Houston-area hurricane season runs June through November, and for most homeowners the storm itself is not the hard part. It is the days afterward without power — no air conditioning in August heat, a refrigerator full of spoiled food, a sump pump that cannot run, and a phone slowly dying.

This is a practical checklist. Part of it is generator-specific, part of it applies whether you own one or not, and there is a timeline at the end so you know what to do when.

Start in spring, not August

The single most useful thing on this page: do your preparation in April or May.

Once a storm has a name and a projected track, everything gets harder. Service technicians book solid. Generator lead times stretch. Propane suppliers back up. Permit offices slow down. Store shelves empty. Every year we take calls from people who want a generator installed before a storm that makes landfall in four days, and the honest answer is that installation realistically takes three to eight weeks including permitting.

Spring preparation costs the same as panic preparation and works considerably better.

If you already have a standby generator

• Schedule annual maintenance before the season, not during it. Oil, filters, plugs, valve adjustment, battery check, and a load test. An April or May visit beats scrambling in late August when every technician in the region is booked.
• Test the transfer switch manually. Remote monitoring catches most problems, but a manual test confirms the switch actually engages cleanly under load.
• Check the battery. Batteries are the most common reason a standby generator fails to start, and they are the cheapest part to replace. Most last three to five years in Gulf Coast heat — sometimes less.
• Confirm fuel supply. On propane, top the tank off before the season rather than after a storm is named. On natural gas, verify your meter is still adequate, especially if you have added appliances since installation.
• Clear the area around the unit. Debris, overgrown vegetation, and stored items too close to the generator create fire and ventilation hazards. Follow the clearances in your manual.
• Watch a weekly self-test. Stand outside for one. You are listening for a clean start, steady running, and a normal shutdown — not hunting, surging, or smoking.
• Verify remote monitoring is actually connected. If your monitoring runs over home Wi-Fi, it goes dark the moment you lose power. LTE-based monitoring keeps reporting during the outage, which is when you want it.
• Know how to manually shut it down. Everyone in the household who might be home alone should know where the disconnect is.

If you are past due on service, our Houston generator maintenance and service page covers what a visit includes.

If you are still deciding on a generator

• Know your critical loads. Before shopping, list what genuinely has to stay on — medical equipment, sump pump, refrigerator, one AC zone — versus what can wait. That list is where a sizing assessment begins.
• Understand the real timeline. Three to eight weeks from signed quote to a commissioned unit, including permitting, inspection, and sometimes a utility gas meter upgrade. Longer once storms are active.
• Get the permit conversation up front. Every installation in this area requires permits. See our guide to generator permits in Houston and Montgomery County.
• Start HOA approval early. In master-planned communities and The Woodlands, architectural review is frequently the longest step in the project.
• Have a portable-generator safety plan for the interim. Never run a portable unit in a garage, breezeway, or any enclosed space, even with the door open. Keep it at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents. Carbon monoxide from portable generators kills people after every major storm.

Storm-readiness basics, generator or not

• Water: one gallon per person per day, minimum three days, ideally a week.
• Food: non-perishables that need no cooking, plus a manual can opener.
• Medications: refill prescriptions early in the season. Pharmacies close during outages.
• Power banks: charged, plus a car charger. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio for when cell towers are down.
• Cash: card readers do not work without power or connectivity.
• Full gas tank: fill up when a storm enters the forecast, not after.
• Documents: insurance policies, IDs, and medical information in a waterproof bag, plus photos on your phone.
• Know your evacuation zone. A generator keeps your house running. It does not change an evacuation order. If you are told to leave, leave.

A season timeline

When	What to do
March–April	Book annual generator service. If you are buying, start the process now — this is the window where lead times and permitting are shortest.
May	Top off propane. Replace the battery if it is over three years old. Clear vegetation around the unit. Restock your supply kit.
June 1	Season opens. Manually test the transfer switch. Confirm monitoring is reporting.
Storm in the forecast	Fill vehicles and prescriptions. Charge everything. Get cash. Secure loose yard items. Photograph your property for insurance.
24–48 hours out	Turn refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings. Freeze water jugs. Review the evacuation decision.
During the outage	Let the generator carry the load it was sized for. Do not add large appliances beyond its rating. Keep the area around it clear and dry.
After	Note total runtime. If it ran more than 100 hours, schedule an oil change. Report any faults you saw.

Mistakes we see every year

• Skipping annual service because it ran fine last time. Standby generators sit idle for months. Fuel degrades, batteries weaken, rodents nest in the enclosure. Idle time is what hurts them.
• Assuming the weekly self-test proves everything. The self-test runs unloaded. It confirms the engine starts. It does not confirm the unit can carry your house.
• Adding load after installation. A new EV charger, pool heater, or second AC system can quietly outgrow the generator you sized four years ago.
• Waiting for the forecast. By then you are in line behind everyone else in the region.
• Running a portable unit too close to the house. This is the one that kills people. Twenty feet minimum, never enclosed.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should I get a generator installed before hurricane season?

Start in late winter or early spring for a comfortable margin. Between permitting, inspection scheduling, equipment lead time, and possible gas meter upgrades, the realistic window is three to eight weeks — and it stretches significantly once storms are active.

Can a standby generator run during a hurricane, not just after?

Yes, provided it is properly placed and elevated per code. Many homeowners run through the storm itself. Standby units are built for outdoor operation in weather. The limit is flooding, not wind or rain.

How long can a standby generator run continuously?

On natural gas, effectively as long as the gas supply holds — days, with an oil change recommended around the 100-hour mark on extended runs. On propane, runtime is capped by tank size, which is why tank sizing matters for anyone off the gas main.

What happens if my generator fails during an outage?

Check the basics first: battery, fuel supply, and whether a fault code is displayed. Monitoring apps often identify the issue. Then call your service provider — and understand that during a regional outage everyone is calling at once, which is precisely why pre-season maintenance matters so much.

Do I need to turn things off before the generator kicks on?

No. The transfer switch handles it automatically within seconds. If your system uses load management, it sheds and restores large loads on its own.

Will my generator run my air conditioning?

If it was sized correctly for a Houston home, yes — AC is the whole point here. Sizing has to account for compressor startup surge, not just running watts. Our sizing guide explains how that is calculated.

Get ahead of next storm season. Request a free in-home assessment now, while there is no pressure and full installer availability. Already have a unit? Book pre-season maintenance before the calendar fills up.