InstaBids

How many generator installation bids should I compare?

Get more than one written estimate for generator installation, as FTC home improvement advice recommends, and compare them on one written scope covering which circuits the unit backs up, the transfer switch, the fuel supply, where the unit sits and who applies for the permit, rather than aiming for a set number of bids.

Source: FTC home improvement hiring guidance, read 15 October 2026.

Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Last checked: 15 October 2026

A standby generator on a raised concrete pad in a side yard, with the side of the home in view.

Key facts

Why do bids for one job differ?

Compare generator installation bids by what each one is built to power. One company may size a unit for a few essential circuits through a small transfer switch, while another writes up whole-home backup with a new concrete pad, a longer wire run and a gas line listed as a separate line item.

FTC home improvement advice also says: "And ask for an explanation if there’s a big difference among the estimates." For a standby generator, ask each company to show the load calculation behind its unit size, so you can see whether a gap comes from the machine itself or from what it is expected to run.

Source: FTC home improvement hiring guidance, read 15 October 2026.

Ask how each bid moves your house between utility power and generator power. An automatic transfer switch, a manual transfer switch and a breaker interlock are different approaches, and only the written scope tells you which one you are buying and which circuits it serves.

InstaBids gets you competitive written quotes without calls or home visits to bid; contractors never pay to see a request or to bid, and there is no fee during our pilot.

Post your request

When is a comparison less useful?

Check whether your fuel supply is settled before collecting more generator installation bids. A standby unit fed by natural gas from an existing meter, by propane from a new tank, or by a fuel your home does not have yet can call for separate gas work, so bids built on different fuels share no common written scope.

Section 527.01(10) of the 2026 Florida Statutes reads: "“Category V LP gas installer” means any person who is engaged in the liquefied petroleum gas business and whose services include the design, installation, servicing, altering, or modifying of apparatus, piping, tubing, tanks, and equipment for the use of liquefied petroleum or natural gas and selling or offering to sell, or leasing or offering to lease, apparatus, appliances, and equipment for the use of liquefied petroleum or natural gas." Ask each bidder whether its written scope covers the tank, gas piping and gas connection, or whether a separate gas company will handle that part of the job.

Source: Florida Statutes section 527.01, read 15 October 2026.

How can I ask several companies the same questions?

Use one equipment sheet for every generator installer, listing the circuits you want running during an outage, photographs of your electrical panel, the outdoor spot you have in mind, the fuel you plan to use and the distance from that spot to the panel and gas meter.

  1. Load: ask which appliances the unit is sized to run, such as the air conditioner, refrigerator, well pump or medical equipment.
  2. Switching: ask whether the bid uses an automatic transfer switch, a manual transfer switch or an interlock, and where it mounts.
  3. Placement: ask where the unit and its pad will sit relative to windows, doors, vents and the property line, and which manufacturer instruction sets that spot.
  4. Wiring run: ask for the route from generator to panel and whether trenching, conduit or wall penetrations are included.

A May 2026 CPSC news release on hurricane-season hazards says: "Regularly check and maintain generators to ensure they work properly. Read and follow all labels, instructions and warnings on the generator and in the owner’s manual." Ask each bidder to name the generator model so you can read its installation and owner's manuals alongside the bid.

Source: CPSC hurricane-season generator safety news release, read 15 October 2026.

Should I ask whether a quotation has a charge?

Ask whether a generator company treats its site walk-through, load calculation and panel inspection as part of the estimate or as a separate booked service, and whether permit drawings are prepared before or after you sign. Get each answer in writing so assessment stays apart from installation work.

A maintenance plan is performed work, not an assessment. If a bid bundles yearly servicing, ask the company to list it as its own line item with its own start date, so you can compare the installation on its own terms.

What should my request include?

Describe your generator request with photographs of the main electrical panel and its label, the outdoor spot you prefer and the gas meter or any existing propane tank, plus a written scope listing the circuits to back up and whether you want automatic switching.

Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, read 15 October 2026.

What should I do when written bids arrive?

Compare written generator bids against your equipment sheet first: match each unit size to the load that company calculated, then check the transfer switch type, the placement, the permit and inspection steps, and which gas work sits outside the written scope. Ask about any blank line before choosing.

The Ready.gov power outage page, last updated June 2026, says: "Generators can be helpful when the power goes out. It is important to know how use them safely to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and other hazards." The same page advises: "Install working carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home." Ask each bidder whether carbon monoxide alarms are in its written scope or left for you to arrange.

Source: Ready.gov power outages, read 15 October 2026.

The DBPR Unlicensed Activity page What Requires a License, read 15 October 2026, says: "An Electrical Contractor installs, repairs, alters, adds to, or designs electrical wiring, fixtures, or appliances, which generate, transmit, transform, or utilize electrical energy for compensation." DBPR's Electrical Contractors page adds: "A registered electrical contractor may contract for electrical systems, including all specialty categories, only in the cities and/or counties for which his or her registration is issued." You can optionally look up a bidder's public DBPR record yourself and note whether it shows an EC or ER licence, whether its status is current, whether the name matches the company on your bid, and for ER, which area.

Source: DBPR Unlicensed Activity Program, What Requires a License, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DBPR Electrical Contractors, read 15 October 2026.

Your deciding comparison is the transfer switch. When one bid wires an automatic switch for the whole panel and another installs an interlock for selected circuits, ask both companies to write out which circuits run during an outage before you request another generator estimate.

Next: How InstaBids works, Florida hiring checklist.

InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties. InstaBids is new in your area, so finding contractors can take longer, and a request may get no bids.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Pilot FAQ, read 15 October 2026.

Sources for the facts on this page

Sources checked: 15 October 2026.

Parent: InstaBids home.