Generator installation cost in District of Columbia
In District of Columbia, a whole house generator of 22 kW running on natural gas runs about $11,969 to $17,869 once installed. Here electricians earn $42.72 an hour, which is 24% higher than the US average of $34.37 for this trade. That wage is what sets the electrician line of the price, which falls between $3,700 and $6,800 because of it.
Is 22 kW the right fit for your home? Size your home with three questions.
Installed cost by size in District of Columbia
Half load fuel use, priced for District of Columbia. For each model, Generac lists a fuel table. The next smaller size has the same or higher hourly fuel rating for the 18 kW and 24 kW models and the 26 kW model. This means fuel use per hour 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 | $9,219 to $15,119 | $2.56/h | $9,619 to $15,719 | $3.53/h | Generac Guardian 10 kW |
| 14 kW | $10,549 to $16,449 | $4.95/h | $10,949 to $17,049 | $6.59/h | Generac Guardian 14 kW |
| 18 kW | $11,369 to $17,269 | $4.29/h | $11,769 to $17,869 | $6.19/h | Generac Guardian 18 kW |
| 22 kW | $11,969 to $17,869 | $5.17/h | $12,369 to $18,469 | $9.21/h | Generac Guardian 22 kW |
| 24 kW | $12,389 to $18,289 | $5.15/h | $12,789 to $18,889 | $9.21/h | Generac Guardian 24 kW |
| 26 kW | $12,819 to $18,719 | $4.77/h | $13,219 to $19,319 | $7.50/h | Generac Guardian 26 kW |
How the 22 kW price adds up in District of Columbia
Electricians earn $42.72 an hour, placing them 6th of 51 and among the highest paid. Labor costs up to $1,300 more than it does at the US average wage.
| Line, 22 kW | Natural gas | Propane | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generator | $6,309 | $6,309 | Generac's list price on the 22 kW bundle, minus the switch |
| Transfer switch | $1,060 | $1,060 | Difference between Generac's prices with and without the switch |
| Electrician: switch, wiring, start-up | $3,700 to $6,800 | $3,700 to $6,800 | Published install ranges, based on the $42.72 an hour District of Columbia wage (BLS) |
| Fuel line | $600 to $2,500 | $1,000 to $3,100 | Gas line running from the meter; propane line running from the tank |
| Pad and permit | $300 to $1,200 | $300 to $1,200 | composite pad or slab, local fees |
| Installed | $11,969 to $17,869 | $12,369 to $18,469 | propane leaves out the tank |
Fuel costs in District of Columbia
| Fuel | Price | 22 kW an hour | Three days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | $25.36 per 1,000 ft³ | $5.17 | $372 |
| Propane | $3.64 a gallon | $9.21 | $663 (182 gal) |
In District of Columbia, gas is the cheaper fuel: half load on a 22 kW unit runs $5.17 an hour, compared with $9.21 for propane. For residential gas, the area ranks 37th cheapest among 51. The propane price uses the EIA Central Atlantic average, which is the regional rate that includes District of Columbia.
| Propane tank | Usable at 80% | 22 kW at half load | Fill at the Central Atlantic average price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 gal | 200 gal | 79 h | $728 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | 158 h | $1,456 |
Power outages in District of Columbia
District of Columbia customers lost power for an average of 50 minutes in 2025. That was below the US figure of 269 and ranked 51st highest of 51. Major storms accounted for 33% of that time, while on ordinary days outages averaged 34 minutes. Of the past ten years, 2016 ranked worst, with outages lasting 115 minutes. The average for that stretch is 64, and 2025 came in 14 minutes under it.
Year by year since 2016
| Year | Minutes out, all events | Rank of 51 states | Without major storms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 50 | 51st | 34 |
| 2024 | 33 | 51st | 26 |
| 2023 | 72 | 50th | 33 |
| 2022 | 34 | 50th | 26 |
| 2021 | 52 | 50th | 42 |
| 2020 | 44 | 51st | 39 |
| 2019 | 77 | 51st | 55 |
| 2018 | 109 | 49th | 53 |
| 2017 | 58 | 51st | 58 |
| 2016 | 115 | 47th | 115 |
District of Columbia utilities and their 2025 outages
| Utility | Customers | Minutes out | Outages each | Minutes per outage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potomac Electric Power Co | 347,904 | 50 | 0.32 | 157 |
Potomac Electric Power Co was the only District of Columbia utility listed in the EIA reliability file for 2025. Its 50-minute average applies to nearly every home here. A customer on average went without power 0.32 times during the year (all utilities, customer-weighted), which is less often than the 1.35 recorded across the US. Along Potomac Electric Power Co lines, outages averaged 157 minutes, or about 2.6 hours, and $13.55 of gas covers that stretch for a 22 kW unit at half load.
Major disasters FEMA has declared in District of Columbia since 2016
There was 1 snowstorm, and 1 major disaster was declared altogether. The latest was in March 2016, with COVID-19 excluded. Of those, 1 was a winter or ice storm, and a cold-weather kit is what keeps the engine starting.
| Declared | Disaster | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|
| March 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4260 |
District of Columbia and the states beside it
| State | 22 kW on gas, installed | Wage | Minutes out |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $11,969 to $17,869 | $42.72 | 50 |
| Maryland | $11,369 to $16,469 | $36.28 | 178 |
| Virginia | $10,969 to $15,669 | $32.62 | 763 |
Installation runs cheaper in each neighboring state than in District of Columbia, and Virginia begins $1,000 lower, at $10,969. Outage times vary more than prices do: Virginia recorded 763 minutes in 2025, while here the figure was 50.
Data sources: EIA propane (October 26, 2026), EIA gas (March to August 2026), EIA outages, EIA-861, FEMA and BLS wages (May 2025). Every state.