If you have shopped whole-home generator installs and gotten quotes ranging from $9,000 to $22,000 for what sounds like the same job, you are not imagining things. The range is real and there are specific reasons for it.
Unit size
A 13kW generator is not the same as a 24kW generator, even if both are described as "whole-home." Depending on what you are trying to power, the smaller unit may fall short when multiple large loads run simultaneously. Get clarity on the kilowatt rating and what it covers.
What is and is not included
Some quotes include the transfer switch. Some do not. Some include standard gas and electrical runs within a certain distance. Some bill those as line items. When you are comparing quotes, you need to know what is inside each number before you can compare them.
Site conditions
This is the big one in our area. A job on a flat lot in Kingsland with a gas meter ten feet from the panel is a different project than the same generator on a Hill Country property where the pad site is 80 feet from the panel across caliche and limestone. Labor and materials for that run cost real money, and a quote that does not account for it is either incomplete or will change.
Who is doing the work
A licensed master electrician pulling the permit and doing the install is not the same as a general contractor subbing the electrical. In Texas, the permit and inspection are required and the license matters. Ask who is pulling the permit and who will be on site.
When I quote a job, I walk the property and price what I see. The number I give you is the number you pay.
