Awards guide · Alberta & Saskatchewan
BILD Alberta Awards Photo Guide: Image Rules, Deadlines and How to Enter
For entrants planning the photography for BILD Alberta Awards. Checked against BILD Alberta’s published rules on November 1, 2026.
The BILD Alberta Awards are the provincial housing awards for members of BILD Alberta through a local BILD association, judged by panels from across Alberta and other provinces. The 2026 entry period closed May 15, 2026 at noon, and the 2027 call is not published. Photos must be at least 2,000 × 1,000 px and no larger than 5 MB, horizontal preferred, with colour correction only and soft-goods virtual staging only.
At a glance
| BILD Alberta Awards | |
|---|---|
| Organiser | BILD Alberta (Building Industry and Land Development Alberta Association) |
| Who can enter (2026) | BILD Alberta members as of December 31, 2025, in good standing. Builders need a valid builder licence; renovators must be registered with Service Alberta as prepaid contractors. |
| Where | In Alberta, in the market area of the local BILD where the entrant is a member |
| Eligible projects (2026) | Completed and ready for sale, rent or occupancy May 1, 2025 to May 15, 2026; two-year window (from May 1, 2024) for Energy Efficiency, Garden/Secondary Suite, Basement Development, Developer and Innovation |
| Entry platform | Awards Force (bildalberta.awardsplatform.com); same login as BILD Calgary, BILD Edmonton and CHBA National |
| Fee (2026) | $250 + GST per entry; Innovation $150 + GST; Safety Leadership and Community Service free; Pinnacle Awards automatic and free |
| Entry limits | Up to 3 entries per category per local membership; no more than 3 renovation entries from one address |
| Next deadline | 2027 call not published (2026: May 15, 2026, at noon) |
Source: BILD Alberta Awards entry details, 2026 BILD Alberta Awards Submission Guide.
Key dates
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Criteria online (2026) | March 16, 2026 |
| Entries open (2026) | April 1, 2026 |
| Deadline (2026) | May 15, 2026, at noon (closed) |
| Judging (2026) | June 9–19, 2026 |
| Finalists announced (2026) | July 8, 2026 |
| Winners announced (2026) | September 12, 2026, at the BILD Alberta Fall Conference |
Photo requirements
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| Size and resolution | At least 2,000 pixels wide and 1,000 pixels high, at 72 DPI or higher. Upload limit 5 MB per file; larger files cannot be uploaded. |
| Orientation | Horizontal is preferred. |
| How many | Single family (including infill): up to 16 colour photos. Renovation: before and after counts set by category (see below). |
| Required shots | Single family: 1 front exterior, 1 foyer, 1 kitchen, 1 dining, 1 main living room, 1 primary bedroom, 1 ensuite or main bath, plus up to 9 optional photos. |
| Before and after | Home renovation: 6–12 before, 8–12 after. Kitchen and Renovator’s Choice: 4–8 before, 4–8 after. Bathroom and Exterior: 2–6 before, 4–6 after. After photos must show only the space being entered, not adjacent rooms. |
| Staging, renderings and AI | Renderings are not permitted except where indicated. Virtual staging of soft goods only (furniture, area rugs, plants, artwork); no hard goods such as lighting, faucets or flooring. No AI-specific rule is published. |
| Editing | No major alterations to interior or exterior photos; colour correction is acceptable. Sales centres may be covered with a standard garage door, and dirt may be covered with grass (no landscaping). No duplicate photos. |
| What to leave out | No basement photos except in the Basement Development category, and no detached garages in any photo. |
| Logos, names and people | Blind competition: company names must be removed from photos, plans and write-ups, or a judge can apply a penalty. No borders, frames, logos or watermarks. Developer, Innovation and Community Service are exempt from blinding. |
| File names | Photos are renamed automatically on upload. |
| Credit and permissions | A signed Homeowner Permission Form is required for owner-occupied homes; show homes and homes still in the builder’s possession are exempt. It also covers CHBA National entries and cannot be revoked. |
Categories
More than 40 categories in seven groups: Development, Multi-family (by size, plus purpose-built rental), Renovation (8), Single Family (12 size bands and 3 infill bands), Specialty (Basement Development, Energy Efficiency, Garden/Secondary Suite), Innovation and Leadership. Single Family, Renovation and Basement Development are the most photo-driven.
How to enter
- Confirm membership: the 2026 rules required BILD Alberta membership as of December 31, 2025, through the local BILD covering the project’s market area.
- Read the Submission Guide and the criteria PDF for each category on bildalberta.ca.
- Log in to Awards Force with an existing BILD Alberta, BILD Calgary, BILD Edmonton or CHBA National account, or create one.
- Complete each entry: photos under 5 MB, a simple floor plan as one PDF under 5 MB, and the BILD Alberta price specification sheet (not a local form).
- Upload the Homeowner Permission Form for owner-occupied homes.
- Check out and pay by credit card, cheque or EFT before the deadline; free entries also need checkout.
How entries are judged
- A panel of judges from across Alberta and other provinces scores entries online (June 9–19 in 2026).
- Single family: exterior and interior design 40 points, innovation and special features 25, functionality 25, value 10. Infill: 30, 20, 20, challenges and integration 25, value 5.
- Renovation: overall appeal and design 45 points, use of space and integration 35, challenges 15, value 5.
- A category runs only with at least 3 entries from 2 companies (2 from 2 for Innovation and Safety Leadership).
Planning the photography
- Export each photo under 5 MB and at least 2,000 × 1,000 px; the platform rejects larger files.
- Shoot horizontals, keep detached garages out of every frame, and leave basements out unless entering Basement Development.
- Frame renovation after photos tightly on the space being entered, and plan the before photos to meet each category’s minimum.
- Keep post-production to colour correction: major alterations are not permitted, and virtual staging is limited to soft goods.
Not in the published rules
As of November 1, 2026 the organiser’s public documents do not state:
- 2027 dates, fees and categories
- Time zone of the noon deadline
- Accepted image file formats
- Whether people may appear in photos
- Any rule on AI-generated or AI-edited images
- Photographer credit or consent requirements
Check the entry platform or ask the organiser before the shoot.
Using this as a photo brief
I photograph architecture and interiors in British Columbia, so for a project outside BC this page works best as a brief for a local architectural photographer. Send them the photo rules above, the categories you plan to enter and the deadline, and ask for:
- A shot list built from the category criteria, one image for each thing the judges score.
- Files exported to the BILD Alberta Awards spec, already named and counted per category.
- A licence that covers the organiser’s promotional use of winning images, plus a ready credit line.
The awards photo calendar lists the other programmes the same photos can be re-exported for.
Frequently asked questions
When is the BILD Alberta Awards deadline?
The 2027 BILD Alberta Awards call has not been published. In 2026, entries opened April 1 and closed May 15, 2026 at noon, with winners announced September 12, 2026.
What are the photo requirements for the BILD Alberta Awards?
The 2026 BILD Alberta Awards required photos at least 2,000 pixels wide and 1,000 pixels high at 72 DPI, no larger than 5 MB, horizontal preferred. Colour correction was allowed, but major alterations, borders, logos and watermarks were not.
How many photos can a single-family entry have in the BILD Alberta Awards?
A 2026 BILD Alberta Awards single-family entry takes up to 16 colour photos. Seven are required: front exterior, foyer, kitchen, dining, main living room, primary bedroom and ensuite or main bath.
Is virtual staging allowed in the BILD Alberta Awards?
The BILD Alberta Awards allow virtual staging of soft goods only, such as furniture, area rugs, plants and artwork. Hard goods like lighting fixtures, faucets and flooring cannot be added, and renderings are not permitted except where a category says so.
This guide summarises BILD Alberta’s published rules and is not affiliated with BILD Alberta. The official documents take precedence.