What Does a Whole-House Generator Cost in the Quad Cities?

A whole-house standby generator typically costs $6,000 to $11,000 installed, and $9,500 to $24,000 for units over 20 kW or installs with long runs, according to HomeGuide’s 2026 cost data. This guide covers what’s in that price, how to size a generator for a Quad Cities home, and why a gas furnace needs one in a winter outage.

How Much Does a Whole-House Generator Cost?

Most homeowners pay $6,000 to $11,000 for a complete standby installation, with larger systems and harder sites running $9,500 to $24,000, per HomeGuide. That total covers the generator, the automatic transfer switch, the electrical and gas connections, the pad, and permits. Angi’s 2026 data puts whole-house generators in the 22 to 48 kW range at $5,000 to $18,000, with an average of about $17,000. You may also see Angi’s headline national average of $5,157. That figure blends portable and partial-home generators in with whole-house units, so it runs well below what a permanent standby install costs. The equipment is a useful reference point too: Generac lists its 22 kW Guardian with a whole-house transfer switch at an MSRP starting at $6,979, before installation.

These are national estimates, not a quote. Doug’s gives you a firm number after we look at your panel, your gas meter, and where the unit will sit.

What Is Included in the Price of a Generator Install?

The generator is roughly half the total, and the rest is the work that lets it start by itself when the power goes out and nobody’s home. HomeGuide puts installation labor at $3,000 to $5,000 on a typical job, or $5,000 to $12,000 and up for longer distances or systems over 20 kW. Angi and HomeGuide both break out the main line items, shown below. Your quote should list them separately, because most of them depend on your house rather than the generator. A cold-weather kit, which helps the engine start below freezing, is worth asking about for a Quad Cities install.

The automatic transfer switch is the part worth understanding. It detects the outage and moves your home onto generator power without anyone flipping a switch, and it keeps generator power from feeding back into utility lines. A manual setup costs less, but somebody has to be home to run it.

What Size Generator Does a Quad Cities Home Need?

Size a generator around what has to keep running in a January outage, not around square footage. For most homes here that’s a shorter list than people expect: the furnace blower and controls, the sump pump, the refrigerator and freezer, a well pump if you’re outside city water, plus lights, outlets and internet. That core list is usually a 10 to 14 kW conversation. Homeowners move up to 18 or 22 kW when they want central air during a summer outage, or an electric range or water heater covered. One number matters more than the running total: a furnace blower draws roughly 500 to 875 watts running, but motors need about three times that to start, and the startup surge is what sets the minimum size.

Typical running loads, from HomeGuide’s sizing table unless noted:

• Furnace fan: about 500 watts, and up to 875 watts for a 3/5-hp blower per Generac, with roughly three times that on startup.
• Sump pump: about 1,000 watts. In a river town with finished basements, most homeowners put this near the top of the list.
• Refrigerator or freezer: about 1,200 watts.
• Well pump: about 1,000 watts, if you’re outside city water.
• 4-ton central air conditioner: about 8,500 watts, which is why covering central air pushes most homes to 18 kW or more.

We size it from your actual panel and the loads you want covered. Oversizing costs thousands, and undersizing means the generator trips out under load.

Why a Generator Matters More at -2°F

The 99% winter design temperature for Rock Island County, Illinois and Scott County, Iowa is -2°F (RESNET/ICC Appendix A, ASHRAE 2017 Handbook of Fundamentals), and it’s the main reason a standby generator is a practical purchase here. A natural gas furnace will not run without electricity, because the blower, igniter, draft inducer and control board all draw household power. The gas keeps flowing during an outage, and the furnace still won’t light. In a long winter outage, pipe runs in exterior walls and unheated crawlspaces can start freezing within hours, and water damage from a burst line can cost more than the generator. For most households here, the reason to buy one is the furnace, the sump pump and the plumbing. If you’ve lost heat because you’ve lost power, furnace repair won’t fix it.

What Drives a Generator Install Price Up?

Three site conditions account for most of the difference between a lower and a higher quote, and all three are about your house rather than the generator. The first is distance: the farther the generator sits from the gas meter and the electrical panel, the more conduit, wire, pipe and trenching the job takes. The second is gas capacity, because your service has to feed the generator while the furnace, water heater, range and dryer all run. The third is the electrical service, since an older or full panel may need work before a transfer switch can be tied in. A site visit is how each of these gets priced before the job starts.

• Long runs between the generator, gas meter and panel. HomeGuide prices gas line at $12 to $25 per foot and electrical wiring at $6 to $8 per foot, and crossing a driveway, patio or landscaping adds trenching and restoration on top.
• Gas capacity. If the line or meter can’t carry the added load, it has to be upsized, and a meter change is arranged with MidAmerican Energy.
• Electrical upgrades. Angi puts a subpanel upgrade at $500 to $2,000 and a dedicated circuit at $570 to $1,000. Older 100-amp services in pre-1970 Moline and Rock Island homes are the usual case.

Standby or Portable? The Carbon Monoxide Difference

A permanently installed standby generator avoids the main carbon monoxide risk that comes with portable units. The CDC lists portable generators, along with gas- and oil-burning furnaces, among the household items that produce carbon monoxide. Each year, according to the CDC, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, more than 100,000 visit an emergency department, and more than 14,000 are hospitalized. Portable generators are a common cause during outages, usually when one runs in a garage, on a porch, or near a window. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, the CDC says symptoms are “often described as flu-like,” and people who are asleep can die before they have symptoms.

A standby generator sits permanently outside on its own pad, connects through a code-inspected transfer switch, and starts by itself, with no extension cords run through a door that won’t close.

If you do own a portable unit, the CPSC says to run it outside only, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from doors, windows and vents. Put a carbon monoxide alarm near every sleeping area, and replace alarms every five years or on the manufacturer’s schedule.

Generac Generators From Doug’s

Doug’s Heating & Air Conditioning sells, installs and services Generac standby generators throughout the Quad Cities. Our generator services cover sizing the unit to your panel, the electrical and gas work, permits, and service afterward, because we service what we sell. A standby generator is a small engine that sits outside for months at a time and has to start on the first try in an ice storm, so the annual service matters as much as the install. Angi puts that yearly maintenance at $80 to $300.

Financing a Standby Generator

Doug’s offers financing through Synchrony, which spreads a standby installation across monthly payments rather than one upfront cost. We can walk you through the options during the estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a whole-house generator a tax write-off?

Not for most homeowners. There’s no federal tax credit for a standby generator. The 25C and 25D residential energy credits ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025, and neither one covered standby generators. MidAmerican Energy’s instant discount program covers furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners and heat pump water heaters, not generators.

How much does a generator cost for a 2,000 sq ft house?

Angi’s sizing guide puts a 2,000 square foot home at 10 to 14 kW, and HomeGuide’s typical installed range of $6,000 to $11,000 covers most systems that size. Square footage is only a rough guide, though. A 1,400 square foot home with electric heat and an electric range can need more generator than a 2,600 square foot home running gas appliances. What matters is the load you want covered and the startup surge behind it.

Is it worth getting a whole-house generator in the Quad Cities?

For many homes, yes, because a gas furnace can’t run without power and winter outages here come with a -2°F design temperature. A multi-day outage in a cold snap is a frozen-pipe risk as much as a comfort problem. If you have a finished basement on a sump pump, the same reasoning applies to water damage. For homeowners who travel, the automatic transfer switch is the main value, since it works whether or not anyone’s home.

How long can a standby generator run on natural gas?

As long as utility gas pressure holds, because it’s connected to your gas line rather than a fuel tank. That’s the main advantage over a portable generator, which needs refueling every several hours. Check your owner’s manual for oil-check intervals during an outage lasting several days. The fuel shows up on your gas bill rather than as a trip to the gas station.

Does a whole-house generator need annual service?

Yes. A standby generator needs yearly service that includes oil and filter changes, a battery check, and a test under load. Angi puts that at $80 to $300 a year. The unit can sit idle for months between outages, so the annual visit is what confirms it will start when you need it. Doug’s services the Generac generators we sell.

Get a Real Number for Your Home

Doug’s Heating & Air Conditioning has served the Quad Cities for decades with 24/7/365 service across Moline, Davenport, Rock Island, Bettendorf and the surrounding towns. A generator quote takes a site visit, because the price depends on your panel, your gas meter, and the run between them.

Call us in Iowa at 563.326.1223 or in Illinois at 309.764.2500, or request an estimate online. We’ll size it, price it, and tell you whether you need 22 kW or whether 14 kW covers what you care about.