Standby Generator questions, answered

For the common 22–28 kW air-cooled size on natural gas, plan on roughly $10,000–17,000 installed. Smaller air-cooled units start around $7,500; liquid-cooled systems for big houses run about $19,000–38,000. Generac itself puts installation alone (without the generator) at $5,000–10,000 (Generac, 2025).

It comes down to your air conditioning and other big loads, not just square footage. As a rough guide (our estimate), 22–26 kW runs most 2,000–3,000 sq ft homes with central air; two AC systems or a 400 A panel often point to 26 kW or liquid-cooled. A dealer should do a load calculation before quoting.

Yes. The City-Parish lists generator installation as permit work, applied for online through MGO Connect (brla.gov). The residential generator permit is $500, and trade permits are $125 each (fee schedule). Carbon monoxide alarms must be in every bedroom and the living area before final inspection.

No window, door, dryer vent or other opening may be within 5 ft of it (NFPA 37, written into the City-Parish checklist). Some units can sit 18 in from a wall, but only models tested and marked for it (Generac). The exhaust end must be 10 ft from air intakes and can't point at your house, a neighbor's house or the AC.

Maybe not on the narrow side. The City-Parish checklist warns that zero-lot-line lots usually lack the required clearance, and the manufacturer's distances apply at the property line even where there's no fence (generator checklist). Front or rear placement, or a variance, are the usual ways around it.

If gas is already at the house, natural gas is simpler: no tank, no refills during a long outage. Without it, you need a propane tank: about $800–1,200 for a 250-gallon above-ground tank or $1,500–2,500 buried for 500 gallons, or a lease of $150–180 a year (This Old House).

In Baton Rouge it's Delta Utilities, which bought Entergy's gas system in July 2025 (Entergy). Denham Springs and Zachary run their own city gas systems, and Atmos Energy serves parts of Ascension Parish. Your dealer coordinates any meter change with them.

City-Parish residential plan review is up to 7 business days once your packet is complete. Equipment lead times aren't published and swing after every big storm, so the quiet months between December and May are the time to book. Hurricane season starts June 1.

HomeAdvisor puts yearly upkeep at about $200–600 (HomeAdvisor). One Baton Rouge-area owner reports paying $500 a visit, twice a year (Tiger Droppings, 2026). Ask what a plan includes: oil, filters, battery test, and whether storm-season calls get priority.

Look up your base flood elevation on the City-Parish flood map service first. The parish's elevation certificate uses that elevation plus 1 ft for a lowest floor (certificate form). If you're in a mapped flood zone, ask the dealer for a raised stand and to confirm the height with the permit office.

We found none for 2026 in Louisiana, from Entergy or federally. The federal home-energy credits ended on December 31, 2025, and they weren't aimed at fuel-burning generators. If a seller promises one, ask for the program name in writing.

All three sell air-cooled home units in the 10–28 kW range, and local dealers tend to carry one or two brands. What matters most after a hurricane is who services it and how fast. One local owner moving off Briggs said annual service had become hard to get (Tiger Droppings).

Entergy said about 80% of its East Baton Rouge customers lost power (The Advocate); most of the parish was back around day 8, with pockets near Central and Millerville last (WBRZ). After Gustav in 2008, about half the city was still dark eight days later (NPR).

No. Baton Rouge Standby Generators is a free referral service. Your request goes to one local dealer, who visits, quotes and installs. That dealer may pay us for the introduction; you never pay us anything.