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Whole-House Generator Cost Estimator

Five questions, and you get an installed range with the line items showing. Each line says whether its number is sourced or our own estimate, because the difference matters when you are budgeting thousands of dollars.

Size you are planning on
Fuel at the house
What it has to run
Distance from the gas supply to the unit
Does the electrical panel need upgrading?

Installed, all in

$8,500 – $17,500

  • Unit, transfer switch and standard install (22–26 kW (most common whole-house size))$8,000–$16,000

    Sourced: Generac (opens in new tab) average, and The Watt Guide (opens in new tab) typical, Oct 2026.

  • Whole-house (service-rated) transfer switch$500–$1,500

    Our rough estimate, not a sourced figure.

  • Permits and inspectionvaries

    Verify locally with your city or county building department. We don’t publish a fee we haven’t checked for your address.

Planning estimate, not a quote. Only an installer’s on-site quote counts.

Get a free install quote

Adder ranges we use: new propane tank $1,500–$4,000, long gas run $500–$2,000, whole-house switch $500–$1,500, panel or service upgrade $1,500–$4,000. All four are our estimates.

What this is not

It is not a quote and it is not a price we can honor, because we don’t sell or install anything. It is a planning range built from published figures for the common size plus our own estimates for the adders. The number that matters comes from an installer standing in your yard looking at your panel and your gas supply.

The one thing worth settling first

Before you take any estimate seriously, find out whether a natural gas main serves your street. That single fact is the biggest swing in the whole calculation, and the gas provider can answer it over the phone. Our cost guide explains why, and each area page names the gas utility we were able to verify locally.

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Common questions

How accurate is this estimate?

It is a planning range, not a quote, and we label it that way everywhere. The sourced band is the 22 to 26 kW air-cooled size; the other bands and all four adders are our own rough estimates. Only an installer who has seen the house, the panel and the gas supply can price the job.

Why is there no permit cost in the total?

Because we have not verified a current fee schedule for your address, and a stale number would cost you money. Permit fees differ by city and county and change. Verify locally with your building department and ask your installer whether the fee is included in their quote.

What is the biggest thing that changes the price?

Fuel. Natural gas already at the meter is the cheapest case. Needing a new propane tank set and filled is the single largest adder between two otherwise identical houses. The electrical panel is the one that surprises people most.

Does this include maintenance?

No. The range covers the install. Budget separately for periodic oil, filter and battery service, and on this coast for an annual look at the enclosure and connections because of salt. Ask what a service plan costs before you buy.

Where these numbers come from

Anything marked estimate is our own rough planning figure, not a sourced number and not a quote.

We don’t install, sell or service generators. We’re a local resource that connects homeowners with installers in their area. How we work.