Awards guide · Canada
CHBA National Awards 2027 Photo Guide: Image Specs, Counts and Deadline
For builders and renovators entering the Canadian Home Builders’ Association National Awards for Housing Excellence. Checked against CHBA’s 2027 page and entry forms on November 1, 2026.
The 2027 CHBA National Awards close at 6:00 PM Eastern on December 3, 2026, earlier than most provincial and local programmes. Eligible projects were completed between April 1, 2025 and December 3, 2026. CHBA asks for colour images about 2,500 px wide at 300 ppi, each no larger than 5 MB, with no logos, borders or watermarks. It does not permit renderings and wants staging declared. Files do not need renaming. Counts depend on the category: a detached custom home needs at least 7 set shots and allows up to 25 images, and renovations need at least two “before” photos. Judges never visit the projects, so in CHBA’s words the photos “often influence your final score.”
Key dates and fees
| Item | 2027 CHBA National Awards |
|---|---|
| Eligible projects | Completed (built and ready for sale, rent or occupancy) between April 1, 2025 and December 3, 2026 |
| Entry deadline | 6:00 PM Eastern (3:00 PM Pacific), December 3, 2026, online. Payment due by the same time. No extension. |
| Entry fee | $260 plus tax per entry; up to three entries per category per member |
| Judging | Online, in two stages: January 11–31 and February 12–28, 2027 |
| Winners | May 14, 2027, Whistler Conference Centre, during Home Building Week in Canada |
| Who can enter | Builders, renovators and developers who are CHBA members through the local association where the project is located. Renovation categories also require RenoMark membership, new for 2027. |
Source: CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence and the 2027 category entry forms.
The image specs
CHBA is unusually direct about photography: “Photographs are the only way judges can see your project, and they have a huge impact on how judges see your entry and often influence your final score. This cannot be emphasized enough.”
- Size: colour images about 2,500 px wide at 300 ppi. The entry forms cap each upload at 5 MB. Smaller files are accepted, but judges may struggle to see detail.
- Orientation: horizontal, vertical or square.
- No logos, borders, frames or watermarks. CHBA names a company logo on a TV screen as an example to avoid. Marketing categories are the exception.
- No renderings, except in Mid- to High-Rise (Planned) and Best Renderings. The forms say renderings elsewhere disqualify the entry.
- Digital staging is discouraged. For 2027, if you use it you must declare it in a mandatory field, and CHBA recommends uploading each image with and without the staging. The aim is that judges see images that are “100% real”.
- No renaming needed. Images do not need an entry number or company name in the file name. This differs from HAVAN, where renaming is mandatory.
- True to life: CHBA asks for images that are well lit and “true to real-life colour and scale”.
How many photos each category needs
Each 2027 entry form sets a minimum, usually with named shots, and a total allowed:
| Category | Min | Max | Required shots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached Custom Home | 7 | 25 | Front exterior, entrance or foyer, kitchen, dining, living, main bedroom, ensuite or main bath |
| Detached Production / Attached Low-Rise | 7 | 20 | The same seven rooms |
| Net Zero Home | 8 | 25 | The same seven plus the mechanical room |
| Mid- to High-Rise (Completed) | 8 | 20 | Setting and architecture (3), entrance (1), common amenities (4), suites (4) |
| New Home Spaces (kitchen, bath, primary suite) | 6 | 12 | None specified |
| Renovation, single space | 4 after + 2 before | 12 | None specified |
| Renovation, whole home | 4 after + 2 before | 25 | None specified |
| ADU / Secondary Suite | 6 | 12 | Private entrance, kitchen, living or sleeping space, bathroom, exterior if applicable |
| Marketing: Interior Decorating | 6 | 15 | Front exterior, bathroom, kitchen, dining, living, main bedroom |
The minimum is a floor, not a target. With up to 25 images and no site visit, a custom-home entry that sends only seven leaves most of the house unseen. The written answers carry the points (for a new home: design 40, innovation 30, functionality 20, special features 10), but judges only believe what they can see, so give every claim in the text a photograph.
Before photos for renovations
Before and after photos are required in renovation categories, with at least two “before” images. The forms add that judges “highly encourage more, ideally one for each after image”, taken from the same angle. Before photos do not need to be black and white, but label them when you upload them.
In practice this is the shot most entries are missing. Photograph the existing space before demolition, from the angles you expect the finished photos to use. A phone is fine for this if a photographer is not booked yet. What matters is matching the angle.
Photographer credit and image rights
The entrant confirms that the photos are either taken by their own staff or that an independent photographer has given written consent, and gives the photographer’s name and company on the form. Entering also grants CHBA broad use of the photos: its website, social media, publications, and media outlets covering the finalists and winners.
So before you enter, make sure your licence with the photographer covers awards submissions and that third-party publicity. Mine does: awards entries and the resulting press are part of the client’s own marketing use, and the credit line is “Photography: Travis Zhang”.
Custom homes and all renovation categories also need a signed Homeowner Permission Form. CHBA notes that the address and owner’s name are never revealed, though people may recognise the house from its exterior.
Planning around the December 3 deadline
- Check eligibility first. The project must be complete by December 3, 2026, and renovators need RenoMark membership this year.
- Shoot by mid-November if you want finished images in time to write against them. My standard turnaround is a gallery within 3 business days and final images 10 business days after you choose. Rush editing cuts the second step to 5.
- Write Part 1 so it stands alone. CHBA says most judges read only that part, while every judge sees all the images and plans.
- Keep one master set for every programme. HAVAN, the Georgie Awards and CHBA ask for different sizes and file names. Export a CHBA copy at 2,500 px under 5 MB from the full-resolution files.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to win a local award before entering the CHBA National Awards?
No. CHBA says there is no nomination process and you do not need to have been a finalist at your local awards. The entrant must be a builder, renovator or developer who is a CHBA member through the local home builders' association where the project is located.
Is digital staging allowed in the CHBA National Awards?
For 2027 CHBA says digital staging is discouraged. If you use it, you must declare it in a mandatory field on the entry form, and CHBA recommends including each image with and without the staging. Renderings are not permitted except in the Mid- to High-Rise (Planned) and Best Renderings categories.
Do CHBA entry photos have to be renamed?
No. Unlike some local programmes, CHBA says images do not need to be renamed with an entry number or company name. Renovation before photos should be labelled when uploaded so judges can match them to the after photos.
When is the CHBA National Awards deadline?
For the 2027 awards, entries close at 6:00 PM Eastern on December 3, 2026, with no extension. Eligible projects were completed between April 1, 2025 and December 3, 2026.
This guide summarises CHBA’s published 2027 requirements and is not affiliated with CHBA. CHBA says its online entry platform takes precedence over the downloadable forms; questions go to [email protected].