NEC 220.55 · 220.56 · 2023 NEC

How to use NEC Table 220.55 & 220.56 cooking appliance demand

Which column a range, cooktop, or oven falls into, how the notes adjust big ranges and combined circuits, and how commercial kitchen demand works — with worked examples and a free link to the official tables.

Need the actual tables? Look up Tables 220.55 and 220.56 in the free NFPA viewer →

How to read Table 220.55 (household cooking), step by step

Step	What you do	Watch out for
1	List each household cooking appliance rated over 1¾ kW with its nameplate kW	Ranges, cooktops, wall ovens — count each appliance, not each burner
2	Sort them by size: the smallest appliances fall under Column A, mid-size under Column B, and larger ones up to 12 kW under Column C	Columns A and B are percentages of nameplate; Column C is a fixed kW value
3	Find the row for the number of appliances in that group	The row is the count, not the kW
4	Ranges over 12 kW: raise the Column C value by the Note 1 percentage for every kW above 12	Only whole kW above 12 count; the rule stops at 27 kW
5	Unequal ranges over 8¾ kW: use Note 2 — average them, treating any under 12 kW as 12 kW	Then apply Note 1 to the average
6	Mixed groups: Note 3 lets you add the nameplates within Columns A and B and apply each column’s percentage separately	Add the results to the Column C demand for the larger appliances
7	Branch circuits: Note 4 lets one cooktop plus up to two wall ovens in the same room be treated as one range	Add the nameplates, then use the table as if it were a single range

Our own summary of the 2023 NEC, not the code text. Look up Tables 220.55 and 220.56 and their notes in the free NFPA viewer (nfpa.org/freeaccess) and verify against the NEC edition adopted by your AHJ. Not engineering advice.

Worked example 1 — single household ranges

Input / step	Value	Source
12 kW range, one appliance	8 kW demand	Table 220.55, Column C
14 kW range: kW above 12	2 kW	14 − 12
Note 1 increase	2 × 5% = 10%	Table 220.55, Note 1
14 kW range demand	8 × 1.10 = 8.8 kW	Column C, adjusted
At 240 V	8,800 ÷ 240 ≈ 36.7 A	Carry to the service calc

Worked example values only. Look up the other rows and columns in the free NFPA viewer.

Worked example 2 — cooktop + wall oven on one branch circuit

Input / step	Value	Source
Counter-mounted cooktop	6 kW nameplate	Submittal
Wall oven, same kitchen	4 kW nameplate	Submittal
Combined as one range	10 kW	Table 220.55, Note 4
Branch-circuit demand	8 kW (a 10 kW “range” falls under Column C)	Table 220.55, Column C
Result	8,000 ÷ 240 ≈ 33.3 A → a 40 A circuit	Check ampacity and terminal ratings

Worked example values only. Many designers simply run separate circuits at nameplate — both are acceptable.

Worked example 3 — restaurant kitchen, six pieces of thermostatic equipment

Input / step	Value	Source
Connected load (fryers, ovens, griddle, booster heater, etc.)	60 kW total, six units	Equipment schedule
Demand factor for six or more units	65%	Table 220.56
Demand load	60 × 0.65 = 39 kW	—
Floor check: two largest units	15 kW + 12 kW = 27 kW	220.56
Kitchen equipment load used	39 kW (greater of the two)	220.56

Worked example values only. Hood fans, HVAC, and space heating are excluded from Table 220.56 — calculate them separately.

Which cooking rule applies?

Situation	Rule	Notes
Ranges, cooktops, and ovens in dwelling units	220.55 / Table 220.55	Also used for household appliances in instructional programs
Commercial cooking, booster heaters, and other thermostatic or intermittent kitchen equipment	220.56 / Table 220.56	Never less than the two largest loads combined
Single-family dwelling using the optional method	220.82	Ranges go in at nameplate with the other loads; the optional method applies its own demand
Apartment buildings using the optional method	220.84	See the multifamily optional method guide
Small fastened-in-place appliances (disposals, dishwashers) in dwellings	220.53	Separate from the cooking calc

Common mistakes

Mistake	What to do instead
Running ranges over 12 kW straight from Column C	Apply Note 1 first
Applying Table 220.55 to a restaurant	Commercial kitchens use 220.56
Including the hood exhaust fan in the 220.56 count	HVAC and ventilation are excluded; add them separately
Stopping at the 220.56 percentage	Compare to the sum of the two largest pieces and use the larger
Putting a small wall oven through Column C by habit	Column A or B (a percentage of nameplate) usually gives a smaller, still-compliant number — see Note 3

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Ranges and kitchens without oversizing the service

Look up Tables 220.55 and 220.56 in the free NFPA viewer. NFPA offers read-only access to current NEC editions at no cost. This page explains how the tables and notes work; it does not reproduce them. Written to the 2023 NEC — verify against the edition your AHJ has adopted.

Household cooking — the columns. Table 220.55 is entered with the number of appliances. Smaller appliances use Column A or B, which are percentages of nameplate; ranges up to 12 kW use Column C, which is a flat kW demand. That is why a 12 kW range goes into the service calc at 8 kW, not 12.

The notes do the real work. Note 1 bumps Column C up by a fixed percentage for each kW a range exceeds 12 kW. Note 2 handles a group of unequal large ranges by averaging them. Note 3 lets you add nameplates within Columns A and B. Note 4 covers branch circuits, letting a cooktop and up to two wall ovens in the same room be treated as a single range. Note 5 carries the same method to household appliances in instructional programs.

Commercial kitchens use 220.56. Thermostatic and intermittent kitchen equipment — fryers, ovens, griddles, dishwasher booster heaters — is totaled and multiplied by a demand factor that shrinks as the number of units grows. The result has a floor: it can never be less than the two largest pieces of equipment added together. Ventilation, HVAC, and space heating stay out of this calc.

Cooking loads drop into the larger service calculation — start with the general lighting load, and for apartment buildings see the multifamily optional method. Size the range circuit with the NEC 310.16 ampacity chart and the standard breaker sizes guide, confirm the receptacle rating with the receptacle rating rules, and put it on the panel schedule.

FAQ

How do I calculate the demand load for an electric range?+

For one household range up to 12 kW, NEC Table 220.55 Column C gives 8 kW. For larger ranges, Note 1 raises that value 5% for each kW above 12. Other appliance counts and sizes are in the table — look it up in the free NFPA viewer at nfpa.org/freeaccess.

Can a cooktop and wall oven share one circuit?+

Yes. Note 4 to Table 220.55 allows a counter-mounted cooktop and up to two wall-mounted ovens in the same room, on one branch circuit, to be added together and treated as one range for the branch-circuit calculation.

When do I use Column A or B instead of Column C?+

Columns A and B cover smaller household cooking appliances and apply a percentage to the nameplate rating. Column C covers appliances up to 12 kW and gives a fixed kW demand. Note 3 explains how to combine them.

How does the commercial kitchen demand factor work?+

Under 220.56, the total connected load of thermostatically controlled or intermittent kitchen equipment is multiplied by a factor based on the number of units — six or more units are taken at 65%. The result can never be less than the two largest pieces added together. HVAC and ventilation are not included.

Did the 2023 NEC change the cooking tables?+

The section numbers 220.55 and 220.56 stayed the same through the 2023 reorganization of Article 220, and the column-and-note method is the same. Wording in the notes does get revised, so read the edition your AHJ enforces.

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