How to choose a generator installer in Palm Beach County

The generator itself is a commodity — Generac, Kohler, Cummins, and Briggs & Stratton units are sold by dozens of local companies. What you're really buying is the installer's sizing judgment, permitting competence, and whether they answer the phone during a storm. Choose on those.

Licensing and certification in Florida

In Florida, standby generator installation is electrical work, and it must be done (or directly supervised) by a licensed electrical contractor. Before you sign anything:

• Check the license on Florida DBPR's license verification (myfloridalicense.com). Look for an active Certified or Registered Electrical Contractor (EC or ER prefix) — that's who's allowed to pull your electrical permit.
• Generac and Kohler both certify dealers in tiers; a factory-certified dealer can register your warranty and order parts faster. Ask which tier, and whether their own techs are factory-trained.
• Confirm liability insurance and workers' comp — a generator install involves gas lines, a crane or lift in some cases, and your main panel.
• Ask who actually does the work. Some sellers subcontract installation; the better shops in the county install with their own crews.

Six questions to ask every installer

• "Will you do a load calculation at my house?" Sizing from square footage alone oversells or undersells. A real calc counts AC tonnage, pool equipment, kitchen loads, and well pumps.
• "What's included in this quote — pad, permits, gas work, tank, startup?" The cheapest quote often excludes the buried propane tank or the panel upgrade. Compare installed, inspected, running totals only.
• "Who pulls the permits, and how long did your last three installs in my town take?" Permit timelines vary a lot across Palm Beach County municipalities.
• "What does the warranty actually cover, and what maintenance does it require?" Extended 7–10 year warranties are common but require documented annual maintenance.
• "If it fails during an outage, who do I call and how fast do you come?" Ask about storm-week service explicitly. Dedicated generator companies and shops with 24/7 service answer differently than general electricians.
• "Can I talk to two recent customers in my city?" Legitimate installers in this county say yes.

Red flags

• A quote given over the phone without a site visit
• Pressure to sign 'before hurricane season pricing ends'
• No license number on the quote or truck
• A price far below every competitor — usually missing the tank, the pad, the panel work, or the permits
• No maintenance offering at all: they plan to disappear after startup