What does the price include?
A standby generator quote should cover everything it takes to make the generator work, not just the box. Ours lists each part so you can see where the money goes.
| Part of the job | What it is | What changes the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Generator | The unit itself, sized from a load calculation | Size, air-cooled or liquid-cooled |
| Transfer switch | Moves the house from the grid to the generator | Whole house or selected circuits, 200 A or 400 A service |
| Pad and placement | A level pad at the right clearances from the house | Distance from the panel and the gas supply |
| Gas line | Pipe from the meter or propane tank to the unit | Run length and pipe size |
| Utility or tank work | A larger gas meter or a propane tank, if needed | What the house has today |
| Permits and inspections | Electrical, gas and any fire or zoning permits | The town |
| Startup | First run, a test transfer and the exercise schedule | Included |
What makes a generator install cost more?
Four things push a quote toward the top of the range. The first is size. A generator for a large house with central air on every floor is bigger than one for a house that only needs heat, the refrigerator and the well pump.
The second is the gas run. Pipe has to be sized for the generator at full load, and the longer the run the larger the pipe. Kohler's 26 kW spec sheet, for example, calls for 1 inch natural gas pipe at 25 feet and 1-1/4 inch from 50 to 150 feet.
The third is the utility side. Generac notes that some homes need an upgraded panel, meter or propane tank. A natural gas meter sized for a furnace and a range may not be big enough to add a generator, and the gas utility decides whether it needs to change.
The fourth is the site. A unit that has to sit far from the panel, on a slope or behind a fence that needs to move takes more labor.
How can you bring the cost down?
Load management is the biggest lever. Instead of buying a generator big enough to run everything at once, a smaller unit runs the house and a controller switches large loads such as air conditioners, a dryer or an EV charger on and off so the generator is never overloaded. Generac says its Smart Management Modules can, in many cases, reduce the size and cost of the system.
Choosing which circuits to back up also helps. A transfer switch for selected circuits costs less than a whole house switch, and a smaller generator can carry it. Read what size generator a house needs for how we decide.
When does it cost more than $20,000?
Very large homes that want everything on at once can need a liquid-cooled generator. Generac's liquid-cooled Protector and XG units run from 25 to 80 kW, and KOHLER's from 24 to 60 kW. These are bigger engines on bigger pads with bigger gas lines, and they cost more to buy and install. We tell you on the site visit if your house is one of them.
If the house has equipment that cannot go dark for the seconds a generator takes to start, a RoseWater Energy system is a different kind of project and a different budget.
