Warren - I want to thank you for a terrific job in passing along so much valuable information - far beyond the requirements for the Exam.

I am in awe of your stamina. I never conducted a class that lasted more than 4 hours. And even though many of us grumbled at sitting for such long periods of time, (I guess we could have chosen to stand a while or move around and stretch) the pace was good and often lively when stories and experiences were shared.

I have many decisions and choices to make, and this budget worksheet is a major factor.

Best to you,
Liz M.

Hello Warren,

Thank you again for the course which was extremely interesting and well constructed : I will definitely recommend it to the people who want to get into this adventure.
I also have to compliment your book and all the authors who contributed, now that I had the chance to read it and study it a little deeper : it’s a concentration of “matters that matter” which requires a lot of experience and passion to be put together.

Luca L

Hi Warren,

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and depth of experience in your inspiring course. Rob and I came in feeling imposed on by these BC requirements but what you offered in these two days was worth every penny! Knowing what I know now I’d do a course like what you offered even if it wasn’t required. Rob’s going to get signed up for the exam; we’ll let you know how it goes.

Take care,

Rob and Holly

Warren,

Thank you for being such a great teacher and for giving us so much information.

All the best for the future.

Rick and Annemarie

Hi Warren,

thanks again for a great and fascinating course!

Bjorn

Hi Warren,

I hope you are staying healthy with all that is going on out there.

I just wanted to get you some feedback as you said you hadn't heard much with regards to the online course.

I ordered the course on Feb 17 and got it around the 21st or so. got into it over the weekends and found the video and Q&A very helpful.

Booked the exam for March 4, 2020, and completed that in 38 mins and a week later finally found out I got 90%. We are approved with BC housing. Wahoo!

Thanks again for the great course. I did find on the exam that both imperial and metric were represented together. Wish Canada could get it together on which measurement to use. Just pick one…! ha!

Thanks again and stay healthy!

Cheers,

Shawn O

Hi Warren,

I would like extend a heartfelt thank you to you and Les for putting together such a helpful and informative course.  I wrote my exam here in Ottawa this Monday and heard today (2 day turnaround!) that I've been authorized as an Owner/Builder.

I found your instructional videos and course book very useful and also a great starting point for investigating each of the course components in much more detail.  So, the course not only helped me pass the exam, but also gave sound advice on various aspects of our build ( i.e. I'm now sold on Roxul over 2 lb foam!).

Once again, thank you and kind regards,

Steve O

Hi Les,

Thanks very much for the info that you sent. Most of the course has invaluable information for anyone wanting to attempt to build their and the workbook is a great resource. I have my test scheduled for September 3rd in Kelowna, so I'm studying daily.
I'm not sure if you keep score or not, but I passed my Owner /Builder exam in Kelowna.
I know that I couldn't have done it without that course, so thank you!

Rick B

Thank you Warren.

I am glad I took your training, got to meet you, got to learn from you........your training exceeded my expectations!!!!

The industry is lucky to have you, and you are truly an expert!!!!

I hope to cross paths with you again 🙂

Cheers,
Jason F.

Warren,

Thank-you for a wonderful few days. Your course content was excellent, vast and went into an amazing amount of detail in such a short period of time.
Your passion for the industry shines, and I am so glad to see our field has experts like yourself. Your “in the trench” knowledge that you bring is a wonderful asset and I am so thankful I took your course. I will highly recommend it to my colleagues.

Again, Thank-you

Respectfully,
John M.

Hi Warren,

Just sending you an email to say I am very thankful I did the owner builders course.
Passed the exam en few moths ago and got my license. During the design, engineering process, permitting etc. I use the manual and all the notes I mad frequently!
Its so worth the time and money and therefor this short email to thank you!

All the best!

Andrew Van E.

Warren.

I took your course a couple of weeks ago in Cobble Hill. On August 22 I wrote the exam in Nanaimo because my wife and I are trying to get our foundation in this fall with a build out next spring. I wanted to say thank you for your instruction. It was very informational both for the exam and as a refresher for myself. I did study for about 3 to 4 hours a day for about 10.

I just got an email from Derick at BC Housing to say that I have successfully become a certified Owner Builder. I am thrilled.

Thanks again for the help and I hope everyone else in the class is successful in their quest for certification,

Tim O.

Hi Warren.

Just thought I would let you know I passed the Owner/builder Authorization Exam with a score of 84/100. Thanks for your helpful course. I really enjoyed it and it truly helped me understand the building process better.

Cheers,
Don K.

Dear Mr. Warren,

Thank you for your outstanding course.  Although passing the exam  was my focus for coming to the course, I walked away with a treasure trove of information that I could use for my build.  This will most likely be my last  place that I will build for myself, and I don't want to have regrets.

Net  zero is the way to go, and I thank you for your inspiration in that direction.

I wish you all the best that  life can offer!

Sincerely,

Joe S.

Thanks Warren…

And once again, I have to tell you I received far more than I bargained for in the class!  You did a great (GREAT!!!)  job and I truly appreciate the effort you made to quell my fears of building a new house from scratch!

Take care man…

Wayne S.

Warren,

It was a pleasure to have you conduct the class and learn from a very knowledgeable professional. Even guys like me that have been in construction for 38 years can pick up new knowledge.

Given training myself on pumps and controls, your presentation was well received by all, considering various level of skills in the room.

Again you and Ken did a great job!

J.S.(Jack)

Dear Warren,

Thanks so much for this invaluable course! It was well worth my time coming over from Edmonton to talk to 2 such experts in their fields. Aside from the cottage we are at the empty nesters stage i.e., what are my wife and I going to do with 6 bedrooms ?? At some point in the near future we will build a smaller place for us and your ideas and explanation of r2000 and beyond have given us great incentive to do a very energy efficient home.

That budget sheet WOW ! Well done !

All the Best
John

Hi Warren,

Just wanted to send you a quick note. I took the course in Surrey after the one in Vernon was cancelled.

Thanks for an excellent course. The price was worth it, before the first coffee break.

I took the test last Tuesday and passed and got my authorization.

(Update from JW - Hi Warren, I just got my test mark back from them. 95/100)

Thanks again,

JW

Hi Warren,

Thank you very much for this. I would also like to thank you for such a great course; I really appreciated the great detail you offered as well as your progressive approach to building science. Your manual is also well crafted, and will be a go-to resource for me as I progress in my new career as a home builder.

Take care and Merry Christmas!

Cory

Hi Warren,

I just wanted to thank you for the information on the stain and the spreadsheet on the building costs. The course that you taught was extremely well done and very informative. I have been in construction for a very long time and have taken several courses. The training manual that you put together is one of the best manuals that I have seen. It was well organized full of information and easy to read.

Regards

John

Hi Warren,

I thoroughly enjoyed the two day course a lot.  I only wish I could have taken the course sooner.  It's such a pleasure to learn from someone who is deeply passionate about their profession and can "own a room" when speaking.

Thank you and all the best!

Jason

Hi Warren,

Just thought I would let you know that I took the exam and passed. 87%.

Thank you so much. There was a lot of material  to cover and I felt my knowledge base was well rounded to complete the rest. I was a little worried as I finished it in 30 minutes. But I did not go back and change my answers.

Thanks again,

Andrea

Hi OB colleagues, 

I just received an email telling me that my "Owner Builder Authorization has been approved" which is government-speak for "Congratulations you passed your OB exam!".

Thanks Warren for a great class and terrific workbook which will become my go-to building-manual going forward.

Best of luck to everyone else in the class with exam and projects.

Colin

Warren: Thought you’d like to know that I took the test last Tuesday and got my approval from BC Housing.

Was really nervous going into the test but finished in 50 minutes and took your advise and didn’t go back to review or change anything. I was a little concerned as I was the first to walk out the door and I wasn’t expecting that. Got 85%

Anyway, thank you very much for the course. It was great and the book is extremely helpful and will be my guide during construction.

Regards,

Keith

Hi Warren,

Just wanted to thank you again for a very informative course for building your own home.

Your teaching style, course material and building tips were very helpful for preparing for the exam.

I would highly recommend this course for anyone wishing to gain or enhance

their building/construction knowledge.

Roeland

P.S. The tips alone were worth the course fee!

Hi Warren:

Just wanted to extend a quick thank you for the very helpful Owner Builder Authorization Exam Preparation course material you had mailed me a month ago.  It was instrumental in helping me pass the exam (which I took here in Ontario in a proctored environment).  Just as importantly, it provided me invaluable insights into the latest building and prudent contracting practices as well some very helpful resources such as sample contracts and project plan.  This book is an extraordinarily useful guide, especially for someone (like me) who has been out of this field for an extended period of time.

We are hoping to break ground on our new home in Vancouver this summer.  We have most of our trades lined up.

Cheers,

Ronald Schmalz

I just wanted to THANK YOU for an exceptionally well-constructed and insightful presented course. I thought I had a good handle on building a house, (because I have done so many house renovations). How wrong I was. Like in most things in life the more you know about a subject the more you realize how much you don't know.

Again, great course, I would never of passed it without your imparted wisdom.

A side note: Another big thanks for letting Mariya sit-in on the refresher course, she now understands that building a house is not just banging in a few nails.

David Spinks

Many thanks to Warren for the superb course that made the exam a breeze! Now, all we have to do is build the house.

David and Mariya

Hi Warren,

Jan and I also wanted to say how much we enjoyed the course and appreciated the material you covered.  We both feel it will help immensely with our build.  Great “real world” advice!

Regards,

Stephanie and Jan Lambeck

I took your course in June and finally got around to writing the exam last week.  Just received notice today that I passed.  Your course was very helpful and key to passing.

Regards,

Roger Kufske

I want to say again big THANK YOU,  for your professional, diligent and inspiring approach to teaching the course.

I will give my best references to anybody who would be thinking of applying for owner builder authorization.

This was money well spent!

Lee

I found the course very informative and would highly recommend it to anyone building a new home, even with a general contractor.

Rob

I passed. Thank you for a great course. It was not an easy test and your manual and two days of information were the reason I passed. After the exam I was able to stump a red seal carpenter a city planner and an architect with questions. 

Cheers

Gary Jolivet

Hi Warren,

I just wanted to say the Owner Builder Project Manager Course, was excellent I found it a great addition and compliment to the Owner builder Authorization exam prep course.

I found that it dealt with  the other side of building a house such as more of the psychology of the people and situation training, dealing with the different personalities and problems that are involved or could arise within the process of the construction.

That is where I found the Project Manager Course shined a light on this topic of people and trades management.

I would recommend the course to everyone who is considering being an owner builder, I found Warren Jones and Les Shuert are highly  knowledgeable and thorough in there instruction and teachings of construction and the  management of the building process.

Sincerely

Cary Granley

Hi Warren:

Glad to report that I made it and all thanks to you.  So....your track record of all your trainees passing, remains intact.  Your help, the course and the book were most helpful. THANK YOU !! 

Although LCS only mentions "your application for an Owner Builder Authorization has been approved" implying success, but they did reveal the marks when I requested (see below). They were pretty quick as well - report came out on third day after exam.

I had not realized that they wanted us to have quite detailed knowledge. You had indicated to "read the book" but I was not sure how detailed or just skimming the headlines was enough.  However, I first read in detail before your 2 day course, which made the course easy to follow and you went at a good pace. I read the whole book one more time, except Module 2 (Homeowner Protection), which I read 3-4 times.  I believe I got most of the 30 questions here correct. 

Thanks again.

With regards

Anil

Hey Warren just wanted to let you know I took the exam the very next day in Kamloops (Aug 12) the folks there were awesome getting me in at the last minute and I just got notice today that my authorization has been approved! Thanks so much I couldn't have done it without your course.

Colin Curwen

I am sure Les let you know you have one more successful student who passed the exam. I am so happy I invested in your course. Have a great day!! Thanks again.

Lorraine

Hi! I took the Owner-Builder Training course in Vernon in April. I took my exam on Tuesday and I am thrilled to say that I received my authorization yesterday. I cannot thank you enough!!! This course was absolutely vital to my passing. The course and guide book are invaluable tools for anyone wanting to build their own home. We are so excited to be moving on to building our dream house. Thank you so much, Warren for talking me out of waiting another month to take the course and psyching myself out in the process, and to Les for two amazing days in class! I couldn't have done it without your help.

Crystal Ramsden Wright

Thank you for an enlightening two days of training last month. I thoroughly enjoyed the training session and will definitely recommend it. I have written and passed the exam. Will soon submit my building permit application for my new home build on Mayne Island. Hope to start this fall!

Rick

Than you so much Warren for sharing that sheet with us, it will be very helpful. I’m sure you spend many, many hours creating it.  

Drew and I really enjoyed the course and learned a great deal. It was a lot of information in 2 days but you kept it fun and engaging. We are still waiting for our application to be approved (Drew is) so hope to write the exam on July 29. We will keep you posted!

In appreciation,

Janice

Hi Warren!

I wrote my exam last Wednesday at North Island College and I PASSED!! Thank you for all your wonderful teaching! (And believing I could pass!) The course is very informative I must say! I memorized the book night and day for a month! Thank you again!

Andrea

Hi Mr Jones!

Just wanted to let u know I passed my exam!! Thanks a lot for doing the informative course...I definitely would not have passed if I didn't do the course! Thanks again!

Take care

Maria Neels

Hi Warren

I just wanted to tell you that I passed my exam!   There is no way that I would have been able to pass without having taken the course with you two.  I appreciate the time and the expertise you both provided during the course.  I must say that the manual you have put together is super beneficial and was a great study tool. 

Thank you so much!

Jan Musselman

Hi everyone! Darren wrote the test on Wednesday and got word today that he passed. Good luck to everyone who has yet to write. Thanks to Warren Jones for a great course and wonderful customer service. We're still looking for a great bar chart timeline if someone has one!

Mary Lestage

Hello Warren,

Just writing to thank you for creating and teaching such a great course.  I have received confirmation that I passed the test.  That was a relief but just taking your course took a lot of the worry out of it. 
Now the adventure begins!

Thank you.

Eric Salsman

Warren

Just wanted to let you know that I managed to pass the exam. I wrote in Nanaimo at the local college there. It was a good venue - well organized and quiet. I enjoyed the course and it was certainly instrumental in me passing the exam.

Roger Leeman

If you want to pass the owner/builder exam, take the Owner/builder Training course. More importantly, if you want to learn about the process of building your own home from planning to occupancy, then definitely take this course. Both Warren and Les are great instructors and bring a wealth of knowledge. Rather than the exam being mandatory, I think they should make this course mandatory. It really is that good!

Jeremy Leete

Hi Warren

Received confirmation that I passed the Owner Builder exam. Les’ and your knowledge of building systems, design and regulations was beneficial, showing useful information that I wouldn't have know, which is required to pass the exam.

Regards,

Bill Varner

Warren Jones is a brilliant instructor! He has passion for the industry and went beyond just 'helping to pass the course', sharing tips and tricks to help us all build healthier, more comfortable, longer lasting homes. I highly recommend this course for anyone interested in building a home, or even those embarking on a major renovation.

Nicole Hayes

Hi Warren,

I would like to let you know that I passed the owner builder exam on the first attempt. Thank you for sharing your deep knowledge about building homes and for creating a course with the study guide book for the owner builders. I found your book very useful that not only helped me to pass the owner exam but also deepened my knowledge about building my home. Again, thank you very much for all your support and training!!!!

Regards

Laeli

Hi Warren,

Just to let you know that I have successfully passed the owner build authorization exam and it was challenging, especially time wise.

But thanks to you and the prep course it certainly steered me in the right direction of what material I needed to focus on.

Your text book was a good guide to a lot of topics that the exam touched on and indeed a good source of knowledge that I will need to pull from as my own build progresses!

Thanks again

Steve Footman

Hi Warren,

Thank you for the excel budgeting and estimating document. It will be very useful for me to use it during building my home. In regard to your course, it was very detailed and I really like the step by step of the building process. I enjoy reading your book. I have test next Wednesday and will inform you of the test result. Thanks again for providing this course for new homeowner builders.

Regards,

Laeli

I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful training and helpful manual you provided. I learned a lot in a short time and now have an excellent reference guide for when I commence building our home in Deroche. I thank you for all your positive uplifting advice and the quality teaching I received. I have passed the BC Housing Authorization Exam with excellent confidence, that without you I would not have achieved.

Kathryn Smith

Please to share that I passed the Owner Builder exam on my first try. I feel that this course was very valuable to assist me with the successful outcome of my passing. I did have a fair bit of construction knowledge before starting this endeavor but I don't believe that I would have been as successful if I didn't take this course. An added bonus is the manual sent out to us for this course which will be also handy during the building process. Along with the Excel spreadsheets to track costs & another to follow the checklist of the flow of construction. Definitely a valuable course with very knowledgeable instructors who do really care. I highly recommend this course.

Elayna Young

I wrote the exam on last Sun, and just received the Approval this morning.

Thank you for providing such thorough review and training of Homeowner Protection Act and building construction process.

Note: I especially like module 1 of the workbook about importance of time, patience, budge, stress, and marriage during construction of your own house.

Angus Fu

Happy to say I have passed the Owner Builder certification exam.   Your seminar helped define the knowledge level and scope the Province is requiring of prospective home builders.  The study manual you provide is focused and on scope. I also appreciated the building science pointers and, will be stepping up my build in the name of comfort and efficiency.

Best regards,

Rik Goebel
Qualicum Beach

Hi Warren,

Wrote my OB exam in Kelowna Tuesday and just got my approval this morning!

Nothing I can recall really jumps to mind as far as not being covered in the course, I was just happy to make the 90 minute time limit.

The time goes by pretty fast and I did have the system sort of lock up once for about 30 – 45 secs before a browser refresh brought it back to life. There was a monitor in the room to help you get started or for any issues like that.

I found most of the questions were pretty straight-forward, but you do need to take the time reading and comprehending the point of the question. The multiple choice answers were not that bad in that if you knew the answer it was pretty evident which was right, at least for the questions I got on my exam. Would be nice to know what the actual mark was on the exam, but really just happy to have gotten the authorization.

I am glad I took your course as I don’t believe I would have passed without all the background provided, both in the regulation and construction
techniques.

Thanks again,

Mike

Very informative course. Hope I can remember everything we reviewed when the time comes to write the exam.

Bill

Hi Warren,

Just thought I would let you know that I took the exam and passed. 87%.

Thank you so much. There was a lot of material  to cover and I felt my knowledge base was well rounded to complete the rest. I was a little worried as I finished it in 30 minutes. But I did not go back and change my answers.

Thanks again,

Andrea