CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence

2024 Competition Opens Fall 2023

Get Ready for the 2024 Competition!

The 2024 National Awards for Housing Excellence competition will be accepting entries starting in the fall of 2023. Once the entry period is open, you'll be able to create an account on our Awards Platform and jump right in. The 2024 information is not yet available, but if you're looking for an idea of what to expect you can view last year's requirements for reference below, including entry forms. For the most part, eligibility requirements and competition conditions will not change (with the exception of the dates, which will advance by roughly one year, which means it will be open to projects completed and ready for occupancy from April 2022 onwards). However, categories (including) square footage and dollar value delineations are subject to change or deletion, or new ones may be added. The below is just to give you an idea so you can start thinking about your entry!

Who can enter?

The Eligibility Requirements tab below has the full details, but briefly put: if you are a CHBA member in the local home builders association where your project is located, you are eligible to enter. There is no nomination process – simply enter your project. You do not need to have been a finalist at your local awards; many awards programs run at the same time and waiting to find out how you did locally/provincially might not leave you enough time to submit to the National Awards. In addition, our judges are from across the country and have unique perspectives, so no two competitions are the same.

For Reference Only – Last Year's (2023) Competition Information

2023 Categories

New Home Awards

These awards recognize the excellent architectural qualities of new homes including overall exterior and interior design, use of building forms and materials, creative use of space, functionality of floor plan and overall appeal to a target market.

Mid- to High-Rise Buildings
Note: Mid- to High-Rise is defined as four storeys and higher. These categories showcase the entire building and its amenities as well as a sampling of individual units.

Best Mid- to High-Rise Building (Completed)
Best Mid- to High-Rise Building (Planned) (note: this category is not eligible for the Design Excellence Award)

Attached Homes
Note: these categories are for low-rise homes (three storeys and lower). Each entry showcases an individual home/unit. Homes can be custom or production.

Best Attached Low-Rise Home under 1,500 square feet
Best Attached Low-Rise Home 1,500 – 1,800 square feet
Best Attached Low-Rise Home 1,800 square feet and over

Detached Homes
Note: these categories are for low-rise homes (three storeys and lower).

Best Detached Production Home Under 1,800 square feet
Best Detached Production Home 1,800 to 2,100 square feet
Best Detached Production Home 2,101 to 2,400 square feet
Best Detached Production Home 2,401 to 2,800 square feet
Best Detached Production Home Over 2,800 square feet
Best Detached Custom Home Under 2,5000 square feet
Best Detached Custom Home 2,501 to 3,000 square feet
Best Detached Custom Home 3,001 to 4,000 square feet
Best Detached Custom Home 4,001 to 5,000 square feet
Best Detached Custom Home Over 5,000 square feet

Entry-Level Home Award
This award recognizes excellence in the architectural qualities of new homes that are designed and built to be affordable to those entering the housing market (e.g. marketing to first-time buyers, new Canadians, etc.) including overall exterior and interior design, use of building forms and materials, creative use of space, functionality of floor plan, and overall appeal to the entry-level home market. Homes entered into this category must have a list price that does not exceed the maximum list price for their geographic region as indicated in this chart, which is based on the lowest 20% of absorbed single-detached and semi-detached dwellings (from CMHC data) or based on the upper limit of CMHC's First Time Home Buyer Incentive (whichever is lower). They can be attached or detached homes.

New Home Spaces Awards

These awards recognize the excellent architectural qualities of specific spaces in a new home including interior design, use of building forms and materials, creative use of space, functionality of floor plan and overall appeal. Projects entered in their entirety into the New Home Awards may also be entered into any New Home Spaces categories.

Best Production Kitchen
Best Custom Kitchen
Best Bathroom (note: can be production or custom)
Best Primary Suite (note: can be production or custom)

Home Renovation Awards

Projects in the Kitchen, Bathroom and Single Room categories showcase a single room and may entail the reconfiguration of existing spaces and/or addition of new space.

Projects in the Basement category may showcase a single room or multiple rooms in below-grade basements, and may entail the reconfiguration of existing spaces and/or addition of new space.

Projects in the Exterior category must involve 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.

Projects entered into Whole Home categories must involve more than one room (and is typically meant to encompass the main living areas of the house) and may entail interior and exterior work, including the reconfiguration of existing spaces and/or addition of new space. Projects that are entered as part of a Whole Home category can also be entered separately into the defined applicable spaces categories.

Best Kitchen Renovation – under $70,000
Best Kitchen Renovation – $70,000 to $100,000
Best Kitchen Renovation – Over $100,000
Best Bathroom Renovation
Best Basement Renovation
Best Exterior Renovation
Best Single Room Renovation (other than kitchen, bathroom, basement, exterior.)
Best Whole Home Renovation – under $200,000
Best Whole Home Renovation – $200,000 to $300,000
Best Whole Home Renovation – $300,001 to $500,000
Best Whole Home Renovation – $500,001 to $800,000
Best Whole Home Renovation – over $800,000

Marketing Awards

These awards recognize the best in marketing—attracting customer attention, generating traffic, and creating the confidence and environment favourable to home buying and/or renovating. Marketing Awards are offered in the following categories:

Best Signage
Best Brochure/Kit
Best Website
Best Digital Advertising Campaign
Best Print Ad
Best Short Video (less than 45 seconds)
Best Long Video (45 seconds and longer)
Best Sales Office
Best Interior Decorating (Model/Show Home)
Best Renderings
Best Branding and Identity
Best Virtual Tour Experience

Net Zero Home Awards

These homes are Qualified under the CHBA Net Zero Labelling Program (either Net Zero Ready or Net Zero). These awards recognize excellence in high performance homes that have an appealing aesthetic, including overall exterior and interior design, use of building forms and materials, creative use of space, and functionality of floor plan. In addition to being entered into a Net Zero Home Award category, Net Zero homes can also be entered into the corresponding New Home Award category or the Modular Innovation Award.

Best Custom or Renovated Net Zero Home
Best Production Net Zero Home

Community Development Awards

These awards recognize excellence in performance by developer and home builder members who create attractive, exciting, innovative and environmentally responsible communities.

Best New Community (the community can not have been entered previously)
Best Growing Community (for additional and substantial phases of communities previously entered)

Marketing Excellence Award

The Marketing Excellence Award recognizes a single home builder or developer member for their overall excellence in marketing, based on the highest total score for those companies that have entered a minimum of four (4) marketing categories and have won in at least one (1) of those categories. Your prospects of winning increase by making up to 3 entries in multiple marketing categories.

Renovation Excellence Award

The Renovation Excellence Award is the top award in Canada's residential renovation industry. The award recognizes outstanding performance by a single renovator member in the renovation of homes, based on the highest total score of those companies that have won at least one (1) Renovation Award and have entered a minimum of three (3) Renovation Award categories. Your prospects of winning increase by making up to 3 entries in multiple renovation categories.

Design Excellence Award

The Design Excellence Award is the pinnacle of achievement in the residential new home construction industry. The award recognizes outstanding performance by a single home builder or developer member in the design of new homes, based on the highest total score of those companies that have won at least one (1) New Home Award and have entered a minimum of three (3) New Home Award categories. Any points scored in the New Home Spaces categories are also included. Your prospects of winning increase by making up to 3 entries in multiple new home / new home details categories. Please note that Best Mid- to High-Rise Project (Planned) does not count towards the Design Excellence Award as project entered into that category are not yet completed.

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