15 Questions to Ask a Generator Installer Before Hiring

Before the interview

Send each company the same backup priorities, fuel information, property restrictions and desired completion date. Keep a separate record for each bidder: legal business name, interview date, representative, proposal revision and promised follow-up date. Do not send payment details or sensitive household information merely to get an estimate.

The FTC's contractor-hiring guidance recommends checking licensing and insurance, obtaining multiple written estimates and recording verbal promises in the contract. Manufacturer guidance also supports a property-specific consultation: Generac describes discussion of placement, fuel connections and property restrictions. The interview prompts below turn those principles into practical buying checks; they are not a nationwide licensing code.

1. What legal business will sign the contract, and what licenses cover this work?

Good answer: Identifies the contracting entity, relevant license numbers and issuing authorities, and distinguishes electrical work from fuel work. Explains which local requirements still need confirmation.

Weak answer: “We're licensed” with no number or business name to check.

Red flag: The license belongs to an unrelated business, is not valid for the required work, or the contractor refuses an independent check.

Evidence to request: Match the contract name and trade scope against the official licensing record. Ask the local permit office which credentials this project requires. A business registration or manufacturer badge alone does not answer that question. The FTC recommends confirmation with state or county government.

2. How can I confirm current insurance for the company doing the work?

Good answer: Offers current documentation identifying the insured entity and a way to confirm the information with the issuing insurance professional. Explains how subcontracted work is handled.

Weak answer: Shows a cropped or undated certificate and says all contractors carry insurance.

Red flag: Refuses proof, supplies contradictory names or dates, or asks you to rely on a logo instead of documentation.

Evidence to request: Current proof, named insured, policy dates and clarification of applicable liability and workers' compensation arrangements. Ask the insurer or agent about questions concerning coverage; a certificate alone does not resolve every exclusion. Insurance requirements and exemptions vary, so do not invent a universal policy limit.

3. Who performs the electrical and fuel work, and who owns the complete job?

Good answer: Names the responsible firms or explains when they will be appointed, identifies the project lead and documents who coordinates each handoff.

Weak answer: “Our team handles everything,” but the estimate excludes gas work without explanation.

Red flag: Nobody accepts responsibility for an omitted trade, yet you are pressed to sign a supposedly turnkey contract.

Evidence to request: A responsibility list for electrical, fuel, utility coordination, permits, site work and startup, with included and separately contracted work distinguished. Subcontracting itself is not a disqualifier; an undisclosed gap is the problem.

4. What comparable installations has the proposed team completed?

Good answer: Describes recent projects using similar equipment, fuel and site constraints, and offers references with the customers' permission.

Weak answer: Shows only manufacturer publicity images or speaks about the salesperson's experience rather than the installation crew's.

Red flag: Claims another company's project as its own or presents invented references.

Evidence to request: Project descriptions, attributable photos where available and permission-based references. Ask a reference whether the scope changed, the permit work was completed and problems were resolved. A new company may have experienced staff; request evidence of that experience rather than treating company age as proof of quality.

5. How will you confirm which loads this system can support?

Good answer: Starts with your priorities, assesses the actual equipment and explains simultaneous loads, starting demand and any loads that will be managed or excluded.

Weak answer: Offers a preliminary size based only on house area, without explaining the later assessment.

Red flag: Guarantees every appliance can run together while refusing to document the backup-load plan.

Evidence to request: A written supported-load list and design assumptions before final equipment commitment. You need an explanation you can understand, not instructions for doing your own electrical calculations. Different designs can be reasonable if they deliver the backup behavior you requested.

6. What exact generator and transfer equipment are included?

Good answer: Specifies model numbers, output on your intended fuel, transfer equipment and any necessary load-management accessories; explains substitutions require approval.

Weak answer: Lists only the brand and headline kilowatt size.

Red flag: Reserves the right to substitute materially different equipment without your agreement while promising an exact system.

Evidence to request: Model-specific specifications and an equipment schedule attached to the proposal. Have the designer explain compatibility. Brand familiarity does not establish that two equipment packages deliver the same result.

7. How will you establish a suitable location for this property?

Good answer: Evaluates the site and relates the proposed position to the exact manufacturer's instructions, applicable local requirements, openings, drainage and maintenance access.

Weak answer: Suggests the cheapest or least visible position before examining the property.

Red flag: Dismisses a known siting conflict because “we always put them there,” and refuses to show the applicable requirement.

Evidence to request: An annotated location plan identifying unresolved approvals. Generac's installation overview calls for site selection and service space; it is not a substitute for your model's installation manual. Do not accept a generic clearance number as approval for your particular site.

8. Who confirms that the fuel supply can support the proposed system?

Good answer: Names the qualified fuel professional and any utility or propane-supplier involvement, with a plan to assess the proposed generator alongside the existing fuel system.

Weak answer: Assumes the presence of a gas meter or propane tank settles the issue.

Red flag: Demands an irreversible equipment commitment while refusing to investigate a known fuel-supply uncertainty.

Evidence to request: Written fuel-work responsibility, what has been assessed, outstanding checks and treatment of required upgrades. An honest “utility confirmation pending” is better than an unsupported guarantee. Keep the decision with qualified professionals; do not inspect or modify live fuel equipment yourself.

9. Who obtains permits, schedules inspections and resolves corrections?

Good answer: Identifies the relevant authority, expected approvals, permit applicant, included fees and responsibility for inspection corrections and closeout.

Weak answer: “Permits included,” without specifying who closes them or pays for corrections.

Red flag: Suggests concealing the job or putting misleading information on an owner-builder application.

Evidence to request: A written permit and inspection responsibility statement, followed by application and closeout records as the work progresses. The FTC flags contractors shifting required permits to homeowners; local lawful owner-permit arrangements still need an informed check with the authority, not a blanket assumption that every owner application is fraudulent.

11. What are the payment milestones, cancellation terms and financing conditions?

Good answer: Provides a written schedule tied to defined project events, explains cancellation and equipment-order commitments, and supplies financing documents for independent review if financing is offered.

Weak answer: Discusses only the monthly payment or says the deposit is “standard.”

Red flag: Demands full payment up front, accepts only cash or pressures you to sign unread financing papers.

Evidence to request: Total price, deposit, remaining milestones and any separate credit agreement. Check applicable state rules rather than applying a national deposit percentage. The FTC warns against full upfront payment and financing pressure.

12. What determines the completion date, not just the installation day?

Good answer: Separates equipment availability, permits, utility work, physical installation, inspections and commissioning; names dependencies and how delays are communicated.

Weak answer: “One-day install,” without saying when the system will be ready for use.

Red flag: Guarantees readiness by a specific date despite known unresolved approvals, but will not record the assumptions or contractual commitment.

Evidence to request: Estimated start and completion dates, milestones and conditions. Generac notes that preparation can take multiple weeks; its general timing is not a promise for your project. A cautious schedule is not automatically inferior to a fast sales claim.

13. How will you demonstrate and document the completed backup system?

Good answer: Describes manufacturer-appropriate commissioning, a professionally controlled outage simulation and transfer back to utility, verification of the agreed backup behavior and an owner handoff.

Weak answer: “We'll start it and show you the app.”

Red flag: Declares the project complete while refusing to demonstrate the contracted system operation or address missing required inspection records.

Evidence to request: A written commissioning and handover commitment, with records delivered at completion. Generac describes simulating an outage before installation is complete. Do not attempt the simulation yourself by opening equipment or manipulating utility connections.

14. What warranty applies, and who handles a claim?

Good answer: Separates manufacturer equipment coverage from installer workmanship terms and identifies the contact for diagnosis, claim approval and repair. States any separately charged travel or diagnostic work.

Weak answer: “Everything is covered,” with only a sales brochure.

Red flag: Claims coverage contradicted by the written warranty or will not provide the terms before commitment.

Evidence to request: The applicable model warranty, workmanship agreement and claimed service authorization verification path. A company selling a brand is not, by that fact alone, proven able to perform every warranty service. Ask the manufacturer to resolve uncertainties; do not assume choosing an independent installer automatically voids a warranty.

15. Who supports this generator after handover and during a widespread outage?

Good answer: Gives a named service contact, coverage area, maintenance options, callout charges and realistic outage-response terms, including whether service-plan customers receive priority.

Weak answer: “We're always here,” without distinguishing a telephone line from a technician visit.

Red flag: Promises guaranteed immediate storm response but refuses to put the service conditions in writing.

Evidence to request: Written service terms and a sample maintenance scope, or confirmation from the separate company that will support the installation. Installation-only service is not inherently poor work; it must fit a support plan you can actually arrange.

Turn the answers into a hiring decision

Mark each answer documented, follow-up required or contradicted. Record the evidence location and a deadline beside every follow-up. Do not count unsupported reassurance as a pass, and do not label an unanswered first-call question a proven scam.

Copy this record for each unresolved item:

Once important gaps are resolved, use the buyer-weighted company comparison worksheet to decide among qualified candidates. If statements conflict with records or the contractor resists basic checks, use the generator installer red-flags guide to decide whether to clarify, pause or walk away.

Need more names to research? The generator provider directory contains unverified listings, not endorsed or prequalified installers. Confirm service area, residential standby capability, credentials and availability directly before including a company in your shortlist.