Whole House Generator Installation Cost: Check Your Quote.
No maker, trade body or government source publishes installation cost by generator size. What is published: two installed prices, and the listed prices of the generator and transfer switch. Take those away from your quote and what is left is the installation.
Generac 22 kW, installed
$9,000 - $10,000
Natural gas, existing service. Walton EMC, Georgia.
Cost vs. Value 2025 job
$13,534
National average. 70 A essential-circuits system.
200 A transfer switch
$919 - $949
Listed at AP Electric, switch only.
Check an Installer's Quote
Pick the generator and transfer switch on your quote. We fill in their listed prices. Type the quote total and the checker shows how much of it is installation: the gas and electrical work, pad, permit and the installer's margin. No installation figure is assumed.
INPUTS
The installed total from your installer, before any rebate.
OUTPUT
Generator + switch, listed
$6,667
Cummins RS20A $5,748 + Generac switch $919
Listed prices checked 8 Oct 2026: Kohler and Briggs and Stratton MSRPs, Generac and Cummins at AP Electric. Your installer may buy below list, so part of the "installation" line can be equipment margin.
The Two Published Installed Prices
Walton EMC, an electric co-op in Georgia that offers its members Generac standby generators, says its core product, a Generac 22 kW Response Series, averages $9,000 to $10,000 locally for the unit and installation at existing homes with natural gas service. Where natural gas is not available, members can expect to pay $1,000 to $2,000 more for a propane fuel installation (archived copy of the page). It is one area's figure for one model.
The Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report 2025 prices one defined backup generator job: a modular system supplying 70 amps of emergency power across two 240-volt and six 120-volt circuits on an existing propane supply, with the transfer switch, load centre, pad, conduit and cable. Nationally it costs $13,534. That is an essential-circuits install, smaller than a whole-house system sized to run central air, and it leaves out a new tank or a long gas run. By Census division:
| Census division | Job cost, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $15,652 |
| Pacific | $14,637 |
| New England | $14,292 |
| South Atlantic | $13,561 |
| West North Central | $13,216 |
| West South Central | $12,915 |
| East North Central | $12,877 |
| Mountain | $12,481 |
| East South Central | $11,629 |
| National | $13,534 |
Source: Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report 2025, backup power generator, national and division tables. What it means at resale is on the home value page.
What an Itemised Quote Should List
Ask each installer to price these as separate lines. The right-hand column is what makes the line bigger or smaller at your house.
| Line | Who usually does it | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Generator | Dealer | Size, brand, model. Compare with the listed price. |
| Transfer switch | Electrician | Amp rating, service-rated or not, load management modules. |
| Electrical connection | Licensed electrician | Distance to the panel, the state of the existing service, any panel or service work. |
| Gas or propane connection | Licensed gas fitter or plumber | Run length and pipe size, meter capacity, trenching. On propane, whether a tank is needed. |
| Pad | Installer or concrete crew | Poured or pre-cast, site levelling, local rules. |
| Permit and inspection | Installer | Your town or county's fees and how many inspections it requires. |
| Start-up and commissioning | Dealer technician | Usually included; check, and check the warranty registration. |
The Trades Involved
A standby install usually needs a licensed electrician for the transfer switch and panel work and a licensed gas fitter or plumber for the gas line; some installers carry both trades, many subcontract one. The BLS puts the 2025 median pay of electricians at $30.38 an hour and of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters at $30.67 an hour. Those are wages, not what an installer charges: its hourly price also carries vehicles, insurance, licensing and profit, and no public source publishes a typical billed rate for generator work.
Questions to Settle at the Site Survey
These are the things that most often change a price after the first visit. A careful installer raises them before quoting; ask if yours does not.
The electrical service. Is the main panel and service big enough and in good order for a transfer switch, or does it need work first? Panel or service work involves the utility and is often a separate line.
The gas run. How far is the generator from the meter, and what pipe size does that length need for the generator's gas demand? A long or buried run costs more than a short surface run.
The meter. Can the existing gas meter supply the generator and your appliances together? If not, the gas utility has to change it; ask the utility what it charges and how long it takes.
Placement rules. Clearances from windows, doors and property lines come from the maker's installation manual and local code. An HOA may also want to approve the location or screening.
Coastal sites. Near salt water, ask whether the quote uses corrosion-resistant hardware and an enclosure suited to the setting.
FAQ
How much does it cost to install a whole house generator?v
No maker, trade body or government source publishes installation cost by generator size, so the honest answer comes from your own quotes. Two installed prices are published: Walton EMC, a Georgia electric co-op, says a Generac 22 kW Response Series averages $9,000 to $10,000 locally for unit and installation at existing homes with natural gas service, plus $1,000 to $2,000 where propane has to be installed. The Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report 2025 puts its backup generator job at $13,534 nationally, but that job is a 70 A essential-circuits system on existing propane, smaller than a whole-house install.
How do I tell how much of my quote is installation?v
Subtract the listed price of the generator and transfer switch on the quote from the quote total. Generators of 10 to 26 kW listed at $3,699 to $7,546 when checked on 8 Oct 2026, and 200 A service-rated transfer switches at $919 (Generac 9929) to $949 (Kohler RXT) at AP Electric. What is left is installation and the installer's margin. The quote checker on this page does the sum.
What is included in installation?v
Usually: the permit, the gas or propane connection from the meter or tank to the generator, the pad, setting the generator, the transfer switch and its wiring to the main panel, conduit and cable between the generator and switch, first start-up and commissioning, and the inspection. Ask for each as its own line so you can compare quotes.
Why do quotes for the same generator differ so much?v
The work differs from house to house: how far the generator sits from the gas meter and what pipe size the run needs, whether the meter can supply the generator and your appliances together, whether the electrical service needs work, what the pad and permit involve locally, and how the installer prices its time and the equipment. Compare itemised quotes line by line rather than on the bottom number.
What do electricians and plumbers earn?v
The BLS puts the 2025 median pay of electricians at $30.38 an hour and of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters at $30.67 an hour. Those are wages. An installer's hourly charge also covers its overheads and profit, and no public source publishes a typical billed rate for generator work.
Related
Transfer switch cost
Switch types and listed prices.
Concrete pad
Poured vs composite, setbacks.
Install guide hub
Step by step from permit to commissioning.
22 kW generator cost
Listed units by brand at the most common size.
2026 prices
Listed unit prices across sizes and brands.
Financing options
HELOC, PACE, manufacturer financing.