The Onsite Consultation & Quote
We listen to understand your backup power needs
The initial onsite assessment and quote will likely be scheduled with David Richey or Scott Lockwood. David is a Master Electrician and owner of Benchmark Electric. Scott has over 18 years experience as a skilled electrician with Benchmark Electric including generator installations and work crew supervisor.
Today, Scott and David handle most sales calls with Memphis-area homeowners and commercial business owners.
Most initial consultations typically last 30 minutes to an hour, though we adjust the time based on your specific questions and needs. We believe in taking whatever time is necessary to ensure you have all the information needed to make a confident, well-informed decision about your home standby power system.
Scott Lockwood is an experienced electrician with over 18 years experience installing backup generator systems. Today, Scott works with homeowners and businesses as a sales consultant.
One of the first things David or Scott will discuss with you is determining your power needs during an outage: "How do you envision using your home when the generator is running?"
Your standby generator can be configured to power your complete home or focused on critical systems only. We're happy to provide pricing estimates for both full-house and essential-only coverage so you can make an informed decision.
Generator Sizing and Installation Considerations
When determining the right generator size and installation approach for your home, we evaluate several key factors:
Electrical Load Assessment
Home Size and Basic Power Needs
We analyze your home's square footage to understand the electrical demands for lighting and standard outlet circuits throughout the property.
Future Planning
We consider whether you're planning any home expansions or business additions that would increase your power requirements.
Major Appliances and Systems
Air Conditioning Requirements
We determine how many air conditioning units should operate during generator power by examining the nameplate ratings on each unit to calculate their exact electrical demands.
Heating Systems
While most Memphis area homes use gas heating, the distribution fans require electricity. For homes with electric heating systems, we review nameplate specifications to ensure adequate power supply.
Kitchen and Utility Appliances
We assess your oven(s) and clothes dryer(s), taking into account your preferences for operating these appliances during power outages.
Specialized Equipment:
- Pool pumps are evaluated if present on the property
- Well pumps for rural homes are treated as essential equipment that must operate during outages
Installation Optimization
Fuel Source Positioning
To minimize installation costs, we typically recommend placing generators near your gas meter for natural gas units, or closer to the electric meter for diesel generators. Learn more about the differences in standby power systems by viewing our comparison of air-cooled and liquid-cooled natural gas versus diesel generators.
Electrical Panel Configuration
The location and number of your main breaker panels determines how many automatic transfer switches (ATS) will be needed for complete whole-house coverage.
Placement Recommendations
Your Benchmark sales consultant will recommend the optimal generator placement to achieve the most cost-effective installation. While generators can technically be installed anywhere on your property, positioning them away from our recommended location will result in additional installation costs.
Learn more about standby power: