Quick answer: Most whole-home generator installs in the Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Tammany area run $14,000 to $29,000 installed, depending on the size of the generator and how much site work your home needs — liquid-cooled units run higher than that range. The number you’ll actually pay depends on a few specific things below, and your final price is confirmed after a site visit, not just a phone quote.
—
What’s Included in a Typical Install
Item – What It Covers
Generator unit – The unit itself, sized to your home’s electrical load
Automatic transfer switch (ATS) – Senses a power outage, signals the generator to start, then switches your home over once the generator confirms it’s running — all automatic, no manual flip needed
Gas line – Connects the generator to your natural gas or propane supply
Electrical/panel work – Wiring the generator into your home’s electrical panel, including separating grounds and neutrals in sub-panels and any grounding upgrades needed to meet current code |
Permits – Required parish/city permits for the electrical and gas work — we handle the paperwork |
Code-required safety – Interlinked CO/smoke monitors, now required on every generator install — if one goes off, they all go off, wherever they’re located in your home
Site prep – We handle deficiencies like soffit sealing and under-home sealing that would otherwise mean hiring a separate contractor before we could install
Labor – Site prep, installation crew, and startup/testing
Warranty – Up to a 10-year manufacturer warranty, backed by our local service. If you see a longer warranty advertised elsewhere, ask what’s required to keep it valid — longer terms often come with strings attached
What Makes the Price Go Up
– Generator size (kW) — kW (kilowatt) is just the unit’s power output. A bigger home or more circuits you want backed up during an outage means a bigger, more expensive unit.
– Liquid-cooled vs. air-cooled — liquid-cooled units cost more than an air-cooled unit of the same size, but run quieter and hold up better under heavy, continuous use.
– Stand height and slab size — a taller stand or a larger concrete slab than standard costs more in materials and labor.
– AC relocation *(if applicable)* — some install locations technically require moving an outdoor AC unit to meet clearance rules, but we try to avoid this route when we can. We can’t guarantee an existing AC unit keeps running properly once it’s moved, especially with older units or outdated refrigerant. If it’s unavoidable, we’ll confirm it with you in writing before any work starts.
– Elevation/site prep *(if applicable)* — homes in flood-zone areas sometimes need an elevated pad or extra site work to meet parish requirements.
– Landscape restoration *(if applicable)* — we do our best to put your yard back the way it was, but we’re not landscapers. If you want it fully restored (sod, plants, etc.), we can bring someone in to do that for an added cost.
– Paver removal *(if applicable)* — if pavers need to come up to install, putting them back is additional cost.
– Cement cutting and re-pouring *(if applicable)* — if we need to cut into existing concrete (driveway, walkway) to run lines, cutting it and re-pouring it adds cost.
– Parish permit costs — permit fees are set by the parish, not by us, and vary by location. Depending on your address, this can also include levee board permits, tree permits, historic district review, or variances — we often don’t know exactly which apply until we submit your paperwork.
– Panel upgrades *(if applicable)* — older homes sometimes need an electrical panel upgrade to safely support a generator connection.
> Every one of these is confirmed during your site visit and written into your quote — nothing gets added to your bill without your sign-off first.
Why Prices Vary Between Contractors
Louisiana has installers at a lot of different price points, and yes — some are cheaper than us. Here’s honestly why, and what we’d suggest asking any installer you’re comparing:
– Are they a licensed electrician, not just a generator installer? Electrical work on your home’s panel should be done by a licensed electrician regardless of who sells you the generator.
– Are they a one-stop shop? We keep as much of the work in-house as we can. When we do bring in an outside contractor, it’s someone we’ve vetted over 40+ years in this business — people who’d meet our own standard, not just whoever’s available. We don’t put anyone in your home that we wouldn’t use in our own.
– Will they still be around? We’re family owned and locally based — not a here-today, gone-tomorrow outfit that might not answer the phone in a few years when you need warranty service.
– Who handles warranty service, and where are they located? We’re home to some of the most certified Generac technicians in Louisiana, and we handle warranty service ourselves — not by routing you to a subcontractor or a call center.
– Do they actually have your generator on hand? We carry $75,000+ in stock parts and over $500,000 in ready-to-install generators, transfer switches, and electrical/gas materials — so in most cases we’re not waiting on a special order to get your unit moving. *(Specialty units, like liquid-cooled or non-Generac brands, sometimes do need to be ordered.)*
– What’s their install quality and callback rate? A cheaper install that needs rework later usually ends up costing more than paying for it done right the first time.
> We’re not always the lowest bid, and we don’t try to be. We plan to be here for the long haul, and as we grow, so does the overhead it takes to run a company that’s still around to honor your warranty in year eight. We’d rather underpromise and overdeliver than the other way around.
—
What You Get With Every Install
Part of what you’re paying for isn’t the hardware — it’s everything around it:
– 10-year manufacturer warranty on every unit we sell.
– Mobile Link LTE monitor, with the first year of service included (then $99/year) — it watches your generator’s health and lets you check on it from your phone.
– 24/7 remote monitoring — like an alarm company, but for your generator. We often catch an issue before you do.
– Startup and break-in service — a 25-hour break-in period, then a full first annual service (valve adjustment on most models; 18kW units use hydraulic lifters instead), a load test, hands-on training with a certified technician, and printed instructions to keep.
– Free technical support during business hours, plus 24/7 emergency service if something goes wrong.
– The largest available inventory of parts, including what we keep stocked on our trucks.
– A no-hassle warranty — if it’s covered, we fix it, no runaround.
—
Financing
We accept checks, credit cards, and cash. Financing is available too — our most popular plan is 0% interest for 18 months through Synchrony. We also offer a leasing program that bundles a 10-year warranty, maintenance, and remote monitoring into one predictable payment. We’ll break down all the options in our next article on paying for a generator.
—
Quick Questions About Pricing
Is the price I’m quoted final, or can it change?
We confirm your price during a site visit, then put it in writing. We don’t add charges mid-project without explaining them and getting your sign-off first — no work happens without a signed change order.
Does the quote include permit costs?
Yes. We handle all permitting, permit fees, and inspection fees — permit costs vary by parish and we build the current fee into your quote.
How does generator size affect the price?
Bigger units that cover more of your home cost more — but you should only pay for what you actually need. Every proposal includes a load calculation (a sizing chart) showing exactly what your generator can power. If an installer can’t show you that math, they’re guessing. We’ll walk through sizing in detail in our next article — see *”What Size Generator Do I Need for My Home?”*
Do you offer financing?
Yes — ask about current plans when you get your quote. More detail in *”Financing a Generator: Payment Plans and What to Know Before You Sign.”*
Will I know the exact final price before I sign anything?
Yes. We do a site visit and give you a written quote before any contract is signed — nothing is finalized over the phone.
What if I need help after installation?
We offer 24/7 emergency service and remotely monitor your generator like an alarm company — our service department often reaches out to you before you notice an issue.
What payment options do you have?
Checks, credit cards, and cash, plus financing through Synchrony — our most popular plan is 0% interest for 18 months. We also offer a leasing program that bundles the warranty, maintenance, and monitoring into one payment. Full breakdown in our financing article.
*Have a question about your specific quote? Reach out to your Craig’s Electrical project coordinator anytime.*
—
*Next in this series: “What Size Generator Do I Need for My Home?” — coming soon.*