Generator installation in Downtown Houston, TX
Generac home standby generators for houses and townhouses around Downtown Houston, in Rice Military, Old Sixth Ward and nearby.
Generac Prestige DealerGenerac's highest dealer designation. We sell, install and service Generac home standby generators.
Generac generatorsGenerac standby power for downtown-area homes, installed from our Tomball shop.
Downtown Houston is about 42 minutes from our Tomball shop, depending on traffic.
During Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, more than 1.3 million people in the Houston area lost power while the towers downtown stayed lit. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the buildings could not be taken offline that night because critical infrastructure running through downtown had to be protected. Bisnow reported that many downtown buildings have backup generators for emergency lighting. That backup belongs to the building. A townhouse in Rice Military or a house in Old Sixth Ward has no building generator to fall back on.
Our route to City Hall runs down TX 249 and I-45 from the Tomball shop, where we keep Generac units in stock. Call (713) 467-1125 with your address to book a free sizing visit.
What a generator install involves in and around Downtown.
Sizing a Rice Military townhouse
Rice Military has two- and three-story townhouses. In one of those, list what you want powered on each floor, such as the AC, the refrigerator and some lights and outlets, before the free sizing visit. The load calculation from that visit sets the size of the generator and the transfer switch.
Clearances on townhouse and historic lots
City of Houston inspectors check that a standby generator sits at least 2 feet from lot lines and at least 5 feet from combustible exterior walls and from openings in those walls. The 5-foot wall and opening distances come from NFPA 37. On a townhouse lot, or an older lot in Old Sixth Ward, finding a spot that meets every one of them is the first job.
Permits, and neighbors close by
Inside Houston city limits, a standby generator needs a City electrical permit and a separate plumbing permit, and each licensed contractor pulls its own. We file the electrical permit with the Houston Permitting Center, which lists plan review and inspection as required. The licensed plumber on the job pulls the plumbing permit for the gas hookup. Permit approval does not exempt the unit from the City's Chapter 30 noise ordinance. Where townhouses stand side by side, the next house can be close, so the pad location matters to your neighbors too.
Downtown buildings and Rice Military associations
In 2020, Downtown Houston projected that by 2023, 51 percent of downtown residential buildings would be high-rise and 30 percent mid-rise. In a tower or loft building, management decides first whether a generator is possible. Farther west, if your Rice Military townhouse is in an association, state law (Property Code 202.019) lets the HOA set rules for a standby unit but not refuse one outright. Your association may require screening, limit placement and bar units from common or association-owned ground. We prepare the HOA paperwork. It is not clear that the law covers condos, so a tower or loft condo owner should check the building's declaration first.
What our Downtown Houston generator work includes.
ZIP codes we cover in Downtown Houston: 77002, 77010, 77007.
- Free in-home sizing visit and load calculation for townhouses and older houses near downtown
- Generac standby and transfer switch installs for townhouses and historic houses west of downtown
- Free 10-year warranty on new air-cooled Generac installs
- Pad placement that meets the City's lot-line, wall and opening clearances on Rice Military and Old Sixth Ward lots
- Gas hookup by a licensed plumber during the install
- HOA paperwork for association townhouses in Rice Military
- Yearly maintenance, Generac repairs and Shield Protection plans for standby units near downtown
Questions we get from Downtown Houston.
I live in 77002 or 77010. Can I get a standby generator?
If you own a house or townhouse with a yard or side lot, yes, as long as the spot meets the City's clearances and the permits, gas service and any HOA rules allow it. If you live in a tower or loft building, management makes that call, so ask them first.
What will the City inspector look at besides clearances?
They check the gas piping from the meter to the generator, and the load analysis we prepare to size the generator and the transfer switch.
Does brick on my house change the clearance?
Not if the wall behind the brick is wood-framed. City inspectors treat wood-framed brick veneer as a combustible wall, so the 5-foot distance still applies. Where a side yard runs between two houses, that rule can decide which side the pad goes on.
Can the gas meter on a Rice Military townhouse feed a whole-home generator?
It depends on the meter and the gas line already serving the house. Ask about both during the free in-home sizing visit.
Also in Downtown Houston and around it.
$2,000 off a generator install. While supplies last.
It only comes off the units on our floor, so when they're gone, it's gone. New air-cooled Generac installs come with a free 10-year warranty, and financing is there if you want it. Permit timing depends on your city or county. The install itself is usually one day.
Generator in Downtown Houston?
Call. The estimate is free.