Best home standby generators
For the most generator per dollar we'd pick the Generac 26 kW. The Champion 14 kW aXis kit is the cheapest way in and carries a 10-year warranty, twice the others'. The KOHLER 20RCA uses less gas than the Generac 22 kW for the power it makes. Whichever you choose, installation can come close to doubling the bill.
Published , by Alex Rowan
We haven't tested these units ourselves. The picks come from the makers' spec sheets and manuals, and every price shows the store and the day we checked it. Links to the makers' and other stores pay us nothing. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, so we may get a commission when you buy through an Amazon link. You pay the same price.How we work.
Our picks
Most power for the money
Generac 26 kW (7327)
$7,253Model 7328, with a 200 A automatic transfer switch. Ferguson price, Oct 26, 2026
- Output
- 26 kW propane, 24 kW natural gas
- Per kW
- $279
- Gas at half load
- 182 ft³ an hour, about $2.79
- Propane at half load
- 2.05 gal an hour, about $5.51
- Warranty
- 5 years
With a 200 A automatic transfer switch it costs less per kilowatt than any other unit here, and $747 more than the 22 kW buys 4 kW more on propane. That headroom helps if you want large loads like central air running during an outage.
It loses 2 kW on natural gas, and like any large unit it costs more to run at full load. Generac rates it at 67 dB(A) at 23 ft under normal load and 55 dB(A) during its low-speed weekly test.
Cheapest way in, longest warranty
Champion 14 kW aXis (100837)
$4,999Model 100837, with a 200 A aXis automatic transfer switch. Norwall price, Oct 27, 2026
- Output
- 14 kW propane, 12.5 kW natural gas
- Per kW
- $357
- Gas at half load
- 116.5 ft³ an hour, about $1.79
- Gas per kWh
- 18.6 ft³
- Warranty
- 10 years
Champion's 14 kW kit comes with a 200 A aXis automatic transfer switch and costs $256 less than the Generac 14 kW with its switch. Champion backs it for 10 years, where Generac and KOHLER give five. On natural gas at half load it burns 18.6 ft³ per kilowatt-hour, against 27.0 ft³ for the Generac 14 kW.
It makes 12.5 kW on natural gas, while the Generac 14 kW keeps its full 14 kW. Champion sells through dealers and lists no price, so the price shown is Norwall's, and it gives 62 dB(A) for noise without saying at what distance. Like the other 14 kW units, check it against your load first.
Most frugal mid-size unit on gas
KOHLER 20RCA
$6,984Model 20RCAL, with an automatic transfer switch. Maker's list price, Oct 26, 2026
- Output
- 20 kW propane, 18 kW natural gas
- Gas at half load
- 161 ft³ an hour, about $2.47
- Gas per kWh
- 17.9 ft³
- Noise
- 66 dB(A) at weekly exercise, 23 ft; 70 dB(A) at full speed, 23 ft
- Warranty
- 5 years or 2,000 hours
At half load on natural gas it burns 17.9 ft³ for each kilowatt-hour it makes, against 21.0 ft³ for the Generac 22 kW, the nearest Generac in size. KOHLER's spec sheet says its warranty covers parts, labor and travel for five years or 2,000 hours; Generac's sheet lists a five-year limited warranty without those details. KOHLER also says its RCA units can sit as close as 18 inches from the house.
It makes 18 kW on natural gas against the Generac 22 kW's 21 kW, and costs $478 more with a transfer switch. KOHLER measures noise at full speed rather than normal load, 70 dB(A) at 23 ft for this model.
All seven side by side
| Model | Propane | Natural gas | Price with transfer switch | Per kW | Gas at half load | Propane at half load | Noise | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generac 26 kW (7327) (opens in a new tab) | 26 kW | 24 kW | $7,253 Model 7328, with a 200 A automatic transfer switch. Ferguson price, Oct 26, 2026 | $279 | 182 ft³/h about $2.79 an hour | 2.05 gal/h about $5.51 an hour | 67 dB(A), normal load, 23 ft55 dB(A), low-speed exercise, 23 ft | 5 years |
| Champion 14 kW aXis (100837) (opens in a new tab) | 14 kW | 12.5 kW | $4,999 Model 100837, with a 200 A aXis automatic transfer switch. Norwall price, Oct 27, 2026 | $357 | 116.5 ft³/h about $1.79 an hour | 1.6 gal/h about $4.30 an hour | 62 dB(A), running, distance not stated | 10 years |
| KOHLER 20RCA (opens in a new tab) | 20 kW | 18 kW | $6,984 Model 20RCAL, with an automatic transfer switch. Maker's list price, Oct 26, 2026 | $349 | 161 ft³/h about $2.47 an hour | 2.26 gal/h about $6.08 an hour | 66 dB(A), weekly exercise, 23 ft70 dB(A), full speed, 23 ft | 5 years or 2,000 hours |
| Generac 14 kW (7258) (opens in a new tab) | 14 kW | 14 kW | $5,255 Model 7323, with a 200 A automatic transfer switch. Ferguson price, Oct 26, 2026 | $375 | 189 ft³/h about $2.90 an hour | 1.76 gal/h about $4.73 an hour | 65 dB(A), normal load, 23 ft55 dB(A), low-speed exercise, 23 ft | 5 years |
| Generac 22 kW (7260) (opens in a new tab) | 22 kW | 21 kW | $6,506 Model 7325, with a 200 A automatic transfer switch. Ferguson price, Oct 26, 2026 | $296 | 221 ft³/h about $3.39 an hour | 2.45 gal/h about $6.59 an hour | 67 dB(A), normal load, 23 ft55 dB(A), low-speed exercise, 23 ft | 5 years |
| KOHLER 14RCA (opens in a new tab) | 14 kW | 12 kW | $6,066 Model 14RCAL, with an automatic transfer switch. Maker's list price, Oct 26, 2026 | $433 | 124 ft³/h about $1.90 an hour | 1.65 gal/h about $4.44 an hour | 63 dB(A), weekly exercise, 23 ft69 dB(A), full speed, 23 ft | 5 years or 2,000 hours |
| KOHLER 26RCA (opens in a new tab) | 26 kW | 24 kW | $8,515 Model 26RCAL, with an automatic transfer switch. Maker's list price, Oct 26, 2026 | $328 | 180 ft³/h about $2.76 an hour | 2.34 gal/h about $6.29 an hour | 56 dB(A), exercise, 23 ft67 dB(A), full speed, 23 ft | 5 years or 2,000 hours |
Output and fuel use are from each maker's spec sheet. Half load is half of the rating on that fuel. Fuel cost uses the EIA's US averages: $15.34 per thousand cubic feet of natural gas (2025 average) and $2.69 a gallon for propane (week of Oct 19, 2026, before taxes). Per kW is the price with a transfer switch divided by the propane rating. Generac measures noise under normal load and in its low-speed test; KOHLER at full speed and during its weekly exercise, both at 23 ft. Champion gives one figure without a distance.
How to choose a standby generator
The installed price is what counts
HomeGuide puts a typical install, generator included, at $6,000 to $11,000, and $9,500 to $24,000 when the generator sits far from the panel or gas meter or is larger than 20 kW. Angi's average for labor and installation is $4,520. On top of that come a concrete pad ($150 to $400), permits ($80 to $450) and, without natural gas, a propane tank ($400 to $1,800). Yearly service runs $80 to $650 across the guides we use. Get quotes from more than one licensed installer. The whole home generator cost page breaks the bill down line by line.
Natural gas or propane
Every unit here runs on either, and most make less power on natural gas. Natural gas comes through the meter, so there's nothing to refill. Propane needs a tank on site and costs more per hour at today's national averages: the Generac 22 kW at half load burns about $3.39 of natural gas or $6.59 of propane an hour. How long a propane tank lasts depends on its size and the load, so ask the installer to work it out for the tank you'd have.
Sizing
A smaller unit covers chosen circuits through a transfer switch; a larger one can carry the whole house, including central air. List what you want running in the runtime calculator, check the big loads on the appliance wattage pages, and ask the installer to show the load calculation behind the size they quote.
Noise and placement
The figures in the table are within a few decibels of each other, but each maker measures under different conditions, so small gaps don't mean much. Placement depends on the installation manual and local code. A standby generator burns fuel and makes carbon monoxide like any engine, so keep working CO alarms inside the house; the carbon monoxide guide has more.
Not ready for a standby unit?
A portable generator with an interlock kit covers chosen circuits for a fraction of the price, with more work during an outage. See the inverter generator picks and the interlock guide.