Generator installation cost in Michigan
With natural gas, installing a 22 kW whole house generator in Michigan costs about $11,269 to $16,369. Electricians here make $35.5 an hour, which is 3% higher than the US average of $34.37. That rate determines the $3,100 to $5,700 electrician price.
Wondering if 22 kW is right? Answer three questions to size it.
Michigan installation costs by generator size
Michigan prices with fuel at half load. For every model, Generac publishes a fuel table. At 18 kW, 24 kW and 26 kW, the hourly burn rate is rated no higher than the size below, so fuel 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 | $8,519 to $13,619 | $1.65/h | $8,819 to $14,119 | $2.38/h | Generac Guardian 10 kW |
| 14 kW | $9,849 to $14,949 | $3.19/h | $10,149 to $15,449 | $4.45/h | Generac Guardian 14 kW |
| 18 kW | $10,669 to $15,769 | $2.77/h | $10,969 to $16,269 | $4.18/h | Generac Guardian 18 kW |
| 22 kW | $11,269 to $16,369 | $3.34/h | $11,569 to $16,869 | $6.22/h | Generac Guardian 22 kW |
| 24 kW | $11,689 to $16,789 | $3.33/h | $11,989 to $17,289 | $6.22/h | Generac Guardian 24 kW |
| 26 kW | $12,119 to $17,219 | $3.08/h | $12,419 to $17,719 | $5.06/h | Generac Guardian 26 kW |
What the 22 kW price covers in Michigan
Michigan pays $35.5 an hour, which ranks 19th of 51. That puts labor up to $200 above US average pay.
| Line, 22 kW | Natural gas | Propane | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generator | $6,309 | $6,309 | The 22 kW bundle's Generac list price, minus the switch. |
| Transfer switch | $1,060 | $1,060 | Amount separating Generac's switch and no-switch listings |
| Electrician: switch, wiring, start-up | $3,100 to $5,700 | $3,100 to $5,700 | Published install ranges are set to Michigan's hourly wage of $35.5 (BLS). |
| Fuel line | $500 to $2,100 | $800 to $2,600 | A meter feeds the gas line, while the tank feeds the propane line. |
| Pad and permit | $300 to $1,200 | $300 to $1,200 | composite pad or slab, local fees |
| Installed | $11,269 to $16,369 | $11,569 to $16,869 | propane leaves out the tank |
Michigan fuel costs
| Fuel | Price | 22 kW an hour | Three days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | $16.38 per 1,000 ft³ | $3.34 | $241 |
| Propane | $2.46 a gallon | $6.22 | $448 (182 gal) |
Gas costs less in Michigan: running a 22 kW at half load on gas costs $3.34 an hour, compared with $6.22 on propane. Residential gas prices here rank 11th cheapest of 51.
| Propane tank | Usable at 80% | 22 kW at half load | Fill at Michigan price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 gal | 200 gal | 79 h | $492 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | 158 h | $983 |
Michigan power outages
In 2025, customers in Michigan averaged 609 minutes without power. That exceeded the US figure of 269 and ranked 3rd highest of 51. Major storms accounted for 74% of that; ordinary days came to 161 minutes. The worst of the last ten years was 2023, with 1,128 minutes. Against a ten-year average of 614, 2025 was 5 minutes lower.
Since 2016, every year
| Year | Minutes out, all events | Rank of 51 states | Without major storms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 609 | 3rd | 161 |
| 2024 | 482 | 19th | 161 |
| 2023 | 1,128 | 3rd | 165 |
| 2022 | 521 | 8th | 167 |
| 2021 | 891 | 6th | 179 |
| 2020 | 417 | 18th | 168 |
| 2019 | 570 | 4th | 214 |
| 2018 | 450 | 14th | 186 |
| 2017 | 802 | 6th | 180 |
| 2016 | 268 | 13th | 194 |
Michigan utilities and their 2025 outages
| Utility | Customers | Minutes out | Outages each | Minutes per outage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTE Electric Company | 2,275,368 | 192 | 1.16 | 165 |
| Consumers Energy Co | 1,899,459 | 820 | 1.40 | 585 |
| Great Lakes Energy Coop | 133,028 | 4,401 | 4.09 | 1,076 |
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | 132,525 | 932 | 1.83 | 509 |
| City of Lansing | 97,051 | 422 | 1.14 | 370 |
Great Lakes Energy Coop customers lost power for 4,401 minutes in 2025, compared with 192 minutes for DTE Electric Company. With a 22.9 to one ratio, the utility serving your street counts for more than the 609 minute state figure. Customers across all utilities lost power 1.42 times during the year on average, with customer-weighted figures. That's more often than the US rate of 1.35. Outages on DTE Electric Company lines averaged 165 minutes, or about 2.8 hours. Running a 22 kW at half load would use $9.21 of gas during that time.
Major FEMA disasters in Michigan since 2016
1 ice storm, 1 dam or levee break, 2 severe storms and 3 floods make up the list. That's 7 major disasters declared in all, with the most recent in June 2026 and COVID-19 left out. A winter or ice storm accounted for 1. The engine keeps starting when you use a cold-weather kit. Since there were 3 flood declarations, place the generator pad higher than the local flood level. The permit office can provide that level for the lot.
Alcona County (2), Antrim County (2), Cheboygan County (2), Emmet County (2), Alpena County (2), Eaton County (2), Crawford County (2) and Charlevoix County (2) were named in most of them.
| Declared | Disaster | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | DR-4925 |
| July 2025 | Severe Winter Storm | DR-4880 |
| February 2024 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | DR-4757 |
| July 2021 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | DR-4607 |
| July 2020 | Severe Storms and Flooding | DR-4547 |
| August 2018 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | DR-4381 |
Michigan and the places bordering it
| State | 22 kW on gas, installed | Wage | Minutes out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $11,269 to $16,369 | $35.5 | 609 |
| Indiana | $11,169 to $16,069 | $34.05 | 379 |
| Ohio | $11,069 to $15,769 | $33.09 | 206 |
| Wisconsin | $11,269 to $16,369 | $35.49 | 264 |
Of the 3 neighbors, 2 have lower installation costs. Ohio comes in lowest at $11,069, and Wisconsin highest at $11,269. Outage times vary more than prices do: Indiana recorded 379 minutes in 2025, compared with 609 here.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025), gas data from EIA (March to August 2026), propane data from EIA (October 26, 2026), outage data from EIA, EIA-861, FEMA. All states.