A standby install runs $12-18K all in
Get the right generator, at a fair installed price.
Tell us your outage pattern and budget. We'll weigh Cummins against the alternatives that fit you, and check your quote so you don't overpay.
- ✓ Free
- ✓ No sales pitch
- ✓ Reply in ~2 days
Product range
Our Cummins verdict
Cummins is the quiet, engineering-first pick of the standby class: 65 dB or lower enclosures, a diesel-giant pedigree, and its own MSRPs undercut what most people assume premium costs, with the 13kW at $3,957 and the 20kW at $5,438 before ATS and install. The catch is the ownership experience after year two, when labor and travel coverage ends while parts run five years, and Kohler and Briggs cover labor longer. Residential dealer coverage is also thinner than Generac's, so the brand is only as good as the servicer in your zip code. Buy it if a Cummins residential dealer is nearby and quiet operation matters; look elsewhere if you want the longest covered-labor window or need more than 20kW without jumping to liquid-cooled money.
Cummins' QuietConnect page says prices start at $3,699 for the generator alone, and its own FAQ lists $3,957 MSRP for the 13kW RS13A and $5,438 MSRP for the 20kW RS20A, while its cost guide quotes average MSRPs of about $4,500 and $6,000 for the same sizes. None of that includes the automatic transfer switch, which Cummins prices at $600 to $1,200 depending on amperage. Professional installation adds $2,000 to $4,000 per Cummins' cost guide, covering permits, site prep, the pad, gas line plumbing, and the electrician. On propane without a natural gas feed, budget another $500 to $2,500 for a 250 or 500 gallon tank. Street prices at internet dealers can run above MSRP; Norwall listed the RS20A at $5,747.50 when checked. Cummins sells through dealers and quotes most installed projects in person, so treat these as the machine-only floor, not the project total.
The installed project, with the pad, gas line, transfer switch, and permits, typically runs $12,000 to $18,000. See the real-cost guide.
cummins.com · Verified July 2026
Before you buy Cummins
The fastest buyer pages to read next if this brand is on your shortlist.
The real cost of a whole-house generator
Machine, pad, gas line, transfer switch, permits. The number your quote should match.
Best home standby generators
The whole-house shortlist, with the tradeoffs each brand page leaves out.
Generac vs Kohler
The two standby names most buyers end up between, head to head.
What size generator do I need?
Running watts, starting surges, and why the well pump usually decides.
From Cummins
Official product and lifestyle imagery from the brand.
Images courtesy of Cummins.
Strengths & considerations
What it does well
- +65 dB or lower operation, quietest of the big standby names
- +Parts covered a full five years, with extensions to 10 available
- +Cummins engine pedigree from trucks to data centers
Where it falls short
Sourced, not our opinion. This is the part the brand's own page leaves off.
The 5-year warranty covers parts for five years but labor and travel only the first two; Kohler covers all three for five years and Briggs for seven, so a year-three failure costs you the service call.
Source: Cummins warranty statement; Norwall warranty terms breakdown
QuietConnect air-cooled models run 13-20kW; a large all-electric house pushes you into the liquid-cooled RS25/RS30 tier, which prices like light-commercial gear.
Source: Cummins QuietConnect product pages
Before you buy: confirm these
These are Cummins's own documented terms and open questions, not our test results. Get the specifics in writing on the quote before you order.
- ?Confirm a residential QuietConnect dealer actually covers your zip code before signing anything; Cummins' commercial network does not guarantee a home-generator installer nearby
- ?Labor and travel are covered only the first two of the five warranty years; price the paid extension to 10 years at purchase or budget for service calls from year three
- ?RS13A and RS20A ship generator-only; the transfer switch is $600 to $1,200 extra by Cummins' own numbers, and installation adds $2,000 to $4,000 on top
- ?Air-cooled QuietConnect tops out at 20kW; a large all-electric home pushes you into the liquid-cooled RS25 and up tier, which prices like light-commercial equipment
Anyone who expects five years of covered labor like Kohler gives, or whose all-electric house needs more than 20kW air-cooled.
Alternatives to compare
Generac
mid rangeBuy Generac if you want the machine every electrician knows and the only brand where three local dealers will bid against each other on your install. The Guardian line is the market default for a reason: $4,799 for a 14kW before install, parts everywhere, resale and installer familiarity unmatched. The warranty is the weak spot: full parts-and-labor coverage runs two years, year three is parts only, and years four and five cover little beyond the engine short block and alternator, so a controller failure in year four is your bill. Skip it if the complaint file and storm-week service queues worry you more than a thinner dealer bench would. Kohler and Briggs both write better fine print; nobody matches the network.
Machine $4,189 - $9,319
Kohler
premiumBuy Kohler if you plan to own the house long enough for enclosure quality and warranty fine print to matter more than the badge every installer quotes first. You pay a premium at street prices, $7,949 to $8,399 for the 26RCA that Kohler lists at $7,445 MSRP, and you get aluminum enclosures, commercial engine heritage, a 56 dB low-speed weekly self-test and dealer travel covered to 200 miles against Generac's 100. The catch is the bench: in many regions one Kohler dealer serves territory six Generac dealers fight over, and your outage repair waits on that one schedule. Skip it if the nearest certified dealer is more than an hour away. And confirm whether your quote includes the transfer switch, because the 14RCA and 20RCA price it separately.
Machine $3,834 - $8,399
Briggs & Stratton
mid rangeBuy Briggs & Stratton if warranty math drives the decision: 7 years of parts, labor and dealer travel standard beats Generac's effective two years of full coverage, and dealer-installed DX units stretch it to 10. The hardware undercuts the leader too, $7,195 for the 26kW flagship against Generac's $7,019 26kW with far shorter coverage, and $4,460 opens the line at 13kW. The tradeoff is the bench: the certified dealer network is a fraction of Generac's, and a 7-year warranty is only worth what the nearest servicer can deliver in a storm week. Skip it if the dealer locator shows nothing within an hour of your house. The 2020 Chapter 11 is history, but you are betting on KPS-owned Briggs staying committed to standby for the machine's 15-year life.
Machine $4,460 - $9,287
Comparing a few brands?
Tell us your outage pattern and budget. We'll tell you whether Cummins or one of these fits you better, and check your quote so you don't overpay.
Key models
13kW air-cooled entry point, 65 dB class, $3,957 MSRP
17kW mid-size air-cooled between the entry and flagship, dealer quote
20kW flagship air-cooled, runs a 5-ton AC, $5,438 MSRP
the RS20A packaged with a 200A service-entrance-rated ATS, dealer or retailer quote
liquid-cooled tier for large all-electric homes, dealer quote
estate and small-business sizes at the top of the residential line, dealer quote
Support & warranty
The residential base warranty is 5 years or 2,000 hours, with parts covered all five years but labor and travel only the first two, and factory-backed extensions run to 10 years of full coverage through dealers. Cummins has a deep commercial service organization behind it, but dedicated residential dealers are scarcer than Generac's or Kohler's, so verify local coverage with the dealer locator before you buy.
5 years or 2,000 hours (standby): parts covered all five years, labor and travel only the first two. Paid extensions to 10 years exist.
Deep commercial service organization behind it, but dedicated residential QuietConnect dealers are thinner on the ground than Generac's or Kohler's; check coverage in your zip code first.
FAQ
Is Cummins worth it in 2026?
Cummins is the quiet, engineering-first pick of the standby class: 65 dB or lower enclosures, a diesel-giant pedigree, and its own MSRPs undercut what most people assume premium costs, with the 13kW at $3,957 and the 20kW at $5,438 before ATS and install. The catch is the ownership experience after year two, when labor and travel coverage ends while parts run five years, and Kohler and Briggs cover labor longer. Residential dealer coverage is also thinner than Generac's, so the brand is only as good as the servicer in your zip code. Buy it if a Cummins residential dealer is nearby and quiet operation matters; look elsewhere if you want the longest covered-labor window or need more than 20kW without jumping to liquid-cooled money.
How much does a Cummins generator cost?
Cummins machines run from about $3,699 up to about $6,000 based on current pricing on cummins.com as of July 2026. Cummins' QuietConnect page says prices start at $3,699 for the generator alone, and its own FAQ lists $3,957 MSRP for the 13kW RS13A and $5,438 MSRP for the 20kW RS20A, while its cost guide quotes average MSRPs of about $4,500 and $6,000 for the same sizes. None of that includes the automatic transfer switch, which Cummins prices at $600 to $1,200 depending on amperage. Professional installation adds $2,000 to $4,000 per Cummins' cost guide, covering permits, site prep, the pad, gas line plumbing, and the electrician. On propane without a natural gas feed, budget another $500 to $2,500 for a 250 or 500 gallon tank. Street prices at internet dealers can run above MSRP; Norwall listed the RS20A at $5,747.50 when checked. Cummins sells through dealers and quotes most installed projects in person, so treat these as the machine-only floor, not the project total.
What fuel does a Cummins generator run on?
Natural gas or propane
Does a Cummins generator need a transfer switch?
RS13A and RS20A ship generator-only; the RS20AC package bundles a 200A service-entrance-rated ATS.
What is Cummins's warranty?
The residential base warranty is 5 years or 2,000 hours, with parts covered all five years but labor and travel only the first two, and factory-backed extensions run to 10 years of full coverage through dealers. Cummins has a deep commercial service organization behind it, but dedicated residential dealers are scarcer than Generac's or Kohler's, so verify local coverage with the dealer locator before you buy.
Who is Cummins best for?
The buyer who prizes quiet operation and commercial-grade engineering and has a Cummins residential dealer within range.
Who should skip Cummins?
Anyone who expects five years of covered labor like Kohler gives, or whose all-electric house needs more than 20kW air-cooled.
What brands should you compare against Cummins?
Most buyers should compare Cummins with Generac, Kohler and Briggs & Stratton before deciding. Quote at least two brands in the same lane. The installed price and the local service coverage decide more than the badge does.
Sources (6) · Verified Jul 12, 2026
We earn nothing from the “Visit” links on this page. Prices are public ranges and change often; confirm current pricing on the brand's site.
Methodology
Brand verdicts are based on buyer fit, lane and fuel logic, real machine and installed pricing, warranty terms, service network reach, and the recall and complaint record. A strong reply from a manufacturer can improve factual clarity, but it does not improve placement.
If dealer coverage is thin, the warranty fine print is ugly, or the complaint file is long, we say that plainly instead of hiding it behind marketing copy.
Getting a Cummins quote?
Send it to us before you sign. We check the installed price against what buyers actually pay, flag missing lines like the gas run, transfer switch wiring, and permits, and tell you what to push back on. Free, no sales pitch.
Free. No sales pitch. Personal reply in ~2 business days.
Still researching? Get the free buyer's guide