We always round up to the next size: overkill, not underkill.
Needed with 25% margin: —
Then book your free install assessment. Final install details (fuel line, panel, placement) are confirmed on the assessment. Estimates use typical published appliance wattages.
One package: the generator and the installation can be financed together through Acorn Finance. Loans from $1,000 to $100,000. Checking your rate is a soft credit check and doesn't affect your credit score. Offers come from Acorn's lender network; once funded, the lender pays 406 Generators like a normal job.
Approval and terms are set by the lender. Questions? (406) 629-2110
Generac prices include the 200A automatic transfer switch; Champion is generator only (switch sold separately, see switch prices below). Install quoted separately. Generators ship by freight to your home; freight is shown before payment. Compare our prices. Questions? AI assistant 24/7: (406) 629-2110
| Model | kW | Fuel | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion 14 kW Essentials Model 100837 | 14 kW | Propane / NG | $4,623.97 Home Depot: $4,633.97 | Buy Now |
| Champion 22 kW Whole Home Model 201222 | 22 kW | Propane / NG | $5,799 | Buy Now |
| Champion 27 kW Whole Home Max | 27 kW | Propane / NG | Call for price | Buy Now |
| Generac 10 kW Essentials 10 | 10 kW | Propane / NG | $4,329 | Buy Now |
| Generac 14 kW Essentials Model 7323 | 14 kW | Propane / NG | $5,839 | Buy Now |
| Generac 18 kW Whole Home 18 | 18 kW | Propane / NG | $6,639 | Buy Now |
| Generac 22 kW Whole Home Model 7325 | 22 kW | Propane / NG | $7,229 | Buy Now |
| Generac 24 kW Whole Home Plus | 24 kW | Propane / NG | $7,639 | Buy Now |
| Generac 26 kW Whole Home Max Model 7328 | 26 kW | Propane / NG | $8,059 | Buy Now |
Standalone transfer switches (for Champion units, replacements or upgrades — not needed with a Generac bundle): 100A service-rated (RXSW100A3) $729 · 150A service-rated $924 · 200A service-rated Smart Switch (RXSW200A3CUL) $1,016 · 200A service-rated with surge protection $1,088 · 200A non-service-rated $821 · 200A combo switch + meter socket (RXGUW200A3) $2,177
Lower than Home Depot on Champion 100837 (Home Depot sale price on homedepot.com, checked Nov 3, 2026; prices change). Ships by freight directly to your home — freight is calculated for your address and shown before payment. Self-installing? Montana requires local permits, and the electrical and gas hookups must be done by a licensed electrician and a licensed plumber / gas fitter to meet code. Already have a generator? Get an install quote
No live install price — it depends on distance from the meter and gas/propane supply, the pad, transfer switch size and panel work, and permits. Typical installed range for a 14–22 kW unit: $9,500–$15,000 (see cost guide below). Beau coordinates the pad, licensed electrician and plumber / gas fitter.
Winter storms, ice on the lines, and summer wind events can knock out power for hours — sometimes days. At −20°F, a house without heat becomes a pipe problem fast.
Your furnace or boiler keeps running, so the house stays warm and pipes stay thawed through the coldest nights.
On a well outside city water? No power means no water. A standby unit keeps the pump — and your toilets — working.
A freezer full of elk, beef, and a year's groceries is worth protecting. No more racing a thaw during a long outage.
Starlink, Wi-Fi, computers, and phones stay powered — important if you work from home or run a business from the house.
CPAPs, oxygen concentrators, powered beds, and chair lifts can't wait for the grid to come back. This keeps them running.
No dragging a portable out in a blizzard, no extension cords, no carbon-monoxide risk. It starts, runs a weekly self-test, and reports its status.
However your place is set up, there's a generator configuration for it — and if you searched “generator near me,” “backup generator,” “backup power for my house,” or “off grid home,” you're in the right place.
The classic home generator setup: an automatic standby unit wired to your panel through a transfer switch. The power drops, the backup generator starts in about 10 seconds, and your whole house — heat, well, fridge, lights, internet — runs like nothing happened. No cords, no gasoline cans, no being home to start it.
Montana properties run on outbuildings — shops, barns, well houses, guest houses, second homes. We set up secondary power two ways: one whole-property unit sized for house plus shop, or a dedicated generator for the outbuilding, so stock water, tools, and freezers stay protected even when the house is covered separately.
Living off the grid — or building an off grid home the power lines don't reach? A propane standby generator is the reliable backbone of off-grid home power: it auto-starts to recharge your battery bank and carry heavy loads like well pumps and heat when solar isn't keeping up, especially through Montana winters.
Same job either way: we sell you the unit (switch included with Generac, priced separately for Champion), set the pad, deliver and place it, and coordinate the licensed electrical and gas hookup. The difference is the brand on the box — and what it costs.
The premium pick — America's #1 home standby brand
The name most people ask for first. Purpose-built G-Force engines, an aluminum enclosure, built-in cellular monitoring, and the largest dealer and parts network in the country behind it.
The value pick — same whole-home coverage, lower price
Champion's aXis line does the same job for hundreds to over a thousand dollars less per unit. Its controller talks to the transfer switch over your home's existing wiring, which can trim install time — and it carries the longest warranty in the class.
Generac prices include the 200A transfer switch; Champion is generator only (switch sold separately). Site prep and the licensed hookup are quoted firm after your free assessment.
Model 100837 — for smaller homes, cabins, and “keep the critical stuff on” setups.
Model 201222 — powers the whole panel for most family homes, A/C included.
Champion's biggest air-cooled unit — for large homes and shop + home properties.
The current air-cooled line, at 406 Generators equipment prices. Prices include the 200A automatic transfer switch (bundled units). Site prep and the licensed hookup are quoted firm after your free assessment.
The entry Generac — essentials coverage for smaller homes, cabins, and second homes.
Model 7323 — the Generac way into standby power for smaller homes and cabins.
The step up — more of the house on at once, for mid-size homes with bigger loads.
Model 7325 — the most-installed whole-home size in America, now in the NextGen line.
For larger homes that run close to everything at once — A/C, well, shop loads.
Model 7328 — for large homes, shops, and everything-at-once properties. A 28 kW — the most powerful air-cooled standby made — is also available.
| Champion aXis | Generac | |
|---|---|---|
| The idea | Lowest equipment cost, longest warranty | The #1 brand, deepest support network |
| 22 kW price | $5,799 (generator only) | $7,229 (includes 200A switch) |
| Warranty | 10-year limited | 5-year limited (extended options available) |
| Monitoring | aXis controller, Wi-Fi options | Mobile Link cellular built in |
| Sizes | 14 / 22 / 27 kW air-cooled | 10 / 14 / 18 / 22 / 24 / 26 kW air-cooled (28 kW available) |
| Best for | Budget-first buyers who still want whole-home coverage and a long warranty | Buyers who want the established name, parts everywhere, and dealer support |
Equipment prices above are 406 Generators prices (Generac includes the 200A transfer switch; Champion is generator only) (Champion prices are current market prices checked November 3, 2026) — they don't include the pad, delivery and placement, permits, or the licensed electrical and gas hookup. Those are quoted as one firm, itemized total after your free site assessment, and your written quote confirms the final equipment price before you sign anything. No surprises added later.
The whole house generator cost question has two parts: the equipment, and the generator installation cost to hook it up. Here's the honest all-in picture before you ever request a quote.
For the most common Montana setup — a 14–22 kW air-cooled whole-home generator with a 200A automatic transfer switch.
Fully installed: generator + transfer switch (included with Generac, priced separately for Champion), pad and placement, permits, licensed electrical hookup, and licensed gas work.
Equipment alone runs $4,329–$8,059 for the Champion and Generac units in the lineup above. This range is a planning guide, not a quote — your free site assessment produces one firm, itemized number for your exact property, and that's the number you sign on.
Get my firm installed priceEvery property is different. These are the factors that push a job toward the low or high end of the range:
Searching “generator installation near me” to compare installed prices? Ask every bidder for the same thing: one itemized total covering equipment, pad, permits, electrical, and gas. That's the only apples-to-apples number.
You deal with one local point of contact. Behind the scenes we schedule the pad, the licensed electrician, and the licensed gas fitter around each other — so the job flows instead of stalling between trades.
We walk your property, check your panel and fuel, pick the placement, and size the unit. You get one firm written quote.
406 GeneratorsWe set the level pad, deliver the generator, and place it to code clearances — ready for hookup day.
406 GeneratorsA licensed electrician installs the transfer switch and pulls the electrical permit. A licensed plumber / gas fitter runs the fuel line and pulls the gas permit.
Licensed work — licensed partnersInspection, first start, a simulated outage with you watching, warranty registration, and monitoring set up on your phone.
TogetherOne contract, one point of contact, one schedule — ours.
Montana requires licensed trades for electrical and gas work, and the permit holder has to do their own work — nobody can legally “sign off” on someone else's wiring. We built our process around that from day one, so your install is permitted, inspected, and insurable.
A standby generator is a 15–20 year appliance. Placement, clearances, fuel sizing, and a level pad decide whether it starts on the coldest night of the year — we don't shortcut any of it.
Generators that get serviced start when it counts. Plans cover both brands we sell — Generac and Champion. Pick a plan and we handle the schedule — you just get the “all good” text after each visit.
Buying the generator is step one. Keeping it ready for the next outage is the rest of the job — and it's ours, for both brands we sell.
Generator down or showing a fault? Call or text (406) 629-2110 — start with the brand, model, and what the controller is showing, and we'll take it from there.
A standby generator only matters on the one night it has to start. Generator maintenance plus monitoring is how you know it will.
We're based in Helena and run most jobs remotely — selling and sizing your generator, coordinating the local concrete, electrical, and gas trades — so the same permitted, inspected install is available in every community below.
Our home base. Whole-home standby generators for in-town homes on natural gas and acreage on propane across Lewis and Clark County — sized for −20°F nights and NorthWestern Energy outages alike.
Helena · East Helena · Montana City · Clancy · Jefferson City
A backup generator for Gallatin Valley homes, from in-town neighborhoods to ranchettes outside town — well pumps, radiant heat, and home offices kept running through winter storms.
Bozeman · Four Corners · Gallatin Gateway
Fast-growing Belgrade gets the same two price points — Champion value or Generac premium — with installs coordinated around your builder or existing panel.
Belgrade · Manhattan · Amsterdam
Second homes and vacation properties can't afford frozen pipes while you're away. Automatic standby power with phone monitoring covers Big Sky and the Yellowstone Club area — you'll know it's running without being there.
Big Sky · Yellowstone Club area · Gallatin Canyon
Butte winters and older homes make backup heat a necessity, not a luxury. We size units for boilers, well systems, and sump pumps across Silver Bow County.
Butte · Walkerville · Anaconda area
High-plains wind takes lines down in every season. Standby generators for Great Falls homes, farms, and shops — including secondary power for outbuildings and stock water.
Great Falls · Cascade · Belt area
From in-town Missoula to acreage up the Bitterroot and Blackfoot valleys, a whole-home backup generator keeps wells, septic, and heat running when storm outages stretch for days.
Missoula · Lolo · Frenchtown · Bonner
Broadwater County homes, farms, and lake properties near Canyon Ferry — standby power sized for wells, shops, and whole-house loads.
Townsend · Canyon Ferry · Winston · Toston
Lincoln, Boulder, Wolf Creek, and the places in between — if your property is on propane, off-grid, or just a long way from the substation, we'll design the backup or primary-support power setup around it.
Lincoln · Boulder · Wolf Creek · Jefferson County
Don't see your town? We coordinate installs statewide for larger projects — call (406) 629-2110 and ask.
Tell us a little about the house and we'll call to schedule your free in-home estimate and site assessment. Prefer to talk now? Call or text (406) 629-2110, or call our AI assistant 24/7: (406) 629-2110.
Fill this in and we'll call you back to schedule a first look. Coming from a Buy / Reserve Yours button? Your model is already selected below: send the message and we'll confirm your reserve and the payment step — paying locks in your generator, we order your unit and get your job ready, and installation is coordinated by 406 Generators and quoted firm after your free home assessment.
Fastest path: call (406) 629-2110 — or send this form and we'll call you back.
Every install is covered by a simple written Purchase & Installation Coordination Agreement. The plain-English version:
This outline is a summary for planning, not legal advice. Your signed agreement is the full document you review before any deposit.
Based in Helena — installing across western Montana, from the Gallatin Valley to Missoula.
Helena area
Gallatin Valley & Big Sky
Butte · Great Falls · Missoula
Plus the surrounding communities around each of these areas. Somewhere nearby but not listed? Ask on your assessment call — larger projects by arrangement.
