Awards guide · Ontario, Quebec & Atlantic Canada
Prix Domus (Montréal) Photo Guide: Image Rules, Deadlines and How to Enter
For entrants planning the photography for Prix Domus. Checked against APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain’s published rules on November 1, 2026.
The Prix Domus reward new homes, renovations, residential and commercial projects by licensed contractors who are members of APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain. The 42nd-edition call is not published; the 41st edition closed in late 2025 and its gala was on May 29, 2026. Each project needs 20–30 photos, rights-free and of professional quality, at 300 dpi minimum and 1920 × 1080 pixels.
At a glance
| Prix Domus (Montréal) | |
|---|---|
| Organiser | APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain (Association des professionnels de la construction et de l’habitation du Québec) |
| Who can enter | Holders of a valid Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) licence who are members in good standing of APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain. |
| Eligible projects | Habitable and functional between November 1, 2023 and October 31, 2025 (41st edition), ideally on the APCHQ Montréal métropolitain territory. A project shown in any earlier year cannot be entered again; later phases must differ from phase 1. |
| Entry platform | Online forms on prixdomus.ca, one form per entry |
| Fee | 41st edition: $375 for the first entry, $350 for the second, $300 each for the third and later. Tax treatment not stated. |
| Next deadline | 42nd edition not published as of November 1, 2026. The 41st edition’s page gives both November 14, 2025 and December 1, 2025. |
Source: Prix Domus : Déposer une candidature, Prix Domus : Règlements généraux 2025-2026 (41e édition).
Key dates
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Call opened (41st edition) | August 15, 2025 |
| Deadline (41st edition) | November 14, 2025 in the page text; December 1, 2025 in the key-dates list |
| Jury evaluation began (41st edition) | December 10, 2025 |
| Jury interviews (41st edition) | March 9, 2026 |
| Finalists revealed (41st edition) | April 20, 2026 |
| 41st Gala | May 29, 2026, Théâtre Cartier, Montréal |
| 42nd edition call | Not published as of November 1, 2026 |
Photo requirements
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| File format | Not stated for photos. Logos: AI, PNG or EPS. |
| Size and resolution | 300 dpi minimum, 1920 × 1080 pixels (rule 13). Upload limit 30 MB per file. |
| How many | 20–30 photos per project are mandatory. New home: 20–30 interior and exterior. Residential project: 20–30 plus 10–20 showing integration with the surroundings. Commercial project: 20–30 plus 5–10 integration. Young company: 1 photo of the company head, 10–15 interior and exterior, and 10–15 integration. Specialised contractor: 20–30 if available, with the client’s agreement. |
| Required shots | Residential, commercial and young-company entries need integration photos that show the setting the project was built in. |
| Before and after | Renovation entries need 10–15 photos taken before or during the work plus 20–30 of the finished project; short videos are also accepted. |
| Credit and permissions | Images must be rights-free and of professional quality, and the entrant must hold all required authorisations. A signed owner authorisation form covers the entry, a visit by the film crew or photographer, and promotional use of the photos and footage. Finalists whose project is occupied must inform the client and get permission. |
Categories
Six main categories: New home (single-family or row; rental or condo), Renovation (interior, exterior, addition), Residential project (four storeys or fewer, or more than four), Commercial project, Specialised contractor of the year and Young company (5 years or less). Entries are placed in sub-categories by market segment, from Accès à la propriété to Prestige, and the Builder of the Year, Renovator of the Year and Sustainable Development finalists are drawn from all entries.
How to enter
- Confirm the company holds a valid RBQ licence and is a member in good standing of APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain.
- Gather proof of the start date (building permit or signed contract), the signed owner authorisation form and, for the Project category, the promoter’s written authorisation.
- Prepare answers from the published question list: project descriptions up to 5,000 characters and a company presentation up to 2,400.
- Fill in one online form per entry on prixdomus.ca and upload the photos and documents (30 MB maximum per file).
- Add an optional video link (YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox or Google Drive) and pay the entry fee.
- If shortlisted for Builder of the Year, Renovator of the Year or Sustainable Development, attend the jury interview on Zoom or Teams.
How entries are judged
- An external, impartial jury of at most seven industry professionals, all independent of APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain.
- The jury president does not vote, rules on the validity of entries and can refuse an entry that does not meet the criteria; decisions are final.
- An external accounting firm supervises the competition, compiles the votes and keeps the results confidential.
- Finalists for Builder of the Year, Renovator of the Year and Sustainable Development are interviewed by video conference. A category with a single entry may be cancelled.
Planning the photography
- Plan a shot list of at least 20 finished images per project; 20 is the minimum, 30 the maximum.
- Deliver files that meet 1920 × 1080 pixels at 300 dpi, each under 30 MB.
- For residential and commercial projects, add wide views of the neighbourhood: 5–20 integration photos are required.
- For renovations, photograph the site before and during the work; 10–15 such photos are required.
- Clear the licence for promotional use: some photos are used on social media, the Prix Domus website and newspapers such as the Journal de Montréal or La Presse.
Not in the published rules
As of November 1, 2026 the organiser’s public documents do not state:
- 42nd-edition dates and fees
- Time of day of the deadline
- Photo file format
- File naming and orientation rules
- Rules on logos, people or anonymity in photos
- Rules on editing, virtual staging or AI-generated images
- Judging criteria and weighting
- Whether fees include taxes
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 Prix Domus (Montréal) 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
What are the photo requirements for the Prix Domus?
The Prix Domus require 20–30 photos per project, rights-free and of professional quality, at 300 dpi minimum and 1920 × 1080 pixels, with a 30 MB upload limit per file. Renovation entries add 10–15 photos taken before or during the work.
When is the Prix Domus deadline?
The 42nd Prix Domus call had not been published as of November 1, 2026. The 41st edition opened on August 15, 2025 and closed in late 2025 (the official page gives both November 14 and December 1, 2025), and its gala was on May 29, 2026.
Can a contractor take its own photos for the Prix Domus?
Yes. The Prix Domus practical tips say professional photos and video are appreciated but entrants may take their own. The rules still ask for rights-free, professional-quality images at 300 dpi minimum and 1920 × 1080 pixels.
Who can enter the Prix Domus?
The Prix Domus are open only to holders of a valid Régie du bâtiment du Québec licence who are members in good standing of APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain. For the 41st edition, projects had to be habitable between November 1, 2023 and October 31, 2025.
This guide summarises APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain’s published rules and is not affiliated with APCHQ – région du Montréal métropolitain. The official documents take precedence.