HBA of Georgia Secures Emergency Relief from 2020 Electrical Code
The State Codes Advisory Committee (SCAC) of Georgia voted unanimously this week to amend the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) to address nuisance tripping and supply issues associated with the expanded GFCI requirements in the 2020 NEC.
The Home Builders Association of Georgia led the charge in getting the favorable amendment.
The 2020 NEC contained provisions in section 210.8(F) which require a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breaker to be installed on connections between a new home’s electrical system and the air conditioning condenser unit – the part of the HVAC system that resides outside. This requirement has caused nuisance trips on this equipment, compromising the air quality and comfort in new homes.
The Georgia SCAC voted this week to remove Section 210.8(F) from the 2020 NEC, subject to a public hearing and ratification by the Department of Community Affairs Board with an expected effective date of Sept. 1.
In the meantime, the department has issued a memo to all local building officials to reinforce their ability to revert to the relevant provisions from the 2017 NEC.
The HBA of Georgia worked hard to lobby the codes committee for the change. Using the suggested 2020 NEC amendments published by NAHB, the HBA had a reasonable request for the committee and supported their position in live testimony using resources provided by the NAHB codes staff.
Other states have taken similar emergency action to address the incompatibility issues between HVAC systems and the GFCI requirements in the 2020 code. And the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers last month released new recommendations for home builders and electrical contractors aimed at reducing nuisance tripping due to the use of GFCIs for electric ranges in new construction and remodeling projects.
For questions about the electrical code and state adoption efforts, please contact Dan Buuck.
Latest from NAHBNow
Material Costs
Jan 02, 2026
Trump Delays Higher Tariffs on Furniture, Kitchen Cabinets for One YearPresident Trump has announced he will be rolling back higher tariffs on furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities that were set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, until Jan. 1, 2027.
Housing Finance
Jan 02, 2026
FHA’s MMI Fund Capital Ratio Remained Solid in Fiscal Year 2025The capital reserve ratio for the Federal Housing Administration’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund ended the fiscal year at 11.47% — unchanged from the capital ratio for fiscal year 2024 and well above the congressionally mandated 2% capital ratio.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Dec 22, 2025
State-Level Employment Situation: September 2025In September 2025, nonfarm payroll employment was largely unchanged across states on a monthly basis, with a limited number of states seeing statistically significant increases or decreases. This reflects generally stable job counts across states despite broader labor market fluctuations. The data were impacted by collection delays due to the federal government shutdown.
Economics
Dec 19, 2025
Existing Home Sales Edge Higher in NovemberExisting home sales rose for the third consecutive month in November as lower mortgage rates continued to boost home sales, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). However, the increase remained modest as mortgage rates still stayed above 6% while down from recent highs. The weakening job market also weighed on buyer activity.
Economics
Dec 18, 2025
Lumber Capacity Lower Midway Through 2025Sawmill production has remained essentially flat over the past two years, according to the Federal Reserve G.17 Industrial Production report. This most recent data release contained an annual revision, which resulted in higher estimates for both production and capacity in U.S. sawmills.