Generator installation in Terrebonne

Where to put it: zoning bylaw 1001

Terrebonne names the generator in its zoning bylaw 1001 (administrative consolidation, update 22). Section 166.1 allows it as accessory equipment for all use groups when it’s permanently installed. Section 166.2 sets its conditions.

• A 2 m distance. The standby generator must stay at least 2 metres from a lot line.
• Nothing out front. It can’t be in the front yard or front setback for classes A, B, C and I of the Residential group. Your building’s class can be checked with the City.
• A screen if it can be seen from the street. It must then be hidden on all sides by an opaque screen at least as high as the unit: opaque fence, shrubs or a conifer hedge.
• A slab. The unit sits on a concrete or asphalt surface.

For the permit, bylaw 1004-2 on permits and certificates requires a certificate of authorization for the permanent accessory equipment of several groups (commercial, industrial, institutional, among others), but the Residential group isn’t listed, and the word “generator” doesn’t appear in it. For a house, the requirement is therefore not published: ask the City before the work.

Portable or standby, and the transfer switch that goes with it

The choice of unit decides the transfer switch. In both cases, the generator never touches an outlet in the house: connected to the dryer outlet, or to an ordinary outlet with a cord that has two male plugs, it would send its current backwards into the installation.

The amount covers only the transfer switch, installed and connected. Unit, base and fuel are billed separately; we don’t publish any unit price or overall package price.

Rénoclimat: up to $1,000 to hook up a backup power source. Since October 1, 2026, Rénoclimat pays up to $1,000 for the labour of a master electrician who connects a backup power source to the panel of your principal residence, a duplex, a triplex or a building with at least four units. The Québec government describes this measure as connecting a “backup power source powered by renewable energy”: for a generator, have its eligibility confirmed by Rénoclimat before counting on this aid. The home must have been built and lived in for at least five years. The aid doesn’t cover buying the generator or the transfer switch. You apply yourself, no later than 12 months after the work. Rénoclimat 2026: up to $1,000 to hook up a backup power source

What isn’t our job

Our part of the work is electrical from start to finish: assessing the circuits, wiring, installing the transfer switch, declaring the work and obtaining the municipal permit when the City requires one. Three items fall outside this scope.

The fuel: a licensed gas company connects the propane or the natural gas, and that part isn’t ours. The unit’s base: the general contractor or the supplier handles it, depending on the job. The warranty: the manufacturer gives it, 5 years or 2,000 hours for Generac’s standard coverage. Our installations use only equipment certified for Canada.

For a standby, it takes a few days of work on site; the delays come mostly from the permits and the fuel. Avoid starting in November. The schedule appears in writing in the quote, provided free of charge.