Awards guide · Ontario, Quebec & Atlantic Canada
Peak Awards (CHBA Nova Scotia) Photo Guide: Image Rules, Deadlines and How to Enter
For entrants planning the photography for CHBA Nova Scotia Kohltech Peak Awards. Checked against Canadian Home Builders’ Association Nova Scotia (CHBA NS)’s published rules on November 1, 2026.
The Kohltech Peak Awards are CHBA Nova Scotia’s annual awards for residential construction, renovation and marketing in the province. Only CHBA NS members can enter, and the 2027 awards take entries until 11:59 pm on February 17, 2027, for projects active in 2026. Photos must carry no logos, and virtual staging is not permitted in the new-home categories; photo counts and file specs are only shown inside the member entry form.
At a glance
| Peak Awards (CHBA Nova Scotia) | |
|---|---|
| Organiser | Canadian Home Builders’ Association Nova Scotia (CHBA NS), Halifax |
| Who can enter | CHBA NS members in good standing as of December 31, 2026 (and on awards night to receive an award): builders, renovators, professionals, suppliers, manufacturers and trade contractors. Renovation categories need a CHBA NS renovator member. |
| Eligible projects | Projects active between January 1 and December 31, 2026, located in Nova Scotia; renovation and new-home categories need completion during 2026. |
| Entry platform | Awardify member account at chbans.awardify.io (also chbanspeakawards.com) |
| Fee | $125 per entry for the 2027 awards, paid by credit card; payment is required before an entry is eligible (2026 awards: $100). |
| Next deadline | February 17, 2027, 11:59 pm (2027 awards) |
Source: Peak Awards entry procedures, Peak Awards eligibility of submissions.
Key dates
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Entries open (2027 awards) | Open date not published; the 2027 entry site is live. |
| Deadline | February 17, 2027, 11:59 pm |
| Online judging | February 18 – March 3, 2027 |
| Gala | April 2–3, 2027, 5:00 pm, Halifax Waterfront Marriott Hotel, 1919 Upper Water Street, Halifax (per the gala page) |
| Last gala (2026 awards) | Friday, March 27, 2026, Halifax |
Photo requirements
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| How many | Not published. Photos are uploaded through the “add/edit photos” link inside each member entry; the count is set by the category form. |
| Staging, renderings and AI | New-home categories: “Virtual staging is not permitted.” Real estate staging with tangible fixed items is permitted. No published rule on renderings or AI. |
| Logos, names and people | No logos in photos or floor plans, and no company name in the written submission; entries are judged anonymously. |
| Credit and permissions | Every renovation entry needs the signed Peak Homeowner Permission Form. It lets CHBA NS use the entry photos for marketing and broadcast them at the ceremony; the civic address is never revealed, and the permission cannot be revoked once signed. |
Categories
The 2027 awards list about 30 categories in groups for customer service, marketing, special projects, modular construction, renovation, multi-unit and new homes, plus Builder and Renovator of the Year and three board-voted awards. Photo-heavy ones include the seven Most Outstanding Renovation categories (basement, bathroom, kitchen over and under $50,000, addition, one room, exterior living space, whole home), the four multi-unit categories and the single-detached new-home size classes.
How to enter
- Read the entry procedures, eligibility rules and the criteria for your category.
- Create a member account at chbans.awardify.io.
- Start a new entry, pick the category and give it a title only you will see.
- Complete the form: written submission without your company name, photos and floor plans without logos, and a PDF of your current company logo.
- For renovation entries, upload the signed homeowner permission form.
- Declare the entry final and pay $125 per entry by credit card before 11:59 pm on February 17, 2027; entries not declared final are disqualified.
How entries are judged
- Independent virtual judges score entries online against the criteria in each category description, February 18 – March 3, 2027.
- Judges must be 18 or older, active in the housing industry and not nominated for an award.
- Entries are anonymous: no company names in text and no logos in photos or floor plans.
- A category with fewer than two entries can be cancelled and refunded; the Lifetime Achievement, Industry Supporter and Sub-trade of the Year awards are voted by the board.
Planning the photography
- Remove or avoid signage, branded trucks and logos in every frame, because photos with logos break the anonymity rule.
- Stage new homes with real furniture rather than virtual staging, which is not permitted in the new-home categories.
- Get the homeowner permission form signed before the shoot for any renovation entry, since a missing form may lead to disqualification.
- Ask CHBA NS (902-450-5554) or open the member entry form early to learn the photo count and file limits before booking the shoot.
Not in the published rules
As of November 1, 2026 the organiser’s public documents do not state:
- Number of photos per entry
- File format, pixel size, resolution and file-size limits
- Orientation, file naming and before-and-after rules
- Rules on editing, renderings, AI, twilight shots and people in photos
- Photographer credit requirements
- Date entries opened for the 2027 awards
- Scoring weights for each criterion
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 Peak Awards (CHBA Nova Scotia) 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
How many photos do the CHBA Nova Scotia Peak Awards require?
The Kohltech Peak Awards do not publish a photo count or file specs on their public pages. The number of photos is set inside each category’s member entry form on chbans.awardify.io, so log in or call CHBA NS at 902-450-5554 before planning the shoot.
When is the 2027 Peak Awards deadline?
Entries for the 2027 CHBA Nova Scotia Kohltech Peak Awards close at 11:59 pm on February 17, 2027. Online judging runs February 18 – March 3, 2027, and the fee is $125 per entry.
Is virtual staging allowed in the Peak Awards?
No. The new-home categories of the 2027 Kohltech Peak Awards state that virtual staging is not permitted, while real estate staging with tangible fixed items is allowed.
Can I show my logo in Peak Awards photos?
No. CHBA NS asks that no logos appear in the photos or floor plans and that the written submission does not name the company, because the Peak Awards are judged anonymously.
This guide summarises Canadian Home Builders’ Association Nova Scotia (CHBA NS)’s published rules and is not affiliated with Canadian Home Builders’ Association Nova Scotia (CHBA NS). The official documents take precedence.