Generator installation cost in California
Running on natural gas, a 22 kW whole house generator costs about $11,869 to $17,569 once installed in California. Pay here runs $41.28 an hour for electricians, 20% over the US average of $34.37. That figure drives the electrician charge, $3,600 to $6,600.
Need to know if 22 kW is right? Size your house with three questions.
Installed price in California by size
Half load fuel use and California prices. Generac posts a fuel table for every model. Its 18 kW unit and the 24 kW and 26 kW ones are each rated to use no more fuel an hour than the next size below them, so the hourly burn doesn't climb in step with kW.
| Size | Natural gas, installed | Gas at half load | Propane, installed | Propane at half load | Fuel figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kW | $9,119 to $14,819 | $2.11/h | $9,519 to $15,419 | $2.65/h | Generac Guardian 10 kW |
| 14 kW | $10,449 to $16,149 | $4.08/h | $10,849 to $16,749 | $4.94/h | Generac Guardian 14 kW |
| 18 kW | $11,269 to $16,969 | $3.53/h | $11,669 to $17,569 | $4.64/h | Generac Guardian 18 kW |
| 22 kW | $11,869 to $17,569 | $4.27/h | $12,269 to $18,169 | $6.91/h | Generac Guardian 22 kW |
| 24 kW | $12,289 to $17,989 | $4.24/h | $12,689 to $18,589 | $6.91/h | Generac Guardian 24 kW |
| 26 kW | $12,719 to $18,419 | $3.93/h | $13,119 to $19,019 | $5.62/h | Generac Guardian 26 kW |
Inside the 22 kW price in California
The labor rate is $41.28 an hour, ranking 8th of 51 among the highest. Total labor can reach up to $1,100 more than with US average pay.
| Line, 22 kW | Natural gas | Propane | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generator | $6,309 | $6,309 | Generac's posted list price for the 22 kW bundle, minus the switch |
| Transfer switch | $1,060 | $1,060 | The difference in Generac's listed prices, with and without the switch |
| Electrician: switch, wiring, start-up | $3,600 to $6,600 | $3,600 to $6,600 | Published install ranges, based on the California wage of $41.28 hourly (BLS) |
| Fuel line | $600 to $2,400 | $1,000 to $3,000 | gas line runs from the meter; propane line runs from the tank |
| Pad and permit | $300 to $1,200 | $300 to $1,200 | composite pad or slab, local fees |
| Installed | $11,869 to $17,569 | $12,269 to $18,169 | propane leaves out the tank |
California fuel cost
| Fuel | Price | 22 kW an hour | Three days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | $20.91 per 1,000 ft³ | $4.27 | $307 |
| Propane | $2.73 a gallon | $6.91 | $497 (182 gal) |
In California, Gas costs less than propane. At half load, a 22 kW generator uses Gas for $4.27 an hour, while propane costs $6.91 an hour. Residential gas here is the 24th cheapest among 51. For propane, we use the EIA U.S. average, a regional figure that includes California.
| Propane tank | Usable at 80% | 22 kW at half load | Fill at the U.S. average price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 gal | 200 gal | 79 h | $546 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | 158 h | $1,092 |
California power outages
California customers averaged 358 minutes without power in 2025, higher than the US figure of 269, and the state ranks 14th highest of 51. Major storms caused 61% of that time; on ordinary days, outages came to 140 minutes. Of the last ten years, 2019 was the worst, at 611 minutes. Their average is 299, and 2025 came in 60 minutes above that.
Year by year since 2016
| Year | Minutes out, all events | Rank of 51 states | Without major storms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 358 | 14th | 140 |
| 2024 | 285 | 29th | 164 |
| 2023 | 353 | 18th | 157 |
| 2022 | 202 | 31st | 157 |
| 2021 | 335 | 17th | 148 |
| 2020 | 281 | 30th | 108 |
| 2019 | 611 | 3rd | 107 |
| 2018 | 199 | 28th | 100 |
| 2017 | 243 | 26th | 104 |
| 2016 | 120 | 46th | 101 |
California utilities and their 2025 outages
| Utility | Customers | Minutes out | Outages each | Minutes per outage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | 5,633,083 | 273 | 1.63 | 167 |
| Southern California Edison Co | 5,343,161 | 545 | 1.39 | 392 |
| Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | 1,571,400 | 408 | 0.78 | 523 |
| San Diego Gas & Electric Co | 1,541,412 | 130 | 0.54 | 241 |
| Sacramento Municipal Util Dist | 677,917 | 50 | 0.87 | 57 |
In 2025, Southern California Edison Co customers went without power for 545 minutes, against 50 for Sacramento Municipal Util Dist. With a ratio of 11.0 to one, the utility serving your street counts for more than the 358 minute state figure. Customer-weighted figures across all utilities put the average customer's yearly outages at 1.29. The US figure was 1.35, so outages were less frequent. Across Pacific Gas & Electric Co. lines, outages lasted 167 minutes on average, or about 2.8 hours. At half load, a 22 kW uses $11.89 of gas for that period.
Major disasters declared by FEMA in California since 2016
Severe storms (14), wildfires (9), floods (4), hurricanes (2), earthquake (1), tropical storm (1), winter storm (1). All told, 32 major disasters were declared, with the newest one in January 2025; COVID-19 stays out of the count. Of the 32, 3 were tropical or coastal storms, the latest being Tropical Storm Hilary in November 2023, and those outages last for days. Winter or ice storms accounted for 1 of them. A cold-weather kit ensures the engine keeps starting. 9 of the declarations cover wildfires. Where fires are common, utilities also cut lines on purpose during high wind, and such shutoffs never appear as declarations. Because 4 flood declarations came through, place the generator pad higher than the local flood level. Your permit office can supply that level for the lot.
The most-named counties include Napa County (10), Mendocino County (9), Lake County (8), Trinity County (9), Los Angeles County (8), Butte County (9), Sonoma County (8), El Dorado County (7).
| Declared | Disaster | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds | DR-4856 |
| April 2024 | Severe Winter Storm | DR-4773 |
| April 2024 | Severe Storms and Flooding | DR-4772 |
| April 2024 | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | DR-4769 |
| February 2024 | Severe Storm and Flooding | DR-4758 |
| November 2023 | Tropical Storm Hilary | DR-4750 |
California and the states next to it
| State | 22 kW on gas, installed | Wage | Minutes out |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $11,869 to $17,569 | $41.28 | 358 |
| Arizona | $10,769 to $15,269 | $30.88 | 69 |
| Nevada | $11,369 to $16,469 | $36.4 | 128 |
| Oregon | $12,569 to $19,069 | $47.96 | 302 |
Installation costs less in 2 of the 3 neighbors. Arizona has the lowest figure at $10,769, while Oregon's $12,569 is the highest.
Data comes from BLS wages (May 2025), gas prices from EIA (March to August 2026), propane prices from EIA (October 26, 2026), outage records from EIA, EIA-861, FEMA. All states.