How much does a 22 kW standby generator cost in Madison, WI?
| Typical totalinstalled, 22 kw | $13,363 |
|---|---|
| Range you should see in bidsthree bids on the same scope normally land inside this | $9,765 – $17,988 |
| Labor portion45% of the job — this is the part that moves by city | $6,013 |
| Material portion55% — bought at national prices | $7,349 |
| Electricians pay near Madisonabout $37/hr · Madison, WI metro | $75,920/yr |
| U.S. mean for the same tradeSOC 47-2111 | $71,490/yr |
| Versus the national pricetrade pay here runs +6.2% against the U.S. mean | +$363 |
Notes
- Where the number comes from. The national price for a 22 kW standby generator installed is $13,000 installed — standby generator pricing published for 2026, unit plus installation. Labor is about 45% of that. Electricians near Madison, WI average $75,920 a year against a U.S. mean of $71,490 — a factor of 1.062 — so the labor half is scaled by that and the material half is not. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Madison, WI metro area, SOC 47-2111.
- Why the city matters, not just the state. Trade pay moves inside a state as much as it does between states. Crews do not commute across a state to bid a job, and materials ship at national prices either way — so a metro wage is the honest input here and a state average quietly rounds four different cities into one number.
- What is in the price: the generator, a concrete or composite pad, the transfer switch, electrical connection, gas piping from an existing supply, permit and commissioning.
- What is not: a propane tank and its burial, a gas meter upsize where the utility requires one, trenching over long distances, and the annual service contract. These are the lines that turn a $13,363 quote into a $16,703 invoice, so ask about each one before signing.
- Use this as a bid check, not a quote. It prices an average job in average condition. Difficult access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a national average for the job.
a 22 kW standby generator installed in Madison, WI
$13,363 is the typical number, and three bids on the same scope normally land between $9,765 and $17,988.
That is $363 more than the same job priced at the national average.
Why the city changes the number
About 45% of this job is labor — $6,013 of the $13,363 above. Labor is the only part that moves locally; a bundle of material costs what it costs wherever it is nailed down.
Electricians near Madison average $75,920 a year, against a U.S. mean of $71,490. That is a factor of 1.062, so the labor half is scaled by it and the material half is not.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Madison, WI metro area, SOC 47-2111.
What the quote should include
The lines that turn a quote into an invoice
Ask about each of them before you sign. On a job this size they are the difference between $13,363 and something a quarter higher.
Use it as a bid check, not a quote
This prices an average job in average condition. Access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a national average.
If a bid lands outside $9,765 – $17,988, that is not automatically wrong — but it is the question worth asking out loud.
Nearby sizes
Read more
- Can a Generator Run a Well Pump? — Size It on the SurgeA 1 hp pump runs on 1,000 watts and starts on 3,000. Generators are chosen on the second number and sold on the first.
- Generator Runs But There Is No Power in the HouseA standby generator that starts and then delivers nothing has usually not transferred. The engine is the easy half.
- Standby Generator Will Not Start — Battery, Fuel, or LockoutThe weekly exercise proves the engine runs. It does not prove the battery can crank it cold, and that is the failure people meet at 2am.