2026 NEC changes that matter on the Texas exam
If you studied the 2023 NEC, change this: load calculations now live in Article 120 (was 220); the dwelling feeder and service general load drops from 3 to 2 VA per square foot; the optional method takes the first 8 kVA at 100% (was 10 kVA); and 3 to 5 dryers now take 80%.
Article 220 is now Article 120
Load calculations moved to Chapter 1. Most section numbers kept their ending, so 220.55 is now 120.55, but a few moved. Your tabs and highlights from a 2023 book will point to the wrong article.
| Topic | 2023 NEC | 2026 NEC |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling general lighting (feeders, services) | 220.41 | 120.41 |
| Number of dwelling general-purpose circuits | 220.41 / 210.11(A) | 120.13 |
| Lighting demand factors | Table 220.45 | Table 120.45 |
| Small-appliance and laundry circuits (1500 VA) | 220.52(A), (B) | 120.52(A), (B) |
| Fastened-in-place appliances (75% for 4 or more) | 220.53 | 120.53 |
| Dryers | Table 220.54 | Table 120.54 |
| Ranges and cooking appliances | Table 220.55 | Table 120.55 |
| EV charging equipment | 220.57 | 120.57 |
| Noncoincident loads (heat or AC) | 220.60 | 120.6 |
| Feeder and service neutral | 220.61 | 120.61 |
| Optional method, one-family dwelling | 220.82 | 120.82 |
| Optional method, existing dwelling | 220.83 | 120.83 |
| Energy management systems | Article 750 | Article 130 |
Article 310 table numbers (310.16, 310.15(B)(1)(1), 310.15(C)(1), 310.12) did not change.
Dwelling general load: 2 VA per square foot
For dwelling feeders and services, the general lighting and general-use receptacle load is now 2 VA per square foot (120.41) instead of 3. It applies in the standard method and the optional method (120.82(B)). Area is measured from the outside dimensions, leaving out open porches and unfinished spaces not adaptable for future use.
Watch out: to count how many general-purpose circuits the dwelling needs, it is still 3 VA per square foot (the new 120.13). A 2,400 ft² house carries 4,800 VA in the feeder calculation but 7,200 VA when counting circuits.
Optional method: the first 8 kVA at 100%
In the optional method for one dwelling (120.82), the general load is taken at 100% for the first 8 kVA and 40% for the rest. It used to be 10 kVA. EV charging equipment is now added separately at 100% of nameplate (120.82(D)), outside the 40% group. The heating and air-conditioning percentages did not change.
Dryers: 80% for 3 to 5
In Table 120.54, 1 or 2 dryers take 100% and 3 to 5 dryers take 80%. In the 2023 edition it was 100% up to 4 and 85% for 5. From 6 up nothing changed. Each dryer still counts as 5,000 W or its nameplate, whichever is larger. Source: NFPA's corrected Handbook page (March 2026), a single but official source.
EV chargers at nameplate
120.57 takes the EV charging equipment load at its nameplate rating. The 2023 edition used 7,200 W or the nameplate, whichever was larger. One 2026 source still repeats the old rule in one step, so for small chargers check the wording in your own book.
Other changes worth a tab
- Minimum conductor size: 16 AWG copper (310.5(A)).
- Outdoor GFCI in 210.8(F) extends to circuits of 60 A or less. Texas keeps Exception No. 2 for listed HVAC equipment with no end date.
- The service disconnect for one- and two-family dwellings must be outdoors, or within sight and no more than 50 feet away (230.70(A)).
- Load calculations no longer apply the 125% continuous-load factor (new 120.5(E)), and Table 120.42(A) no longer says it includes it. The 125% still applies when you size conductors and overcurrent devices (210.19, 210.20, 215.2, 215.3).
- Multifamily optional method: the lighting and receptacle load in 120.84(C) drops from 3 to 2 VA per square foot.
- Transformer protection tables moved from 450.3 to 450.5: Table 450.5(B) covers 1000 V or less.
- Non-dwelling receptacle loads (10 kVA at 100%, the rest at 50%) are in 120.47.
- Energy management systems moved from Article 750 to Article 130.
Not confirmed yet
The 2026 change guides list 240.6(A) (standard ampere ratings), Table 250.122 and 314.16 (box fill) as changed, but we could not find in public sources what changed. Until that is confirmed, check those sections in your own book.
Practice with the new numbers in the calculations.
Questions people ask
Since when does the Texas exam use the 2026 NEC?
Since Sep 1, 2026. TDLR adopted it in 16 TAC §73.100, and the PSI bulletin updated 9/15/2026 lists it as the reference.
Is it still 3 VA per square foot?
For counting a dwelling's general-purpose circuits, yes (120.13). For dwelling feeder and service load calculations it is now 2 VA per square foot (120.41), in both the standard and optional methods.
Where did Article 220 go?
It moved to Chapter 1 as Article 120. Most sections kept their ending (220.55 became 120.55), but not all: noncoincident loads went from 220.60 to 120.6.
Sources
- EC&M: Changes to dwelling unit calculations in the 2026 NEC (May 2026)
- EC&M: Top 25 changes to the 2026 NEC (Nov 2025)
- EC&M: Global code-wide changes and overview (Jul 2026)
- NAHB: 2026 National Electrical Code adoption kit
- NFPA: NEC Handbook 2026 errata, Table 120.54 (Mar 2026)
- NFPA: NEC 2026 second draft report, Panel 2 (Article 120)
- EC&M: Applying NEC Art. 450 requirements for distribution transformers
- TDLR newsletter, November 2026 (load calculations in Article 120)
- TDLR: Commission adopts the 2026 NEC (16 TAC §73.100)
We never reproduce NEC text. Section numbers and values are stated so you can find them in your own 2026 NEC.