Generator installation cost in Maine
A natural-gas 22 kW whole house generator costs about $11,369 to $16,669 when installed in Maine. The hourly wage of an electrician here is $37.14, 8% above the US average $34.37. That rate drives the electrician part of the price, $3,200 at one end and $5,900 at the other.
Unsure whether 22 kW will meet your needs? Size your house through three questions.
Maine install cost by size
Maine prices and fuel at half load. Generac lists a fuel table for every model. At 26 kW, 24 kW and 18 kW, the rated burn per hour is no higher than for the size below, so the amount burned each hour doesn't grow in step with kW.
| Size | Natural gas, installed | Gas at half load | Propane, installed | Propane at half load | Fuel figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kW | $8,619 to $13,919 | $3.14/h | $9,019 to $14,419 | $3.57/h | Generac Guardian 10 kW |
| 14 kW | $9,949 to $15,249 | $6.06/h | $10,349 to $15,749 | $6.66/h | Generac Guardian 14 kW |
| 18 kW | $10,769 to $16,069 | $5.25/h | $11,169 to $16,569 | $6.25/h | Generac Guardian 18 kW |
| 22 kW | $11,369 to $16,669 | $6.34/h | $11,769 to $17,169 | $9.31/h | Generac Guardian 22 kW |
| 24 kW | $11,789 to $17,089 | $6.31/h | $12,189 to $17,589 | $9.31/h | Generac Guardian 24 kW |
| 26 kW | $12,219 to $17,519 | $5.84/h | $12,619 to $18,019 | $7.58/h | Generac Guardian 26 kW |
What makes up the 22 kW price in Maine
The $37.14 hourly wage, 13th of 51, puts the labor line up to $400 above what US average pay would cost.
| Line, 22 kW | Natural gas | Propane | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generator | $6,309 | $6,309 | 22 kW bundle at Generac list price, with the switch taken out |
| Transfer switch | $1,060 | $1,060 | difference between Generac's listed prices with and without the switch |
| Electrician: switch, wiring, start-up | $3,200 to $5,900 | $3,200 to $5,900 | published installation ranges based on Maine's hourly wage of $37.14 (BLS) |
| Fuel line | $500 to $2,200 | $900 to $2,700 | The gas line runs from the meter, the propane line from the tank |
| Pad and permit | $300 to $1,200 | $300 to $1,200 | composite pad or slab, local fees |
| Installed | $11,369 to $16,669 | $11,769 to $17,169 | propane leaves out the tank |
Maine fuel cost
| Fuel | Price | 22 kW an hour | Three days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | $31.09 per 1,000 ft³ | $6.34 | $457 |
| Propane | $3.68 a gallon | $9.31 | $670 (182 gal) |
Gas is cheaper in Maine: $6.34 an hour for a 22 kW at half load, compared with $9.31 on propane. For residential gas, Maine ranks 49th cheapest of 51.
| Propane tank | Usable at 80% | 22 kW at half load | Fill at Maine price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 gal | 200 gal | 79 h | $736 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | 158 h | $1,472 |
Maine outages
In 2025, Maine customers averaged 363 minutes without power. That beats the US figure, 269 minutes, and ranks 13th highest of 51. Major storms accounted for 47% of that time. On ordinary days, customers lost power for 192 minutes. The highest outage total in the past ten years was 2,493 minutes in 2017. The ten-year average was 1,159, placing 2025 at 796 minutes below it.
Each year since 2016
| Year | Minutes out, all events | Rank of 51 states | Without major storms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 363 | 13th | 192 |
| 2024 | 1,749 | 2nd | 274 |
| 2023 | 1,863 | 1st | 247 |
| 2022 | 964 | 4th | 217 |
| 2021 | 325 | 18th | 224 |
| 2020 | 1,725 | 4th | 245 |
| 2019 | 908 | 1st | 214 |
| 2018 | 665 | 7th | 273 |
| 2017 | 2,493 | 2nd | 239 |
| 2016 | 535 | 4th | 264 |
Maine utilities and their 2025 outages
| Utility | Customers | Minutes out | Outages each | Minutes per outage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Maine Power Co | 685,861 | 318 | 2.11 | 151 |
| Versant Power | 165,449 | 500 | 2.38 | 210 |
| Eastern Maine Electric Coop | 13,265 | 991 | 7.23 | 137 |
During 2025, Eastern Maine Electric Coop customers averaged 991 minutes without power, compared with 318 for Central Maine Power Co. At a 3.1 to one ratio, your local utility matters more than the state's 363 minute figure. Customers averaged 2.24 power losses during the year across all utilities, customer-weighted. That was more often than the US rate of 1.35. On Central Maine Power Co service, an outage ran 151 minutes on average, close to 2.5 hours, the equivalent of $15.95 in gas at 22 kW half load.
Major disasters in Maine since 2016, from FEMA
There were 4 severe storm, 3 flood, 2 coastal storm and 1 winter storm declarations, for 10 major disasters overall. The most recent was in May 2024, and COVID-19 does not count. Tropical or coastal storms account for 2 of the 10, and those outages run for days. 1 of them was a winter or ice storm, and a cold-weather kit is what keeps the engine starting. Given 3 flood declarations, the generator pad belongs above the local flood level, and the permit office can supply that level for the lot.
The counties named most often: Waldo County (6), Franklin County (5), Knox County (5), Oxford County (5), Somerset County (4), Cumberland County (3), Hancock County (3), Kennebec County (3).
| Declared | Disaster | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | Severe Winter Storm | DR-4785 |
| March 2024 | Severe Storms and Flooding | DR-4764 |
| January 2024 | Severe Storm and Flooding | DR-4754 |
| September 2023 | Severe Storm and Flooding | DR-4737 |
| September 2023 | Severe Storm and Flooding | DR-4736 |
| July 2023 | Severe Storm and Flooding | DR-4719 |
Maine and the areas around it
| State | 22 kW on gas, installed | Wage | Minutes out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $11,369 to $16,669 | $37.14 | 363 |
| New Hampshire | $10,969 to $15,469 | $31.63 | 151 |
The same installation in New Hampshire starts at $10,969, which is $400 lower.
Sources listed here: BLS wages (May 2025), EIA gas covering March to August 2026, EIA propane from October 26, 2026, EIA outages, EIA-861, FEMA. Every state.