Bolt It Down Once. Stop Dragging The Generator Out.
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Home / DIY Generator Enclosure vs. Buying One
DIY Generator Enclosure vs. Buying One
Building your own generator box looks simple. The hard parts are airflow, heat, rot and fire risk.
Plans for a DIY generator enclosure are all over YouTube and Pinterest. Most are wood sheds or plywood boxes with a hinged lid. A well-built one can work, but a generator isn’t a lawn mower. It gets hot, it puts out exhaust, and it needs a lot of fresh air. Here’s what to think through before you start cutting.
What a Generator Enclosure Has to Do
- Move air — the engine needs combustion air and the alternator needs cooling air.
- Keep exhaust out — exhaust has to leave the box, not get pulled back through the intake.
- Handle heat — mufflers get extremely hot; wood, foam and plastic nearby are a fire risk.
- Shed water — a roof or floor that holds water causes rust and electrical trouble.
- Give you access for refueling, starting, oil changes and plugging in cords.
The Real Cost of DIY
A sturdy homemade box usually means pressure-treated lumber or metal framing, sheathing, roofing, hinges, vents, fasteners, paint and a pad. Materials alone can easily run several hundred dollars, and then there’s a weekend or two of your time. Wood also has to be maintained — paint peels, and plywood swells and rots where water sits.
DIY Wood Enclosure
- Material: pressure-treated lumber / plywood
- Combustible — fire resistance is a real concern
- Rots and needs repainting over time
- Ventilation is entirely up to your own design
- Fuel access and security depend on your build
- Takes one or two full weekends to build
The Generator Box
- Material: .080″ aluminum, white textured powder coat
- Non-combustible metal construction
- Won’t rot or rust — ever
- Fold-out side air windows built in
- Hinged lid, locks with a padlock
- An afternoon to set and bolt down
Homemade Generator Covers for Running
A common search is “homemade generator cover while running,” usually a plastic tote or bent sheet on a frame. Those can keep rain off an outlet panel for a short time. Don’t enclose the generator so tightly that air can’t move freely, and never let a cover touch the muffler.
When Buying Makes More Sense
If the generator is your home backup and you want it outside all year, a purpose-built metal box saves time and upkeep. The Generator Box is cut, formed and powder coated by a sheet metal shop in Connecticut. It arrives ready to set on a pad and lag down.
The Generator Box
$1,195
+ $150 flat-rate FedEx shipping
- .080″ aluminum, white textured powder coat
- 42″ W × 33″ D × 30″ H · 85 lbs
- Hinged lid + fold-out air windows
- Padlock-lockable, bolts to your pad