Mike Holt code update support (review 2)

What Mike Holt actually offers for code updates

Mike Holt Enterprises has been in the NEC training game since 1974. When a new code cycle drops, they push out a stack of products: the Understanding the NEC Volume 1 and Volume 2 books, Changes to the NEC textbook, video libraries, online courses, and live seminars. The 2023 cycle had a full changes package. The 2026 cycle is rolling out the same way.

The Changes to the NEC product is the flagship for code updates. It walks through every revised article with side by side old and new language, illustrations, and Mike's commentary. You can buy it as a textbook, a video set, or a bundled exam prep package. Most state CEU providers accept the online version for renewal credits.

If you want a deep classroom style understanding of why an article changed, Holt does it better than almost anyone. The illustrations alone are worth the price for apprentices learning grounding and bonding under 250.

Where the Holt update model works

For continuing education, journeyman prep, and master exam prep, Holt is the standard. The video instruction is paced for someone sitting down with a notebook. The textbook chapters are organized by NEC article order, so if you want to see what changed in 210, 250, or 408, you flip to that chapter and read.

The 2023 to 2026 changes package covers the new requirements for GFCI on outdoor outlets, the expanded surge protection rules in 230.67, the emergency disconnect updates in 230.85, and the PV and ESS revisions in 690 and 706. Each change is explained with the reasoning the CMP gave during the ROP and ROC stages.

• Strong illustrations for grounding, bonding, and service entrance work
• State approved CEU credit in most jurisdictions
• Exam prep bundles with practice questions tied to the new code
• Spanish language editions for several products

Where it falls short on the job

Holt's code update material is built for the classroom, not the panel. When you are standing in an attic at 2pm trying to figure out if the new 210.8(F) outdoor GFCI rule applies to a heat pump disconnect you are replacing, opening a 400 page textbook or scrubbing a video timeline is not the workflow.

The Holt mobile experience is essentially a video player and a PDF reader. There is no article level search that returns the changed text with a one line summary. There is no way to ask, in plain English, "did 210.8 change for 2026" and get a direct answer with the citation. You either know which chapter to open, or you spend ten minutes hunting.

Field tip: if you are using Holt video courses for CEUs, watch them at home. Do not try to use them as a lookup tool on a service call. The two jobs need two different products.

How Ask BONBON handles code updates

BONBON is built for the second job: lookup on the truck, in the attic, or at the panel. Ask a question in plain language and get the article citation with the current code text. When a new cycle adopts in your state, the answer reflects the version your AHJ enforces, not whichever code the textbook on your shelf was printed against.

For the 2023 to 2026 transition, BONBON flags articles where the language changed. Ask about GFCI requirements for a dishwasher and you get 210.8(D) with a note that the rule was revised, plus a one paragraph summary of what is different. No video, no chapter hunt, no CEU pitch.

• Plain English questions, NEC citations in the answer
• State specific code cycle awareness so you get the version your AHJ uses
• Change flags on revised articles between cycles
• Works offline for jobs in basements and metal buildings

Honest comparison: which one do you need

You probably need both, and they do not compete. Holt is for the time you spend learning the code. BONBON is for the time you spend applying it. If you are studying for a master exam, prepping for a CEU deadline, or trying to actually understand why 250.122 changed, buy the Holt package. The instruction quality is real.

If you are a working electrician who needs to confirm a citation while a customer is watching, or check whether a 2026 rule applies before you run the wire, the textbook is the wrong tool. You need search that gets to the answer in under ten seconds.

1. Studying for journeyman or master exam: Holt
2. Earning state CEU credits: Holt or your state approved provider
3. Looking up a citation on a service call: BONBON
4. Verifying a 2026 change before pulling a permit: BONBON
5. Teaching an apprentice why bonding matters: Holt

What to watch for in the 2026 cycle

Whichever tool you use, the 2026 NEC has real changes that will hit residential and commercial work in the first six months of adoption. Surge protective devices in 230.67 expanded again. The emergency disconnect rule in 230.85 picked up clarification on marking and accessibility. GFCI coverage in 210.8 added more locations. Article 706 for energy storage systems got reorganized.

Your state may not adopt 2026 immediately. Many jurisdictions are still on 2020 or 2023. Whatever code your AHJ enforces is the one that matters for the inspection. Confirm the adopted cycle before you quote the article number to a customer.

Field tip: keep a Holt textbook in the truck for the cycle your state enforces, and use BONBON for the lookup. The textbook is the backup when the answer needs context. The app is the front line when the answer needs to be fast.