When DTE goes dark, your house doesn't.
Nearly 400,000 DTE customers lost power in July 2026, some for five days. A standby generator starts itself in about ten seconds and runs until the grid is back.
Sized to your house, not a brochure.
Whole house or the essentials. Natural gas or propane. We look at your panel and your gas line before we say a number.
An electrician, not a salesman, walks the property and measures the load. Same-day quote in writing.
We pull the township permit, pour the pad, and coordinate the gas line so you don't manage three trades.
Transfer switch, startup, and a full outage test with you watching. Then it exercises itself weekly.
How much does a whole-house generator cost installed in Michigan?
In Macomb County a whole-house Generac standby generator typically runs $6,000 to $11,000 installed for a 22 to 26 kW unit with the automatic transfer switch, concrete pad, permit and natural gas hookup. Larger homes, long gas runs, or a panel that needs upgrading first push it higher.
The unit itself is roughly half the number. The rest is the transfer switch, the gas line sizing and connection, the pad, the permit and inspection, and the electrician's day. We give you one written price after the free estimate, and the price we quote is the price you pay. No number over the phone, because the panel and the gas meter decide it.
What size generator do I need?
Most 2,000 to 3,500 square foot homes in Shelby Township land at 22 to 26 kW for whole-house coverage. An essentials-only setup (furnace, fridge, sump pump, a few circuits) can be smaller and cheaper.
We size at the panel, not by square footage alone: air conditioning tonnage, a well pump, an electric range or dryer, an EV charger, and a hot tub each change the answer. The estimate includes the load measurement.
How long does installation take?
Most installs are one day once the generator and the permit are in hand. Lead time before that is set by unit availability and the township's permit turnaround, usually a couple of weeks.
The order is: estimate, deposit and unit order, permit application, pad, install and gas connection, inspection, startup test. You are without power for about an hour while the transfer switch goes in.
Do I need a permit to install a generator in Shelby Township?
Yes. A standby generator needs an electrical permit, and the gas connection needs a mechanical permit, in Shelby Township and every neighboring community. We pull both and schedule the inspections.
Every Wolverine job is permitted and inspected. It protects your insurance coverage and it is the law. If a quote from anyone leaves the permit out, ask why.
Natural gas or propane?
Natural gas if the house has it, which most of Macomb County does. Propane where it doesn't, with a tank sized for the outage length you want to cover.
Natural gas runs indefinitely and is cheaper per hour; propane needs a tank and a delivery plan but works anywhere. The gas line to the generator often has to be upsized, which is part of what the estimate checks.
Do you service generators you didn't install?
Yes. Annual service, repairs and outage troubleshooting on standby generators, including units installed by someone else. Wolverine Electric Company is a Generac certified installer.
A standby generator should be serviced once a year: oil, filter, battery, spark plugs, a load test, and a look at the transfer switch. Skipped service is the most common reason a generator fails to start in the outage it was bought for.
Do you install generators for businesses?
Yes. Commercial standby power for offices, retail, medical and light industrial buildings, including three-phase systems. Wolverine has installed commercial generators up to 1 MW. Commercial bids go straight to the owner, Yousif Mansi.
For a business the question is usually which loads have to stay up (refrigeration, servers, life safety, a production line) and for how long. That drives the size, the fuel, and whether you need a full building transfer or a critical-loads panel. We also handle scheduled service and load testing on commercial units, single site or multiple properties.
Why now?
Because outages in southeast Michigan are getting longer, not shorter. Nearly 400,000 DTE customers lost power in the July 3 to 4, 2026 storms, some for up to five days, and a 2024 state audit found DTE's restoration performance below the Midwest peer average.
Sources: Planet Detroit, July 2026 outage coverage; Michigan Public Service Commission audit of DTE, 2024. Generator demand spikes within days of an outage; lead times stretch with it. The homeowners who book in a quiet week get the install before the next storm.
Generator questions, answered
Will a Generac run my whole house or just some circuits?
Either. A whole-house unit with a service-rated transfer switch powers everything. A smaller unit with a load-managed or critical-circuits panel powers what you choose. We size it to what you want covered.
How much does it cost to run a whole-house generator per day?
On natural gas, a 22 kW unit at half load burns roughly 2 to 3 therms an hour, which at Michigan residential gas rates works out to about $50 to $85 for a full day of continuous running. Propane costs more per hour and depends on your tank pricing.
Do I need a concrete pad?
The generator needs a level, non-combustible base. We pour a concrete pad or set a manufacturer-approved composite pad, whichever the site calls for. It is included in the install price.
How far from the house does the generator have to be?
Generac requires 18 inches from the house and 5 feet from any window, door or vent opening, and clearance above. Local code and the gas meter location can add to that. We site it during the estimate.
How often does a standby generator need service?
Once a year, or after about 200 hours of running. The unit also self-tests weekly for a few minutes; if you stop hearing that, call us.
Can a whole-house generator run on natural gas?
Yes, and that is the standard setup in Macomb County. The gas line to the unit usually needs to be upsized, which is part of the install.
What happens during a long outage?
On natural gas the generator runs as long as the outage lasts, exercising no more effort than a furnace. On a multi-day outage, check the oil once a day; the controller also tells you when service is due.
Do you install the gas line too?
We coordinate the gas line and the mechanical permit as part of the job so you are not managing an electrician and a plumber separately. One price, one schedule.
Do you offer financing?
Ask when you call. Options depend on the unit and the timing of the current Generac programs, and the office will tell you what is available this month.
Are you the Wolverine that sells generators in Wixom?
No. That is Wolverine Power Systems, a distributor. Wolverine Electric Company is an independent licensed electrical contractor in Shelby Township that installs and services generators for homes and businesses.