
Whole-Home vs Portable Generator: The Honest Comparison
When a wired-in standby earns its keep through a multi-day outage, and when a portable and a safe interlock is the smarter spend — plus the carbon-monoxide rule that is non-negotiable.
Straight answers on what size generator you need, what it costs, which fuel fits your house, and the transfer switch and maintenance that decide whether a Terrebonne Parish home keeps running when the grid drops. No brochure math — the numbers and trade-offs as they actually are.

When a wired-in standby earns its keep through a multi-day outage, and when a portable and a safe interlock is the smarter spend — plus the carbon-monoxide rule that is non-negotiable.

The real price drivers — unit size, fuel and gas-line work, the transfer switch, and electrical — and why the cheapest bid usually cut the sizing or the safety scope.

No refueling versus no gas line. How the house — not the installer — decides the fuel, and why gas-line capacity has to be verified before anyone promises natural gas.

The safety device at the center of every standby system. How it stops back-feed onto the utility line, what makes the changeover automatic, and why a generator without one is a hazard.

Plan it before the storm is in the cone. Permits and lead times, the fuel check, and the exercise cycle and maintenance that decide whether the unit actually starts when the grid drops.