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Standby or portable
A standby generator sits on a pad outside, runs on natural gas or propane, and starts on its own when the power drops, through an automatic transfer switch. A portable generator gets wheeled out and plugged into an inlet box on the house wall, which feeds a manual transfer switch or interlock at the panel. Either way the transfer equipment is the part that matters: it keeps the generator from back-feeding the power lines, which is what endangers line crews.
The permit and who pulls it
Janesville's fee schedule lists generators at $51, the same as a service entrance (Municode Appendix A). Transfer equipment connects at the service or the feeders, which Janesville reserves for a Wisconsin licensed Master Electrician (City of Janesville). Beloit prices generators by size: $0.25 per kilowatt on top of its $50 filing fee (Beloit 2026 fee schedule). If the power is already out and work cannot wait, state code lets emergency wiring start before the permit as long as the application follows (SPS 316.012(1)(b)).
What it costs
PermitDeck's Milwaukee table puts a generator transfer switch at $1,053 to $1,782, average $1,350 (PermitDeck). That is the switch and its wiring. A standby generator, its concrete or composite pad and the gas line are separate, and we found no Wisconsin source for the full installed price that we would publish, so the honest number comes from a site visit. The gas side is plumbing work with its own permit. The cost page has every electrical range.
Sizing it
The choice is whole-house or essentials: the furnace blower, the sump pump, the refrigerator, some lights and outlets. Whole-house coverage on a 200-amp service takes a much larger generator than an essentials panel does. Older houses that already need a panel upgrade often do both jobs at once, since the service equipment is open anyway.
Sources: Janesville Code of Ordinances, Appendix A fee schedule (Municode); City of Janesville Building Division, building permits; City of Beloit, 2026 master fee schedule (electrical work fees, BMC 10.04); Wis. Admin. Code SPS 316.012, electrical permits; PermitDeck, electrical costs in Milwaukee, WI (modeled from RSMeans, BLS and NECA data)
Where this is done
Generator Installation across Rock County. Each town page has its own local rules and numbers; the rest are on the service area page.
Common questions
Generator Installation: questions
Do I need a permit to install a generator in Janesville?
Janesville's fee schedule lists generators at $51. The transfer equipment connects at the service or feeders, which the city reserves for a licensed Master Electrician.
How much does a generator transfer switch cost?
PermitDeck's Milwaukee table puts it at $1,053 to $1,782. The generator, pad and gas line are on top. See the cost page.
Can I plug a portable generator into a dryer outlet?
That is back-feeding, which can energize the utility lines and is unsafe. A portable generator connects through an inlet and a transfer switch or interlock.
Is a standby generator worth it in Rock County?
It depends on what an outage costs you: a finished basement with a sump pump, medical equipment, or working from home tip it toward yes. An essentials setup is the cheaper middle ground.
Other services
Generator Installation in Rock County
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