Not Every Houston Home Has a Gas Line at the Meter
We install generators across Sugar Land, Katy, Richmond, and the broader Houston area every week. And one thing surprises homeowners more than almost anything else: they call us ready to move forward on a standby generator, and then they find out their property isn’t connected to a natural gas line.
It happens more than you’d think. Newer subdivisions on the outer edges of Fort Bend County, rural properties off FM roads, and even some older neighborhoods in the greater Houston area sit outside the reach of CenterPoint’s natural gas distribution network. For years, those homeowners assumed standby power simply wasn’t an option for them, short of a noisy portable generator in the garage.
That assumption is wrong. Propane standby generators are a fully capable, permanent solution for homes that can’t tap into natural gas. We’ve installed them for families in Fulshear, Simonton, and out toward Needville. Done right, a propane standby system runs automatically, kicks on within seconds of an outage, and keeps your home powered through whatever storm rolls in off the Gulf.
Here’s what you actually need to know before you call anyone.
How Propane Standby Generators Work
The generator itself isn’t much different from a natural gas unit. Brands like Generac and Kohler both manufacture standby generators engineered to run on propane, and we’re certified dealers for both. The engine burns propane vapor instead of natural gas, and the rest of the system, including the automatic transfer switch, the load calculation, the permitting process, works exactly the same way.
The main difference is fuel storage. Natural gas comes through a utility line, so you never think about it. Propane requires an on-site tank, which is either buried underground or sits above ground on a pad. Tank sizing depends on your generator’s output and how long you expect to run it during an extended outage. For a typical whole-home system in the 22kW to 26kW range, most homeowners go with a 500-gallon tank as a starting point. Properties with larger homes or who want extended runtime often go to 1,000 gallons.
One thing we tell every propane customer upfront: plan for a fuel delivery relationship. You’ll want to work with a local propane supplier who can keep your tank topped off before hurricane season and respond quickly if levels drop during a multi-day outage. We’re happy to point clients toward suppliers we trust in the area.
Propane standby generator installations cost more than natural gas setups, full stop. Anyone who tells you otherwise is leaving something out.
The generator unit itself is priced similarly. The added cost comes from the tank installation. A 500-gallon above-ground tank typically runs between $800 and $1,500 installed. A buried 500-gallon tank will run higher, often $1,500 to $3,000 or more depending on excavation requirements and your yard’s accessibility. Larger tanks cost more.
Then there’s the ongoing fuel cost. Natural gas is billed by the utility at a relatively stable rate. Propane pricing fluctuates more, and you’re buying it by the gallon. During normal operation, most standby generators run weekly self-test cycles of about 12 minutes, which burns very little fuel. The bigger consumption happens during actual outages. A 22kW generator running at roughly half load burns somewhere around 2.5 to 3 gallons of propane per hour. A 72-hour outage, which isn’t unusual after a major hurricane, could burn 200 gallons or more.
So yes, propane is more expensive per BTU than natural gas. But for homeowners who don’t have a natural gas option, this conversation isn’t really propane vs. gas. It’s propane vs. no standby power at all. And that math is easy.
For a full picture of what installation involves, visit our generator installation page or reach out directly for a site-specific quote.
What the Installation Process Looks Like
We handle everything in-house. That matters more than it might sound.
Some contractors install the generator and expect you to separately coordinate the tank installation, the gas line plumbing, and the permit. That creates gaps in responsibility and delays. We manage the entire job: load calculation, generator selection, transfer switch installation, propane line connection, concrete pad prep, and permit pulling. We hold Texas Electrical Contractor License TECL# 37583 and pull every permit ourselves.
Here’s the general sequence for a propane standby installation:
- Site consultation. We visit the property, measure your electrical panel, assess your fuel needs, and discuss placement for both the generator and the tank.
- Load calculation and sizing. This determines the right generator output for your home. Skipping this step is how people end up with undersized equipment that struggles under real load.
- Permit application. We handle this. It’s not optional, and contractors who skip it leave you exposed.
- Tank installation. Coordinated with a licensed propane company.
- Generator and transfer switch installation. The generator gets mounted on a concrete pad, wired to your panel, and connected to the propane supply.
- Testing and commissioning. We run the system through a full load test before we leave. You’ll see it work with your own eyes.
The American Gas Association has solid background on propane versus natural gas infrastructure if you want a deeper technical read.
Propane and Hurricane Season: A Honest Assessment
Houston’s storm season peaks from June through November. That’s a long window, and we’ve seen enough outages after events like Hurricane Beryl to know that standby generators aren’t a luxury anymore for a lot of families.
Propane has one vulnerability worth discussing honestly: if your tank runs low during an extended outage, you need a delivery. After a major storm, propane suppliers get slammed with calls. Delivery wait times can stretch. That’s a real consideration.
Our recommendation: go into every storm season with your tank at least 80% full. Don’t wait until October. The homeowners who have problems are almost always the ones who put off the call.
Aside from that, propane is actually a cleaner-burning fuel than diesel, stores indefinitely without degradation issues, and doesn’t have the supply chain vulnerabilities of portable gas-powered equipment. For permanent standby installations, it’s a reliable fuel source with a long track record.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends having at least 72 hours of backup power capability. A well-sized propane system with a full tank can easily provide a week or more.
We’ve Done This Before. We’ll Do It Right.
We’ve been installing generators in the Greater Houston area since 2010. Ethan and the team have handled propane installations from straightforward above-ground setups to more complex buried-tank configurations on properties where the utility line simply doesn’t reach. Every job gets permitted. Every job gets tested.
If you’ve been sitting on the fence about backup power because you thought natural gas was the only path, it’s not. Visit our contact page or call us at (346) 420-5744. We’ll come out, look at your property, and give you a straight answer on what it takes and what it costs. No runaround.