No hedging
What a whole house generator actually costs in DFW
A complete, permitted, whole-house generator installation in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex typically runs $13,500 to $17,000 for a 20kW system. That is equipment plus installation, pad, gas work, transfer switch, permits and commissioning. Smaller homes on a single AC system come in lower. Here is where every dollar of it goes.
The two halves of the number
Half one
Equipment — published, fixed
Every model we sell has its price on its page, to the cent. It is the Cummins suggested retail price, and the price on the page is the price at checkout: no processing or card fee is added.
| Cummins RS13A — 13kW | $4,419.04 |
|---|---|
| Cummins RS17A — 17kW | $5,326.86 |
| Cummins RS20A — 20kW | $5,925.25 |
| Cummins RS20AC — 20kW + ATS | $6,868.48 |
Half two
Installation — quoted, variable
This is the half nobody publishes, because it genuinely cannot be published honestly. It typically adds $6,000 to $11,000 depending on four physical facts about your property. We quote it in writing after a free survey.
| Concrete or composite pad | $400 – $900 |
|---|---|
| Gas line and pressure test (licensed plumber) | $800 – $3,500 |
| Electrical tie-in and transfer switch labor | $1,400 – $2,800 |
| Permits and city inspection | $150 – $650 |
| Crane or equipment placement | $0 – $1,200 |
| Startup, load test and commissioning | Included |
What drives the installation number
Concrete or composite pad
$400 – $900Composite pads are faster and usually cheaper. Poured concrete is required by some HOAs and on soft ground.
Gas line and pressure test (licensed plumber)
$800 – $3,500The single biggest swing. A short run off an adequately sized meter is cheap. A long run, or a meter that has to be upsized by the gas utility, is not. A licensed plumber does this work. We hire one on a turnkey job, or you can hire your own and take this line out of our quote.
Electrical tie-in and transfer switch labor
$1,400 – $2,800Depends on the distance from the generator to the panel and whether the panel has room. Older panels sometimes need replacing first.
Permits and city inspection
$150 – $650Varies by city. Some DFW cities require separate electrical and mechanical permits and two inspections.
Crane or equipment placement
$0 – $1,200Rarely needed on air-cooled units. Common on liquid-cooled sets over 25kW where a truck cannot reach the pad.
Startup, load test and commissioning
IncludedWe test under actual load, set the exercise schedule and walk you through the controls before we leave.
Typical all-in cost by model
These are real bands from real DFW installations, not marketing numbers. Your survey number will land inside one of them or we will tell you why before you commit to anything.
| Model | Equipment | Typical installed, all in | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cummins RS13A — 13kW | $4,419.04 | $11,000 – $14,000 | Smaller home, one AC system, essential circuits plus air conditioning. |
| Cummins RS17A — 17kW | $5,326.86 | $12,500 – $15,500 | Typical three-bedroom DFW home with a single AC system. |
| Cummins RS20A — 20kW | $5,925.25 | $13,500 – $17,000 | Two-story home, two AC systems, whole-house with load management. |
| Cummins RS20AC — 20kW | $6,868.48 | $13,500 – $17,000 | Same as above, with the 200A service-entrance transfer switch in the box. |
Installed bands are for a turnkey job and include equipment, pad, a gas line within a normal run (by the licensed plumber we hire), transfer switch, electrical tie-in, permits, inspection and commissioning. They exclude panel replacement, gas meter upsizing by the utility, crane placement and sales tax. If you hire your own plumber or propane company for the gas line, our quote drops by that line item.
Cummins home standby equipment prices — all 26 priced models
Every model we sell, with its published equipment price. Equipment only — installation is quoted separately after a free on-site survey. Prices reviewed 2026-08-28.
| Model | Output | Cooling / fuel | Equipment price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cummins RS13A | 13kW | Air-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $4,419.04 | — |
| Cummins RS13AE | 13kW | Air-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $4,815.30 | Extreme cold package to −40°F |
| Cummins RS17A | 17kW | Air-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $5,326.86 | — |
| Cummins RS17AE | 17kW | Air-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $5,576.63 | Extreme cold package to −40°F |
| Cummins RS20A | 20kW | Air-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $5,925.25 | — |
| Cummins RS20AE | 20kW | Air-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $6,300.85 | Extreme cold package to −40°F |
| Cummins RS20AC | 20kW | Air-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $6,868.48 | 200A service-entrance transfer switch included |
| Cummins RS20ACE | 20kW | Air-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $7,131.91 | 200A service-entrance transfer switch included. Extreme cold package to −40°F |
| Cummins C20D6 | 20kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $18,356.15 | no tank |
| Cummins C20D6 | 20kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $21,413.12 | 24-hour base tank |
| Cummins RS25 | 25kW | Liquid-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $17,622.48 | — |
| Cummins RS30 | 30kW | Liquid-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $18,812.69 | — |
| Cummins C30D6 | 30kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $21,282.59 | no tank |
| Cummins C30D6 | 30kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $25,523.80 | 24-hour base tank |
| Cummins RS36 | 36kW | Liquid-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $19,356.52 | — |
| Cummins RS40 | 40kW | Liquid-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $19,495.69 | — |
| Cummins RS50 | 50kW | Liquid-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $23,364.26 | — |
| Cummins C50D6 | 50kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $24,012.41 | no tank |
| Cummins C50D6 | 50kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $28,940.21 | 24-hour base tank |
| Cummins RS60 | 60kW | Liquid-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $27,446.22 | — |
| Cummins RS80 | 80kW | Liquid-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $35,467.96 | — |
| Cummins C80D6C | 80kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $35,724.55 | no tank |
| Cummins C80D6C | 80kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $41,810.84 | 24-hour base tank |
| Cummins C100D6C | 100kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $36,335.68 | no tank |
| Cummins RS100 | 100kW | Liquid-cooled / Natural Gas / LP Vapor | $41,139.72 | — |
| Cummins C100D6C | 100kW | Liquid-cooled / Diesel | $41,963.62 | 24-hour base tank |
7 larger models are quoted per project rather than listed at a shelf price: C60D6, C125D6D, RS125, C150D6D, RS150, C175D6D, C200D6D. Part numbers and configurations are published on each model page.
Why authorized Cummins dealers show nearly the same equipment price
Cummins publishes a minimum advertised price for each model, and no authorized dealer may advertise below it. Cummins also publishes a suggested retail price, about 3% above that floor, and that is what we charge. So the numbers on this page sit within a few percent of any other authorized Cummins dealer's site, and ours include the cost of card processing rather than adding it at checkout.
What it does not do is set what any dealer will finally sell for - that is between you and them. It does mean a published equipment price is not a discount to be haggled over, and a dealer who hides it is hiding a number you can look up. What genuinely differs is the installation: who does the work, whether they hold the electrical license themselves or subcontract it, how the gas line and transfer switch are handled, how long you wait, and what happens when the unit needs service in year four. That is the part worth comparing, and it is the part we quote in writing after seeing your property.
Equipment prices reviewed 2026-08-28. Cummins adjusts pricing periodically; the figure on each model page is the one we will honor for 90 days against a refundable deposit.
Questions about cost
Why do some sites say a whole house generator costs $4,000 in Dallas?
Because they are quoting equipment, or quoting a partial-home installation, and calling it whole-house. RS13A equipment alone is $4,419.04 before anyone touches a shovel. A number near $4,000 for a complete, permitted, whole-house installation in DFW is not a real number, and quotes that start there tend to grow once someone actually sees the property. We would rather tell you $13,500 to $17,000 up front and hit it.
What makes one installation cost more than another at the same house size?
Gas, almost always. If your meter has spare capacity and the generator sits close to it, the gas work is a day. If the run is long, or the meter has to be upsized by Atmos, or the line has to cross a driveway, that single line item can move by $2,500. The second biggest driver is the distance from the generator to the electrical panel, because that is trenching and conduit.
Do you charge for the site survey or the quote?
No. The survey is free and the written quote is free, with no obligation and no deposit required to get it. A refundable deposit is only relevant if you want to reserve a specific unit and lock the equipment price for 90 days while the survey and permit work happen.
Is the equipment price negotiable?
Our published figure is the Cummins suggested retail price (MSRP), and nothing is added to it at checkout. Cummins also sets a minimum advertised price that no authorized dealer may go below, so published equipment prices from authorized dealers sit within a few percent of each other. What that means for you is that equipment price is not where dealers really differ, so the useful comparison is the part that does vary — the installation, the crew, and whether anyone answers the phone in year three.
Can I finance it?
Yes, and most customers do at this ticket size. We can put you in front of a home-improvement lender for a rate check that does not affect your credit. See the financing page for how that works.
Get your actual number
The bands above are honest, but they are still bands. Forty-five minutes at your property turns them into a fixed price in writing, at no cost and no obligation.
Related across UTS
- Equipment is one part of the total; the installed cost is broken down here.Whole-house generator cost in Texas, installed (Clements Electric).