Storm-Ready Backup Power
Generator Installation in Portland, ME
Whole-home and standby generator installation in Portland — automatic transfer switches, load management, and storm-ready backup power.
Generator Installation for Portland Homes & Businesses
Maine winters and coastal storms knock out power often, and a standby generator keeps your Portland home running when the grid goes down. Goodnow Electric installs whole-home and portable generator systems across Cumberland County with automatic transfer switches so your heat, water, refrigeration, and lights come back on within seconds of an outage.
When a nor'easter takes down the grid, Portland's older peninsula homes lose heat fast — and tight urban lots make generator placement its own challenge, since setback, exhaust clearance, and gas or propane routing all matter on a small city parcel. We size standby units to the circuits that count in a Munjoy Hill or West End home and wire the automatic transfer switch so your heat and sump pump come back within seconds of an outage.
Homeowners in the West End, Munjoy Hill, and East Bayside and across Portland count on us to size the generator correctly, wire the transfer switch, and handle the permit and inspection. We make sure the system starts itself, carries the loads that matter, and is ready before the next storm.
Generator Installation Services in Portland
What you get when you hire Goodnow Electric for generator installation in Portland.
Whole-Home Standby Units
Permanently installed generators that start automatically and power your entire home.
Automatic Transfer Switch
Seamless switchover within seconds of an outage — no manual cords or switches.
Correct Load Sizing
We size the unit to your real loads so essentials never get starved during an outage.
Portable Generator Hookups
Interlock kits and inlets for a safe, code-compliant portable generator connection.
Permit & Inspection
We pull the electrical permit and coordinate the inspection on every install.
Storm-Season Ready
Tested and commissioned so the system is proven before you actually need it.
Our Portland Generator Installation Process
Power Audit & Quote
We review the circuits you want backed up and recommend the right generator size, then quote it in writing.
Permit & Placement
We pull the permit, plan the generator and transfer-switch location, and coordinate any fuel hookup.
Install & Commission
We install, wire the transfer switch, test under load, and walk you through the system.
Why Portland Chooses Goodnow Electric
- Owner on-site for every Portland job
- Licensed, bonded & insured
- Free written estimates
- Permits pulled & inspections handled
- Code-compliant work — always
- 24/7 emergency electrical service
Other services in Portland:
“Brett was super responsive when we called. He had John out to our house 48 hours later! Brett and John were both very friendly and John did excellent work! Would highly recommend Goodnow Electric and will use them again when needed. 10/10!”
Gina McCurdy • Google Review
Generator Installation in Portland — FAQs
What size generator do I need for my Portland home?
It depends on what you want to keep running. Many Portland homes do well with a whole-home standby unit, while smaller setups can back up just the essentials. We size the system to your actual loads during the free estimate.
Does a standby generator turn on automatically in Portland?
Yes. With an automatic transfer switch, your standby generator detects the outage and restores power to your Portland home within seconds — no manual steps required.
Do you handle the permit for generator installs?
We do. Every generator installation in Portland includes the electrical permit and coordination of the final inspection as part of the job.
Local & Independent — Not a Franchise
Goodnow Electric is a locally owned, owner-operated shop based at 51 Wilson Dr, Westbrook, ME 04092 — not a franchise or a call-center dispatcher. When you book generator installation in Portland, you get a Maine Master Electrician on the job, not a rotating crew of subcontractors. Our work is performed under Maine Master Electrician license MS60021971, and we're fully licensed, bonded, and insured for every job we take in Cumberland County.
That means the person who quotes your Portland project is the same person accountable for the finished work — permits pulled, code followed, and the site left clean.
Getting to Know Portland
Portland has burned to the ground four times, most famously in the Great Fire of 1866, which leveled some 1,800 buildings and left ten thousand residents homeless. The city rebuilt in brick — which is why the Old Port's Victorian commercial blocks look the way they do — and adopted the motto "Resurgam," Latin for "I shall rise again," with a phoenix on the city seal. Up on Munjoy Hill, the 1807 Portland Observatory still stands as the last surviving maritime signal tower in the United States.
All that 19th-century rebuilding means Portland carries one of the oldest housing stocks in Maine. Homes wired generations ago — some still with knob-and-tube or 60-amp fuse panels — were never designed for heat pumps, EV chargers, and modern kitchens. That's exactly the kind of careful old-house rewiring and panel work our electricians handle in Portland every week.
Generator Installation in Nearby Towns
Get a Free Generator Installation Quote in Portland
Tell us about your Portland project — we'll respond within 24 hours with a clear quote.