Quick answer: Whole-home backup power in Los Angeles costs $12,000–$22,000 for a standby generator, or $15,000–$40,000+ for battery storage, depending on how much of the house you want to keep running. APLA Construction (CA Lic #1136359) handles the electrical and structural work — panel upgrades, transfer switches, and equipment pads — for backup power systems across Greater Los Angeles.
Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) — planned outages utilities use to reduce wildfire risk during high-wind, high-fire-danger conditions — have become a routine part of life in Los Angeles’s hillside and foothill communities, from Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains to the foothills above Altadena and Pasadena. Add in the occasional grid outage during a heat wave, and a growing number of LA homeowners are treating backup power the way they’d treat any other home system: not a luxury, but insurance against a predictable event.
| System Type | Typical Cost |
| Portable generator + manual transfer switch | $3,000–$7,000 |
| Whole-house standby generator (20–26kW, automatic transfer switch) | $12,000–$22,000 |
| Battery storage, partial/critical-load backup | $15,000–$20,000 |
| Battery storage, whole-home backup (multiple units) | $25,000–$40,000+ |
Most of the cost difference within each category comes down to electrical panel condition: a home with an older or undersized panel needs a panel upgrade before a generator or battery system can be added, which adds $2,800–$5,500 — see our electrical panel upgrade cost guide for details.
APLA coordinates the full scope as your general contractor — panel work, the equipment pad, and permit management — working alongside licensed electrical and generator/battery specialists for the equipment installation itself, so you have one point of contact instead of juggling multiple trades.
Yes. Any permanently installed standby generator or battery storage system requires an electrical permit from LADBS or the applicable city building department, and a standby generator with a gas connection requires plumbing/gas permit coordination as well. APLA manages all permit submissions and inspections.
A whole-house standby generator sized for most LA homes (20–26kW) costs $12,000–$22,000 installed, including the automatic transfer switch, equipment pad, and gas line connection. Older homes needing an electrical panel upgrade first should budget an additional $2,800–$5,500.
It depends on priorities. Battery systems are silent, produce no exhaust, and can recharge from solar without the grid, but typically cost more per hour of true whole-home backup and store a finite amount of energy. Standby generators run as long as fuel is available and typically cost less for equivalent whole-home coverage, but require fuel delivery (natural gas line or propane tank) and produce noise and exhaust while running.
Many LA homes with 100-amp service need a panel upgrade to 200 amps before adding a standby generator or a whole-home battery system, since both require dedicated capacity for the transfer switch. APLA evaluates your existing panel during the free consultation.
Yes. Battery systems can be installed and charged from the grid alone, though most homeowners who add battery storage do pair it with solar to recharge the batteries without drawing from the grid. APLA handles the electrical infrastructure; solar panel installation itself requires a separate C-46 solar contractor license, which we coordinate on request.
A standby generator installation typically takes 1–2 days for the physical work plus 2–4 weeks for permit approval. Battery storage installation is similar. If a panel upgrade is required first, add another 1–3 weeks for that permit and inspection to clear before the backup system installation begins.
APLA Construction evaluates backup power options for homes throughout Greater Los Angeles, including Malibu, the Santa Monica Mountains, Pasadena, Altadena, and the San Fernando Valley — the areas most affected by PSPS outages.
Call: (818) 818-4419
Email: info@aplaconstruction.com
CA General Contractor License #1136359 — verify on CSLB