2020 National Electrical Code Adoption Kits Now Available

Codes and Standards
Published
Contact: Gary Ehrlich
[email protected]
Director, Construction Codes & Standards
(202) 266-8545

The National Fire Protection Association issued their most recent edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC) on Aug. 25, 2019, and states are now in the process of adopting this most recent set of electrical codes. NAHB staff has reviewed the code changes and has made available the 2020 National Electrical Code Adoption Kit that identifies the significant changes that would most impact the home building industry. Some of the more significant changes include:

  • Section 210.8(A) would require receptacles serving 250-volt appliances to have GFCI protection.
  • Section 230.67(A-D) would require all services supplying dwelling units to be provided with a surge-protective device.
  • Section 230.85 would require an emergency disconnect accessible in an outdoor location for one and two-family dwellings.

These significant changes, in addition to others, would impact the cost of construction for single-family and multifamily residential projects. Home Innovation Research Labs published an estimated cost analysis for NEC changes outlining the differences in costs between the 2014, 2017 and the 2020 NEC.

As a response to the increase in construction cost, NAHB has published the National Electrical Code Suggested Amendments for state and local HBAs as consideration to maintain cost-effective and affordable code provisions.

To find out if your state has adopted the 2020 NEC, or is in the process of adopting the latest edition of electrical codes, see the map published by the National Fire Protection Association.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics

Sep 24, 2025

New Home Sales Post Unexpected Large Gain in August

Sales of newly built single-family homes jumped 20.5% higher in August, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 800,000 from an upwardly revised reading in July, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales is up 15.4% from a year earlier. The three-month moving average of new home sales was 713,000, an increase from the 656,000 in July. New home sales remain down 1.4% on a year-to-date basis.

Membership | Legal

Sep 23, 2025

NAHB Members: Join the Housing Industry’s Attorney Network

Doing business with fellow members is a core value of the NAHB Federation. To strengthen that commitment, NAHB is building a network of attorney members to assist peers with legal issues.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Sep 24, 2025

Single-Family Construction Loan Volume Falls Back

The NAHB Land Acquisition, Development and Construction (AD&C) loan survey in the second quarter reported tightening credit conditions for builders. Consequently, FDIC data reporting the outstanding volume of 1-4 family construction loans fell in the second quarter.

Economics

Sep 23, 2025

Beyond the Official Unemployment Rate: A Deep Dive into U.S. Unemployment

In August, the official, or standardly referenced, unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.3%, up from 4.2% in July. This marks the highest level in nearly four years, though it remains historically low.

Economics

Sep 22, 2025

Single-Family Homes Are Built Faster in 2024

Building a new single-family home took less time in 2024 compared to the previous two years. On average, it now takes 9.1 months from start to finish.