Is installing a standby generator worth the investment?

While the initial installation cost can be high, a standby generator is a long-term investment that provides peace of mind and significant protection during power outages, making it a worthwhile choice for homeowners.

Peace of Mind with a Generator Installation

Schedule Your Whole House Generator Installation Today

Protect your home, family, and peace of mind with a professionally installed backup generator.

At Dollens Electric, we provide expert whole-house generator solutions in San Jose, Santa Clara County, and the greater Bay Area.

Power outages won’t disrupt your life when you’re backed by a reliable, code-compliant system—installed and maintained by local pros.

Why Install a Standby Generator?

✅ Instant backup power during outages
✅ Keeps your heating, cooling, and fridge running
✅ Powers medical devices and home security systems
✅ Boosts property value and insurance confidence
✅ Runs on natural gas, propane, or diesel
✅ Automatic Transfer Switch means no manual startup

Ready For Peace of Mind?

Don’t wait for the next outage. Let’s protect your home today.

Request Your Free Estimate Today

Excellent

Dollens Electric

4.7

Based on 124 reviews

See all reviews

review us on

Joel Zizmor

Highly efficient service. Provided the best solution to charge our new Tesla avoiding purchase of a costly charger. Installed a 50amp line and outlet. Highly recommended.

Response from the owner:Thanks Joel! You guys enjoy that new car!

Public Brady

Used again today to troubleshoot a couple of problems (Solved) and replace a ceiling fan (looks and works great). These guys are still the best.

I was pleased when they briefly reviewed an installation manual to make sure they remembered exactly how the brand worked. It was obvious Joshua already knew how to make the installation but he doubled checked anyway. (I'm glad I'm not the only person who still refers to a manual.)

Call/use them; you won't be sorry.

Linda Lampros

Jason is the BEST

Response from the owner:Thanks Linda, you are a great customer.

CARL DESOUSA

Response from the owner:Thanks Carl! It was good to work with you again. I will send over the quote to upgrade your backup system. Talk to you soon!

Olivia Chen

Dollens Electric installed a natural gas fired standby generator for me in May Last year. Jason called me and came to service the unit. The generator works like a charm every time we had PG&E outage. The best thing I have ever done for myself. They are professional and efficient. Unlike a lot of contractor, there was no fuss.. it is a large generator, they got it in a tight spot, yet met all the codes. Very nice.

Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your kind words and for trusting us with your generator installation! We're thrilled to hear that the generator has been reliable during outages and that you're satisfied with our service. We strive to be efficient and professional, and your feedback is greatly appreciated. If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to reach out to us!

Jack Moorman

Dollens Electric did a great job for us in setting up the irrigation system for the Christmas Tree Farm.

Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your kind words, Jack! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our service. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we look forward to assisting you again in the future.

Shravan Pai

Response from the owner:Thank you for the 5-star rating! We’re thrilled to hear you had a great experience with us. Your support means a lot and helps us keep providing quality service. If there's anything else we can do for you, please let us know!

Dennis Rothenberg

Service was excellent and professional. Jason and Josh answered all my questions and gave good feedback. I will use again. Thank you!

Response from the owner:Thank you for taking the time to leave such a positive review! We're delighted to hear that you found our service excellent and professional. It's great to know Jason and Josh were able to help with your questions and feedback. We look forward to serving you again in the future!

Stephen Loupe

The electrician, who is a son of the owner, was extremely knowledgeable, professional, prompt and expedient. He offered several options to my service request, but did so without pressure of any kind. The job was done quickly and with perfection. I highly recommend.

Response from the owner:Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a positive review! We're delighted to hear about your excellent experience with our electrician. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we're glad we were able to meet your expectations. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to serving you again in the future.

Peter Seimas

Excellent Service

Response from the owner:Thank you for your 5-star review! We're thrilled to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you again in the future.

karen johnson

Great service -- all of the above

Response from the owner:Thank you for your review! We are thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our service. Your satisfaction is our top priority! If you have any further questions or need assistance in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Ken McConnell

Response from the owner:Thank you for your positive rating! We appreciate your support and are glad you had a good experience with us at Dollens Electric. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please feel free to reach out. We look forward to serving you again!

Paul Y

Very thorough and informative whole house fan, chandelier and kitchen hood thru roof job. Josh explained in details and provided suggestions to protect my old circuits also.

Response from the owner:Thank you for the fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that you were satisfied with our services and that Josh was able to provide helpful guidance. We appreciate your trust in us for your electrical needs and look forward to assisting you in the future.

Katie Taylor

Wanted to replace very old track lighting in living room with can lights. Submitted an estimate request on a Sunday night, Jason came out first thing Monday morning to check out the project and provided a timely and reasonable estimate later that day and followed up with a phone call. Work was completed today, one week later! Josh, Elijah, and Ricky were respectful of our home, took great care to keep things clean and were very pleasant. I don't know why we put this project off for so long! We finally have decent lighting in our living room! Will definitely use Dollens Electric for any future home projects/maintenance!

Response from the owner:Thanks for the review Katie! It was a pleasure to work with you as well!

Renee Lewis

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind rating, Renee! We are thrilled to hear about your positive experience with Dollens Electric. If you ever need assistance with anything electrical in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Dick mendoza

Punctual and thorough service with helpful future maintenance ideas.?

Response from the owner:Thank you for your feedback, We are always here to provide helpful maintenance ideas for the future. Your satisfaction is our priority!

Don M.

I highly recommend Dollen Electric. I called two other electricians and left a message to call back. They never did. However, Dolan Electric immediately...

Trustworthy very much describes Dollens Electric. Jason and his team including Josh and Elijah are reliable, honest, and efficient. I have used Dollens for major and small jobs and they stand by their work and rightfully so. Don't be fooled by cheap quotes that lure you in with the thought of getting major work done for a cheap cheap price. You get what you pay for and with Dollens, you get a great job for a fair price. Dollens is my go-to electrician.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We are delighted to hear about your positive experience with our team at Dollens Electric. We take pride in being reliable, honest, and efficient in every job, big or small. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we appreciate your trust in us. We look forward to serving you again in the future.

Justin K.

Trustworthy very much describes Dollens Electric. Jason and his team including Josh and Elijah are reliable, honest, and efficient. I have used Dollens for...

Matushree Jayadevi Charity USA

Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the 5-star rating! We are glad to hear that you had a positive experience with our services. If you have any electrical needs in the future, feel free to reach out to us.

Val

Very professional and friendly.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to leave us a review. We strive to provide professional and friendly service to all our customers, and it’s always great to hear when we have met your expectations. We look forward to serving you again in the future.

Aximu Aierken

This guys are great! I got some problems with my electric and called them, they just led me do something with it, figured out my problem just a minute, I didn’t spend anything, thanks

Response from the owner:Dear Aximu Aierken, Thank you for your kind words! We're glad to hear that you had a great experience with us. Our team at Dollens Electric is always ready to help with any electrical problems. If you ever need assistance in the future, don't hesitate to give us a call. Thanks again!

Bruce Fox

Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your positive rating! We appreciate your support and we're glad that you had a great experience with Dollens Electric. If you have any electrical needs in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're always here to help!

Hyun-Sook Park

Knowledgeable, effective, and efficient !!
Excellent communication and professional!
Highly recommend!

Jason seemed to know the possible cause for the problem when I told him that the parts of the house were losing power gradually, and he was right!! He came out on the same day and fixed the problem (burnt crimp in junction box in the garage) within an hour!! Excellent!

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We are glad to hear that you had a positive experience with our services. Our team at Dollens Electric strives to provide knowledgeable, effective, and efficient service. We are glad that Jason was able to identify and fix the problem promptly. If you have any further electrical needs, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Lauren Couff

Prompt, and they explained everything in detail

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We take pride in our prompt service and strive to ensure that our customers fully understand the work being done. We appreciate your feedback and hope you will reach out with any future electrical needs.

Richie M.

Thank You , Jason & Joshua for your professional electrical service for replacing my outdated challenger electrical panel ! Just wanna let everyone know ,...

Rob V.

I have been using Dollens for all my electric work (both repair and installation) in my house for over five years. They work well and quickly, offer...

Farah Desai

I have used Dollens for a few projects. The staff is excellent. Always on time and accommodating. The work is perfect. I would trust Dollens Electric for any electrical project.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words, Farah! We are delighted to hear that you have had a positive experience with Dollens Electric. Our team takes great pride in providing excellent service and being punctual and accommodating. We appreciate your trust in us for your electrical projects.

Linda Merrifield

Great experiece with Dollens knowledgeable professionals !
They went above board to make sure every thing was done to perfection !

Joel Rinsky

Professional, fair pricing, and stayed late to get complete the job. Excellent workmanship and could not recommend more.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your positive feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you appreciated our professionalism, fair pricing, and dedication to completing the job. Your recommendation means a lot to us.

Matt Ginsberg

These guys are great. Had power fail at one of our outbuildings; they offered to come fix it on Xmas eve but I said after Christmas was fine. They came out on time, got it fixed, all good. Highly recommended!

Response from the owner:Thank you for your awesome review! We're delighted to hear that you were satisfied with our service and that we could assist you at a convenient time. We appreciate your kind words and recommendation. We look forward to helping you again in the future!

Scott Williamson

Excellent service & very competitive pricing. Would definitely use Dollens again & recommend them to others.

Michele Carnahan

Excellent service with courteous and knowledgeable men

Response from the owner:Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that our team provided you with excellent service. We always strive to deliver courteous and knowledgeable service to our valued customers. We look forward to serving you again in the future.

Vivek

They have helped us a couple of times now. Will continue to use them going forward.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and continued trust in our services. We look forward to assisting you with your electrical needs in the future.

Elvira Braun

Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your 5-star rating! We appreciate your support and are thrilled to know that you had a great experience with us. Your feedback is valuable and encourages us to continue delivering excellent service.

Ben Yu

I apologize for leaving a 1 star review earlier. I wanted to leave a review for another electrician service with similar name.

Response from the owner:I apologize for your poor experience. But I believe you maybe confusing us with another company. We have not provided an estimate or service to Ben Yu.

Charles Coachman

The guys who came out listened to what I wanted to get done and got right on it. I’m very pleased with their work. More business to come!

Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear you're pleased with our work. We appreciate your business and look forward to assisting you again in the future.

Craig Warp

Very pleasant and professional, but very expensive for 20 minutes of work.

Stacey Olgado

Response from the owner:Thank you for your 5-star review! We appreciate your support and are delighted to know you had a positive experience with us. If there's anything more we can do for you, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Chris B.

Dollens Electric is exceptional.
They give an accurate read on what needs
to be done. They are a safety-first company
that shows up energetic & work...

danny ng

Response from the owner:Thank you for rating us 5 stars! We’re thrilled to know you had a great experience with our service. If you ever need any further assistance or have any questions, feel free to reach out to us anytime.

Marquita Wright

Amazing experience with Jason! Prompt, quick, and knowledgeable. He helped me resolve an electrical issue within minutes! If I ever need help in the future, he’ll be the first person I call!

Response from the owner:Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience! We're thrilled to hear that you received prompt and efficient service. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we're here whenever you need us.

Alfredo Boron

Great experience, Jason was professional, courtesy and knowledgeable and was able to address our issue. He also advised us on how to better safeguard our home. Thank you

James Lee Lucier

Very easy to work with. Good suggestions were offered. Work is always first-rate.

May Villanueva Woodward

Josh & Elijah did excellent work in replacing our electric panel. They were polite, professional & answered any questions I had. The work area was cleaned after they left. They even cleaned out my rain gutter & spout - above & beyond service!!

M W.

Josh & Elijah replaced our electrical panel. They were both professional & answered any questions I had. Their work area was cleaned after they were done....

Trajan Market

Arrived on time and very capable with the installation and fixes

Response from the owner:Thank You Trajan Market. Working with you guys was great. We look forward to the next project.

Stacie Puma

Dollen's Electric are our one-stop shop for anything electrical! Great family business! Give them yours!

Response from the owner:Stacie, Thank You. We appreciate your support and great review. You're awesome.

Levy Zamora Jr.

We recently bought a vehicle and I contacted Jason and he came right away. The next day his son Josh, cousin Elijah, and their friend came by to install our 240 volt outlet with precision and quality. I would go to them again.

Response from the owner:Thank you. We are so glad you are happy with our work. We really appreciate the review.

Slava M...n

Chris Griffith

We had a great experience with Dollens Electric—they helped us replace old wiring, install new outlets, and install bathroom fans in our home (including adding the vents through the roof). They were very personable and easy to talk to, and it was easy to see that they put a lot of care into their work. We're looking forward to working with them again soon!

Cynthia Berglund

Leslie Aytch

The work was completed as contracted. They were very professional nice.

James Lowry

They are simply the best. Polite, on time, communicative, and always ready to help with even mundane concerns. I’ll never use another electrician. Jason and his team are the gold standard.

Response from the owner:Thank you so much James. It is always a pleasure.

L Jand

Dollens Electric has helped me on several occasions. I highly recommend them.

Response from the owner:It was good to see you again! You are very nice and easy to work for. I hope you get to see those grandkids soon!

Joel Z.

Installed a whole house fan that is quiet and effective. Greatly reduces A/C cost. Workers are fast and efficient and cleaned up 100%. Quality products.

Matthew McCormick

This is the second time we've used Dollens, first being when they upgraded the wiring to the entire house. This time they installed an isolated circuit in our garage and some can lighting. Even though it was a smaller job, they treated it just as importantly as the bigger job.

They answered all our questions, let us know and talk through our options and didn't do any additional work without letting us know and approve the price difference for our requests, rather than telling us at the end of the job.

A+ work!

Response from the owner:Thanks Mathew. You and your wife were great to work for. I still want to steal your dog!

Lynne Baldwin

We had a ceiling fixture out. Jason came on out and diagnosed the problem and got it repaired very promptly. Courteous and friendly.

Response from the owner:Thanks Lynne! It was a pleasure to met you!

UthayDeepak Ka

Response from the owner:Deepak! Thanks for the review. I got to say you held your cool. It is mid December and we had to replace a major costly piece of your electrical system right before Christmas! Because you were so level headed you made it a pleasure to work for you. Thanks and Happy Hollidays!

Sriram Rao

Response from the owner:It was a pleasure working for you, Thanks for the review! Josh and Elijah mentioned how smart and energetic your son is almost every time they came back to the shop!

Khanh Nguyen

Professional, on time service. High quality work. Definitely will use again.

Response from the owner:Thank you Khanh, I am glad we have such great customers to work with.

LYNN HASTINGS

Excellent. Whenever I again need electrical assistance Dollens is the one I'll call.

Response from the owner:Thank you Lynn.

Dennise Carter

Response from the owner:Thank you Denise. It is always a pleasure to work with you.

Jim L.

This company is great. They were always on time and great at communicating both time estimates and costs. They are very thorough, knew current codes inside...

🔍 Generator Installation Made Simple

We handle every part of the process—so you don’t have to.

Personalized Power Assessment
We’ll help you choose the right generator for your home’s size and needs.
Permits & Code Compliance
We secure all required permits and follow NEC, UL, and local codes.
Turnkey Installation
From building the pad to connecting the transfer switch—we do it all.
Post-Install Testing & Training
We’ll walk you through operation and provide full system testing.
Ongoing Maintenance
Annual service plans to keep your generator running flawlessly.

Why Homeowners Trust Dollens Electric

Top-rated with 4.5 stars on Yelp (100+ reviews)
Family-owned, licensed, bonded, and insured
60+ years of experience in the South Bay
Honest pricing, no upselling, no surprises
3-Year Parts Warranty & Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee

💸 Rebates & Financing Available

Ask about:

PG&E Generator & Battery Rebate Program
CA Public Utilities Commission Incentives
Affordable monthly financing options

FAQ: Benefits of Installing a Home Standby Generator

What are the main benefits of a home standby generator?
A home standby generator provides numerous advantages, including an uninterrupted power supply during outages. It automatically activates when the power goes out, ensuring your home remains powered without any effort.
How does a standby generator compare to a portable generator?
Unlike portable generators, Standby generators are permanently installed outside your home and connected directly to your electrical system. This means standby generators provide seamless power and can operate essential systems continuously during an outage.
Will a standby generator keep my heating and cooling systems running?
A standby generator ensures that essential systems like heating, cooling, and refrigeration operate during a power outage. This helps maintain your home's comfort, especially in extreme weather conditions.
Can a standby generator improve home safety?
Absolutely! A home standby generator keeps your home well-lit during outages, reducing safety risks. It also ensures that essential medical devices remain operational, which is crucial for those who rely on them.
How does a standby generator protect against property damage?
A standby generator can prevent damage from flooding by keeping your sump pump operational during a power outage. Without power, a sump pump cannot function, putting your basement at risk for flooding and water damage.
Will my home security system work during a power outage with a standby generator?
A standby generator keeps your home security system active, providing continuous protection for your property and family during power outages.
Does installing a standby generator increase property value?
Yes, many potential buyers consider a standby generator a valuable addition to a home, especially in areas with frequent outages. This feature can enhance your home's marketability and increase its overall value.
Is installing a standby generator worth the investment?
- While the initial installation cost can be high, a standby generator is a long-term investment that provides peace of mind and significant protection during power outages, making it a worthwhile choice for homeowners.