Installing a transfer switch just means you make this decision ahead of time as circuits are re-routed into the manual transfer switch panel during installation.

With a transfer switch (about $500 to $900 to install, including labor), you’ll have one connection to make—plugging one end of a cable into the generator and the other into a dedicated box ...

A transfer switch is like a mini circuit breaker panel that allows you to draw electricity from your generator instead of from the power company.