2023 Eligibility Requirements

1. Membership: Only home builders, renovators and developers who are members of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association as of October 17, 2022 are eligible to enter the 2023 CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence. Companies must continue to be members in good standing in the local association where their project is located to be named finalists and winners, and to be promoted as such.

Please note: entries are attributed to the builder, developer or renovator, and they must grant permission to any other party entering on their behalf. Marketing companies may enter Marketing Awards as “partners” provided the home builder/developer/renovator member has given permission. Designers, architects, and other companies may enter on behalf of the builder/developer/renovator provided they have permission, and may credit themselves as a contributor provided they are CHBA members. Other contributors (e.g. energy advisors, cabinetry companies, etc.) may also be listed if they are CHBA members.

2. Eligibility Period:

New Home Awards*, New Home Spaces Awards, Renovation Awards, and Community Development Awards categories: eligible units (new or renovated) must be completed (built and ready for sale, rent, or occupancy) between April 1, 2021 and October 17, 2022.

*Mid- to High-Rise Condominium or Apartment Project (Planned): eligible projects must have had units available for rent or sale between April 1, 2021 and October 17, 2022. These projects are not yet completed. Note: this category does not count towards the Design Excellence Award.

Marketing Award Categories: marketing activities must have occurred between April 1, 2021 and October 17, 2022.

Net Zero Home Awards Categories: the home must have been labelled by the CHBA Net Zero Home Labelling Program between April 1, 2021 and October 17, 2022.


3. Original Entries: Any entry made to the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence that was entered previously in the competition is not eligible. However, an entry using the same floor plan for a production home or multi-family dwelling unit may be submitted again for a home in a different location than the previous entry. In the case of a community development, an entry may be made for a new phase of the community in the Best Growing Community Award category providing that the entrant can demonstrate substantial differences in the new phase from phases entered previously. Mid- to high-rise buildings may be entered before completion (in the "planned" category) and then again after completion (in the "complete" category).

4. Entering Online: Each entry must be made by creating an individual online entry, with the exception of the Design Excellence Award, the Renovation Excellence Award, and the Marketing Excellence Award which do not require an entry to be made, as they are awarded based on composite scores. Deadline for online submissions is October 17, 2022 at 6:00PM EST.

5. Location: Projects entered in the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence competition must be located 1) in the market area covered by the local HBA where the entrant is a member OR 2) in market areas in Canada not served by a local HBA.

6. Number of Entries: A MAXIMUM OF THREE (3) ENTRIES PER CATEGORY ARE ALLOWED PER MEMBER for each local HBA membership. Members belonging to more than one local HBA may submit up to three entries for each category for each membership, provided that the entries are for projects in the corresponding local HBA market area, or in areas in Canada not served by a local HBA. For example, if you are a member in Ottawa, your project(s) must be located within the area covered by the Greater Ottawa HBA. The judges reserve the right to make a final determination of the eligibility of multiple entries.

7. Authorization: Entries must be authorized by the home builder, renovator or developer member, including any entry submitted on their behalf by an authorized third party.

8. Partnerships: When projects are a partnership of two (or more) home building, renovation or development companies, both (all) must be members of the Local Home Builders' Association in which the project was built/renovated. The exception is for the Modular Innovation Award – only the installer must be a member of the local HBA. With the builder/developer/renovator member's permission, marketing companies may be credited as partners for marketing awards.
Note: builder/developer/renovator partnerships are not eligible for the Design Excellence Award, the Renovation Excellence Award, or the Marketing Excellence Award which are for Individual Member Companies.

9. Contributors: architects, designers, interior decorators, energy advisors, etc. can be recognized for their contributions to the projects by listing them as a contributors, as long as they are CHBA members.

Entry Fees

1. The fee for each entry is $185 (plus applicable GST/HST in the entrant’s province). Entries are not complete until payment is received.
2. If an entry is deemed ineligible by CHBA prior to judging, the fee will be returned to the entrant, minus a $50 administration fee per entry.
3. Payment is by credit card. Visa, MasterCard, and AMEX are accepted. You may add multiple submissions to your cart and checkout with one transaction.
4. All payments must be received no later than October 17, 2022 to qualify for judging.

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Competition Conditions

1. Entrants agree that that the project name, written description about the project, and photographs/video that are submitted as part of the entry may be used by the Canadian Home Builders' Association for marketing, promotional purposes, or in any manner the Association chooses, including but not limited to use on CHBA’s website, social/digital media platforms and/or published or broadcast by CHBA, including supplying to media outlets that wish to report on the entry becoming a finalist or winner.
2. The entrant confirms that photography and video are either the product of the entrant’s employee(s), or in the case of independent photographers and/or videographers, that their written consent has been obtained.
3. The entrant confirms that architecture and design are either the product of the entrant’s employee(s), or in the case of independent architects and/or designers, that their written consent has been obtained.
4. A signed Homeowner Permission Form is required for the Home Renovation Awards as well as for any custom home (either in the Custom Home categories, New Home Spaces, Attached Home categories, Modular Innovation Award or Net Zero Home Awards). The project name on the Homeowner Permission Form must match the project name on the online submission. If there is a discrepancy, the project name on the Homeowner Permission Form will be used. This form should be submitted with your entry as an uploaded PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS

When is the deadline?
Entries will be accepted until Monday, October 17, 2022 at 6:00PM EST.

Can I enter my project if I am not a member of the local Home Builders' Association (HBA) in the area in which the project is located?
No. Being able to enter a project in the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence is a benefit of membership in that particular local HBA. Therefore, you should contact the local HBA in the area in which your project is located and consider joining the association.

Can I enter my project if it is located in an area not served by any local HBA?
Yes. If the project is located in an area served by a local home builders' association (HBA), CHBA requires that you are a member of that local HBA. However, if there is no local HBA where the project is located in Canada, you may still enter it if you are a CHBA member.

Are projects located outside Canada eligible for the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence?
No.

If my project was a partnership with another home builder or renovator, can it be entered?
Yes, so long as the co-applicants are both members of the local HBA in which the project is located. If only one company is a member, only that company can receive recognition. Please note, however, that partnership projects are not eligible towards either the Design Excellence Award, the Renovation Excellence Award, or Marketing Excellence Award as those three awards are intended for single home builder / renovator / developer members. The exception to these rules is the Modular Innovation Award. Please see that category for specific details.

Do I need consent from the architect and/or designer?
The competition requirements state that you confirm that architecture and design are either the product of the entrant’s employee(s), or in the case of independent architects and/or designers, that their written consent has been obtained (in which case you must also provide their name).

Do I need consent from the photographer/videographer?
The competition requirements state that you confirm that the photography and video are either the product of the entrant’s employee(s), or in the case of independent photographers and/or videographers, that their written consent has been obtained. (in which case you must also provide their name).

Are renderings acceptable as image uploads?
Renderings are not acceptable in most categories. The only exceptions are: Best Renderings, and Mid- to High-Rise Project (Planned). Renderings may also be found in the content of some marketing categories, but the images supplied may not be renderings (for example, there may be renderings within a company's brochure, but the images submitted to the Best Brochure/Kit category must be real pictures of the brochure, not renderings).

Do entries need to be anonymous (i.e. all logos and identifying marks removed from images, floor plans, etc.)
Product (new homes and renovations) images need to be unmarked (no logo, borders, etc). We encourage floor plans to be free of identifying marks, but it is not a requirement for this competition. By nature, images submitted to marketing categories can have logos on them.

I’ve got two great projects in the same category. Can I enter both of them?
Yes. You are able to enter up to 3 projects per category for each local HBA membership. Projects are to correspond to the market area served by the local HBA. If you were to have 2 local HBA membership, you could enter 3 projects (x2) in each category for the market areas covered by your 2 local HBA memberships.

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ABOUT NEW HOME AWARDS

What does square footage include?
For New Home categories, square footage refers to any finished living area that is above grade. If you have a finished basement but it is below-grade, you do not count the square footage, but you are allowed to discuss and submit images of the finished below-grade space(s).

My home has a finished walk-out basement. Does it need to be included in the square footage?
If residents are able to walk out of the basement into a yard (allowing for full-height windows, etc.), the basement is not all below-grade and therefore you must count its square footage. If residents have an egress in the basement, but it leads to exterior stairs to get to ground level, this does not count as above-grade, and the basement square footage does not need to be included. Please see example images below of both scenarios.

How do I know if my home is considered production or custom?
Production Homes have floor plans that are meant to be used for more than one customer. Many production home builders give customers the option to customize aspects of the home to a certain extent. However, it is still a production home. A custom home is truly a one-of-a-kind home with a plan that was designed and built for one specific customer and is not to be repeated.

What qualifies as a Low-Rise Attached Home for the CHBA National competition?
Attached homes share a common wall or walls with another unit. The CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence separates attached homes into two types: 1) ground-oriented low-rise, and 2) mid- to high-rise condominium or apartment units. Low-Rise is defined as three storeys or lower, aligning with Part 9 of the building code. This may include Part 9 homes with Part 3 garages below, or 4-storey homes with Part 9 variances. Depending on where in Canada you are and the style of the home, ground-oriented low-rise attached homes can also be known as townhomes, row houses, duplexes, semi-detached, and condos. Ground-oriented low-rise attached homes each have their own entrance that is accessible from the outside.

What do you consider a Mid- to High-Rise Building?
Mid- to high-rise building (condominiums or apartments) are defined as four storeys or higher, and share one or more common entrances (residents cannot access their home units from the outside, and have to enter the building into a common space/foyer to access their front doors). An entry in the mid- to high-rise project focuses on one residential structure/building, as well as the common areas and amenities surrounding it (which may include landscaping, pathways, commercial/mixed-use spaces, etc.). The interior of the structure/building, including any common spaces as well as individual units, should also be referenced.

Can a Low-Rise Attached Home be a custom build?
Yes. Attached Home categories do not differentiate between production and custom.

For Low-Rise Attached Homes, should the images show the entire building, or just one unit?
Your entry must focus on one unit, and the interior images and the floor plan must correspond to that one unit. You should have one exterior image that shows the entire building, and a second exterior image that focuses on your chosen unit. You may choose to enter more than one unit/floor plan into the competition as separate entries.

For Mid- to High-Rise Projects, should the images show the entire building, or just one unit?
These two categories require you to submit images of the exterior of the building, common spaces (interior and exterior) which all residents share, as well as a sampling of what units look like. Please see specific category requirements in the awards platform for more information.

Can I enter a Net Zero Ready home into a Net Zero Home Award category?
Yes, as long as it has been Qualified in the CHBA Net Zero Home Labelling Program.

Can I enter an infill home?
Yes. Infill homes can be entered into the appropriate Custom or Production category.

If the custom home is still in the builder's possession do I need to submit a homeowner permission form?
Yes, you do. Please write "in builder's possession" on the form for clarity.

Can I give public credit to my architect, design professional, cabinet maker, energy advisor, interior decorator, etc. involved with my project?
Yes. Builders/renovators/developers may elect to give credit to one (or more) CHBA member company(ies) that worked on the project. Once you start an online entry, please enter their company information in the Contributor(s) tab.

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ABOUT HOME RENOVATIONS

What should be included in the renovation cost?
To determine which category your renovation should be entered into, the cost of the renovation must include your estimate of the dollar value of any materials the home owner self-supplied (e.g. kitchen appliances).

Can I enter a kitchen or bathroom renovation in the Kitchen or Bathroom Renovated categories, and also enter them as part of a Whole House submission?
Yes, absolutely. The same goes for Best Exterior Renovation, Best Single Room Renovation, and Best Basement Renovation.

What can be entered in the Best Single Room Renovation category?
The Best Single Room Renovation category is for single rooms other than kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and outdoor living. Examples include (but are not limited to): home office, home library, bedroom, home gym, etc.

If my project for the Best Basement Renovation is a basement that wasn't previously finished, is it eligible?
Basements that were previously partially finished or unfinished are allowed.

What can be entered in the Exterior Renovation category?
Projects in the Best Exterior Renovation category must involved a renovation of the exterior of the home, though landscaping that is connected to the project may also be showcased. Example projects may include: a major upgrade to the front of the home, an outdoor kitchen or living space added into the backyard, etc.

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ABOUT MARKETING AWARDS

I’d like to acknowledge the marketing company for my project. Do they have to be a CHBA member?
Yes. In order for CHBA to recognize marketing companies for their efforts, they must be a member through any local HBA.

How are marketing companies recognized in the Marketing Awards?
The CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence are presented to home builder / renovator / developer members (the primary entrant). The primary entrant is allowed to name a marketing company as a partner for marketing awards. In that case, the award would be presented to, for example, ABC Builder with DEF marketing company.

So, home builder and developer members have a choice as to whether or not to name their marketing companies as “partners” or to give acknowledgement to them through a credit for individual Marketing Awards. The Marketing Excellence Award, however, is presented only to the home builder or developer with credit given to the various marketing companies who may have worked with them on individual Marketing Awards categories.

I am the Marketing Company and doing the submissions for one or more companies. What do I need to know?
You can enter as yourself and keep all of your clients' entries within one login. To save yourself time filling out the company details every time you create an entry, copy an existing entry and edit as needed.

What constitutes a Digital Advertising Campaign?
The Best Digital Advertising Campaign category is intended to capture elements from your non-website digital marketing activity that includes paid advertising. Marketing activities for this category may fall within a broader marketing like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, emails to mailing lists, banner ads on search engines or within websites, etc.

Do I need to apply to the Marketing Excellence Award?
There is no application for the Marketing Excellence Award. To be eligible for the Marketing Excellence Award you must have entered a minimum of four (4) marketing categories and win in at least one (1) of those categories. The award is given to the single company with the most points accumulated in all of the Marketing categories. Your prospects of winning increase by making up to 3 entries in multiple marketing categories.

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ABOUT THE MARKETING EXCELLENCE AWARD

Do I need to apply to the Marketing Excellence Award?
There is no application for the Marketing Excellence Award. To be eligible for the Marketing Excellence Award a single home builder or developer must have entered a minimum of four (4) marketing categories and win in at least one (1) of those categories. The award is given to the company with the most points accumulated in all of the Marketing categories. Your prospects of winning increase by making up to 3 entries in multiple marketing categories.

Are partnership projects eligible for the Marketing Excellence Award?
No. The Marketing Excellence Award is intended for a single home builder or developer member not working with another home builder or developer member. Although marketing companies may be partners in individual Marketing Award categories, they are not included as a partner for the Marketing Excellence Award because multiple marketing companies can be involved in projects covering the ten individual Marketing Awards categories. Marketing companies are given credit for their work in the concept, creative and production associated with the entries from a particular home builder or developer that attained “winner” or “finalist” status in the individual Marketing Awards categories.

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ABOUT THE RENOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD

Do I need to apply to the Renovation Excellence Award?
No, there is no application for the Renovation Excellence Award. To be eligible for the Renovation Excellence Award, an individual renovator member must have entered a minimum of three (3) Home Renovation Awards categories and win in at least one (1) of those categories. The award is given to the single company with the most points accumulated in all of the Home Renovation Awards categories. Your prospects of winning increase by making up to 3 entries in multiple new home categories.

Are partnership projects eligible for the Renovation Excellence Award?
No. The Renovation Excellence Award is intended for a single renovator. You can credit architects, design professionals, as any other CHBA member companies that worked on the project with you.

ABOUT THE DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARD

Do I need to apply to the Design Excellence Award?
There is no application for the Design Excellence Award. To be eligible for the Design Excellence Award, an individual home builder or developer member must have entered a minimum of three (3) New Home Awards categories and win in at least one (1) of those categories. Any points scored in the New Home Spaces categories are also included. The award is given to the single company with the most points accumulated in all of the New Home Awards categories with the exception of the category "Mid- to High-Rise Project (Planned)," and includes points accumulated in the New Home Spaces categories.  Your prospects of winning increase by making up to 3 entries in multiple new home categories.

Are partnership projects eligible for the Design Excellence Award?
No. The Design Excellence Award is intended for a single home builder or developer member not working with another home builder or developer member. You can credit architects, design professionals, as any other CHBA member companies that worked on the project with you.

Uploading Images

Photographs have a huge impact on how judges see your entry, and they often influence your final score. This cannot be emphasized enough. Photos should be of professional quality to do justice to your project and show it off to full advantage.

On that note, when taking “before” and “after” pictures of a renovation, try to shoot from the same location or angle—this is immensely helpful to the judges so they can understand the “transformation.” To further assist judges, label each image after upload.

Submit colour images that are 2500px wide and 300ppi for the perfect combination of fast upload times and file sizes large enough for CHBA to use on its website and in printed material. Images do not need to be renamed (i.e. you don't need to put an entry number, your company name, etc.). Smaller files are accepted, but note that if they're too small judges may have difficulty seeing details.

The size upload limit is 5MB. Larger files cannot be uploaded.

Image orientation can be horizontal, vertical or square.

Do not submit images that have borders, frames, logos, or watermarks.

Renderings are not permitted. As eligible projects for the New Home Awards, New Home Spaces Awards, Net Zero Home Awards, Renovation Awards, and Community Development Awards must have already been built (completed and ready for occupancy), do not submit renderings. The exception to this is the category: Mid- to High-Rise Project (Planned). Renderings are expected for this category as projects entered into it are not yet completed.

Uploading Floor Plans and Site Plans

Floor plans and site plans must be uploaded in a PDF format. Please upload simple plans—the same kind you would provide to clients on your website. Try to avoid having company identification on your floor plans if possible.

If your plans are on more than one page, simply combine them into a single PDF document and upload all together.

Floor plan PDFs do not need to be renamed (i.e. you don't need to put an entry number, your company name, etc.)

Uploading Homeowner Permission Form

Homeowner Permission Form (PDF)

The Homeowner Permission Form must be filled in and signed by the homeowner(s) for all Home Renovation categories and Custom Home or Spaces categories. In addition, any custom home entered as an Attached Home, an Entry-Level Home, a Modular Home, or a custom or renovated Net Zero Home must also upload the Homeowner Permission Form.

Note 1: The project name on the Homeowner Permission Form must match the project name on the online submission. If there is a discrepancy, the project name on the Homeowner Permission Form will be used.

Note 2: Custom homes still in the builder's possession may be entered, but the builder must fill in the form and indicate "in builder's possession" on it.

How is my entry judged?

The CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence judges are not able to travel across the country to see projects first-hand. Instead, they rely 100% on the information you provide in your answers to the online entry questions, along with photographs, floor plans, and other materials that you upload.

CHBA has a two-stage judging process for most categories. When you start an entry, you will see that questions are divided into two parts: Part 1 (the summary) and Part 2 (detailed questions). Part 1 must be able to stand on its own, as most of the judges will read this part only. If your project is selected as a finalist, the judges will use the information in both Part 1 and Part 2 to determine your standing. So make sure you're not just repeating information from the summary into your detailed questions... you should be expanding on it. All images and floor plans will be seen at both stages of judging.

The Particulars

 

• Entries will be judged according to the criteria (answers to questions, images, uploaded plans, etc.) set out for each award.
• Entries will be handled in a confidential manner. Judges agree not to disclose information concerning entries.
• Incomplete entries may, at the discretion of the judges, be disqualified due to insufficient information and materials.
• Judges have the right to eliminate or combine entries in any category. In such instances, the judges may elect not to present an award, but to extend an "honourable mention" to the entrants who have met the eligibility criteria.
• All decisions of the judges are binding and final.

Tips for a Winning Entry

Here are a few words of advice from the organizers and judges to help you to prepare a winning entry, and just as importantly, to know what pitfalls to avoid.

• Use bullets or point form in the text boxes—easier for you to write and easier for the judges to understand.
• Word counts are the maximum only—don't feel obligated to meet the word count limit with each question, especially if you have answered the question fully and find yourself repeating information. It's much better to be concise in your answers – Judges don't like repetition.
• Answer the question fully. Make sure you are addressing all aspects of the question, or judges will dock you points.
• Have quality photography. Photographs are the only way judges can see your project. Make sure they are well lit and true to real-life colour and scale. For renovation categories, provide "before" photos from the same angle as the after photos.
• More entries = better odds. Increase your chances of winning the Marketing Excellence Award, Renovation Excellence, and the Design Excellence Award by entering as many categories as possible. The more you win, the better you'll do. See the Categories tab for more information.
• Take your time and double-check the entry before you submit it. The submission deadline is October 17, 2022 at 6:00 PM EST. You can go back and edit your entry up until the deadline, even if you're already submitted it.
• Have a backup of your work. If you know that you'll be submitting an entry close to the entry date for whatever reason, it is strongly recommended that you prepare your entry using the supplied Word forms. That way, if you have computer glitches, your work will at least be saved. If you know you'll want to reference your content at a later point, it's also good to have a backup as you won't have access to the system.

Awards Ceremony

Date: February 16, 2023

The capstone event of CHBA's Home Building Week in Canada (CHBA's Annual Conference & Meetings) is the black tie awards gala for the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence. This year we are back to live events! Join us at the stunning Fairmont Banff Springs in Banff, AB. Tickets are included in your registration for Home Building Week. Finalists will also have the opportunity to purchase tickets just for the awards gala.