We don't sell generators.
We save you from buying the wrong one.
The independent guide to backup power at home. What it actually costs installed, what actually matters, and what everyone gets wrong.
Just starting your generator research?
Real installed costs, real tradeoffs. Three short emails, no spam.
Already got a quote? Get a free read on it
Sound familiar?
You've had 47 tabs open since the lights came back.
It started with an outage. Three days on a cooler full of ice and a phone at 4 percent, or one long night listening to the neighbor's generator hum while your house sat dark. You said never again. Now it's 11pm and you're deep in spec sheets trying to figure out if a $6,000 Generac is actually better than a $4,800 Kohler, and what a transfer switch even does.
Here's the thing. Most “best generator” lists are written by companies that sell generators, or by affiliate sites ranked by commission rate. The dealers quote you after you hand over your phone number. And the spec sheets are written in wishful watts.
Because for a standby generator, the machine is half the project. The concrete pad, the gas line, the transfer switch, the permits, and the two trades that install it all are the other half, and the product page mentions none of it.
The quote that doubled
A $6,000 machine becomes a $14,000 project once the pad, gas line, transfer switch, permits, an electrician, and a plumber land on the invoice. Buyers who budgeted off the product page get their real number after the deposit.
The wishful watts
A "10,000W" badge on a rebadged import often measures a surge the machine holds for seconds, not the power it delivers all night. Same factory, forty different "brands", rented review counts. When the well pump kicks on, the wishful watts fold.
The year-3 no-start
Generators fail quietly, in storage. Stale fuel gums the carburetor, the battery dies, and nobody load-tested it since delivery. The most expensive generator is the one that doesn't start the night you need it.
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Everything you need, before you sign anything.
We spent the hours so you don't have to. Read any of it free, and get the 3-email buyer's pack if you want the short version delivered.
What it actually costs installed
The real numbers for 2026. The machine, the pad, the gas line, the transfer switch, the permits, and the maintenance contract nobody mentions. Real installed budgets from $700 portable setups to $18,000 whole-house projects.
Read the guide →Which setup fits your outage pattern
Standby, portable with an interlock, or a home battery? There's no "best" generator. There's the right answer for how often your power actually goes out, and for how long. We map all three lanes with real prices.
Read the guide →What everyone gets wrong
The mistakes owners report over and over: quotes that doubled, watts that folded, fuel that went stale, and the maintenance that never happened. Plus the setups we'd actually buy at each budget.
Read the guide →Just starting your generator research?
Real installed costs, real tradeoffs. Three short emails, no spam.
Already got a quote? Get a free read on it
Why listen to us? We don't have a generator to sell you.
No skin in the game
We don't sell generators. We're not a dealer, and no brand backs this site. When we say a $700 portable plus a $600 interlock beats a $15,000 standby for your outage pattern, it's because it does.
We did the homework
We read the owner groups, the install-quote threads, the electrician forums, the warranty complaints, and the manufacturer spec sheets. We track sourced weaknesses per brand, not just the marketing page.
We name the junk
Most sites won't tell you that dozens of open-frame "brands" are the same factory product wearing invented names and wishful watts. We will, out loud, with the pattern to spot it yourself. When a good machine is overpriced, we say that too.
“The right generator is the one that starts when the grid doesn't.”
We'll help you pick the one that will.
When you're ready to buy
The brands worth your shortlist.
We reviewed the home generator market so you don't have to. Here's where a serious buyer starts.
Generac
USA · StandbyThe default in US home standby, with the biggest dealer and parts network in the country. Machines run $3,000 to $6,000. The install roughly doubles it.
Kohler
USA · StandbyThe challenger worth quoting against Generac: quieter self-test, strong warranty. Check your local dealer coverage before you commit.
Honda
Japan · PortableThe EU inverter line is the portable gold standard. Quiet, reliable, holds its value, and priced like all three.
Champion
USA · PortableThe dual-fuel value pick. The most storm-duty machine per dollar, with a real company behind the warranty.
Start here
Five guides that cover the whole decision.
Read them in any order. Together they cover the real installed cost, the lane decision, the shortlist, and the safety rules that outrank everything else.
What a whole-house generator actually costs
The machine is $3,000 to $6,000. The project is $12,000 to $18,000. Every line item the product page skips.
Standby vs portable
The lane decision, keyed to your outage pattern. Two six-hour outages a year is a different answer than a week-long hurricane.
Generac vs Kohler
The head-to-head every standby buyer ends up at. Dealer network against quieter self-test and warranty.
Never run a generator indoors
The carbon monoxide rules, served straight. No products, no selling. The page to read before the storm.
What size generator do I need?
Running watts, starting surges, and why the well pump decides your size. With the free sizing calculator.