Quick answer: Start with the correct contractor credential and the permit authority for your property. Local AHJ requirements can differ. These eight research profiles verify a narrow official starting point; they are not completed state code guides or statewide installation-price benchmarks.
Choose your state below, then take the open questions to your installer. We have zero verified local quote records. State incentives, adopted code editions, gas/propane credentials, placement dimensions and permit fees are not established by this source set.
Florida now has a deeper decision guide: licensing, current state-code starting point, flood/wind questions, utility coordination and a Florida-specific quote-scope checklist are researched separately. Open the Florida standby-generator installation guide →
Florida: who to check and what to ask
Florida installation research
DBPR verifies electrical contractors and the business they qualify. Match both names to the proposal.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07. Scope: licensing or authority starting point only.
Ask locally: Ask the local permit office which site plan, wind anchorage and flood-elevation documents it needs. Do not assume a neighbor’s approved pad is suitable for your property.
- Which AHJ approves this address, and which current code edition and local amendments apply?
- Who is authorized for electrical, natural-gas or propane work? What separate permits and inspections are required?
- What manufacturer clearances, local setbacks, noise, flood and wind requirements apply to the proposed location?
- Can the utility or propane supplier document capacity, pressure, storage and refill constraints for the exact model?
- Who pays for meter work, trenching, restoration, pad, utility coordination and commissioning?
- Is any incentive genuinely available for this project? Require official eligibility terms; none is assumed here.
Not established: statewide price, approval, safe setback, outage frequency or fuel availability for your property. Ask for written site-specific answers before signing.
Texas: who to check and what to ask
Texas installation research
TDLR states that non-exempt electrical work must be performed by licensed individuals through a licensed electrical contractor.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07. Scope: licensing or authority starting point only.
Ask locally: Ask your serving utility about meter capacity and coordination. Record electrical and fuel-provider responsibilities separately; generator fuel availability is a property-specific question.
- Which AHJ approves this address, and which current code edition and local amendments apply?
- Who is authorized for electrical, natural-gas or propane work? What separate permits and inspections are required?
- What manufacturer clearances, local setbacks, noise, flood and wind requirements apply to the proposed location?
- Can the utility or propane supplier document capacity, pressure, storage and refill constraints for the exact model?
- Who pays for meter work, trenching, restoration, pad, utility coordination and commissioning?
- Is any incentive genuinely available for this project? Require official eligibility terms; none is assumed here.
Not established: statewide price, approval, safe setback, outage frequency or fuel availability for your property. Ask for written site-specific answers before signing.
Louisiana: who to check and what to ask
Louisiana installation research
The state contractor search lists currently licensed or registered contractors and offers classification and parish searches. Confirm classification and local requirements rather than inferring permission from a search match.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07. Scope: licensing or authority starting point only.
Ask locally: Ask the parish or municipal authority about floodplain review, siting and inspection sequence. Get restoration and trenching exclusions in writing.
- Which AHJ approves this address, and which current code edition and local amendments apply?
- Who is authorized for electrical, natural-gas or propane work? What separate permits and inspections are required?
- What manufacturer clearances, local setbacks, noise, flood and wind requirements apply to the proposed location?
- Can the utility or propane supplier document capacity, pressure, storage and refill constraints for the exact model?
- Who pays for meter work, trenching, restoration, pad, utility coordination and commissioning?
- Is any incentive genuinely available for this project? Require official eligibility terms; none is assumed here.
Not established: statewide price, approval, safe setback, outage frequency or fuel availability for your property. Ask for written site-specific answers before signing.
North Carolina: who to check and what to ask
North Carolina installation research
NCBEEC provides an active electrical-contractor lookup. Verify the firm and applicable classification.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07. Scope: licensing or authority starting point only.
Ask locally: Identify the actual city or county permit authority for the property. Ask which fuel-trade credentials, terrain access and site conditions need separate review.
- Which AHJ approves this address, and which current code edition and local amendments apply?
- Who is authorized for electrical, natural-gas or propane work? What separate permits and inspections are required?
- What manufacturer clearances, local setbacks, noise, flood and wind requirements apply to the proposed location?
- Can the utility or propane supplier document capacity, pressure, storage and refill constraints for the exact model?
- Who pays for meter work, trenching, restoration, pad, utility coordination and commissioning?
- Is any incentive genuinely available for this project? Require official eligibility terms; none is assumed here.
Not established: statewide price, approval, safe setback, outage frequency or fuel availability for your property. Ask for written site-specific answers before signing.
South Carolina: who to check and what to ask
South Carolina installation research
The Residential Builders Commission describes residential electrical and plumbing licensing categories. Check the category applicable to the proposed work.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07. Scope: licensing or authority starting point only.
Ask locally: Ask the local authority to identify the correct residential trade approvals, site documentation and final inspections before accepting a single bundled permit allowance.
- Which AHJ approves this address, and which current code edition and local amendments apply?
- Who is authorized for electrical, natural-gas or propane work? What separate permits and inspections are required?
- What manufacturer clearances, local setbacks, noise, flood and wind requirements apply to the proposed location?
- Can the utility or propane supplier document capacity, pressure, storage and refill constraints for the exact model?
- Who pays for meter work, trenching, restoration, pad, utility coordination and commissioning?
- Is any incentive genuinely available for this project? Require official eligibility terms; none is assumed here.
Not established: statewide price, approval, safe setback, outage frequency or fuel availability for your property. Ask for written site-specific answers before signing.
Georgia: who to check and what to ask
Georgia installation research
The state board licenses electrical contractors, rather than electricians as a general category. Verify the contractor credential behind the bid.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07. Scope: licensing or authority starting point only.
Ask locally: Ask which local department handles electrical, fuel and site approvals. Separate tree/access work and utility coordination from generator equipment pricing.
- Which AHJ approves this address, and which current code edition and local amendments apply?
- Who is authorized for electrical, natural-gas or propane work? What separate permits and inspections are required?
- What manufacturer clearances, local setbacks, noise, flood and wind requirements apply to the proposed location?
- Can the utility or propane supplier document capacity, pressure, storage and refill constraints for the exact model?
- Who pays for meter work, trenching, restoration, pad, utility coordination and commissioning?
- Is any incentive genuinely available for this project? Require official eligibility terms; none is assumed here.
Not established: statewide price, approval, safe setback, outage frequency or fuel availability for your property. Ask for written site-specific answers before signing.
New York: who to check and what to ask
New York installation research
The Department of State directs local licensing, zoning and project code questions to the local building department; its code division does not handle electrician licensing.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07. Scope: licensing or authority starting point only.
Ask locally: Identify the city, town or village responsible for the property. Do not extrapolate NYC or one Long Island jurisdiction’s process to the rest of the state.
- Which AHJ approves this address, and which current code edition and local amendments apply?
- Who is authorized for electrical, natural-gas or propane work? What separate permits and inspections are required?
- What manufacturer clearances, local setbacks, noise, flood and wind requirements apply to the proposed location?
- Can the utility or propane supplier document capacity, pressure, storage and refill constraints for the exact model?
- Who pays for meter work, trenching, restoration, pad, utility coordination and commissioning?
- Is any incentive genuinely available for this project? Require official eligibility terms; none is assumed here.
Not established: statewide price, approval, safe setback, outage frequency or fuel availability for your property. Ask for written site-specific answers before signing.
New Jersey: who to check and what to ask
New Jersey installation research
Consumer Affairs provides professional and business license verification; electrical contractor businesses use the business search.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07. Scope: licensing or authority starting point only.
Ask locally: Ask the local construction office which subcode applications and fuel-trade credentials apply, and who coordinates utility work and final approval.
- Which AHJ approves this address, and which current code edition and local amendments apply?
- Who is authorized for electrical, natural-gas or propane work? What separate permits and inspections are required?
- What manufacturer clearances, local setbacks, noise, flood and wind requirements apply to the proposed location?
- Can the utility or propane supplier document capacity, pressure, storage and refill constraints for the exact model?
- Who pays for meter work, trenching, restoration, pad, utility coordination and commissioning?
- Is any incentive genuinely available for this project? Require official eligibility terms; none is assumed here.
Not established: statewide price, approval, safe setback, outage frequency or fuel availability for your property. Ask for written site-specific answers before signing.
What a complete state guide still requires
Before publishing a dedicated state guide, we require verified electrical and fuel-trade authorities, current code-adoption sources, representative local permit examples, utility instructions and applicable hazard guidance. Local examples must be labeled with their jurisdiction and date. A licensing link alone will not become a thin standalone state page.
Publication status: Florida has advanced to a dedicated evidence-led guide. The other seven states remain research starting points until their source sets meet the same threshold.
Next: permit and placement checklist, compare the written scope and verify local service.