Most whole-home generator installs take 6 to 10 weeks from signed contract to power-on, though the exact timeline depends heavily on your parish’s permitting process and whether a gas line upgrade is needed. Below is the full step-by-step timeline so you know exactly what’s happening — and roughly when — at every stage.
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The Generator Installation Timeline, Step by Step
1. You call in
You reach out about backup power for your home. We ask a few quick questions about your home’s size, electrical panel, and what you want covered during an outage (whole house vs. essential circuits).
2. We schedule your free site visit
We’ll get a specialist out to your property, usually within a few days.
3. Site visit with a Craig’s Electrical specialist
This is where we look at your electrical panel, your gas line, and the best spot for the generator itself. We’ll measure clearances (generators need required distance from windows, doors, and gas meters — parish rules vary here) and talk through options and pricing.
**Before we leave, we confirm your generator’s exact placement with you in writing or with marked photos** — so there’s no surprise later about where it will sit in your yard.
4. Financing (only if you need it)
*This step runs alongside the contract step below — it doesn’t have to slow anything down.* If you’re financing instead of paying outright, we’ll walk you through options, including 0%-interest and low-payment plans. This can typically be approved within a day or two.
5. Contract signed & deposit collected
Once you’ve chosen your generator and confirmed pricing, we finalize the paperwork and collect your deposit to get your project into our production queue.
**A note on timing:** your deposit reserves your spot in line, but it does **not** mean your generator arrives that week. The steps below — especially permitting — still have to happen first. If your project is delayed by permitting, that’s normal, not something going wrong on your end.
6. We prepare your permit paperwork
Every parish has its own generator installation requirements — setback distances, clearance rules, and in some cases a **survey or elevation certificate** (a document confirming your home’s height relative to flood zone requirements). We pull together everything your parish requires based on your specific address.
*Plain English: an elevation certificate just proves how high your property sits, which some parishes need before they’ll approve a generator permit.*
7. Permitting is submitted
Your paperwork goes to your parish (Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany, or the parish you reside in) for review.
8. Waiting for parish approval
**This is the step where timing varies the most**, and it’s largely outside our control. Some parishes turn permits around quickly; others take longer, especially if a survey or elevation certificate is required. Your project coordinator will give you a current estimate for your specific parish and can update you if anything changes.
9. Install day is scheduled
Once your permit is approved, we’ll get you on the installation calendar — usually within a week or two of approval, depending on our crew schedule.
10. Install day
Our crew installs the generator, the transfer switch (the device that automatically switches your home from utility power to generator power), and connects your electrical and gas lines.
11. Inspections
A licensed inspector checks the work — typically **within 3-4 days of installation**. Depending on your parish, this may include a separate electrical inspection *and* a separate gas inspection.
*If an inspection doesn’t pass on the first visit, we handle the correction and get it rescheduled — this can add a few extra days, and we’ll keep you posted the whole way.*
12. Gas line upgrade *(only if needed)*
Some homes need an upgraded gas line or gas meter to supply enough fuel for the new generator. **Not every install requires this** — your specialist will tell you upfront during the site visit if your home needs it. If it applies, the gas company’s own scheduling (for digging and meter work) can take **up to 2-3 weeks** and runs in parallel with other steps where possible.
**If your home doesn’t have a gas meter at all yet:** this step depends entirely on the gas company, and the timeline can run longer than usual — this part is out of our hands. In this situation, full payment (minus a $500 holdback) is due once we reach this stage, and we won’t schedule your startup until you let us know your gas meter has been installed.
13. Startup & testing
Once everything passes inspection, our service team schedules your startup — generally **within about a week** (or, if you were waiting on a gas meter, once you notify us it’s installed). **Full payment is due at this stage.** This is also when we do your in-person walkthrough: we power on the unit, test it under load, help you understand how your new system works, and go over the maintenance programs available to keep it running when you need it most.
14. The 25-hour break-in run
Your generator runs an initial break-in cycle, similar to a new car engine, before it’s considered fully ready for regular use. We handle scheduling this — you don’t need to do anything.
15. Handed over to you
Once the break-in run is complete, your generator is officially yours to rely on — fully tested, fully explained, and ready for the next outage.
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Why does this take so long?
The honest answer: **most of the time isn’t installation — it’s permitting.** The physical install (Step 10) usually takes less than a day. What adds weeks is waiting on your parish to review and approve paperwork, which is a government process outside any electrician’s control. We manage the paperwork and follow-ups so you don’t have to, but we can’t control the parish’s clock.
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Quick Questions About the Process
Does every home need a gas line upgrade?
No. Only homes where the existing gas line can’t supply enough fuel for the new generator’s size. Your specialist tells you this during the site visit — not after you’ve signed.
What’s an elevation certificate, and do I need one?
It’s a document verifying your property’s elevation relative to flood zone requirements. Some parishes require it before approving a generator permit; others don’t. We’ll tell you if yours does.
Will I have to be home for every step?
No — mainly the site visit, install day, and startup. We’ll tell you in advance which steps need you present.
What if my parish’s permit process is slower than expected?
It happens, and it’s not a reflection of your project being deprioritized. Ask your coordinator for a status update anytime — we track every open permit.
Do I pay in full before the generator is installed?
No. You pay a deposit at signing, and the remaining balance is due at startup — once your generator has passed inspection and is being powered on and tested. (The one exception: if your home is waiting on a new gas meter from the gas company, see below.)
What if I don’t have a gas meter at all yet?
This is the one part of the timeline that’s completely out of our hands — it depends on the gas company’s own schedule. In that case, full payment (minus a $500 holdback) is collected once we reach that stage, and we’ll schedule your startup as soon as you let us know your meter has been installed.
*Have a question about your specific installation? Reach out to your Craig’s Electrical project coordinator anytime.*
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*Next in this series: “How Much Does a Whole-Home Generator Cost in Louisiana?” — coming soon.*