GuideTransformers11 min read
What a pad-mount transformer costs
A new three-phase pad-mount transformer costs on the order of $16,000 to $28,000 at 300 kVA and $36,000 to $60,000 at 1,000 kVA in 2026, equipment only, and takes 40 to 65 weeks to arrive. Used and new-surplus units list at a third to two-thirds of that and ship in weeks: most of the priced pad-mounts listed on this site today run from $12 to $64 per kVA. A 75 kVA pad-mount, the most-searched size, lists used from roughly $4,000 to $9,000 three-phase.
The short version
- Price follows kVA, then the primary voltage class (15 kV costs less than 25 or 35 kV), then the extras: FR3 fluid, copper windings, loop feed, load-break switches, a load tap changer.
- New, as a planning range: $9,000 to $16,000 at 75 kVA three-phase, $22,000 to $38,000 at 500 kVA, $48,000 to $80,000 at 1,500 kVA. Get quotes; the spread between makers is wide.
- Used and surplus: most of the three-phase pad-mounts listed here with prices run $12 to $64 per kVA (the middle 80% of 79 priced units), from sellers’ pages read in October 2026.
- The transformer is half the delivered cost at small sizes: testing, rigging, freight, the pad, cable terminations and the utility’s fees come on top.
- Lead time is the other price. Three-phase pad-mounts are quoted at 40 to 65 weeks in 2026; a tested used unit ships in two to six.
What sets the price
- kVA
- The main driver, though not in proportion: a 1,500 kVA unit costs perhaps three times a 300 kVA unit, not five. The tank, bushings, compartments and switches cost about the same whatever the rating.
- Primary voltage class
- 15 kV class (12.47 and 13.8 kV primaries) is the volume product and the cheapest. 25 kV (24.94 kV) and 35 kV (34.5 kV) units need more insulation and larger bushings and cost 10 to 30% more.
- Windings
- Aluminum is standard and cheaper; copper adds 10 to 20% and is specified for its smaller size and better connections.
- Fluid
- Mineral oil is standard. FR3 natural ester adds a few percent to the price and is worth it where the unit goes near a building, indoors or on a site that cares about spills.
- Feed and switching
- A radial-feed unit has three primary bushings; a loop-feed unit has six, with a load-break switch, and costs more. Bayonet and current-limiting fuses, a load-break switch, and a dead-front design with parking stands are the usual options.
- Efficiency
- Liquid-filled distribution transformers have met the DOE’s 2016 standard since then; the 2029 rule raises it again. More efficient means more core steel, and more money.
- Extras
- A load tap changer (on large units), monitoring, a stainless tank for coastal sites, special paint, a tamper-resistant cabinet.
- New or used
- A used or new-surplus unit sells for a third to two-thirds of new. Condition, test results, age and how quickly you need it set where in that range.
New pad-mount transformer prices
Manufacturers and distributors quote to the specification, and the spread between quotes for the same unit is wide, so published figures are scarce. The ranges below are planning figures for 2026, equipment only, for a standard 15 kV-class loop-feed unit with aluminum windings and mineral oil, from quotes and listings we’ve seen through 2026. Treat them as a sanity check on a quote, not as prices.
| Size | Planning range | Per kVA |
|---|---|---|
| 75 kVA | $9,000 to $16,000 | $120 to $210 |
| 150 kVA | $12,000 to $20,000 | $80 to $130 |
| 300 kVA | $16,000 to $28,000 | $55 to $95 |
| 500 kVA | $22,000 to $38,000 | $45 to $75 |
| 750 kVA | $30,000 to $50,000 | $40 to $65 |
| 1,000 kVA | $36,000 to $60,000 | $35 to $60 |
| 1,500 kVA | $48,000 to $80,000 | $30 to $55 |
| 2,500 kVA | $70,000 to $120,000 | $30 to $50 |
Add 10 to 30% for 25 or 35 kV class, 10 to 20% for copper windings, and a few percent for FR3. Single-phase pad-mounts are far cheaper: about $3,000 to $5,500 at 25 kVA, $4,500 to $8,000 at 75 kVA and $5,500 to $9,500 at 100 kVA.
If you have a recent quote outside these ranges, we’d like to know: the ranges are only as good as the quotes behind them, and we update them.
Used and surplus prices, from the listings here
The clearest guide to what used pad-mounts cost is what sellers are asking today. The table groups the 401 pad-mount transformers listed on this site by size: real units on dealers’, surplus sellers’ and auction sites, with the prices as those sellers give them (read up to October 18, 2026; many are “on request”). A size with its own page links to it, with every unit of that size and its specifications.
| Size | Listed | With a price | Asking prices | Median per kVA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 kVA | 2 | 1 | $2,300 | $51 |
| 75 kVA | 14 | 3 | $4,795 to $10,999 | $120 |
| 112.5 kVA | 3 | 1 | $8,000 | $71 |
| 150 kVA | 18 | 5 | $2,292 to $12,500 | $43 |
| 225 kVA | 9 | 5 | $3,556 to $15,295 | $43 |
| 300 kVA | 16 | 3 | $15,000 to $18,500 | $55 |
| 400 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 500 kVA | 31 | 6 | $13,000 to $32,000 | $39 |
| 600 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 700 kVA | 1 | 1 | $25,000 | $36 |
| 750 kVA | 36 | 12 | $7,150 to $58,495 | $35 |
| 800 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 1,000 kVA | 41 | 14 | $11,368 to $57,495 | $29 |
| 1,100 kVA | 2 | 0 | On request | – |
| 1,250 kVA | 7 | 2 | $30,000 to $45,000 | $36 |
| 1,500 kVA | 44 | 9 | $11,200 to $54,900 | $19 |
| 1,600 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 1,680 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 1,750 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 1,794 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 1,800 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 1,850 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 2,000 kVA | 23 | 2 | $30,000 to $75,000 | $38 |
| 2,500 kVA | 31 | 6 | $45,000 to $95,000 | $34 |
| 2,510 kVA | 2 | 0 | On request | – |
| 2,550 kVA | 4 | 1 | $99,000 | $39 |
| 2,600 kVA | 15 | 2 | $66,000 to $79,000 | $30 |
| 2,700 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 3,000 kVA | 24 | 3 | $29,999 to $89,000 | $22 |
| 3,300 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 3,500 kVA | 3 | 0 | On request | – |
| 3,600 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 3,750 kVA | 13 | 0 | On request | – |
| 4,000 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 4,400 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 5,000 kVA | 12 | 3 | $58,800 to $62,328 | $12 |
| 7,500 kVA | 3 | 0 | On request | – |
| 10,000 kVA | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 10 kVA, single-phase | 1 | 1 | $2,999 | – |
| 25 kVA, single-phase | 3 | 2 | $1,796 to $2,296 | – |
| 37.5 kVA, single-phase | 5 | 3 | $1,795 to $2,796 | – |
| 50 kVA, single-phase | 6 | 2 | $2,695 to $3,375 | – |
| 75 kVA, single-phase | 4 | 2 | $3,495 to $3,500 | – |
| 100 kVA, single-phase | 6 | 1 | $7,800 | – |
| 150 kVA, single-phase | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
| 167 kVA, single-phase | 3 | 1 | $4,995 | – |
| 250 kVA, single-phase | 2 | 2 | $4,999 to $8,995 | – |
| 750 kVA, single-phase | 1 | 0 | On request | – |
Prices as the sellers list them, before testing and delivery; where a listing covers several units, the price is each. The median per kVA is of the priced three-phase units at that size.
Across sizes, the middle 80% of the priced three-phase units run $12 to $64 per kVA, roughly a third to two-thirds of the new ranges above, with new-surplus units (unused, recent, sold by a dealer rather than the maker) at the top of the band and older used units at the bottom; the few outside it are either new units at list price or old units priced near scrap. The pad-mount listings have the details of each, and the ones that have been through our tests say so.
How much does a 75 kVA transformer cost?
“75 kVA transformer” is the most-searched size, and it means three different things, at three prices.
| Unit | Voltages | New | Used or surplus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three-phase pad-mount | 12.47 kV to 480Y/277 V or 208Y/120 V | $9,000 to $16,000 | $4,000 to $9,000 |
| Single-phase pad-mount | 7,200 V to 120/240 V | $4,500 to $8,000 | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| Three-phase dry-type | 480 V to 208Y/120 V | $3,000 to $6,000 | $1,000 to $2,500 |
| Single-phase pole-mount | 7,200 V to 120/240 V | $3,500 to $6,500 | $1,500 to $3,500 |
A 75 kVA three-phase unit draws 90 A at 480 V and 208 A at 208 V (the kVA to amps chart), which is a small commercial building or a well-equipped shop. For most buyers searching the phrase, the dry-type at the bottom of the table is the one they want, and a distributor stocks it. The pad-mounts are what we list; search for a 75 kVA pad-mount and Magic Search shows what’s for sale across the web, with prices where sellers give them.
What the price doesn’t include
A listed price buys the transformer as it sits on the seller’s lot. Getting it energized on your pad adds:
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Testing | $1,500 to $4,000 | A field crew for the electrical tests, plus the oil lab; included in our delivered quotes |
| Rigging and loading | $500 to $3,000 at each end | A forklift for a small unit; a crane for anything over about 10,000 lb |
| Freight | $1,500 to $6,000 | A flatbed; more for an oversize unit or a long haul. A 1,000 kVA unit weighs about 10,000 lb; a 2,500 kVA unit about 18,000 lb |
| Concrete pad or vault | $2,000 to $8,000 | Sized to the unit’s footprint, with conduit stubs and a ground grid |
| Primary elbows and cable | $150 to $300 per 200 A elbow, plus cable | Six elbows on a loop-feed unit; 600 A T-bodies cost more |
| Secondary terminations | Varies | Bus duct or cable lugs for 1,200 to 3,000 A take planning |
| Utility fees | Varies | Connection, metering and inspection, and the utility’s own requirements for the unit |
| Oil containment | $0 to several thousand | Where required for mineral oil; often not for FR3 |
Order-of-magnitude figures for a 300 to 2,500 kVA unit in the continental U.S., to budget by, not to quote by.
Lead times: the other price
Since 2021 the cost that decides most purchases has been time. Contractors reserving manufacturer slots in 2026 report 40 to 65 weeks for three-phase pad-mount distribution transformers, and manufacturers quote 45 to 50 weeks for a custom unit; the average across every kind of distribution transformer, pulled down by the small single-phase units utilities buy in bulk, was about 30 weeks in Wood Mackenzie’s 2025 survey, down from over 100 at the 2023 peak but expected to tighten again for three-phase pad-mounts as data centers, manufacturing and EV charging compete for them. Large power transformers are a different market, at well over 100 weeks.
A used or new-surplus pad-mount is on a lot now. Testing takes a few days, the lab a week, and freight a week or two, so two to six weeks from order to the unit on your pad is normal. For a project whose schedule is set by the transformer, that gap is worth more than the price difference.
A delivered-cost example
A new-surplus 1,000 kVA, 12.47 kV to 480Y/277 V pad-mount, built in 2024 and listed by a dealer at $29,995, against a new one at the planning range above:
| New-surplus unit | New unit | |
|---|---|---|
| Transformer | $29,995 | $36,000 to $60,000 |
| Testing and report | $2,500 | Factory test report included |
| Rigging and freight, 800 miles | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| Delivered, before the pad and terminations | About $37,000 | $40,000 to $65,000 |
| Time to site | 3 to 5 weeks | 40 to 65 weeks |
The testing and freight lines are illustrative. The listing price is a real asking price read from the seller’s page in October 2026.
When a used transformer is worth it
Nearly always, if three things are true: the unit has passed a full set of tests you can read (turns ratio, insulation resistance, winding resistance, power factor and an oil analysis, in our testing guide), its nameplate fits your supply and your load (the voltages, the connection, the impedance if it parallels anything), and the price with testing and delivery comes in under new by enough to carry the risk of a shorter remaining life. A 2018 unit with clean tests has most of its thirty years ahead of it; a 1990 unit with a high moisture result has not, and should be priced as a stopgap.
Questions people ask
How much does a 75 kVA transformer cost?
It depends on which 75 kVA transformer. A three-phase pad-mount (12.47 kV to 480Y/277 V) runs about $9,000 to $16,000 new and $4,000 to $9,000 used or surplus. A single-phase 75 kVA pad-mount (7,200 V to 120/240 V) is about $4,500 to $8,000 new and $2,000 to $4,000 used. A 75 kVA dry-type (480 V to 208Y/120 V), the common building transformer, is about $3,000 to $6,000 new and $1,000 to $2,500 used. All are equipment-only planning figures for 2026.
How much does a 1,000 kVA pad-mount transformer cost?
New, roughly $36,000 to $60,000 in 2026 for a standard 15 kV-class unit with aluminum windings and mineral oil, more for 25 or 35 kV class, copper or FR3, and 40 to 65 weeks to deliver. Used and new-surplus 1,000 kVA pad-mounts listed on this site are asking about $30,000 to $45,000.
What does a transformer cost per kVA?
New three-phase pad-mounts run very roughly $40 to $70 per kVA above 500 kVA and $100 to $200 per kVA at 75 to 150 kVA, since the tank, bushings and compartments cost about the same whatever the rating. Used units listed here run about $23 to $50 per kVA. Per-kVA figures are only a check; the voltage class and options move them a lot.
Why are transformers so expensive right now?
Demand has outrun supply since 2021: data centers, electrification, renewables and utility replacement programs all need distribution transformers, while grain-oriented electrical steel, copper and skilled labor are short. Prices roughly doubled between 2020 and 2024, and lead times stretched from weeks to a year or more. The pressure on three-phase pad-mounts in particular is expected to continue.
Are used transformers worth buying?
A used transformer that has passed a full set of tests (turns ratio, insulation resistance, winding resistance, power factor and an oil analysis) is as serviceable as a new one of the same age class, at a third to two-thirds of the price, and available now. The risks are an untested unit, a unit with a bad oil result or PCBs, and a unit whose voltages or impedance don’t quite fit; the tests and the nameplate settle all three.
How long is the lead time for a new pad-mount transformer?
Contractors reserving manufacturer slots in 2026 report 40 to 65 weeks for three-phase pad-mount distribution transformers; manufacturers quote 45 to 50 weeks for custom units and longer for unusual voltages. The average across all distribution transformers, including small single-phase units, was about 30 weeks in Wood Mackenzie’s 2025 survey; large power transformers run well over 100 weeks.
Does the price include delivery and installation?
A listed price is almost always the unit alone, as it sits. Testing, rigging onto a truck, freight, a crane at the far end, the concrete pad, the primary elbows and secondary terminations, grounding and the utility’s connection fees are added, and together they can equal the price of a small unit. Our quotes are delivered prices: the unit, its tests and the freight and rigging to your site.
Sources: the listings on this site, read from sellers’ pages in October 2026; Wood Mackenzie’s 2025 distribution transformer lead-time survey, as reported by EE Power and Power Magazine; contractors’ and manufacturers’ 2026 lead-time reports (Terrapin Construction Group via Foley & Lardner; ELSCO Transformers).