What a Generator Quote Should Include (Line by Line)

The eight lines every written standby generator quote should separate, what each should say, the one that is usually missing, and how to compare quotes fairly.

A single lump-sum number is not a quote. It’s an invitation to argue later about what was included. Every reputable installer will give you a written, itemised quote after a site visit — and once you know what the lines should be, you’ll spot the thin ones in seconds.

The eight lines

Together, these lines should add to somewhere in the national $8,000–$15,000 range for a typical 14–26 kW air-cooled install. If they don’t, the quote is either missing something or has a story to tell — ask.

The line that’s usually missing

The transfer switch. Roughly a third of first quotes we see described leave it out or bury it inside the unit price. It’s a $500–$1,500 component and it’s what makes the system automatic. A quote without it either assumes you’ll buy it separately, or it’s a portable-generator interlock being sold as a standby install. Ask: “Which transfer switch, what amperage, and is it whole-house or load-managing?” — the answer tells you how well the installer sized the job.

The exclusion that costs the most

Natural gas meter upgrade. A 20 kW generator can draw 200–300 cubic feet of gas per hour on top of your furnace and water heater. If your utility’s meter can’t supply that, it has to be upgraded — sometimes free, sometimes several hundred dollars, and it can add weeks. A quote that says “gas connection” without saying whether the meter has been checked is a quote with an open-ended number in it. Insist the installer confirm meter capacity with the utility before the price is final.

How to compare three quotes fairly

1. Put them in the same table. Eight rows, three columns. Blanks are findings, not oversights.
2. Compare the unit at the same kW. If one installer quoted 22 kW and another 26 kW, ask why. One of them sized it differently, and you want to know which sizing you agree with. Size it yourself first so you’re not choosing blind.
3. Compare electrical scope, not electrical price. A cheaper electrical line often means a shorter conduit route — sometimes clever, sometimes a generator placed where it fails the code clearance from windows and doors.
4. Look at what happens after install. First-year maintenance, the workmanship warranty, and whether they’re an authorised service dealer for the brand they’re selling. The cheapest install is expensive if nobody will service it.

What a quote should never say

• “Or equivalent” next to the generator model
• “Permits by owner”
• “Electrical as required” with no description
• A price that’s only valid today

Code references you can ask about

Two standards govern almost every residential install. NEC Article 702 covers the electrical side of optional standby systems — the transfer equipment and wiring. NFPA 37 covers where the engine can sit: clearances from the building, from openings like windows and doors, and from combustible materials. An installer who can tell you the clearance they’re working to, and why the pad is where it is, is one who’s done this before. Placement and permits in more detail →

Insist on a site visit before any firm price. An installer who quotes without seeing your panel and your gas line is guessing — and the guess is never in your favour.