Facts from public sources, not quotes. Where these numbers come from
Solutions to keep your home and business running smooth. Standby generators, portable power and home battery backup. Tell us what you need, and local installers who serve Waukee will send you free quotes.
Get a free quote How it worksOn August 10, 2020, a derecho tore across Iowa. MidAmerican Energy, which supplies Waukee's electricity, said the storm interrupted power to 292,905 customers at its peak and caused 458,000 customer service interruptions, touching nearly 60% of its customer base. It was the largest storm response MidAmerican had ever mounted, with more than 2,500 crew members from 24 states. The National Weather Service measured a 75 mph gust at Des Moines International Airport, and across the Midwest the storm caused an estimated $11.5 billion in damage.
MidAmerican got power back to 86% of affected customers within the first 96 hours. That is fast for a storm that size, but four days is a long time for a home or a business to go without a furnace fan, a sump pump, a refrigerator or the internet. Ready.gov notes that a refrigerator keeps food cold for only about four hours without power, and a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours.
A standby generator starts on its own when the power drops and runs on your home's gas supply, so you are not hauling fuel or running cords in the rain.
Waukee is also growing fast. The City of Waukee reports about 2,000 new residents in the last year, 1,817 building permits in 2025, and 467 new individual gas services installed that year. Many homes in town already have the natural gas service a standby generator can run on.
Finding a generator or battery installer usually means calling electricians one by one and hoping someone does this kind of work. We built Waukee Power Pros to make that easier for people in Waukee.
Here is exactly what we are. We are a free referral service. You tell us what you need, and we pass your request to local installers who serve Waukee. They call you, look at your home and give you a quote. We do not install generators or batteries, we do not sell them, and we do not set the price. That stays between you and the installer you pick.
Every number on this site comes from a public source, and we link to each one. The cost range comes from Generac. The outage numbers come from MidAmerican Energy and the National Weather Service. The local numbers come from the City of Waukee. Where we don't know something, we say so instead of guessing.
Our goal is simple: help you make a good decision about backup power before the next storm, not after it.
Generac describes the same basic steps for most home installs: a site visit, site prep, the fuel connection, a transfer switch next to your breaker box, and a test that simulates an outage. Here is what each part means for a Waukee home.
The generator needs a stable, well-drained spot with room for maintenance. The site is often prepared with a concrete slab or pea gravel. Placing it close to the gas meter and the electric meter usually lowers the cost, because the gas line and wiring runs are shorter.
Whole-home units are sold in sizes such as 18kW, 22kW and 26kW. The right size depends on what must keep running: furnace, sump pump, refrigerator, well pump, central air or the whole house. An installer should do a load calculation before recommending one.
The transfer switch goes next to your main breaker box. When utility power drops, it starts the generator and moves your circuits over to it, then switches back when power returns. It also keeps generator power from flowing out onto the utility lines.
Most standby generators in town run on natural gas, and MidAmerican Energy has handled Waukee's gas service since October 22, 2025. Your installer should confirm that your meter and piping can carry the generator along with your furnace and other gas appliances. Propane is an option where gas service isn't available.
In Iowa, electrical work that touches your panel needs a permit and an inspection. The City of Waukee takes trades permit applications online, and Iowa has adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code. Ask who pulls the permit and books the inspection before you sign anything.
Iowa winters are hard on engines. Cold weather kits that warm the battery and oil are sold for air-cooled standby units, and one listing recommends them where temperatures fall below 32°F. Ask what maintenance the warranty requires and how often the generator runs its self-test.
A whole-home battery stores electricity and takes over when the grid drops. It has no engine and burns no fuel, so it runs quietly, with nothing to refill and no exhaust. Tesla's Powerwall 3 is one example: Tesla's datasheet lists 13.5 kWh of stored energy and up to 11.5 kW of continuous power from its built-in inverter. A battery can be a quiet alternative to a standby generator, or a companion to one. It holds a set amount of energy, so in a long outage it needs solar or a generator to recharge, while a generator keeps running as long as it has fuel. Local installers can quote battery backup for your home or business with the same free form.
A battery charges from the grid or from solar panels and switches your circuits over when the power goes out. No gas line, no fuel to store and no engine noise. Ask the installer which circuits it will back up.
Tesla lists 13.5 kWh of stored energy, up to 11.5 kW of continuous power from its built-in inverter, support for up to 20 kW of solar, up to four units in one system and a 10-year warranty. Source: Tesla.
Powerwall 3 is built to pair with solar panels, so the sun can recharge it during a long outage. Some homes and businesses pair a battery with a standby generator. Ask your installer whether your equipment supports it.
These are typical figures from public sources, not quotes for your home. Your price depends on the generator size, your home's layout, the gas and electrical work, and the permit.
| Option | What you get | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Home standby generator, installed | Starts on its own, runs on natural gas or propane, with a transfer switch next to the breaker box | $8,000–$16,000 on average, including the generator, equipment, materials and installation (Generac) |
| Portable generator with a manual transfer switch | You start it, fuel it and run it outdoors, feeding selected circuits through a switch an electrician installs | Varies by generator and electrician. See options in our shop |
| Portable power station | Quiet battery power for phones, laptops, lights and small devices | Varies. See options in our shop |
Source: Generac. Read the full cost guide and see every source.
The 2020 derecho is the storm people remember, but it isn't the only one. In July 2022 another derecho knocked out power to nearly 34,000 MidAmerican and Alliant customers. Most had power back within hours, which MidAmerican credited partly to the system hardening it did after 2020. Winter brings its own risks, from ice on lines and trees to cold that makes every hour without heat matter more.
Generac says the installed cost of a home standby generator averages $8,000 to $16,000, including the generator, the system equipment and materials, and the installation. Where your quote lands depends on the size of the unit, how complex the job is, and how far the generator sits from your gas line and electric meter. Our cost guide breaks down what moves the price.
No. Waukee Power Pros is a free referral service. When you send the quote form, we pass your request to local generator installers who serve Waukee, and they contact you directly. Any contract, price, permit and warranty is between you and the installer you choose.
Plan on it. Iowa's Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing says electrical permits and inspections are required for all new installations and alterations unless every exception applies, and one of those conditions is that the work involves no switchboard or panelboard. A standby generator connects to your panel through a transfer switch. The City of Waukee takes trades permit applications through its online portal, and Iowa has adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code. Ask each installer who pulls the permit and schedules the inspection.
MidAmerican Energy. The City of Waukee ran its own municipal gas utility from 1966 until October 2025. After voters approved selling the utility, MidAmerican bought the natural gas system on October 22, 2025, and it already supplied Waukee's electricity. A standby generator adds a large gas appliance to your home, so ask your installer whether your gas meter and piping can carry it along with your furnace, water heater and other appliances.
According to Generac, the installation itself usually takes hours, but the preparation takes multiple weeks. Dealer availability, site preparation, the gas line and the permit all affect the timeline. If you want a generator in place before winter or storm season, start getting quotes early.
Generac says installers look for a stable, well-drained spot with enough room for maintenance, and that the closer the site is to the natural gas line and the electric meter, the more you save on installation. The site is often prepared with a concrete slab or pea gravel. Your installer will also check code clearances from windows, doors and vents, and any HOA or neighborhood rules.
It is the part of a backup power system that connects the generator to your home's wiring. Generac describes it as being installed next to your main breaker box, where it automatically starts the generator after a loss of utility power. Portable generators can use a manual transfer switch instead, such as a 10-circuit kit rated for generators up to 7,500 running watts.
It is not. Ready.gov says generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages. Carbon monoxide has no color or smell. From 2004 through 2021, generators caused an average of 74 consumer carbon monoxide deaths a year in the U.S., according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Feeding power backward through an outlet can send electricity out onto the utility lines and into your neighbors' wiring. The safe ways to connect are heavy-duty extension cords to individual appliances, as Ready.gov advises, or a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician under an electrical permit.
Restoration has gotten faster. When a derecho hit in July 2022, nearly 34,000 MidAmerican and Alliant customers lost power and most got it back within hours, which MidAmerican credited partly to system hardening. But in 2020, at least 1,000,000 customers across the Midwest lost power, some for more than two weeks. Nobody can promise the next storm will be short.
It needs fuel, oil, a working battery and periodic exercise runs, like any engine. Ask your installer what maintenance the warranty requires, and whether remote monitoring needs a paid subscription. For one popular model, it does.
A whole-home system is a big purchase, and it isn't the right answer for every household. If you rent, plan to move soon, or only need to keep a refrigerator and a few lights going, a portable setup may make more sense for now.
A portable inverter generator such as the AIVOLT 4,200W open-frame inverter generator can help keep a refrigerator, a sump pump and some lights going, as long as you run it outdoors and far from the house. To power selected circuits safely, an electrician can install a manual transfer switch, and a 30-amp generator cord connects the two. For winter outages, a generator tent lets an open-frame generator run in snow and sleet, and a plug-in CO and gas alarm with battery backup watches the air inside.
Smaller needs, like phones, laptops and a CPAP, can often be covered by a battery power station. Browse the full generator and storm shop, or ask installers about a standby system when you're ready.
A little homework makes every quote more accurate and easier to compare.
Walk through the house and write down what you can't go without: furnace, sump pump, refrigerator, freezer, well pump, medical devices, home office, central air. That list decides the generator size more than anything else.
Note where your gas meter and electric meter are and how far they are from a spot in the yard that could hold a generator. Shorter runs usually mean a lower price.
Generac lists property restrictions, including HOA or community rules, among the things to discuss at the first visit. If your neighborhood has an HOA, check its placement and screening rules early.
The City of Waukee recommends contacting Iowa One Call at 811 at least one week before digging, so every utility has time to mark its lines. Ask your installer who makes the request.
Iowa requires electrical permits and inspections for work that involves your panel. A good installer will tell you who pulls the permit and when the inspection happens.
Get quotes for the same generator size and the same transfer switch setup. Ask what is included: pad, gas line, permit, cold weather kit, startup and warranty registration.
Ask whether your model needs a cold weather kit, and which way the exhaust and air intake face. Drifting snow and ice can block a generator that sits in the wrong spot.
Ready.gov advises carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup on every level of your home. They matter even more once any engine runs near the house.
Tell us what you want to keep running in an outage, your ZIP code and anything you already know about your home or business, like where the gas meter and electric meter sit. We pass your request to local generator and battery installers who serve Waukee, and they contact you directly with questions and a quote.
No cost and no obligation. We are a referral service, not an installer.
Before you sign, ask each installer for their Iowa electrical license, proof of insurance, who pulls the permit and what the warranty covers.
