HBA of Georgia Secures Emergency Relief from 2020 Electrical Code

Codes and Standards
Published

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.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

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

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Oct 09, 2025

3 Ways to Utilize Construction Site Surroundings to Optimize Design

Home design isn’t just about color swatches and backsplashes. Architecturally, building professionals can look toward climate responsive design and ambient design, which both involve using the elements around a home to the client’s advantage.

Economics

Oct 09, 2025

Remodeling Market Sentiment Improves in Third Quarter

NAHB released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the third quarter, posting a reading of 60, up one point compared to the previous quarter. With the reading of 60, the RMI remains solidly in positive territory above 50, but lower than it had been at any time from 2021 through 2024.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Oct 07, 2025

Minority-Owned Residential Building Firms Continue to Rise

The share of minority-owned new residential builders and remodelers has more than doubled since the Great Recession, with noticeable gains from 2017 to 2022. Nevertheless, when compared to the overall U.S. population, minority-owned firms continue to be underrepresented within both housing sectors.

Economics

Oct 06, 2025

Shorter Apartment Construction Time in 2024

The average time needed to complete construction of a multifamily building after obtaining authorization edged down in 2024, according to the 2024 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau. On average, it took 19.6 months from permit to completion, about 0.3 months shorter than in 2023.

Economics

Oct 03, 2025

Supply-Side Cost Pressures Drove Housing as Inflation Leader in 2024

Though the rate of inflation peaked in June 2022, consumer prices continued to increase throughout 2023 and 2024 as inflation drove further price growth, according to 2024 CPI review from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.