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How much does a whole house generator cost?

A whole house generator costs $7,000 to $20,000 installed in 2026. What changes your price is below.

Most homes buy a 22 kW standby generator and pay $10,000 to $14,000 all in. The generator itself is only about 40 percent of that. The rest of the standby generator installation cost is the transfer switch, the gas line, the pad, the permit and two licensed trades.

A whole house generator costs $7,000 to $20,000 installed in 2026

Estimate your whole house generator cost

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A fair price is $10,000 to $14,000.

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Low$12,000High
Your estimateUS average
$10Kto$14K

Middle of the range: $12,000

$0$9,450$18,900
Normal range Middle

What you are paying for

22 kWMost homes. US range for this job.$10,000 to $14,000
Short gas and wire runs, panel is readySite.Base price
US averageLocal prices not added yet.US price
Middle of rangeHalfway between low and high.$12,000
How we calculate this

    Prices are for the United States in 2026 from published cost guides, checked September 2026. This is an estimate, not a quote.

    Middle $12,000$10K to $14K

    Cost by size and by line

    Generac with transfer switch, equipment onlyCatalog prices checked Sept 8, 2026: $4,619 for 10 kW, $5,949 for 14 kW, $6,769 for 18 kW, $7,369 for 22 kW, $7,789 for 24 kW and $8,219 for 26 kW.
    14 to 22 kW installed$7,000 to $12,000 in one April 2026 guide.
    22 kW installed$10,000 to $14,000 for most homes. Guides range from $8,500 to $13,000 up to $10,000 to $18,000.
    Essential circuits only$7,000 to $12,000 with a smaller unit.
    Large or complex, 30 kW and upOver $25,000.
    Installation labor$2,500 to $4,000 for a standard job in one contractor guide. $4,000 to $7,000 in another that counts permits, pad, wiring and gas line.
    Automatic transfer switch$700 to $1,500.
    Concrete or composite pad$300 to $600.
    Permits and inspections$150 to $400 in one Nevada guide. More in strict coastal counties.
    Yearly maintenance$200 to $400.
    Portable generator with a manual transfer switch$1,500 to $3,500 installed. No automatic start.

    Is your quote fair?

    Type the price you were quoted. We compare it to the usual 2026 range of $7,000 to $20,000.

    What pushes a quote up

    Size in kWThe biggest driver of the unit price. Most homes need 13 to 22 kW.
    The gas lineAbout 15 percent of a typical job. A 22 kW unit needs more gas than many existing lines can deliver.
    Your panelAn old or full panel can mean a service upgrade before the transfer switch goes in.
    Where you liveOne guide puts the same 22 kW install at about $7,500 in rural Texas and $12,000 to $14,000 in coastal Florida, where pads and tie downs are storm rated.
    DistanceEvery foot between the generator, the gas meter and the panel is trench, pipe and wire.

    Whole house generator cost by region

    Lower cost states$8,000 to $11,200. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and most rural areas.
    Average cost states$10,000 to $14,000. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and most mid size cities.
    Higher cost states$13,000 to $18,200. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington, plus big metros such as Chicago, Denver and Washington DC.

    These rows are our estimate. We took the typical national range and adjusted it for local labor costs, which run about 20 percent lower in the cheapest states and about 30 percent higher in the dearest ones. In storm prone states, prices and wait times jump after every big outage.

    Why a $7,369 generator becomes a $14,000 project

    The number online is the box. One April 2026 guide splits a typical install like this: about 40 percent is the unit, 25 percent is the transfer switch and electrical work, 15 percent is the gas line, 10 percent is the pad and permits, and 10 percent is other labor. That is how a 22 kW Generac listed at $7,369 with its switch turns into a five figure job.

    It is also why bids are hard to compare. One June 2026 guide found bids that differed by $4,000 on the same unit, because one included coordinating a bigger gas meter with the utility and the other left it as the owner's job. A quote that says only 22 kW Generac installed, $11,500, is not detailed enough to compare with anything.

    Whole house and standby mean the same machine

    People search for both. A standby generator is the permanent unit that sits outside on a pad and starts by itself when the power drops. A whole house generator is a standby generator big enough to run everything at once. A smaller standby unit wired to a few key circuits is the same idea for less money, at $7,000 to $12,000.

    Do you need 22 kW

    One Nevada electrician says owners often buy a 22 kW unit when a 16 or 18 kW unit would carry the real load. The price gap between sizes is modest, but fuel use and engine wear follow the size. Ask for a load calculation based on the circuits you want covered, not on square feet.

    Why this costs more in 2026

    A generator is an engine, copper windings and a steel case, and the install needs a trench and a truck. Gas line pipe, wire and concrete all cost more to move this year.

    Fuel went up fast this year. AAA diesel topped $6 a gallon on September 11, 2026 (CBS 8), and building material prices rose 4.8 percent in a year (Roofing Contractor). Get the quote date in writing.

    How to judge the quote in your hand

    Ways to pay less