What Should a Commercial Generator Service Contract Include?

A good commercial generator service contract spells out four things in writing: exactly what gets inspected and serviced at each visit, how fast the contractor shows up when the unit fails, what you get in the way of records, and what is not covered. If any one of those is vague, the contract is protecting the contractor more than it is protecting your business. We write and service these agreements for restaurants, medical offices, condo associations, and small industrial sites from Jupiter down to Boca Raton and across the Space Coast from Cocoa to Palm Bay, and the problems we get called in to fix almost always trace back to a thin contract somebody signed years ago.

Here is what we think belongs in the document, and what to ask before you put your name on it.

The scope of work, visit by visit

The first page of the contract should read like a checklist, not a sales brochure. "Preventive maintenance" means nothing on its own. You want to see what the technician actually does on a scheduled visit:

• Oil and filter change, with the oil and filter grade named
• Coolant condition and level, hoses, belts, and clamps
• Battery load test and terminal cleaning (batteries are the most common cause of a no-start in our experience, and Florida heat shortens their life)
• Fuel system check, including natural gas or propane pressure at the regulator, or diesel condition and tank level
• Transfer switch inspection and exercise
• Control panel review, fault history download, and clearing of any stored alarms
• Enclosure, louvers, and exhaust check for corrosion, which matters a great deal on coastal sites in Delray Beach, Lantana, or along the Indian River in Rockledge

If the contract covers a diesel unit, it should say whether fuel polishing or fuel sampling is included or quoted separately. If it covers a natural gas unit on a restaurant in downtown Melbourne or on Atlantic Avenue in Delray, it should say who verifies the gas supply is still adequate after the kitchen adds equipment. Both are places where a vague contract leaves you holding the bill.

Ask: can you walk me through a completed service report from another customer, with the name blacked out? If the report is a single line that says "serviced generator," that is the level of detail you will get.

Emergency response and what counts as "down"

This is the section most business owners skip and most regret. The contract should state a response window for emergency calls, and it should define when that window starts (when you call, or when they dispatch) and whether it changes after hours, on weekends, or during a named storm. A generator that will not start at 2 a.m. on a Saturday during an outage in Wellington is not the same problem as one that throws a warning light on a Tuesday afternoon.

Things to look for:

• A stated response time for emergency service, and a separate statement on availability during hurricane season
• Whether emergency labor is included, discounted, or billed at a stated after-hours rate
• Whether parts are included, and if so, up to what limit, or whether the contract is labor only
• Who is responsible for loaner or portable power if the repair takes more than a day

Ask: in the last two hurricane seasons, what was your actual response time to contract customers? A contractor who does this work will have an answer. A contractor who does not will change the subject.

Records, compliance, and the people who will ask for them

A service contract is also a paper trail. Insurers, fire marshals, health inspectors for restaurants, and AHCA surveyors for medical and assisted living facilities all have reasons to ask for generator maintenance records, and the contract should commit the contractor to producing them. We recommend the agreement include:

• A written report after every visit, with readings (voltage, frequency, oil pressure, coolant temperature, battery voltage) rather than just checkboxes
• Load bank test results on the schedule the contract specifies, with the test duration and load percentage recorded
• A running log of repairs, parts replaced, and fault codes, kept by the contractor and available to you on request
• Notice in writing when something fails inspection, with a quote to fix it rather than a surprise invoice

If you own or manage a building with a life-safety generator, which includes many condo towers along A1A in Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach, the testing and record keeping requirements are stricter than for a convenience standby unit, and the contract should reflect that. Ask the contractor which code the inspection schedule is written to and have them show you where in the contract it is addressed. Do not accept "we follow all applicable codes" as an answer.

Exclusions, term, and the questions that keep you out of trouble

The back page is where contracts earn or lose your trust. Read the exclusions. Common ones that are reasonable: damage from flooding, acts of vandalism, fuel contamination from a third-party supplier, and problems caused by someone else working on the unit. Common ones that should make you pause: broad language excluding "pre-existing conditions" with no initial inspection to establish what those are, or an exclusion for any failure that occurs "during a storm event," which is the only time the generator matters.

Before you sign, ask these:

• Is there an initial condition assessment, and is the first visit priced into the contract?
• What is the term, and does it auto-renew? What notice do I need to give to cancel?
• Does the price change if I add a second unit or move to a larger one?
• Are your technicians factory trained on my brand? We are an authorized Generac dealer, so for Generac units our crew has direct access to parts and technical support; if you run a different brand, ask who the contractor calls when they are stuck.
• Who holds the license? In Florida, generator electrical work falls under a licensed electrical contractor, and the license number should be on the contract. Ours is EC 13005020.
• Can I get a copy of your insurance certificate?

A contract that answers all of that in plain language is one we would sign ourselves.

If you are comparing agreements for a property in Palm Beach County or on the Space Coast, we are glad to look over what you have, or to write one that fits the site. Quotes are free with no obligation, and we respond within one business day. Call (844) 432-2262 or reach out through our commercial electrical services page and we will set up a site visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a commercial generator service contract cover parts, or just labor?

It depends on the contract, and this is one of the first things to confirm. Many agreements cover routine consumables (oil, filters, coolant) and bill repair parts separately, while others include parts up to a stated limit. The contract should say which model it uses in plain terms.

How long should a generator service contract run?

One-year terms are the most common, and many auto-renew unless you cancel in writing before a notice deadline. Look for the renewal and cancellation language before signing so you are not locked into a second year by default.

Can one contract cover both my Palm Beach County and Brevard County locations?

Yes, if the contractor actually serves both areas. We run offices in Lantana and Palm Bay, so a multi-site agreement is something we handle regularly for businesses with locations on both coasts of the state.