The questions that separate installers who size and service systems properly from order-takers who sell boxes.
A standby install is electrical work and gas work. Your installer should hold the appropriate Connecticut electrical license and either hold or subcontract a licensed gas fitter — and be willing to say which. A company that only sells generators and subs everything out is not necessarily bad, but you should know who is actually doing each piece.
The single most important quality signal. An installer who measures your panel, inventories your major loads, and sizes from that calculation is doing the job right. One who sizes from square footage or from whatever unit is in stock is guessing with your money.
Unit, transfer switch, pad, gas work, electrical work, permits, inspection — each on its own line. Lump-sum quotes hide what's missing, and what's missing (usually the gas run or the panel work) shows up later as a change order.
Ask whether the installer is an authorized warranty service provider for the brand they sell, and what the emergency response time is during a declared storm. A warranty serviced by a distant third party is worth less than one serviced by the company that installed the unit.
After a major storm, reputable installers carry months of backlog. An installer promising next-week installation in the middle of a post-storm surge is either very small or very optimistic. A realistic timeline, in writing, beats a fast promise.
Two minutes. Matched with a local installer. Free written estimate, no obligation.