Whole House Generator Cost in 2026: List Prices, Price per kW, Permits and Safety Records

Whole house generator cost: 73 standby models priced on 27 October 2026

Equipment list prices run from $2,695 for a small air-cooled unit to $28,304 for a 60 kW liquid-cooled model. Two of five brands publish MSRPs; the rest were priced at one retailer on the same day.

Kohler (Rehlko) and Briggs & Stratton publish manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRPs) on their home standby model pages. Generac's FAQ says its home backup generators start at just over $2,000, but the model pages opened on 27 October 2026 carried no price, and Champion and Cummins pages carried none either. For those brands this report uses the list prices of one online retailer, Norwall PowerSystems, observed the same day.

Every price is for equipment only. Kohler states that final pricing is set by the dealer, and Briggs & Stratton states that its 13 kW starting MSRP of $4,460 excludes installation, the automatic transfer switch, accessories and shipping.

Home standby generator: A generator permanently installed outside a home that runs on natural gas or propane and starts on its own through a transfer switch when utility power fails. CPSC staff note it is also sold as a whole home, whole house or stationary generator.

Nameplate kW: The rated output on propane, which manufacturers use in model names. Output on natural gas is often lower: the Generac 7260 is rated 22 kW on propane and 21 kW on natural gas.

Bigger air-cooled units cost less per kilowatt: $343 at 8 to 14 kW, $276 at 24 to 28 kW

List price per kW drops as size rises within air-cooled models, then jumps for liquid-cooled units, which cost a median $529 per kW.

For air-cooled generators sold without a switch, the median list price was $3,946 at 8 to 14 kW, $5,999 at 17 to 22 kW and $7,107 at 24 to 28 kW on 27 October 2026. Per kW, the medians were $343, $287 and $276. Across all 28 air-cooled generator-only models the median was $291 per kW.

Packages that include a transfer switch had medians of $4,716, $6,799 and $8,064 in the same three bands. Liquid-cooled single-phase models of 24 to 60 kW, aimed at large homes and light commercial sites, had a median of $19,558.

The transfer switch is a large share of the gap between packages. Across 14 matched pairs of the same generator with and without a switch, the switch added a median $1,040. Generac's switch packages added $1,040 at 14 to 26 kW and $1,320 at 28 kW; Kohler's added $968 to $969 at 14 to 26 kW. Kohler lists its switches alone at $599 to $3,519 MSRP depending on amperage and service-entrance rating.

How much does a Generac generator cost next to Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, Champion and Cummins

At 20 to 22 kW the five brands span $236 to $301 per kW on a propane rating; on a natural gas rating the three brands that publish it span $274 to $334.

The Generac 7260 (22 kW Next Gen, generator only) was listed at $6,189 on 27 October 2026, or $281 per kW. The Generac 7042 Guardian 22 kW, still listed on Generac's site, was $5,999 at the same retailer. At 26 kW, the Generac 7327 was $7,019, or $270 per kW.

The Kohler 20RCA had an MSRP of $6,016 ($301 per kW), the Briggs & Stratton 040786 an MSRP of $6,037 ($274 per kW), the Champion 100304 a retailer list price of $5,195 ($236 per kW) and the Cummins RS20A a retailer list price of $5,747.50 ($287 per kW).

Ratings shift the comparison. Briggs & Stratton rates the 040786 at 22 kW on both fuels, while Kohler rates the 20RCA at 18 kW on natural gas and Generac rates the 7260 at 21 kW. On natural gas, the price per kW was $274 for Briggs & Stratton, $295 for Generac and $334 for Kohler. Kohler states that its standby generators run on either natural gas or propane, and output differs by fuel.

The public record covers permit fees, not the installed price

No government or named public source gives installation hours, so this report does not estimate labor. City fee schedules do document the electrical permit: $66.14 to $267.00 in four of the 20 largest cities, and $40 plus unit fees in New York City.

Installed cost depends on the site: distance to the panel, gas line or propane tank work, a concrete or composite pad, panel capacity and local code. Generac's 10-K describes a contractor program meant to increase installation capacity for home standby generators, and Kohler states that a full installation quote requires a home assessment. Readers planning panel work can see the panel upgrade cost report.

Of the 20 largest US cities by Census 2025 population, five publish a fee that can be computed: San Diego charges $176.57 for a Generator Only electrical item; San Antonio charges $66.14 after its 8% surcharges; Phoenix and Philadelphia charge by job valuation ($267.00 and $175.00 at a $6,799 equipment-only valuation); and New York City charges a $40 filing fee plus per-unit fees. Five cities publish schedules with no generator line item, and ten schedules could not be opened on 27 October 2026.

The BLS May 2025 national mean wage for electricians was $34.37 per hour, and $34.70 for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, the trade that often runs gas piping. A labor cost would require installation hours from a named public source; no government study, program or bid tabulation found for this report gives them, so no labor figure is computed. State wage detail is in electrician wages by state and the pricing section.

No CPSC recall of a home standby generator unit since 2015; portable recalls cover 976,250 units

Every generator recall in the CPSC database since 2015 involves portable units or parts, apart from 6,600 Kohler transfer switches in 2018. Generac accounts for 54.8% of recalled portable units.

A full download of CPSC recall records from 1 January 2015 to 27 October 2026, searched for generator, standby and transfer switch, returned 15 recalls of engine-driven portable generators, one recall of Kohler 100 A service-entrance automatic transfer switches sold for Kohler generators (about 6,600 units, May 2018) and one recall of Briggs & Stratton portable generator fuel caps. No recall of a home standby generator unit appears in the period.

The 15 portable recalls list 1.18 million units as announced. Honda's March 2020 recall of 340,000 units included about 200,000 units already recalled in 2019, so the total net of double counting is 976,250 units. Generac's recalls of July 2021 (321,160 units), September 2023 (64,000) and April 2026 (149,400) total 534,560 units.

The most recent generator recall, announced 16 April 2026, covers about 149,400 Generac portable generators sold from May 2025 to February 2026, after 114 reports of fuel leaking from the carburetor on first fill and no reported injuries. In a separate settlement published 9 May 2023, Generac agreed to a $15.8 million civil penalty over the timing of its report on the 2021 handle hazard; the agreement states that Generac does not admit the staff charges.

Recalls of electrical panels and breakers are covered in the electrical panel recalls report.

Generators were linked to 814 reported CO deaths from 2011 to 2021, and the federal rule is still pending

Portable generators account for almost all reported generator CO deaths, but CPSC staff documented 105 Louisiana homes with CO from stationary generators after Hurricane Ida and say no code or standard addresses that hazard.

CPSC staff counted 814 reported non-fire CO deaths associated with generators in the United States from 2011 to 2021, in the agency's latest generator report that could be opened for this review (June 2022). Deaths were 95 in 2019 and 103 in 2020; the 2017 to 2019 average was 85 per year. Fixed-location generators were involved in 6 deaths over the period, 0.8% of the 770 deaths from incidents involving generators only.

The Fall 2025 Unified Agenda entry for the portable generator rule states that CPSC databases held at least 789 generator-related consumer CO deaths from 616 incidents in 2012 to 2022, and an average of 74 deaths and an estimated 4,314 medically attended injuries a year from 2004 to 2021.

Stationary units are a distinct risk. In the June 2025 CPSC staff report, Hurricane Ida exhaust traveled at least 25 feet from generator enclosures into homes, 85 of the 105 stationary-generator homes had a CO alarm activate, and 12 had residents with CO symptoms. The most common unit was a 22 kW natural gas generator (27 of 45 with a reported rating). Staff estimated that such a unit emits 1,678 grams of CO per hour, 1.08 times its estimate for mid-size portable generators. In the first five days of the 2024 Hurricane Beryl outage around Houston, fire departments filed 153 reports naming a stationary generator and 162 naming a portable generator as the CO source.

The federal rule covers portable generators only. CPSC proposed CO emission limits in November 2016 (75, 150 and 300 grams per hour by engine class) and a revised rule in April 2023 that adds an automatic shutoff. CPSC estimates the 2023 proposal would avert 2,148 deaths over 30 years, about 72 a year, with $7.02 in benefits per $1 of cost. The agenda published 14 August 2026 lists the rule at the final rule stage. For stationary generators, staff asked the UL 2200 committee for CO requirements and the NFPA 37 committee for a 25 foot clearance in place of 5 feet.

The math behind the moves

Get the calculations (CSV)

Numbers to watch

1. ECW priced 73 single-phase home standby generator models from Generac, Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, Champion and Cummins on 27 October 2026; list prices ran from $2,695 (Champion 8.5 kW) to $28,304 (Kohler 60 kW liquid-cooled).^[21][22][25]
2. The median list price of a 17 to 22 kW air-cooled generator without transfer switch was $5,999 in the United States on 27 October 2026 (11 models), or $287 per kW.^[21][22][25]
3. Price per kW falls with size: the median was $343 per kW at 8 to 14 kW and $276 per kW at 24 to 28 kW for air-cooled generators sold without a switch (27 October 2026).^[21][22][25]
4. Liquid-cooled single-phase models of 24 to 60 kW had a median list price of $19,558 and $529 per kW on 27 October 2026, 1.92 times the 24 to 28 kW air-cooled median per kW.^[21][25]
5. Adding an automatic transfer switch raised the package price by a median $1,040 across 14 matched pairs on 27 October 2026; Kohler lists its switches alone at $599 to $3,519 MSRP.^[21][25]
6. At 20 to 22 kW, generator-only list prices ranged from $236 per kW (Champion 100304) to $301 per kW (Kohler 20RCA) in the United States on 27 October 2026.^[21][22][25]
7. On a natural gas rating, the 20 to 22 kW spread widened: Briggs & Stratton 040786 $274, Generac 7260 $295 and Kohler 20RCA $334 per kW (27 October 2026).^{[21][22][23][25]}
8. A retailer's prices for 11 Kohler and Briggs & Stratton models sat a median 2.0% below manufacturer MSRP on 27 October 2026.^[21][22][25]
9. Of the 20 largest US cities, five publish a fee that can be computed for a home standby generator electrical permit as of October 2026: $66.14 in San Antonio, $175.00 in Philadelphia, $176.57 in San Diego, $267.00 in Phoenix and at least $40 in New York City.^{[11][12][13][14][15]}
10. The CPSC Recalls API lists no recall of a home standby generator unit from 2015 to 27 October 2026; the one standby-related recall covered about 6,600 Kohler automatic transfer switches (May 2018).^[1]
11. Fifteen CPSC recalls of engine-driven portable generators from 2016 to 2026 covered 976,250 US units net of double counting; three Generac recalls account for 534,560 units, 54.8% of the total.^[1]
12. CPSC staff counted 814 reported non-fire CO deaths associated with generators in the United States from 2011 to 2021; fixed-location generators were linked to 6 deaths, 0.8% of the 770 deaths in generator-only incidents.^[3]
13. After Hurricane Ida in 2021, a stationary generator was identified as the CO source in 105 of 256 Louisiana homes with CO exposure reported to CPSC staff (41.0%).^[2]
14. CPSC staff recommended in June 2025 that NFPA 37 raise the clearance between a stationary generator and openings in a home from 5 feet to at least 25 feet.^[2]
15. The CPSC portable generator rule (RIN 3041-AC36), proposed in 2016 and again in April 2023, sat at the final rule stage in the agenda published 14 August 2026; no final rule had been published by 27 October 2026.^[4][5][6]

In short

• ECW observed list prices for 73 single-phase home standby generator models from five brands on 27 October 2026.
• A 17 to 22 kW air-cooled generator without switch had a median list price of $5,999 ($287 per kW); with a transfer switch the median was $6,799.
• Price per kW falls with size among air-cooled units, from $343 at 8 to 14 kW to $276 at 24 to 28 kW, and rises to $529 for liquid-cooled models.
• At 20 to 22 kW the five brands span $236 to $301 per kW on a propane rating; on natural gas the spread is $274 to $334 for the three brands that publish it.
• No public source gives installation hours, so the report computes no labor cost; electrical permit fees are $66.14 to $267.00 where city schedules allow a calculation.
• CPSC has recalled 976,250 portable generator units since 2016 but no home standby generator unit since 2015.
• CPSC staff link generators to 814 reported CO deaths from 2011 to 2021 and found stationary generators were the CO source in 105 Louisiana homes after Hurricane Ida.

Common questions

Keep reading

• Power outages by state
• How to hire an electrician
• Pricing and Estimating guide
• Why is my electric bill so high? Price, usage and weather in the US data
• Aluminum wiring and knob-and-tube wiring: how many US homes are old enough, by state
• Average Cost of Solar Panels by State: Installed Prices, 2025
• All electrical contractor data

How we built this report

Selection: the price snapshot covers single-phase residential home standby generators (air-cooled and liquid-cooled, natural gas or propane) from the five brands with public prices. Kohler and Briggs & Stratton PowerProtect prices were taken from manufacturer MSRPs on their sites. Generac, Champion and Cummins publish no MSRP on their model pages, so their prices, and those of Briggs & Stratton PowerProtect+ and Fortress models, come from the category pages of one online retailer (Norwall PowerSystems), all observed on 27 October 2026. Three-phase, diesel, CARB-specific duplicates and units over 60 kW (including the Kohler 150 kW model) were excluded. Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply and other retailers blocked automated requests and were not used.

Ratings: kW is the propane nameplate rating used in model names. Natural gas ratings are reported only where the manufacturer page states them. Kohler model pages show a specification line for the transfer switch that conflicts with Kohler's own naming rule for two models (12RESV and 26RCA); the report follows Kohler's stated rule that RCA and RESV models are sold without a switch and RCAL and RESVL models include one.

Derived metrics: price per kW is list price divided by propane kW. Size-band medians, brand comparisons, transfer switch premiums (price with switch minus price without for 14 matched pairs) and the retailer-to-MSRP gap (11 matched models) are in derived_metrics.csv with input rows. Valuation-based permit fees use the 17 to 22 kW with-switch median ($6,799) as an equipment-only valuation, which understates a real job valuation.

Installation: the brief allowed a labor cost only if a named source gave installation hours. No government study, program record or public bid tabulation with hours for residential standby installation was found, and installer and cost-guide pages are not used for figures, so no labor or installed-cost estimate is given. The BLS May 2025 mean wage is reported for context only.

Permits: the 20 largest cities were ranked by Census Vintage 2025 population. Fees were read from official schedules in effect on 27 October 2026. A fee is shown only where the schedule names a generator item or charges by valuation; ten schedules returned HTTP 403, 404, an empty page or a rejected request, and Internet Archive copies returned HTTP 429, so those cities show Not available.

Recalls: all CPSC recall records from 1 January 2015 to 27 October 2026 were downloaded from the keyless Recalls API and searched for generator, standby and transfer switch in titles and product fields. Excluded from totals: battery products described as generators (Lekker Patriot Power 2016, Harbor Freight Predator power stations 2025), Kohler gasoline engines (2018), pool UV generators and male-to-male backfeed cords (2026). The 2022 Generac reannouncement is not counted twice, and the 200,000 Honda units included in the 2020 recall are removed from the net total.

Carbon monoxide: the latest generator death report that could be opened is the June 2022 CPSC staff report covering 2011 to 2021. CPSC's statistics page lists a newer edition covering 2012 to 2022 (February 2024) and 2022 annual estimates for consumer products (May 2026), but the page returned HTTP 403 and the Internet Archive returned HTTP 429, so those editions are not used; the 2012 to 2022 death count of 789 is taken from the Fall 2025 Unified Agenda instead. Death counts are minimum counts and recent years rise as reports arrive.

Conflicts and limits: where MSRP and retailer prices both exist for the same model, the MSRP is used in the main tables. List prices change with promotions and are not quotes. Recall counts reflect reported defects, not failure rates. Last updated 27 October 2026.

This report presents published data with its limitations. It is not legal, financial or investment advice.

Sources by tier

Tier 1: primary and official sources (19)

• [1] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (SaferProducts.gov). Recalls API (Recall records 2015-01-01 to 2026-10-27). Recalls announced 2015 to 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [2] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission staff. Stationary Generators: The Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Hazard and Recommendations for Mitigation (Buyer, Smith, Trotta). Hurricane Ida 2021 and Hurricane Beryl 2024 incidents; report dated 3 June 2025. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [3] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission staff. Fatal Incidents Associated with Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from Engine-Driven Generators and Other Engine-Driven Tools, 2011-2021 (Hnatov). Deaths 2011 to 2021 reported by 10 May 2022; report dated June 2022. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [4] Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (Reginfo.gov). Unified Agenda entry RIN 3041-AC36, Safety Standard for Portable Generators. Fall 2025 agenda; deaths 2004 to 2022. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [5] Federal Register. Consumer Product Safety Commission Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, 91 FR 53086. Published 14 August 2026; accurate as of November 2025. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [6] Federal Register (CPSC). Safety Standard for Portable Generators, supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking, 88 FR 24346. Published 20 April 2023. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [7] Federal Register (CPSC). Safety Standard for Portable Generators, notice of proposed rulemaking, 81 FR 83556. Published 21 November 2016. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [8] Federal Register (CPSC). Generac Power Systems, Inc.; Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order, 88 FR 29891. Published 9 May 2023. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [9] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat). May 2025. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [10] U.S. Census Bureau. City and Town Population Totals: 2020 to 2025 (SUB-EST2025). 1 July 2025 estimates. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [11] City of San Diego Development Services. Information Bulletin 103: Fee Schedule for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Gas Permits. In effect 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [12] City of San Antonio Development Services. FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule. FY 2027, in effect 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [13] City of Phoenix Planning and Development. PDD Fee Schedule, Table A: Building Safety Valuation-Based Permit Fee (approved 17 December 2025, effective 20 January 2026). Effective 20 January 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [14] City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections. PG_012_INF Summary of Construction Permit Fees (rev. February 2026). Effective 1 January 2025, revised February 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [15] New York City Department of Buildings. 1 RCNY 101-03, Fees payable to the Department of Buildings. In effect 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [16] City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections. 2026 Fee Subtitle, Table D-15 Electrical Permit Fees. 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [17] City of Jacksonville. City Fees: Electrical Permit Fees, Section 320.409. In effect 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [18] City of Austin Development Services. Residential Building Plan Review and Inspection Permit Fees (updated 14 October 2026, effective 1 October 2026). Effective 1 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [19] City of Dallas Development Services. Permit fee summary and DSD fee schedule (effective 1 July 2025). Effective 1 July 2025. Accessed 2026-10-27.

Tier 2: trade bodies, market research, company data (5)

• [20] U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). Generac Holdings Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 (filed 18 February 2026). Fiscal year 2025. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [21] Rehlko (Kohler Home Energy). KOHLER home generators and automatic transfer switches: model pages with MSRP. Observed 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [22] Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions. PowerProtect 13kW, 22kW and 26kW home standby generator pages with MSRP. Observed 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [23] Generac Power Systems. Generac home standby generator model pages, FAQ and home standby overview. Observed 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [24] Champion Power Equipment. Champion 22 kW home standby generator 201016 product page. Observed 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.

Tier 3: journalism and expert commentary (1)

• [25] Norwall PowerSystems (online retailer). Standby generator category listings by brand (Generac, Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, Champion, Cummins, liquid-cooled). Observed 27 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.