In many communities, certain steps have to be taken in order to install or build anything. Throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, there are communities that require permitting any time you do practically anything that involves installing or building something outside of the structure.

Where you will get the permit will depend on where you live. The permit may be required by the city or the township that you live in. When planning your generator installation, it is good to find out what the processing time is because it can vary from municipality-to-municipality. The time to process a permit can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, so it is important to obtain your permit as soon as possible. This is an area that your generator sales company and installers can help you with so the permits can be secured as soon as possible. The permits have to be in place before the installation process begins.

However, you can go ahead and choose your generator. Do you want natural gas, liquid propane (LP), or diesel? Each has their own set of pros and cons that you can weigh in determining which is going to be right for you.

Also part of the decision process is making sure you obtain one large enough to do what you want it to do. How much you want to power with a generator will determine how powerful it needs to be. Commercial standby generators are going to be rather large in most cases. The larger the space, the more power you are going to need, especially when you want to be able to carry on with business as usual while the power is out everywhere else.

Nonetheless, investing in a standby generator, whether for your business or residence, you are going to be able to keep the lights on when those without generators can’t. Just make sure you gather information on the amount of time it will take to acquire a permit so you can have your generator installed. It is good to do this well before the weather gets bad, so early spring or the fall can be ideal. The good news, however, is that you can opt for a generator at any time so that you are prepared for future power outages. There is never a wrong time to get prepared and protect your interests.