How much a whole home generator costs, installed
Cost guides put a typical whole home generator at $6,000 to $11,000 installed, generator included, and $9,500 to $24,000 for larger units or long runs to the panel or gas meter. The generator with its transfer switch is $4,999 to $8,515 for the seven air-cooled models we track; labor, a pad and permits make up the rest.
Published , by Alex Rowan
We don't install generators, and we don't take quotes. Installed costs come from national cost guides built on contractor quotes, with each guide's date. Unit prices are from the maker or a named retailer on the day shown. Your installer's quote is the number that counts. How we work.
What goes into the price
| Part | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Generator with automatic transfer switch | $4,999 to $8,515 | Maker or retailer prices for 14 to 26 kW, table below |
| Labor and installation | $3,000 to $5,000 | HomeGuide; Angi's average is $4,520. HomeGuide says $5,000 to $12,000 or more for long runs or units over 20 kW. |
| Automatic transfer switch, if bought separately | $600 to $2,500 | HomeGuide, installed |
| Concrete pad | $150 to $400 | HomeGuide, pre-cast. Angi puts a poured pad at about $1,000. |
| Permits | $80 to $450 | HomeGuide, all permits together |
| Propane tank, without natural gas | $400 to $1,800 | HomeGuide |
HomeGuide's guide is dated December 30, 2025, and Angi's was updated September 1, 2026. Both build their ranges from contractor quotes, which vary a lot by region. HomeGuide moves a job into its higher range when the generator sits far from the panel or gas meter, or is larger than 20 kW.
A worked example
Take the Generac 22 kW (7260) (opens in a new tab), sold with a 200 A automatic transfer switch for $6,506 (Model 7325, with a 200 A automatic transfer switch. Ferguson price, Oct 26, 2026). Add HomeGuide's ranges for labor ($3,000 to $5,000), a pad ($150 to $400) and permits ($80 to $450), and the job comes to about $9,736 to $12,356 on natural gas. Without a gas line, a propane tank takes it to $10,136 to $14,156.
That's our sum of the guides' line items, not a quote. A 22 kW unit sits near the 20 kW line where HomeGuide's higher labor range starts, so a long run or a panel upgrade could add thousands more.
Generator prices by size
| Model | Propane | Natural gas | With transfer switch | Natural gas per hour at half load | Propane per hour at half load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | $1.79 | $4.30 |
| 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 | $2.90 | $4.73 |
| 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 | $1.90 | $4.44 |
| 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 | $2.47 | $6.08 |
| 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 | $3.39 | $6.59 |
| 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 | $2.79 | $5.51 |
| 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 | $2.76 | $6.29 |
Fuel per hour uses each maker's spec sheet at half of the rating on that fuel, priced at the EIA's US averages: $15.34 per thousand cubic feet of natural gas (2025average) and $2.69 a gallon for propane (week of Oct 19, 2026, before taxes). The standby generator picks compare the same models on noise, warranty and gas use.
What it costs after it's installed
Fuel
The average US customer went 11 hours without power in 2024, the most in ten years according to the EIA. At half load, the Generac 22 kW would burn about $37.29 of natural gas or $72.47 of propane over that many hours. Your outages may run much longer, and the generator also burns a little fuel in its weekly self-test, which the makers don't publish.
Service
A year of professional service, with inspection, oil and filters, runs $80 to $650 across HomeGuide and HomeAdvisor. HomeGuide puts the lifespan at 15 to 30 years, or 10,000 to 30,000 hours of running.
No federal tax credit
The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) never covered generators. It covered home batteries, and the IRS says it's not available for anything placed in service after December 31, 2025. State and utility programs vary, so ask your installer what applies where you live.
Cheaper ways to keep the power on
A portable generator wired through an interlock kit runs chosen circuits for far less. The Champion 201319 costs $999 (Norwall price, Oct 27, 2026), and Consumer Reports puts an interlock at $450 to $950 with the electrician, where local code allows one. You pull it out, fuel it and start it yourself, and it has to run outside, at least 20 feet from the house. Our inverter generator picks and the interlock guide cover that route.
A home battery has no engine and no fuel. EnergySage's typical installed price for a 13.5 kWh battery is $15,647, before incentives. It runs until the battery is empty unless solar panels refill it, so long outages with heavy loads favor a generator. The cost comparison puts all four options side by side for your state.
Getting quotes
- Get quotes from more than one licensed installer, and ask each to itemize the unit, transfer switch, labor, pad, gas work, electrical work and permits.
- Ask for the load calculation behind the size they recommend. List what you want running in the runtime calculator first, so you know what to ask for.
- Ask whether the price includes the first year of service and what the warranty covers. KOHLER's covers parts, labor and travel for five years or 2,000 hours; Champion's is ten years.
- Keep working carbon monoxide alarms inside the house. A standby generator burns fuel like any engine; the carbon monoxide guide has more.