Nominate Projects for Annual Home Builder Awards

Each year, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recognizes and honors excellence in residential construction through its “Best in American Living” awards (BALA). For the first time, NAHB has added several categories to these awards focused on offsite construction. Specifically, categories have been added for multifamily projects and commercial projects using offsite construction methods, as well as single-family projects using panelization. 

These awards are an excellent way to promote the capabilities and expertise of individual companies, and the broader component manufacturing industry, to a wide cross-section of NAHB builder members during the International Builders Show (IBS) in February.  

The due date for nomination submissions is Monday, October 7, 2024. If you are interested in nominating a project for an award, start the process by clicking on this link: https://awards.nahb.org/.  

Below are specific guidelines for completing nomination submissions: 

Eligibility Requirements for All Categories 

The home(s) or project must have been completed or first model opened between January 1, 2022, and August 28, 2024. Communities or project phases for larger communities must have at least 50% of the building units and 50% of the infrastructure completed by August 28, 2024. The same project may be entered for awards in multiple categories. Winning projects previously entered are not eligible to submit again for the same category. Any home owned or occupied by a staff member of NAHB shall be disqualified. Should the need arise, the judges reserve the right to subdivide any category as appropriate in an effort to provide fairer competition. 

Site and Floor Plan Requirements for Eligible Categories 

Submissions should contain all floor plans and relevant elevations that are representative of what you are submitting. Furnished, marketing-style floor plans and elevations are encouraged. Submissions should not be longer than six pages if submitting a pdf. If this is a remodeling submission, please include "before" plan(s), if possible. 

Photography Requirements for All Categories 

It is highly recommended that for all categories that are not strictly interior architecture or design that sufficient exterior photography be submitted to demonstrate the design characteristics of the home, residential building or community. Entries without sufficient exterior photography, if applicable, may be removed from consideration. 

Project/Nominee Statement 
The Statement should be a maximum of 200 words. Describe the project context, its relationship to its surroundings, the design concept, challenges and design solutions, clients’ needs and how they were met, key features and amenities, evidence of success, etc. Should this entry win, NAHB staff reserves the right to edit this text prior to publishing. 

Project Challenges and Solutions 
In a statement of 500 words or less describe the Project Challenges and Solutions. Describe any obstacles encountered and overcome and use of innovative materials and/or methods of construction used in the project described or noted. Examples include impossible deadlines, "behind the wall" issues, inadequate communication, estimate errors, contingency plans enacted, etc. 

Project Team Identification 

Beyond the project name and primary point of contact, all project team members including the builder, the architect, the engineer, etc. should be identified.