Whole-House Generator Installation
- Automatic Standby Power
- Whole-Home Coverage
- Professionally Sized & Installed
Our Approach to Generator Installation
Maine storms knock out power when you need it most. Aces Highlands installs whole-house standby generators that switch on automatically — keeping your heat, water, and essentials running through any outage in Greater Portland and Southern Maine.
A standby generator sits permanently outside your home and starts automatically the moment the power goes out — no cords, no manual switching, no cold nights. We install Generac and other leading standby systems sized to cover your whole home or just the circuits that matter most: heating, well pump, refrigeration, sump pump, and lighting.
Every installation includes a properly sized generator, an automatic transfer switch wired to your electrical panel, and a fuel connection to natural gas or propane. We handle permitting, placement, and inspection so your system is safe, code-compliant, and ready before the next storm.
We start with a load assessment to recommend the right capacity for your needs and budget — no overspending on a unit larger than you need. We offer financing options on whole-house generators, and we provide ongoing maintenance to keep your backup power ready year-round. Contact us for a free estimate.
Standby vs. Portable Generator: Which Makes Sense in Maine?
A portable generator is cheaper up front, but it only helps if someone is home to wheel it out, fuel it, and run cords — in the dark, in an ice storm. A standby generator starts itself within seconds of an outage, runs on your propane or natural gas supply, powers circuits through a proper transfer switch, and shuts itself off when the grid returns. For Maine homes, the decisive factor is usually heat: an extended winter outage with no heat risks frozen pipes and thousands in water damage, and a standby unit protects the house whether you are home or not.
If you already own a portable generator, there is a middle path worth knowing about: we can install a manual transfer switch or interlock so your portable unit safely powers selected circuits — no extension cords through windows, and no dangerous backfeeding. As a local company, we will recommend whichever solution actually fits your risk and budget rather than defaulting to the biggest ticket.
How Is a Standby Generator Sized, and What Does It Cost?
Sizing starts with a load assessment: which circuits must stay live in an outage? Essentials-only coverage — heat, well pump, refrigerator, sump pump, some lights — often fits a 10-14 kW unit, while whole-home coverage for a typical house runs 18-26 kW. Nationally, installed standby systems typically land in the $9,000-$15,000 range depending on capacity, fuel connection, and placement; an essentials-only setup costs meaningfully less than whole-home.
Our installation covers the concrete or composite pad, the automatic transfer switch at your electrical panel, the gas or propane fuel connection, permitting, and inspection — performed under our Maine electrical, plumbing, and gas licensing, which matters because a standby generator is one of the few projects that is electrical and fuel work at the same time. Aces Highlands holds both sides of that job in-house.
Local & Independent — Not a Franchise
Aces Highlands is a locally owned Portland, Maine company — not a national franchise. Our technicians are not commissioned salespeople and nobody here is required to upsell you anything. We do the work you called us for, do it right, and earn the next call. That is the whole business model.
Licensed Maine Electrician
Every electrical job is performed under a State of Maine electrician's license (#MS60023157), permitted and inspected for full code compliance. Fully insured. Free estimates across Greater Portland & Southern Maine.
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Generator Installation FAQs
How fast does a standby generator turn on when the power goes out?
Typically within 10 to 30 seconds of a grid failure, the automatic transfer switch starts the generator and picks up your circuits — no one has to be home and nothing has to be plugged in. When utility power returns, it transfers back and shuts down on its own.
What size generator do I need for my house?
Essentials-only coverage (heat, well pump, refrigeration, sump pump, lights) often fits a 10-14 kW unit; whole-home coverage typically runs 18-26 kW. We perform a load assessment and size to what you actually need — never a bigger unit than the math supports.
How much does a whole-house generator cost installed?
Nationally, most installed standby systems run $9,000-$15,000 depending on capacity, fuel hookup, and site conditions, with essentials-only systems costing less. We provide a firm written quote after the load assessment, and financing is available.
Propane or natural gas — which fuel is better for a generator?
If your street has natural gas, it offers unlimited runtime without deliveries. Most of Maine runs on propane, which works excellently — we size the tank so the generator can run for days. Either way, we handle the fuel connection ourselves under our Maine gas licensing.
What maintenance does a standby generator need?
An annual service — oil and filter, spark plugs as needed, battery check, and a transfer-switch test — plus the weekly self-test the unit runs automatically. We offer ongoing maintenance so your generator is ready before every storm season, not discovered dead during one.
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Generator Installation Near You
Aces Highlands provides generator installation across Greater Portland and Southern Maine. Find your community below.
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