Ardent Electric
Residential and commercial electrical company offering panel upgrades, troubleshooting and repair, and complete rewires, with generator work listed among its services.
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Backup power in Erie
Electricians for generators and transfer switches.
4 pros in Erie
Erie sits on the lake, and its normals show what a standby generator is up against: 104.3 inches of snow a year, with 31.8 inches in January alone, and a normal January low of 21.3°F. A winter outage here means a cold house, so many people look into a whole house generator and a transfer switch. Before you hire, know that electrical work inside the City of Erie must be done by an electrical contractor licensed by the City. An owner who lives in a single family home may do it only with a permit and an inspection. The permit is filed at Code Enforcement in City Hall and must be displayed at the job site. Pennsylvania also requires home improvement contractors to register with the Attorney General, and the registration number should appear in ads and contracts. Ask to see the City licence, the state registration number, and who will pull the permit.
Source: National Weather Service Cleveland (source, opens in a new tab)
Hilbrich Electric JE Inc
Generac standby generators are installed by this family-owned Erie firm, which also handles panel upgrades. It has 40 years of experience and offers emergency service.
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Shalkham Electric & Construction Co.
Erie-based Briggs & Stratton dealer selling, installing and maintaining standby generators, with transfer switches and home battery backup. Open around the clock, every day, and financing is available.
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Reigel Electrical Services, Inc.
Family-owned since 2009, this electrical contractor also installs backup power and generator systems for homes and businesses, and emergency service is offered.
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Not yet verified. We checked that each one’s own website offers this work, but we haven’t contacted them yet. How a business gets listed
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Before you hire
A generator wired into your home needs an approved transfer switch, fitted under a permit, so it can’t feed power back into the lines. Plan it before you buy.
Get written quotes from at least three contractors for the same work, and check references from recent clients.
Put it in a written contract: the work, price, deposit, start and finish dates, warranty, permits and clean-up. Paying cash to skip it leaves you no recourse.
Questions about hiring in Erie
Who can install a standby generator and transfer switch in the City of Erie?
Inside the City of Erie, electrical work must be done by an electrical contractor licensed by the City. The exception is a person who owns and lives in a single family dwelling, who may do the work only if a permit has been taken out and the work is inspected. City of Erie Code Enforcement (source, opens in a new tab)
Where do I get an electrical permit for a generator in Erie?
The City says the application is filed at the Code Enforcement Office, Room 407 of City Hall. The permit must be displayed at the job site, and the applicant must contact the code official for every required inspection. Ask your contractor who will file it. City of Erie Code Enforcement (source, opens in a new tab)
What should a generator installation contract include?
Pennsylvania requires contractors to put their registration number in contracts and ads, and sets minimum insurance and required contract terms. Beyond that, ask for the equipment model, the transfer switch, who handles the permit and inspection, the schedule, and the payment terms in writing. Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (source, opens in a new tab)
How do I compare quotes from different generator installers?
Ask each installer for the same written scope: unit size, transfer switch type, permit handling, and inspection. Check that each has a Pennsylvania registration number and, in the City of Erie, a City electrical licence. Compare what is included before you compare totals.