Skip to content
BostonBackup Power
Home with its lights on during a storm at dusk

Authorized Generac and Kohler partner Standby Generator Installation

Generac and Kohler home standby generators, sized to your house and installed with permits. Most installs run $7,500 to $20,000.

Get a Generator Quote

What does a standby generator do?

A standby generator sits outside the house and runs on natural gas or propane. When the grid fails, an automatic transfer switch senses the outage, the generator starts, and the house is back on power within seconds. When the grid returns, the switch moves the house back and the generator shuts itself off.

It runs as long as it has fuel, which is why it suits New England storms that take the power for days. On a natural gas line it never needs a delivery. A standby generator is the right choice for most homes.

Generac logo

Authorized Generac partner

KOHLER Generators logo

Authorized Kohler partner

What does it cost?

Most home standby generators we install run $7,500 to $20,000, installed. The written quote lists everything below. A gas meter upgrade, if the utility needs one, is billed by the utility.

  • The generator, sized from a load calculation
  • Automatic transfer switch, whole house or selected circuits
  • Concrete or composite pad
  • Gas line from the meter or propane tank
  • Electrical, gas and any local permits
  • Startup, testing and a walkthrough

What moves the number

A bigger generator, a long gas run, a gas meter or electrical panel upgrade, or a new propane tank all add cost. Load management can bring the size, and the cost, down. Read what a standby generator costs in Massachusetts for the detail.

Which brand?

Generac

Air-cooled home units from 10 to 28 kW and liquid-cooled units from 25 to 80 kW, with the Mobile Link app.

Kohler

Air-cooled home units from 10 to 26 kW and liquid-cooled units from 24 to 60 kW, with a five-year limited warranty.

How does an installation work?

  1. 01

    Quote request

    Tell us about the house and the fuel you have. We call within one business day to set up a site visit.

  2. 02

    Site visit and sizing

    We look at the panel, the gas meter or propane tank, and where the unit can sit. Sizing comes from a load calculation, not a guess from square footage.

  3. 03

    Written quote

    You get one price for the generator, the transfer switch, the pad, the gas line, permits and installation.

  4. 04

    Permits and installation

    Our licensed electrician and gas fitter pull the permits, and we schedule the inspections. The electrician wires the transfer switch and the gas fitter runs the gas line.

  5. 05

    Startup

    We start the generator, test a transfer, set the exercise schedule and show you the app that reports its status.

We are an authorized Generac and Kohler partner and a division of Boston Automations, which has worked in homes across Greater Boston since 2012.

Get a generator quote

Four required fields. We call to set up a site visit and a written quote.

How big is the home?Optional
Which fuel does the house have?Optional
Do you prefer a brand?Optional
When do you want it installed?Optional

We reply within one business day.

When is a generator not enough?

A generator leaves the house dark for the seconds it takes to start, and it does nothing about the surges and sags that reach the house on ordinary days. For most homes that is fine.

A generator also works with Savant Power, whose modules decide which circuits the generator carries and keep large loads from overloading it.

Homes with a large network, a theater, lighting control or other equipment that cannot reboot can add a RoseWater Energy system in front of the generator, so those circuits never see the gap. Read pairing a generator with a battery system or compare the options.

Where do you install generators?

We install standby generators across our whole service area. Each area page covers the towns, the storms and how a project runs there.

Generator guides

Standby generator cost

What a home standby generator costs in Massachusetts and what moves the number.

What size generator?

How a load calculation sizes a generator, and where load management fits.

Natural gas or propane?

Output, fuel use, tanks and meters for each fuel.

Generator permits

Electrical, gas, propane and zoning permits in Massachusetts.

FAQ

Standby Generator Questions

How much does a standby generator cost in Massachusetts?

How much does a standby generator cost in Massachusetts?

Most home standby generators we install run $7,500 to $20,000, installed. The number depends on the size of the generator, the transfer switch, how far the gas line runs, whether the gas meter or the electrical panel needs an upgrade, and whether you need a propane tank.

Are you an authorized Generac and Kohler partner?

Are you an authorized Generac and Kohler partner?

Yes. Boston Backup Power, a division of Boston Automations, is an authorized Generac and Kohler partner. Generac standby generators carry a 5-year limited warranty, and KOHLER home generators carry a five-year limited warranty.

Who does the electrical and gas work?

Who does the electrical and gas work?

A licensed electrician wires the generator and the automatic transfer switch, and a licensed gas fitter runs the gas line. Massachusetts requires both licenses for this work. We manage the project and schedule the inspections, and the licensed trades pull their permits.

How fast does a standby generator come on?

How fast does a standby generator come on?

Within seconds. Generac's controller waits about 5 seconds to confirm the outage, then the engine warms up for about 5 seconds before the transfer switch moves the house over. KOHLER lists a 10 second response time. The house is dark for that short gap.

Do I need natural gas, or can I use propane?

Do I need natural gas, or can I use propane?

Either works. Natural gas comes from the utility line and never needs a delivery. Propane comes from a tank on the property. Most air-cooled units make slightly more power on propane, for example Generac's 24 kW model is rated 24 kW on propane and 21 kW on natural gas.

What size generator do I need?

What size generator do I need?

It depends on what you want to run, not just on square footage. A load calculation on the site visit tells us whether you need a whole-house unit or a smaller one paired with load management, which switches large loads like air conditioning on and off so the generator is never overloaded.

Which areas do you install in?

Which areas do you install in?

Eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands, Newport and coastal Rhode Island, and southern New Hampshire and the Seacoast. We are based in Norwood, Massachusetts.

Is a generator enough, or do I need a battery system?

Is a generator enough, or do I need a battery system?

For most homes a standby generator is the right answer. If the house has equipment that cannot go dark even for a few seconds, such as a large network, a home theater or lighting control, a RoseWater battery system in front of the generator removes that gap.

Ready for a Number?

Tell us about the house and the fuel you have. We call to set up a site visit and a written quote.

Get a Generator Quoteor call (781) 333-8003