, insured, owner-operated electrical contractor based in Ronkonkoma. Rob Berman plans the electrical side of every job himself. See our generator installation service page for local details, or request an estimate below.

Get the site visit and load calculation done before hurricane season, since permits and equipment both take time. After installation, keep up with annual maintenance and let the weekly self-test run.