Which Whole House Generator Quote Should I Choose?
Asked by RisingStar99
I've received three quotes for a whole house generator installation and decided to focus on two from electricians, both of whom come highly recommended. One is an experienced vendor who has been in the business for 20 years and the other is a younger electrician with about 5 years of experience. Both quotes are for a Generac 24kW generator and include installation, but there are some differences in their offerings. Vendor A offers a cold weather package, includes a 100A load shed module for my EV charger, and first-year maintenance, but doesn't include permit costs. His total is around $12,986, plus about $500 for permits. Vendor B includes permits in his quote but lacks some additional features that Vendor A offers, charging $14,582. I'm curious about who might be misrepresenting or overcharging, and whether I should favor the younger electrician given how quickly technology changes. Any insights?
Answers
I’d choose Vendor A too! In comparison to prices here in Houston, that’s a good deal. I ended up paying more for a Kohler generator that didn’t even have load shedding included, so make sure to ask about emergency availability for when things go wrong.
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It looks like you’re getting a solid quote in both cases! But just to clarify, are those prices inclusive of labor? I’m curious about the equipment expenses too.
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When I got my generator, I made sure to go with a vendor who is a Generac authorized dealer. It's something you might want to check into as well!
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Price differences might just be due to labor rates or materials costs. Vendor A could be getting better deals on PVC or trenching, so don’t stress too much about the price gap. A thousand dollars isn't huge when considering the whole install. Usually, quotes you get will vary by around 10%, so it helps to go with who you feel most comfortable with.
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Honestly, I wouldn’t stress too much about the whole house surge suppressor thing. It's usually a simple install and costs less than $150 in parts. You could manage that easily later if needed!
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I'd definitely lean towards Vendor A. One thing you should pin down is what their yearly maintenance plan looks like. Are there fees or a contract if you're not doing it yourself? Plus, check their emergency service response time. Those details are super important.
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RisingStar99: Yeah, the Generac model is included in those figures. So it covers everything ultimately.