Start with the installation address and ask which authorities must approve the electrical work, fuel work, and proposed location. There is no single permit checklist that covers every city and county across Southern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. Put responsibility for applications, fees, inspections, and corrections in the installation proposal.
Use the right local starting point
| Location or task | Official starting point | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green city electrical work | City permit applications and electrical contacts | Whether the address is within the city’s jurisdiction and which applications and inspections apply. |
| Tennessee electrical work | Tennessee electrical permits | Whether the state program or an exempt local jurisdiction administers the work. |
| Excavation in Kentucky | Kentucky 811 process | Ticket timing, notified utilities, responses, marking, and private-line needs. |
| Excavation in Tennessee | Tennessee 811 | Ticket timing, response requirements, member coverage, and additional locating needs. |
Bowling Green lists electrical permits and inspections separately from building permits. Tennessee provides its CORE permit/inspection system and a link to exempt jurisdictions. A Bowling Green mailing address does not by itself establish city jurisdiction; have the contractor verify the property’s actual location.
Ask separately about fuel-gas or propane approval, zoning, property-line restrictions, and any utility requirements. A permit for one trade is not evidence that every part of the project has been reviewed. HOA approval, where applicable, is another separate requirement.
Who owns each step?
Request a short responsibility list: permit applicant, utility coordinator, excavating contractor, electrical installer, fuel professional, inspection scheduler, and startup technician. One company may coordinate several roles, but the proposal should tell you who is handling them.
Also ask which work must remain exposed for inspection, who pays for corrections, and what documentation you receive at completion. “Permits included” should describe an actual process, not just an allowance in the price.
811 does not locate every private line
A standard utility-locate request may not cover customer-owned underground lines. Tennessee 811’s private-locating guidance explains that these may require a private locator. Think about a buried feed to a detached garage, irrigation, propane piping, or wiring installed after the original utility service.
Tell the contractor about known private systems and provide any plans or previous records. Those records help locate work; they are not permission to assume the route is clear. Let the excavator follow the applicable notification, response, and locating requirements before breaking ground.
Prepare access without changing the approved site
- Arrange access through gates and around parked vehicles.
- Keep children and pets away from the work areas.
- Identify irrigation, drainage, septic, and other systems near the planned route.
- Point out roof runoff, standing water, or seasonal access problems.
- Confirm what landscaping or surface restoration is included before anything is removed.
- Plan for the scheduled electrical interruption with the installer.
Do not pour a pad, move a gas line, or relocate the generator position independently to “get ahead.” A location change can affect the clearance plan, connection design, utility marks, and approvals already underway.
Keep the closeout record
Ask for the applicable permit and inspection status, final equipment identification, covered-load list, startup record, and owner instructions. Inspection and commissioning have different roles: inspection addresses the applicable approval process; commissioning demonstrates operation under the equipment instructions.
Use the installation-process checklist to define the handoff and the timeline guide to understand any outstanding dependency.
Have your address, fuel source, and backup priorities ready so the project can be scoped to the property. Request an installation quote from Brite Generators or call 270-223-6302.
Connected guidance
Decisions Related to Generator Permits, Inspections, and Site Readiness
Continue exploring this Topic with Service-Entrance vs. Non-Service-Entrance Transfer Switches. Then connect this decision to Transfer Switch Planning for Large and Three-Phase Systems and Returning Home After an Outage: Generator and Electrical Checks; those adjacent choices can change equipment, installation scope, operating readiness, and total ownership cost.