Load calc · permit · power back on — Myrtle Beach
Generator Installation in Myrtle Beach, SC
The grid goes down. Yours doesn’t.
A fully installed whole-house standby generator runs $9,000 to $25,000 in Myrtle Beach depending on size and site work, and a transfer switch for a portable unit runs $500 to $1,700 — this site covers standby, portable-hookup and commercial systems.
- Licensed & insured
- Fixed written pricing
- Permits handled
- Sized by load calc
Standard scheduling runs during regular business hours. Ahead-of-storm-season demand books out early — see the hurricane prep guide for timing.
By system type
What's the Real Cost Range by System Type?
| System | Typical range | What drives the price |
|---|---|---|
| Portable generator + interlock or manual switch | $500-$1,700 | Interlock vs. subpanel-style switch, and how many circuits it covers |
| Automatic transfer switch alone (existing generator) | $1,500-$3,500 | Amperage rating and the condition of the existing panel |
| 13-17kW standby, essential circuits | $9,000-$14,000 | Pad work, fuel line run length, and corrosion-resistant equipment spec |
| 20-26kW+ standby, whole-home | $14,000-$25,000 | Central air load, larger transfer switch, and longer fuel or gas runs |
| Commercial (20-30kW small business) | $8,000-$22,000 | Occupancy classification and whether three-phase service is required |
See the generator installation cost guide for what's included in each range, and why a June quote and a September quote for the same system aren't the same conversation.
How much does generator installation cost in Myrtle Beach, SC?
Sizing and fuel type drive most of that spread, not the brand on the housing. A 13-17kW unit covering the essential circuits sits near the bottom of the standby range. A 22kW-plus system built to run central air off nearly every circuit in a larger coastal home sits at the top, especially once a corrosion-resistant enclosure and coastal pad work get added.
Whole-house standby, portable transfer switches, automatic transfer switches sold on their own, repair, maintenance plans, replacement, fuel connections, and commercial systems are all covered below, each with its own real price range, not a single headline number.
The full scope
What Does a Generator Installer in Myrtle Beach Actually Do?
- Load calculation and sizingMatches kW capacity to what your panel actually carries under real startup surge, not a square-footage guess.
- Standby and portable transfer switch installationAutomatic switching for a standby unit, or a code-legal manual switch or interlock kit for a portable generator you already own.
- Fuel source coordinationNatural gas or propane sized and connected, coordinated with a separately licensed gas trade where the scope requires one.
- Permitting and inspectionElectrical, and often a separate mechanical or gas permit, filed with whichever Horry County jurisdiction actually covers your address.
- Maintenance plansScheduled service so the unit starts the night you need it, not just the week after a storm already came through.
- Replacement of aging unitsAssessing whether an existing pad, transfer switch and fuel line can be reused before pricing a full new install.
Honest read
Do I Actually Need a Whole-House Standby Generator?
Not everyone on the Grand Strand does. If you're rarely home when the power goes out, if you already own a portable generator you run safely with someone present, or if your household's essential circuits genuinely amount to a refrigerator and some lighting, a $9,000-plus standby system may be buying more convenience than you'll ever use.
The honest case for standby generally comes down to two things: how long the power actually stays off after a storm here, not how often it blinks, and whether someone can reliably be home to run a portable unit when it happens. Horry County's real risk after a tropical system is a multi-day-to-multi-week restoration window, not a five-minute nuisance outage. That's the argument for automatic backup — not 'the power goes out a lot,' which isn't really true on this stretch of coast.
Second-home and rental owners are the clearest case for automatic switching.
If you're not on the property when the outage hits, a portable unit does nothing for you no matter how good it is, and that's exactly the buyer an automatic transfer switch was designed around.
Straight answers
How much does generator installation cost in Myrtle Beach, SC?
A fully installed whole-house standby system runs $9,000 to $25,000 depending on size, fuel type and site work; a transfer switch for a portable generator runs $500 to $1,700. Commercial systems typically run $300 to $600 per kW installed.
Do I need a whole-house standby generator, or is a portable enough?
It depends on whether someone will reliably be home to run a portable unit and how long outages actually last at your address. A portable generator on a proper transfer switch is a legitimate, far cheaper answer for occasional short outages; a standby system earns its cost when outages run long or nobody's guaranteed to be there.
How long does installation take from quote to power-on?
A load calculation and site visit is usually same-week. From signed quote to running generator typically runs 2 to 6 weeks outside hurricane season, most of it waiting on permit approval and equipment delivery rather than the physical install itself, which is commonly 1 to 3 days.
Do you handle the gas or propane connection too?
The fuel connection is coordinated as part of the job, either sized and run for natural gas or set up for a propane tank, working alongside a separately licensed gas-fitting trade where South Carolina rules require one for that scope of work.
Is an automatic transfer switch required, or optional?
For a standby generator, an automatic transfer switch is standard practice and what makes the system start on its own. A portable generator uses a manual switch or interlock instead, which requires someone to physically start and connect it.
How far in advance of hurricane season should I schedule?
Booking in late winter or early spring, before the June 1 start of hurricane season, gets a normal permit and install timeline. Requests that come in once a storm is already in the forecast run into both equipment shortages and a backed-up install schedule.
Published, not negotiated
8
Services covered
33
Published price lines
$50
Where published pricing starts
111
Questions answered on this site
Locked in.
Book it before the forecast turns.
Installs booked ahead of hurricane season get a normal lead time. Wait until a storm's in the forecast and both the unit and the install date get hard to find.
Call it in or send the details — a real quote comes back either way.