Keep your lights on and appliances running through grid failures and weather-related outages with a whole-home generator installation from Fisher Electric.
Google | HomeAdvisor | Yelp | Facebook
A whole-home generator — also called a standby generator, since it fires up automatically the moment the power cuts out — is a smart investment for most homeowners. For Santa Cruz residents, there are a few specific reasons they’re especially worth having:
Santa Cruz sits between our two offices, with Scotts Valley about six miles north over Highway 17 and Aptos a few miles east along Highway 1, so a crew is only minutes away for a generator assessment, installation, or service call. Being local, we can also come back easily for the periodic maintenance that keeps a standby unit starting reliably, rather than treating each service visit as a major trip. We’ve powered this coast since 1991 as a licensed C-10 contractor, and a standby generator is one of the most valuable systems we install, because it keeps a home running when the grid goes down.
Santa Cruz sees its share of outages. Winter storms off the bay bring down trees and lines, PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs can darken neighborhoods for days in fire weather, and the city’s older infrastructure and tree-lined streets mean an outage is never far off. For a coastal city, Santa Cruz goes without power more than many residents expect.
When it happens, a modern household feels it immediately, refrigeration, heat, home offices, internet, and medical equipment all stop. The city’s many older homes and its student and multi-tenant rentals add their own stakes, since a landlord with a dark, unpowered unit has tenants to answer to. A whole-home standby generator removes the risk, switching on automatically and carrying a home or rental through the outage until utility power returns. For a city that mixes owner-occupied homes, older houses, and a large rental market, that reliability matters in different ways to different owners, a family keeping the refrigerator and heat on, a landlord protecting tenants and a property, a coastal home riding out a multi-day storm. What they share is that an automatic standby generator removes the uncertainty, responding to every outage the same way without anyone needing to be on site.
We install permanently mounted standby generators that run on natural gas or propane and start automatically through an automatic transfer switch, no cords or manual steps. We start with a load assessment to size the unit for whole-home or essential-circuits coverage and to choose the right fuel and the best placement on what are often smaller city lots.
From there we set the pad with proper clearances, make the fuel and electrical connections, and wire the transfer switch to your panel, all permitted through the City of Santa Cruz and inspected. On tight lots and near neighbors, we plan placement thoughtfully for clearances and noise, and we provide the periodic maintenance these units need to start reliably when an outage finally comes.
Our crews live and work on this coast, so a Santa Cruz generator job is done in our own backyard, and our reputation rides on it. We size the generator from a real load assessment, lay out your coverage and fuel options plainly, and give you an itemized estimate before we begin. The install is clean, permitted, and planned for the lot, and we keep the unit maintained so it’s ready when an outage comes. Honest sizing, a clean install, and dependable local service. Consultations are free, and financing is available for whole-home generator projects.
Many properties on the outskirts of Santa Cruz rely on private wells — and without electricity, those wells stop working, leaving you without running water for drinking, showering, or flushing toilets.
Santa Cruz’s coastal location means powerful winter storms are a regular occurrence — heavy rain, strong winds, and downed trees can all knock out power for extended periods.
During the dry, windy stretch of late summer and fall, PG&E regularly cuts power — sometimes for days at a time — as a precaution against wildfires.
You contact our team or schedule a service visit using our online scheduler.
One of our technicians will visit your home and perform an assessment.
We’ll develop a customized plan and provide an itemized estimate.
We’ll get to work quickly and provide the code-compliant services needed.
We’ll review the work with you and ensure your complete satisfaction.
We’ll clean up and leave your home as beautiful as it was when we began.
Google | HomeAdvisor | Yelp | Facebook
The entire Fisher Electric team is committed to providing unmatched electrical services and customer care for homeowners and commercial property managers across Santa Cruz and the rest of Santa Cruz County. And if you consider the reviews we’ve earned across Google, HomeAdvisor, and Facebook, it appears we’ve achieved this goal.
A few things have helped us become a trusted electrical contractor in Santa Cruz:
We only recommend products and services that genuinely fit our customers' needs — never based on what benefits our bottom line.
We keep our customers in the loop from the first call all the way through to the final walkthrough — no surprises, no guesswork.
Every job starts with a clear, itemized estimate — and we never sneak in hidden fees after the fact.
Your time matters to us, so we make it a point to schedule service calls promptly and get every job wrapped up without unnecessary delays.
A job isn't complete until our customers are fully satisfied. If something doesn't meet the mark, we'll do whatever it takes to make it right.
We continuously invest in our team's training and professional development — because you deserve the best-trained electricians and technicians in the business.
The Fisher Electric team is proud to offer comprehensive whole-home generator services. Whether you need us to install a complete system, diagnose issues with your current system, or provide upgrades, we’re ready to help.
Power outages are inconvenient for everyone, but some Santa Cruz homeowners have more to lose when the lights go out. If any of the following apply to you or your family, reach out to Fisher Electric and get prepared before the next outage hits.
Many homeowners don’t realize just how much a whole-home generator can offer. Here are some of the biggest benefits:
The costs for whole-home generator installation vary significantly based on the project specifics, including:
With all of that said, most whole-home generator installation projects cost between $10,000 and $25,000 in the Santa Cruz area.
Fisher Electric is proud to offer electrical repair, installation, and upgrade services across the entire Central Coast area, including the following cities:
A reliable whole-home standby generator is only part of the picture — you also need an installation team that truly knows what they’re doing. Even the best unit won’t help if it’s not installed correctly.
That’s where Fisher Electric comes in. Our technicians have the skill, knowledge, and experience to install your new generator the right way, so you’re safe and comfortable when the next power outage hits.
Contact us today to discuss your project, get answers to any questions you may have, or schedule your estimate.
Have more questions about backup generators? We’ve rounded up a few of the most common ones our customers have and answered them below.
Unfortunately, many homeowners procrastinate about having a whole-home generator installed, only to find themselves unprepared when the next outage strikes. So, while having a generator installed can be a big decision, it is not one you should put off — particularly for residents in outage-prone regions, such as Santa Cruz.
Whether you are ready to schedule your whole-home generator installation now or you’re still in the research phase and need guidance, the professionals at Fisher Electric are ready to help. Contact us today to arrange for an on-site consultation or speak with one of our customer service specialists.
Feel free to leave your contact information on our online form. A consultation is always free, and it’s the first step towards finding expert electrical services!
