Generator installation cost in North Carolina
For natural gas, installing a 22 kW whole house generator in North Carolina costs about $10,469 to $14,569. Electricians here make $27.33 an hour, 20% under the US average of $34.37, and that wage sets the electrician line at $2,400 to $4,400 for the job.
Wondering if 22 kW is the right fit? Answer three questions to size your house.
Installed cost by size in North Carolina
Fuel at half load, using North Carolina prices. For every model, Generac provides a fuel table. Rated hourly use for the 18 kW and 24 kW models and the 26 kW model is no greater than for the next smaller size, meaning fuel use per hour doesn't keep pace with kW.
| Size | Natural gas, installed | Gas at half load | Propane, installed | Propane at half load | Fuel figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kW | $7,719 to $11,819 | $3.07/h | $7,919 to $12,219 | $3.53/h | Generac Guardian 10 kW |
| 14 kW | $9,049 to $13,149 | $5.93/h | $9,249 to $13,549 | $6.58/h | Generac Guardian 14 kW |
| 18 kW | $9,869 to $13,969 | $5.14/h | $10,069 to $14,369 | $6.18/h | Generac Guardian 18 kW |
| 22 kW | $10,469 to $14,569 | $6.20/h | $10,669 to $14,969 | $9.20/h | Generac Guardian 22 kW |
| 24 kW | $10,889 to $14,989 | $6.17/h | $11,089 to $15,389 | $9.20/h | Generac Guardian 24 kW |
| 26 kW | $11,319 to $15,419 | $5.72/h | $11,519 to $15,819 | $7.49/h | Generac Guardian 26 kW |
What makes up the 22 kW price in North Carolina
Labor here pays $27.33 an hour, ranks 50th of 51 and is among the lowest rates. At US average pay, that labor would cost up to $1,100 more.
| Line, 22 kW | Natural gas | Propane | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generator | $6,309 | $6,309 | Generac's list price for the 22 kW bundle, minus the switch |
| Transfer switch | $1,060 | $1,060 | the spread in Generac's prices with the switch and without it |
| Electrician: switch, wiring, start-up | $2,400 to $4,400 | $2,400 to $4,400 | install ranges as published, set to the hourly North Carolina wage of $27.33 (BLS) |
| Fuel line | $400 to $1,600 | $600 to $2,000 | gas line runs off the meter; propane line off the tank |
| Pad and permit | $300 to $1,200 | $300 to $1,200 | composite pad or slab, local fees |
| Installed | $10,469 to $14,569 | $10,669 to $14,969 | propane leaves out the tank |
North Carolina fuel costs
| Fuel | Price | 22 kW an hour | Three days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | $30.41 per 1,000 ft³ | $6.20 | $447 |
| Propane | $3.64 a gallon | $9.20 | $663 (182 gal) |
Natural gas costs less in North Carolina. At half load, running a 22 kW unit comes to $6.20 an hour, versus $9.20 on propane. For residential gas, this state ranks 46th cheapest of 51.
| Propane tank | Usable at 80% | 22 kW at half load | Fill at North Carolina price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 gal | 200 gal | 79 h | $728 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | 158 h | $1,455 |
Power outages in North Carolina
Customers in North Carolina averaged 192 minutes without power in 2025, below the US figure of 269, and the state ranks 34th highest of 51. Major storms accounted for 26% of that time; on regular days the number was 142 minutes. Of the last ten years, 2018 was the worst at 1,878 minutes; with a ten-year average of 642, 2025 came in 450 minutes below that.
Each year from 2016 on
| Year | Minutes out, all events | Rank of 51 states | Without major storms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 192 | 34th | 142 |
| 2024 | 1,518 | 4th | 144 |
| 2023 | 263 | 24th | 156 |
| 2022 | 486 | 10th | 151 |
| 2021 | 215 | 28th | 126 |
| 2020 | 437 | 16th | 146 |
| 2019 | 288 | 16th | 147 |
| 2018 | 1,878 | 1st | 168 |
| 2017 | 282 | 21st | 151 |
| 2016 | 858 | 2nd | 152 |
North Carolina utilities and their 2025 outages
| Utility | Customers | Minutes out | Outages each | Minutes per outage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | 2,193,740 | 216 | 1.35 | 160 |
| Duke Energy Progress | 1,679,755 | 183 | 1.41 | 130 |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | 133,277 | 169 | 1.56 | 109 |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | 133,095 | 286 | 1.49 | 192 |
| Brunswick Electric Member Corp | 118,324 | 41 | 0.64 | 64 |
In 2025, Virginia Electric & Power Co customers went 286 minutes without power, compared with 41 for Brunswick Electric Member Corp. The 7.0 to one spread means the company serving your street counts more than the 192 minute state figure. Weighted by customers and covering all utilities, outages hit 1.39 times per customer over the year, above the 1.35 figure for the US. With Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, an outage lasted 160 minutes on average, roughly 2.7 hours, equal to $16.52 in gas at half load for a 22 kW.
Major FEMA disasters in North Carolina, 2016 onward
Hurricanes account for 6 of the declarations, severe storms for 3, tropical storms for 2 and a tropical depression for 1. That adds up to 12 major disasters, the most recent dated September 2025, and COVID-19 is not counted. Tropical or coastal storms make up 9 of the 12. The most recent one was Tropical Depression Chantal, dated September 2025, and those outages run for days.
The counties named most often: Brunswick County (6), Ashe County (5), Beaufort County (5), Carteret County (5), Dare County (5), Hyde County (5), New Hanover County (5), Onslow County (5).
| Declared | Disaster | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | Tropical Depression Chantal | DR-4889 |
| October 2024 | Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight | DR-4837 |
| September 2024 | Tropical Storm Helene | DR-4827 |
| September 2021 | Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred | DR-4617 |
| March 2021 | Tropical Storm Eta | DR-4588 |
| October 2020 | Hurricane Isaias | DR-4568 |
North Carolina and the states around it
| State | 22 kW on gas, installed | Wage | Minutes out |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $10,469 to $14,569 | $27.33 | 192 |
| Georgia | $10,669 to $14,969 | $29.37 | 269 |
| South Carolina | $10,569 to $14,769 | $28.38 | 153 |
| Tennessee | $10,769 to $15,269 | $30.55 | 228 |
| Virginia | $10,969 to $15,669 | $32.62 | 763 |
For this install, North Carolina comes in cheaper than any of its neighbors; Virginia starts $500 higher. The bigger difference is outages, not price: Virginia logged 763 minutes of outages in 2025, and this state logged 192.
Sources: EIA gas figures run March to August 2026; EIA propane (October 26, 2026); wage data from BLS (May 2025); EIA outages, EIA-861, FEMA. All states.