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Backup power in Greater Montréal

Electricians for generators and transfer switches.

55 pros in Greater Montréal

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These electricians serve Greater Montréal and say on their own websites that they install standby generators or transfer switches. One rule comes first here: Hydro-Québec requires a permanent backup system to be installed by a CMEQ master electrician, with equipment that isolates your home from the grid, and the electrician notifies Hydro-Québec. Where the unit sits is up to your municipality.

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Not yet verified. We checked each one’s own website for this work, and the licence in the public register where one applies, but we haven’t contacted them yet. How a business gets listed

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What to know in Greater Montréal

  • At the height of the Debby storm on 9–10 August 2024, nearly 30% of Hydro-Québec subscribers in Laval were without power; the Fabreville and Lapinière wastewater plants lost power for about 8 and 19 hours, and the Pont-Viau drinking-water plant ran on a generator for about 14 hours.

    Ville de Laval, Bureau de la résilience municipale (source, opens in a new tab) (in French)

  • Pointe-Claire's zoning by-law PC-2775 treats a standby generator as mechanical equipment subject to setbacks: in a 2025 case in residential zone Ra10, placing one 1 m from the side lot line instead of the required 2 m needed a minor exemption from council.

    Ville de Pointe-Claire (source, opens in a new tab) (in French)

  • In the January 1998 ice storm, 78 mm of freezing rain fell by 9 January and 1,393,000 Hydro-Québec customers were without power on 10 January; the last customer was reconnected on 6 February.

    Hydro-Québec (source, opens in a new tab)

  • After the freezing rain of April 2023, which left up to 30 mm of ice and brought trees and branches down on the lines, Hydro-Québec reported that nearly 1,125,000 clients had lost power.

    Hydro-Québec (source, opens in a new tab)

Before you hire

  1. A permanent backup system must be installed by a CMEQ master electrician, who tells Hydro-Québec. Plan it before you buy.

    Source: Hydro-Québec (source, opens in a new tab)

  2. Get at least three written quotes, ask for references, and put the agreement in writing.

    Source: rbq.gouv.qc.ca (source, opens in a new tab)

  3. Ask where the unit will go: towns set distances from lot lines and may require a screen or enclosure.

    Source: Ville de Longueuil (source, opens in a new tab)

Questions about hiring in Greater Montréal

Who can install and connect a standby generator?

Hydro-Québec says a permanent backup system must be installed by a member of the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ), with equipment such as a transfer switch that isolates your home from the grid. Without it, power fed back into the lines can endanger repair crews. Ask for the contractor's RBQ licence number too, and look it up in the RBQ register before you sign. Hydro-Québec (source, opens in a new tab)

What should an electrician's quote include?

The Office de la protection du consommateur says it should describe the work and materials, give the total with detailed items, the payment terms and the start and end dates; the contract adds the licence number, any permit numbers and the contractor's liability insurer. For a generator, check that it names the transfer switch, the circuits to be fed, the pad or mounting, and the notice to Hydro-Québec. opc.gouv.qc.ca (source, opens in a new tab)

Do I need a permit for a standby generator?

It depends on your municipality, which decides where the unit may sit. Longueuil, for example, needs no permit on a regular residential lot but wants the generator in a side or rear yard, at least 2 m from a lot line other than the street, inside a soundproof shelter or enclosure. Pointe-Claire treats it as mechanical equipment with setbacks. Check your town's zoning before choosing a spot. Ville de Longueuil (source, opens in a new tab)

How do I compare quotes from electricians?

The RBQ suggests getting quotes from at least three contractors and asking each for customer references. Make sure the quotes cover the same job: generator size and fuel, a manual or automatic transfer switch, which circuits it feeds, and the same site work. Check every licence in the RBQ register, and get any verbal promise in writing, as the RBQ advises for every agreement with a contractor. rbq.gouv.qc.ca (source, opens in a new tab)

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