Standby Generator Design and Installation
5 Star Electrical Services designs and installs standby generator systems throughout San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County. We are a licensed C-10 electrical contractor, license #973698, bonded and insured. A whole-house standby generator installation runs about $15,000, including permits, plans, engineering and gas. That covers the transfer switch, the generator connection, and the panel work required to carry the circuits you want backed up. Call (805) 215-4503 or book a free estimate online.
We Design It, Not Just Install It
Deciding which circuits stay live during an outage is the decision that drives everything else — the size of the generator, the transfer switch, the panel work and the cost. Backing up the whole house is one answer. Backing up the refrigerator, well pump, a few lights and the internet is a much cheaper one. We work that out with you before quoting rather than selling you the largest unit on the shelf.
What the Installation Includes
Load calculation and system design. Permits, plans and engineering. The generator set and its pad. The automatic transfer switch. Gas connection. Panel and sub panel work to separate the backed-up circuits. Grounding and bonding to current code. Commissioning and testing. The final inspection.
Public Safety Power Shutoffs
PG&E de-energizes lines across the Central Coast during high fire risk conditions, and those shutoffs can last days rather than hours. A standby generator with an automatic transfer switch starts on its own when the power drops and shuts down when it returns, with no cords and no manual switching.
About $15,000 for a whole-house installation including permits, plans, engineering and gas. A smaller system backing up selected circuits costs less. Every job is quoted as a flat price in writing before work begins. There are no trip or mileage charges anywhere in our service area.
What does an electrician charge to come out?
Troubleshooting and repair is a $300 two-hour minimum. That includes a panel safety inspection, about 30 minutes, plus 90 minutes of troubleshooting and repair. Parts and material are additional.
Do you give flat rate or hourly pricing?
Flat rate. You get the full price in writing before any work begins, including parts, labor and cleanup. If the job takes longer than estimated, that is our cost, not yours.
Are there trip charges or mileage charges?
No. There are no trip or mileage charges anywhere in our service area, including North County.
Do you offer emergency or after-hours service?
We schedule weekend and evening work by appointment. Our phone line is staffed Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, so the fastest way to arrange after-hours work is to book online or call during business hours.
What should I do if my breaker keeps tripping?
A breaker that trips repeatedly is doing its job — it is signalling an overload or a fault on that circuit. Do not replace it with a larger breaker. Unplug what you can from the circuit and have an electrician trace the cause.
Do you offer financing?
Yes, through Wisetack on larger projects. Ask during your estimate.