Generators
Standby and portable generator installation in Spokane.
Transfer switches, interlock kits, and whole-home standby generator wiring for Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and the surrounding area.
What we do
- Manual and automatic transfer switches
- Listed panel interlock kits
- Critical-loads sub-panels
- Generator feeders and disconnects
- Grounding and bonding
- Generator inlet boxes
- Load planning and sizing
- Permits and inspection coordination
- Service and checks after installation
Common jobs we handle
- Interlock kit for a portable generator
- Critical-loads panel for essentials
- Whole-home standby generator wiring
- Backup power for a well pump
- Generator inlet box installation
- Upgrading an older transfer switch
When to call an electrician
- You lose power often or for long stretches
- You're on a well and lose water in an outage
- You bought a portable and need it connected safely
- You're planning a whole-home standby unit
- Your existing transfer switch is outdated
- You need the electrical side of a generator project permitted
Portable vs standby
There's no universally right answer here. There's a right answer for how often your power goes out, how long it stays out, and whether you're home when it happens.
Portable + interlock or manual transfer switch
Much lower cost. Covers the essentials: refrigeration, furnace blower, a well pump, some lighting and outlets. The trade-off is that you have to be home to roll it out, fuel it, start it, and switch it over, and you're refueling it through the outage.
Whole-home standby
Starts automatically within seconds of an outage, runs on natural gas or propane, and can back up most or all of the panel. Significantly higher cost, plus a gas line, a pad, and a second permit. Worth it if you lose power often, lose it for long stretches, or can't be home to manage a portable.
If a portable and an interlock kit is genuinely the better fit for your situation, we'll say so. We'd rather size the solution to the problem than sell you a standby you didn't need.
Transfer switches, interlocks, and why backfeeding is dangerous
A generator connected to a house without a proper transfer switch or interlock can push power backward through the panel and out onto the utility service. That energizes lines that Avista's crews have every reason to believe are de-energized while they're restoring the outage. It's a genuine danger to the people working to get your neighborhood back on.
A transfer switch or a listed panel interlock kit makes it mechanically impossible for the utility feed and the generator feed to be connected at the same time. That's why this equipment is required, why the install is permitted, and why an inspector looks at it. Anyone offering to connect a generator without one is not doing you a favor.
Sizing
Sizing isn't about the square footage of the house. It's about which loads you want running and what they draw when they start.
- Well pump: starting current usually drives the whole design
- Furnace blower and heating controls
- Refrigeration and freezers
- Sump pumps and water treatment
- Whole panel versus a critical-loads sub-panel
- Fuel type and available gas supply
Well pumps matter especially on rural properties around Deer Park, Colbert, Nine Mile Falls, and Otis Orchards, where losing power means losing water. On those properties the pump is usually the first load we design around, not an afterthought.
Permits and inspection
Generator wiring requires an electrical permit and inspection. Outside the City of Spokane (Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Millwood, and unincorporated Spokane County), that permit comes from Washington State Labor & Industries. Inside city limits, the City of Spokane runs its own electrical permit and inspection program.
A standby installation frequently also needs a gas line and a building or mechanical permit from the city or county. That's a second agency and a second inspection, and it's worth knowing about at the start of the project rather than partway through it.
What we do and don't do
Our scope is the electrical side of the installation: the transfer switch or panel interlock, the critical-loads sub-panel where one is used, the generator feeder, grounding and bonding, and the electrical permit and inspection. That's the work we're licensed for and the work we stand behind.
We also service generators after they’re installed, ours and units other people put in. That means checking the transfer equipment, the feeder, the grounding, and that the system actually does what it’s supposed to when the power goes out.
Standby generators also need fuel. We do no gas fitting of any kind. Gas piping is a separate licensed trade, and that portion of the work is done by a separately licensed gas fitter. Talk to us early about your project and we'll be clear about exactly which pieces we're performing and which pieces need to be coordinated with a gas professional, so nothing falls between the two scopes.
Planning backup power?
Let's talk through what you actually need running during an outage. See our full range of residential electrical services, or get in touch.
Transfer switch pricing is on our what electrical work costs page.
Generator wiring across Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Mead, and Deer Park.
Service Areas
Local electrician across Spokane County & North Idaho
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get a portable generator or a standby unit?+
It depends on how often you lose power and for how long. A portable generator paired with an interlock kit or manual transfer switch is far less expensive and will cover essentials, but you have to be home, fuel it, and start it. A standby unit starts automatically and covers more of the house, at significantly higher cost. Most homeowners are clearly better served by one or the other, and we'll tell you which rather than pushing the bigger sale.
What size generator do I need?+
Sizing comes from what you actually want running: well pump, furnace blower, refrigeration, and whether you want the whole panel backed up or just a critical-loads sub-panel. Motor loads like well pumps and compressors need starting current, not just running watts, which is why they drive sizing more than people expect. We work through the list with you before anyone buys equipment.
What is a transfer switch and do I need one?+
A transfer switch (or an interlock kit on the panel) makes it physically impossible for the generator and the utility to feed the house at the same time. Yes, you need one. It's required, it's inspected, and it's the entire reason a generator connection is safe.
Can I just plug a generator into an outlet?+
No. Back-feeding a generator through a receptacle sends power backward through your panel and out onto the utility line, where it can energize conductors that Avista's line crews believe are dead. It also bypasses overcurrent protection in your home. This is precisely why a proper transfer switch or interlock is required and inspected.
Do I need a permit for a generator installation?+
Yes, the generator wiring needs an electrical permit. Outside the City of Spokane (including Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Millwood, and unincorporated Spokane County) that comes from Washington State Labor & Industries. Inside city limits, the City of Spokane runs its own program. A standby install may also need a gas line and a building or mechanical permit from the city or county, which is a separate agency.
Will a generator run my well pump?+
It can, but the pump has to be part of the sizing conversation from the start. Well pumps draw significant starting current. On rural properties, losing power means losing water, so the pump is usually the load that determines the whole design.
How long does installation take?+
An interlock kit or manual transfer switch on an existing panel is typically a short job. A whole-home standby install is a larger project involving the pad, the generator feeder, the transfer switch, gas, and two separate permits, so the timeline depends on equipment lead time, gas coordination, and inspection scheduling. We give you a realistic schedule up front.
Do you service generators after installation?+
Yes. We service the generators we install, and we're happy to look at units we didn't install. That covers the electrical side (transfer switches, interlocks, critical-loads panels, feeders, and grounding) plus checking that the system still does what it's supposed to do when the power goes out. Gas piping stays with a licensed gas fitter.
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