Generator installation cost in Louisiana
A whole house generator of 22 kW, running on natural gas, runs about $10,669 to $15,069 once installed in Louisiana. Local electricians make $29.98 for each hour, which is 13% under the US average of $34.37. This wage determines the electrician portion of the price, from $2,600 to $4,800.
Not sure if 22 kW is the right fit? Three questions to size your house.
Louisiana installation costs by generator size
Fuel use at half load and prices in Louisiana Generac provides a fuel table for each model. For the 18 kW and 24 kW models, plus the 26 kW model, hourly fuel use is rated no higher than the next smaller model’s. That’s why hourly fuel use doesn’t increase in proportion to kW.
| Size | Natural gas, installed | Gas at half load | Propane, installed | Propane at half load | Fuel figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kW | $7,919 to $12,319 | $2.21/h | $8,219 to $12,819 | $2.94/h | Generac Guardian 10 kW |
| 14 kW | $9,249 to $13,649 | $4.27/h | $9,549 to $14,149 | $5.48/h | Generac Guardian 14 kW |
| 18 kW | $10,069 to $14,469 | $3.70/h | $10,369 to $14,969 | $5.15/h | Generac Guardian 18 kW |
| 22 kW | $10,669 to $15,069 | $4.47/h | $10,969 to $15,569 | $7.66/h | Generac Guardian 22 kW |
| 24 kW | $11,089 to $15,489 | $4.45/h | $11,389 to $15,989 | $7.66/h | Generac Guardian 24 kW |
| 26 kW | $11,519 to $15,919 | $4.12/h | $11,819 to $16,419 | $6.24/h | Generac Guardian 26 kW |
How the 22 kW price breaks down in Louisiana
Labor ranks 40th of 51 at $29.98 an hour, costing up to $700 less than at the US average wage.
| Line, 22 kW | Natural gas | Propane | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generator | $6,309 | $6,309 | Price Generac lists for the 22 kW package without the switch |
| Transfer switch | $1,060 | $1,060 | the difference in Generac's listed prices with the switch and without it |
| Electrician: switch, wiring, start-up | $2,600 to $4,800 | $2,600 to $4,800 | The published installation ranges were set using Louisiana's hourly wage of $29.98 (BLS). |
| Fuel line | $400 to $1,700 | $700 to $2,200 | Gas line starts at the meter; propane line starts at the tank |
| Pad and permit | $300 to $1,200 | $300 to $1,200 | composite pad or slab, local fees |
| Installed | $10,669 to $15,069 | $10,969 to $15,569 | propane leaves out the tank |
Louisiana fuel costs
| Fuel | Price | 22 kW an hour | Three days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | $21.92 per 1,000 ft³ | $4.47 | $322 |
| Propane | $3.03 a gallon | $7.66 | $552 (182 gal) |
Natural gas costs less in Louisiana. At half load, a 22 kW generator uses $4.47 an hour on gas, compared with $7.66 on propane. Residential gas prices here sit 29th cheapest of 51. For propane, the price uses an EIA Gulf Coast regional average, which covers Louisiana.
| Propane tank | Usable at 80% | 22 kW at half load | Fill at the Gulf Coast average price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 gal | 200 gal | 79 h | $606 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | 158 h | $1,211 |
Power outages in Louisiana
In 2025, Louisiana customers averaged 272 minutes without power, near the US figure of 269. The state ranks 22nd highest of 51. Major storms accounted for 15% of the time. On regular days, outages averaged 230 minutes. The worst year in the past ten was 2021, when the figure reached 5,869 minutes. Averaged across ten years, the number is 1,376, so 2025 came in 1,105 minutes under it.
Each year since 2016
| Year | Minutes out, all events | Rank of 51 states | Without major storms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 272 | 22nd | 230 |
| 2024 | 631 | 13th | 216 |
| 2023 | 663 | 9th | 199 |
| 2022 | 324 | 20th | 252 |
| 2021 | 5,869 | 1st | 265 |
| 2020 | 4,332 | 1st | 218 |
| 2019 | 521 | 5th | 224 |
| 2018 | 286 | 22nd | 214 |
| 2017 | 424 | 12th | 197 |
| 2016 | 443 | 5th | 190 |
Louisiana utilities and their 2025 outages
| Utility | Customers | Minutes out | Outages each | Minutes per outage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Louisiana LLC | 1,129,260 | 253 | 1.83 | 138 |
| Cleco Power LLC | 294,705 | 212 | 2.26 | 94 |
| Entergy New Orleans, LLC | 211,670 | 209 | 1.84 | 114 |
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | 191,414 | 451 | 3.02 | 149 |
| Southwest Louisiana E M C | 118,812 | 232 | 2.67 | 87 |
In 2025, Southwestern Electric Power Co customers lost power for 451 minutes, compared with 209 minutes for Entergy New Orleans, LLC. The local utility counts for more than the 272 minute figure across the state, at 2.2 to one. Across all utilities, the customer-weighted average was 2.04 power losses per customer during the year. This was more often than the US average of 1.35. An outage on Entergy Louisiana LLC lines averaged 138 minutes, equal to about 2.3 hours. For a 22 kW generator at half load, that's $10.30 of gas.
Major disasters declared by FEMA in Louisiana since 2016
There were 1 tornado, 1 severe storm, 1 ice storm, 7 hurricanes, 4 floods, 1 tropical storm and 1 winter storm. These make up 16 major disaster declarations, with the most recent one made in June 2026 and COVID-19 not included. Of those 16, 8 were tropical or coastal storms. The last one was Tropical Storm Arthur in June 2026, and outages from those storms run for days. Winter, snow or ice storms account for 2 of them, and a cold-weather kit keeps your engine starting. Because there were 4 flood declarations, set the pad above the local flood level, which your permit office can give you for the lot.
The most commonly named parishes were Assumption Parish (11), Lafourche Parish (11), Ascension Parish (10), Iberville Parish (10), Livingston Parish (10), St. Charles Parish (10), East Baton Rouge Parish (9) and East Feliciana Parish (9).
| Declared | Disaster | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | Tropical Storm Arthur | DR-4927 |
| February 2026 | Severe Winter Storm | DR-4900 |
| September 2024 | Hurricane Francine | DR-4817 |
| August 2021 | Hurricane Ida | DR-4611 |
| June 2021 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | DR-4606 |
| March 2021 | Severe Winter Storms | DR-4590 |
Louisiana and the states around it
| State | 22 kW on gas, installed | Wage | Minutes out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $10,669 to $15,069 | $29.98 | 272 |
| Arkansas | $10,269 to $14,169 | $25.71 | 475 |
| Mississippi | $10,469 to $14,669 | $27.88 | 524 |
| Texas | $10,569 to $14,869 | $28.5 | 211 |
Each neighboring state has a lower installation cost than Louisiana. Arkansas begins $400 lower, at $10,269. Outage times vary more than installation costs. In 2025, Mississippi recorded 524 minutes, compared with 272 minutes in Louisiana.
Sources used here are BLS wage figures (May 2025), EIA gas data (March to August 2026), EIA propane data (October 26, 2026), EIA outage records, EIA-861, FEMA. All states.