Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association

Positive Provincial Budget Measures for Residential Construction Industry & Consumers

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:23:02 GMT

Today the provincial government announced two incentives for the residential construction industry and its consumers:

1. A $10,000 temporary, one-time refundable income tax credit for first-time home buyers who purchase a newly constructed home, effective today, February 21, 2012 through to March 31, 2013. Details are available here: www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2012/homebuyers/2012_First_Time_Home_Buyers_Fact_Sheet.pdf

2. A $1,000 Seniors' Home Renovation Tax Credit, a refundable personal income tax credit for the cost of permanent renovations that provide individuals age 65 and over with increased independence. This is an annual $1,000 credit based on 10% of eligible expenditures. Details are available here: www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2012/backgrounders/2012_Backgrounder_2.pdf

Higher HST Rebates for Consumers and HST-to-PST Transition Rules

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:19:28 GMT

GVHBA Chairman Ben Taddei, GVHBA President & CEO Peter Simpson and Director of Government Relations Amy Spencer attended an announcement on Friday, February 17 where BC Minister of Finance Kevin Falcon released HST transition rules and tax relief measures for the homebuilding industry and its customers.

Tax relief measures include:

Effective April 1, 2012, the HST rebate threshold on new homes increases to $850,000 from $525,000. The maximum rebate rises to $42,500 from $26,250.

Measures are also in place for the secondary/recreational home industry outside of the Greater Vancouver and Capital Regional Districts, where the HST rebate threshold rises to $850,000 from $0, also effective April 1, 2012.

PST implementation will be effective April 1, 2013. The transition rules from HST to PST for newly built homes where construction begins before April 1, 2013, but ownership and possession occur after, purchasers will not pay the 7% provincial portion of the HST. Instead, purchasers will pay a temporary, transitional provincial tax of 2% on the full house price.

Home renovation will fall under regular transition rules to take effect April 1, 2013.

The government’s intent is to ensure "equitable treatment among purchasers and will help mitigate distortive market behaviour." Builders will receive temporary housing transition rebates to offset PST on materials to help prevent double-taxation on homebuyers.

This has provided some clarity and certainty to consumers and should help to neutralize the impact of the HST a year before it reverts to the PST system. Overall this should help to stimulate the new homes market throughout the province.

For more information about the new rebates, go to www.pstinbc.ca and click on "New Housing Rules". The government's full policy is available at: www.pstinbc.ca/media/2012_housing_rules_FEB.pdf.

More information about the transition rules from HST to PST is available here: http://www.fin.gc.ca/n12/data/12-017_1-eng.asp.

RESTORE, RENEW, REFRESH your home at the BC Home + Garden Show

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:19:12 GMT

RESTORE, RENEW, REFRESH your home at the BC Home + Garden Show, February 22 – 26!

Looking for renovation inspiration and advice? GVHBA is featuring the popular Renovation Gallery at this year’s show -- a 1,000-square-foot exhibit overflowing with makeover ideas for your home with before-and-after photos of professionally renovated homes and renovation-related products and services, as well as free consultations with RenoMark renovators, designers, subtrades and suppliers.

The BC Home + Garden Show has returned to the newly renovated BC Place Stadium located in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. This show gives you access to 425+ companies offering new products and building technologies. Each year, the BC Home + Garden Show showcases a unique feature home that incorporates new building materials, construction techniques and trend-setting interior design – this year the “Kitsilano Dream Home” is built by GVHBA-member Karoleena Homes. Don’t miss this year’s show! For more information, visit www.bchomeandgardenshow.com

GVHBA welcomes these new members

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:32:05 GMT

On February 21, 2012, the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association welcomed 11 (eleven) new members: PHL Capital Corp., Cornerstone Landscape & Construction Group Ltd., Citywide Gutters & Exteriors Ltd., Caesarstone Canada, Symphony Homes Limited, Kraftsmen Group of Companies, 1600 BC Communications Ltd., ALP’s Fireplace Service Inc., Cirrus Homes, Keystone Environmental Ltd. and Convectair - NMT Inc.

PHL Capital Corp.
Real estate services, Financial
Referred by:
1) John Tilstra, Centra Windows and Restorations Ltd.
2) Lanson Foster, Lanstone Homes Ltd.
Contact: Mr. Steve Ponte
Phone: 604-575-7409
Fax: 604-575-7410
www.phlgroup.ca
steveponte@phlgroup.ca
The company is an integrated real estate services provider engaged in the development and financing of real estate in B.C.
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Cornerstone Landscape & Construction Group Ltd.
Builder (1-49 units, custom), Renovator, Landscape construction
Referred by:
1) Doug Johnson, Dick’s Lumber & Building Supplies
2) John Horsnell, Woodstop Building Supplies Ltd.
Contact: Mr. Jason King
Phone: 604-983-2273
Fax: 604-983-2203
www.cornerstoneprojects.ca
info@cornerstonelandscape.ca
The company designs and constructs custom homes, renovations, architechtural concrete and landscape construction.
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Citywide Gutters & Exteriors Ltd.
Suppliers and installers of gutters, soffits and siding
Referred by:
1) Len Kemp, Kaycan Ltd.
2) Gord Tiemstra, Four Seasons Sunrooms
Contact: Mr. James McNaughton
Phone: 604-868-1373
Fax: 604-733-1572
www.citywidegutters.com
james@citywidegutters.com
The company’s owners bring decades of renovating and general contracting experience with the majority of projects being done in Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen.
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CaesarStone Canada
Manufacturers of natural stone
Referred by:
1) Chris Prince, SSC Countertops Ltd.
2) Graeme Huguet, My House Design / Build Team Ltd.
Contact: Mr. Deano Pellegrino
Phone: 604-638-1458
Fax: 604-638-1486
www.caesarstone.ca
dpellegrino@caesarstone.ca
The company manufactures quartz slabs for uses and applications, such as bathroom vanities and kitchen countertops.
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Symphony Homes Limited (Previous member)
Builder (1-49 units, single and multi-family), Developer
Referred by:
1) Brian Unrau, daltile Canada Ltd.
2) Scott Frampton, Standard Building Supplies
3) Sarb Dhaliwal, Standard Insulation and Siding Ltd.
Contact: Mr. Gurdeep Kainth
Phone: 604-522-1480
Fax: 604-522-1480
www.symphonygroup.ca
gurdeep@symphonygroup.ca
The company builds single family and multi-family projects primarily in Maple Ridge. Their current project is Albion Slopes.
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Kraftsmen Group of Companies
Builder (50+ units, custom, single and multi-family)
Referred by:
1) Munaz Popitia, Dick’s Lumber & Building Supplies
2) Satnam Gill, Northcoast Building Products Ltd.
Contact: Mr. Jim Flannery
Phone: 604-204-2667
Fax: 604-204-2673
www.kraftsmen.com
info@kraftsmen.com
Kraftsmen builds single family and multi-family homes primarily in Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver. Their current projects include Kabana and Broadmoor Gardens.
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1600 BC Communications Ltd.
Building materials distributor
Referred by:
1) John Quinton, Quinton Construction Ltd.
2) Paul Bulat, HDL Group Ltd.
Contact: Mr. Steve Mackenzie
Phone: 604-323-0679
Fax: 604-323-0678
www.1600bc.com
steve@1600bc.com
The company markets, distributes and develops building products and equipment.
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Convectair - NMT Inc.
Heating and electrical products
6100 Alta Court, Richmond, BC V7C 2R4
Referred by:
1) Barry Johnson, Wespac Electrical Contractors Ltd.
2) Brent Murphy, BPM Electric Ltd.
3) Craig Browne, Flextherm Inc.
Contact: Mr. Serge Guay
Years in business: 19
Phone: 604-351-5569
www.convectair.com
guays@teleus.net
The company manufactures silent convection, radiant, and fan-forced heaters and numerous electrical products.
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ALP’s Fireplace Service Inc.
A/C and heating installations and repairs
11115 – 72 Avenue, Delta, BC V4E 1Y4
Referred by:
1) Paula Yang, EMCO Corporation
2) Heather Butcher, Refrigerative Supply Ltd.
Contact: Mr. Lorien Prakash
Years in business: 3
Phone: 604-594-0280
Fax: 604-594-0273
www.alpsfireplaceservice.com
sales@alpsfireplaceservice.com
The company installs and maintains air conditioning and heating products.
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Cirrus Homes
Renovator
446 – 1 Street, North Vancouver, BC V7L 1B3
Referred by:
1) John Horsnell, Woodstop Building Supplies
2) Dave Deighton, Dick’s Lumber & Building Supplies
3) Jamie Moi, Jamie Moi Mortgage Team
Contact: Mr. Greg Hanberry
Years in business: 15
Phone: 604-983-6918
greg@cirrushomes.ca
The company has been renovating homes on the North Shore for more than 15 years.
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Keystone Environmental Ltd.
Environmental consultants, Engineers
#320, 4400 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC V5G 4G3
Referred by:
1) Scott Baldwin, Polygon Homes Ltd.
2) Dale Barron, Morningstar Homes Ltd.
3) Dale Bosa, Bosa Properties Inc.
4) Andrew Tong, Concert Properties Ltd.
Contact: Mr. Bill Donald
Years in business: 24
Phone: 604-430-0671
Fax: 604-430-0672
www.keystoneenvironmental.ca
bdonald@keystoneenviro.com
The company provides research, investigation and project management for all aspects of environmental considerations as they relate to real estate and land.
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Convectair - NMT Inc.
Heating and electrical products
6100 Alta Court, Richmond, BC V7C 2R4
Referred by:
1) Barry Johnson, Wespac Electrical Contractors Ltd.
2) Brent Murphy, BPM Electric Ltd.
3) Craig Browne, Flextherm Inc.
Contact: Mr. Serge Guay
Years in business: 19
Phone: 604-351-5569
www.convectair.com
guays@teleus.net
The company manufactures silent convection, radiant, and fan-forced heaters and numerous electrical products.
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CHBA announces 2011 National SAM Award finalists -- GVHBA members claim 33 finalist placements

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:51:00 GMT

CHBA National has announced the finalists for the 2011 National SAM Awards, presented by Schlage and Trane. GVHBA members claimed 33 finalist placements. ParkLane and Kenorah led the pack with six each, followed by Adera and Portrait with five each, Harald Koehn with three, Linwood with two and Boffo, Concert, Solterra, Level One, TQ and RJR with one each. Congratulations to all finalists!

Awards honour association volunteers and achievers

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:07:34 GMT

The Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association (GVHBA) presented its annual Association Awards of Excellence at the Executive Plaza Hotel in Coquitlam on Wednesday, November 2.

"The awards honour association members for their exceptional level of volunteer commitment and dedication to enhancing the professionalism of the homebuilding and renovation industries in the Greater Vancouver area," said GVHBA President Peter Simpson.

Builder Member of the Year
Wallmark Homes, Burnaby

Corporate Member of the Year
FortisBC, Surrey

Association Marketing Award
Yosh Kasahara, ParkLane Homes/Bluetree Group of Companies, Vancouver

Technical Excellence Award
David Fisher, Mitsui Homes Canada Inc., Langley

RenoMark Renovator Member of the Year
Graeme Huguet, My House Design/Build Team Ltd., Surrey

Supplier Members of the Year
Dick’s Lumber & Building Supplies, Burnaby
Marketplace Events, Vancouver

Community Service Member of the Year
Valhalla Roofing Ltd., Aldergrove

Gary Santini Education & Training Awards
Wallmark Homes Ltd., Burnaby
Dick’s Lumber & Building Supplies, Burnaby

BuiltGreen Multi-Family Builder of the Year
Adera Development Corporation, Vancouver

BuiltGreen Single-Family Builder of the Year
Avant Contractors Inc., Whistler

Handshake Award (Builder)
ParkLane Homes Ltd., Vancouver

Handshake Award (Renovator)
CCI Renovations, North Vancouver

Hall of Fame Inductees
Chuck Marr
Milan Ilich
George Pinch

Chairman’s Award of Honour
Peter Simpson, Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, Surrey

Rooftopper of the Year (Builder)
Troy Abromaitis, Wallmark Homes Ltd., Burnaby

Rooftopper of the Year (Renovator)
Todd Senft, reVISION Custom Home Renovations Inc., Vancouver

Rooftopper of the Year (Supplier)
Barb Rush, Wholesale Blind Factory, Coquitlam

Rooftopper of the Year (Corporate)
Dick’s Lumber & Building Suppliers, Burnaby

Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association is comprised of 732 companies representing developers, builders, renovators, sub-trades, suppliers, manufacturers and other industry professionals.

HPO's New Building Enclosure Design Guide

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:15:32 GMT

New Building Enclosure Design Guide for Wood-Frame Multi-Unit Residential Buildings

Available from the HPO's Online Store

A new publication designed to enhance the quality of residential construction in B.C. is now available from the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO).
The Building Enclosure Design Guide – Wood-Frame Multi-Unit Residential Buildings is the industry’s most widely accepted reference guide on building enclosures. It’s an invaluable resource for builders, designers, architects, engineers and educators in British Columbia and in other jurisdictions.

Endorsed by the Architectural Institute of British Columbia and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C., this comprehensive 290-page illustrated Guide:

Outlines design and construction best practices
Explores building enclosure performance issues and solutions
Presents design guidelines for assemblies, details, components and materials
Describes building enclosure systems and related code requirements
Covers energy provisions for the building enclosure
Addresses maintenance and renewal planning over the service life of the building enclosure
Recommends other helpful references

Visit the HPO website to learn more about the Guide or view sample pages.

Purchase a printed copy of the Guide for $70 CAD (plus taxes and shipping) from the HPO’s Online Store.

Member Valhalla Roofing steps up to the plate with new roof for youth safehouse

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:21:40 GMT

Knowing the tight timeline and limited grant resources available, a call was made to the board of the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society. Board member Peter Simpson, who is also President & CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association, reached out to his contacts. Valhalla Roofing responded and installed a new roof on the six-bed youth shelter.

See the full story here.

GVHBA Members lead BC with 10 nominations at Built Green BC Awards

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:35:32 GMT

The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association (GVHBA) is proud to announce GVHBA members earned the most finalist nominations in the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia’s 2010 Built Green™ BC Awards.

Leading the province with five finalist nominations including Built Green Builder of the Year is North Vancouver-based Naikoon Contracting Ltd. Vancouver-based Adera Development Corporation, which was also named a finalist for Built Green BC Builder of the Year, received a total of two nominations. CCI Renovations of North Vancouver and My House Design/Build Team Ltd. of Surrey each earned one nomination.

The Built Green™ BC Awards recognize the achievements of builders, developers, renovators and suppliers in British Columbia who focus on building and renovating residential homes with high environmental standards, according to the Built Green™ BC standards.

Winners will be announced at the Built Green™ BC Awards Ceremony on September 30, 2011 in Vancouver.

2011 Georgie Awards® - Call for entries

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:40:10 GMT

The Canadian Home Builders' Association of British Columbia (CHBA BC) and BC Homes Magazine are pleased to invite all CHBA BC member companies involved in the residential building industry to participate in the 2011 Georgie Awards®.

With recently added categories, such as Best Outdoor Living Space and Best Condo Renovation, there are so many more opportunities for residential builders and renovators to get recognized.

Projects and products built, renovated, developed, created and/or marketed for the period of January 1, 2010 – July 31, 2011 are eligible.

Visit www.georgieawards.ca for more information on this member-only recognition program.

18th Annual Parade of Renovated Homes a Success!

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:50:43 GMT

GVHBA's 18th annual Parade of Renovated Homes on Sunday, June 12 was a hit with the hundreds of people who toured 12 homes renovated by professional RenoMark renovators. Mother Nature co-operated, as the sun shined brightly all day. There was a steady stream of folks eager to view some of the best renovations in the Lower Mainland and perhaps incorporate some of the design and construction features in their own home transformations. Participating renovators and descriptions of their homes are posted here. The parade would not have been as successful as it was without the generous promotion in GVHBA-member publications -- Black Press regional newspapers, Vancouver Sun, Province, Real Estate Weekly, Metro Vancouver, Renovations magazine and Shell Busey's radio show on CKNW.

Residential Construction Industry Economic Impact

Tue, 17 May 2011 19:24:29 GMT

In 2011, Metro Vancouver’s residential construction industry is expected to achieve 13,150 housing starts; 66,300 jobs; $7.1 billion in construction value; $3.4 billion in wages; and $1.7 billion in federal and provincial government revenues. Click here for full details.

Of that, the residential renovation industry is expected to contribute 34,700 jobs, $3.7 billion in construction value; $1.8 billion in wages; and $900 million in federal and provincial government revenues. More details available here.

Metro Vancouver Future of the Region dialogues on construction and demolition waste diversion

Mon, 02 May 2011 18:11:18 GMT

I am pleased to participate here today in the beautiful Morris Wosk Centre for Dialogue. And kudos to Metro Vancouver and the Vancouver Board of Trade for hosting today’s dialogue.

When it comes to important issues such as waste management, we are all in it together – except the scoff-laws.

Frankly, Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association members are somewhat ahead of the curve. Nearly half of our 730 member companies are builders and/or renovators. Leaders in the residential construction industry, they have for some time been committed to waste reduction and diversion.

With 76 per cent diversion already achieved, our industry is exceeding Metro Vancouver’s target of 70 per cent diversion by 2015. Many of our members have adopted waste management practices associated with green labels such as LEED, BUILT GREEN and others.

The organization I represent and Metro Vancouver share the same vision for waste reduction. How we achieve this vision is where we might have differences of opinion.

We believe, for example, that the draft sample regulatory mechanism, as it is currently written, will be an increased burden on the construction industry, homeowners and municipalities.

It will also penalize those who choose to operate above-board and play by the rules.

It is tempting for homeowners to choose inexpensive and less onerous avenues. This year, in Metro Vancouver, 4.4 billion dollars will be spent on home renovation, improvement and repair. About the same amount Alex Burrows should get for scoring his overtime goal on Tuesday.

Seriously, and astonishingly, at least 30 per cent of those 4.4 billion dollars will be spent in the underground cash economy, where there are no written contracts, permits, inspections, WorkSafeBC compliance, liability insurance or tax remittances. In fact, no paper trail at all.

We fear introducing onerous waste-management regulation and associated fees will have the unintended consequence of exacerbating an already burgeoning underground cash economy.

Instead, we support a method that allows whoever applies for a demolition, renovation or building permit to make an agreement that their construction/demolition waste will be sent to an authorized licensed facility. This ensures the waste will be dealt with appropriately.

Because of constant contamination of sorting bins on-site from waste being dumped in them by other parties during off-hours, and the extra eight to ten hours a week staff were spending to sort waste, a number of our builder and renovator members have already moved to an offsite recycling model where a licensed facility sorts the waste. It seems to be working well for them.

This would avoid a significant amount of administration, paperwork, costs and confusion for homeowners, renovators, builders and municipalities.

It will take away any uncertainty about how much of a "recycling fee" the permit holder will receive back, eliminate any subjectivity as to who decides what percentage was recycled, and any possible disputes regarding what diversion rates were achieved.

Since the 1980s I have been involved with effective waste-management initiatives associated with new construction, renovation and deconstruction, and I am sure I will have an opportunity to expand on them during the interactive question phase of today’s dialogues.

Kermit the Frog said it’s not easy being green. Far be it for me to debate such a lovable character, but Kermit is wrong. It is easy being green.

We just need all stakeholders to work together to agree on responsible, efficient and cost-effective ways to deal with the waste issue without imposing unreasonable impediments on homeowners, industry and municipalities.

And, to make it all work, we need to ferret out and punish the scoff-laws who operate outside the rules.

Thank you.

Written and presented by Peter E. Simpson, President & CEO, GVHBA

GVHBA renOVATION Award winners announced

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:55:42 GMT

The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association (GVHBA) has announced the winners of its second annual renOVATION Awards, honouring excellence in home-renovation design and construction. The awards were presented Friday night in Vancouver.

Produced by the GVHBA Renovation Council, and presented by FortisBC, the awards program featured 65 finalists in 26 categories – including kitchens, bathrooms, green renovations, accessible renovations, condominium makeovers, heritage restorations, and outdoor living spaces.

The winners were selected by an experienced panel of award-winning renovation contractors from Nanaimo, Victoria, Kelowna, and Redmond, Washington, and an interior designer from Whistler.

“All winners and finalists should be proud of their achievements. These extraordinary home renovations are a testament to the superior design and construction work accomplished by renovation professionals throughout Metro Vancouver,” said GVHBA President and CEO Peter Simpson.

"FortisBC was extremely excited to once again be the presenting sponsor of the renOVATION Awards. We look forward to combining the strengths of the GVHBA and FortisBC to help the residential construction industry in the Lower Mainland achieve innovative and successful results when it comes to their projects and energy requirements,” said Dan Noel, regional energy solutions manager at FortisBC.

Burnaby-based TQ Construction and Delta-based Kenorah Construction & Design were tied with six awards each, followed by Surrey-based My House Design/Build Team with four awards. Best Builders of Delta, CCI Renovations of North Vancouver and Intermind Design of New Westminster won two awards each, while single awards were won by Build-Pros Construction (North Vancouver), Klondike Contracting (Vancouver), Level One Maintenance (Vancouver) and Maison d’etre design-build (Vancouver).

GVHBA RenoMark Renovators of the Year are TQ Construction (large volume) and Intermind Design (small volume).

To view the complete list of winners and before-and-after photographs of their exceptional renovation projects, visit www.ovationawards.ca.

Sponsors are: ACE Integrated Systems, BC Construction Safety Alliance, Blu Bathworks, Dick’s Lumber & Building Supplies, Epic Marketing Solutions, Green & Green The Creative Gift Company, Kitchen Craft, Martin Knowles Photo/Media, Minuteman Press, Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre, Sears Commercial, SPERO Mouldings and Emerald Series Doors by Moulding and Millwork, and The Brick Commercial Sales.

Media sponsors include Black Press, homeTRADER, Real Estate Weekly, The Province and The Vancouver Sun.

2011 GVHBA renOVATION Award winners, by category:

Category: Best Kitchen – Under $40,000
Sponsored by Kitchen Craft of Canada Ltd.
Intermind Design Inc., Kaleidoscope

Category: Best Kitchen – $40,000 - $79,999
Sponsored by Kitchen Craft of Canada Ltd.
Level One Maintenance Ltd., Kitchen Retreat

Category: Best Kitchen – $80,000 - $119,999
Sponsored by Kitchen Craft of Canada Ltd.
Kenorah Construction & Design Ltd., New Westminster Beauty

Category: Best Kitchen – $120,000 and over
Sponsored by Kitchen Craft of Canada Ltd.
Kenorah Construction & Design Ltd., Elegant Vancouver Kitchen

Category: Best Kitchen and Greatroom Renovation
Sponsored by Kitchen Craft of Canada Ltd.
TQ Construction Ltd., Wine & Dine Greatroom

Category: Best Bathroom Renovation – Under $20,000
Sponsored by Blu Bathworks
TQ Construction Ltd., Match-stick Powder Room

Category: Best Bathroom Renovation – $20,000 - $39,999
Sponsored by Blu Bathworks
Kenorah Construction & Design Ltd., New West Ensuite

Category: Best Bathroom Renovation – $40,000 and over
Sponsored by Blu Bathworks
CCI Renovations, Luxurious

Category: Best Renovated Room
TQ Construction Ltd., North Shore Retreat

Category: Best Special Feature
Build-Pros Construction Ltd., Khani Residence

Category: Best Addition/Conversion Renovation
Sponsored by BC Construction Safety Alliance
TQ Construction Ltd., Adderley Addition

Category: Best Accessible Renovation – $40,000 and over
Kenorah Construction & Design Ltd., Surrey Accessible Great Room

Category: Best Green Renovation
Sponsored by SPERO Mouldings and Emerald Series Doors by Moulding and Millwork
My House Design / Build Team Ltd., Dunbar Heritage

Category: Best Heritage Renovation
My House Design / Build Team Ltd., Dunbar Heritage

Category: Best Renovated Outdoor Living Space
Sponsored by Dick's Lumber & Building Supplies
Maison d'etre design-build inc., High-rise Harmony

Category: Best Exterior Renovation (Street Appeal)
TQ Construction Ltd., Natural Appeal

Category: Best Exterior Renovation (Whole House)
My House Design / Build Team Ltd., West Coast Zen

Category: Best Condominium Renovation
Sponsored by Sears Commercial
My House Design / Build Team Ltd., South View

Category: Best Renovation – Under $100,000
Sponsored by Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre
Klondike Contracting Corporation, Bachelor on 6th

Category: Best Renovation – $100,000 - $249,999
Sponsored by Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre
Kenorah Construction & Design Ltd., New Westminster Beauty

Category: Best Renovation – $250,000 - $399,999
Sponsored by Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre
Kenorah Construction & Design Ltd., Delta Modern Living

Category: Best Renovation – $400,000 - $599,999
Sponsored by Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre
Best Builders Ltd., West 12th Residence

Category: Best Renovation – $600,000 - $799,999
Sponsored by Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre
Best Builders Ltd., Quadra Street Residence

Category: Best Renovation – $1 million and over
Sponsored by Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre
CCI Renovations, Ripple Effect

Category: RenoMark Renovator of the Year - Small Volume
Sponsored by FortisBC
Intermind Design Inc.

Category: RenoMark Renovator of the Year - Large Volume
Sponsored by FortisBC
TQ Construction Ltd.

Please note: Before-and-after photos of all winning projects are available upon request. Contact Wendy McNeil (wendy@gvhba.org) for photos.

HPO’s newest Builder Insight #8 Bulletin: Compatibility of Fasteners and Connectors with Residential Pressure Treated Wood

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:20:20 GMT

Builder Insight #8 Bulletin: Compatibility of Fasteners and Connectors with Residential Pressure Treated Wood Now Available

Builder Insight is a series of bulletins designed to provide practical information on new technologies, research results, good building practices and emerging technical issues in residential construction to Licensed Residentail Builders and others in the industry. Past Builder Insight bulletins can be viewed on the HPO website.

17th annual GVHBA First-time Home Buyer Seminar, presented by the Homeowner Protection Office, Branch of BC Housing, was a big success

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:13:40 GMT

Thanks to the generous sponsors, informative speakers and the widespread promotion from our media partners, the 17th annual GVHBA First-time Home Buyer Seminar, presented by the Homeowner Protection Office, Branch of BC Housing, was a big success. More than 550 people registered for the free seminar, which was held on March 22 in Surrey. Following the seminar and the question period the attendees applauded enthusiastically. Click here to view the print ad, which includes the seminar content, speakers and sponsors.

Attendees completed a 26-question survey. The answers will help us to understand the needs and expectations of the typical first-time home buyer. The survey responses will be tabulated by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and eventually shared with GVHBA members and the media.

GVHBA Members Golden at Georgie Awards

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:12:57 GMT

A week ago GVHBA members won seven of 23 Canadian Home Builders' Association's National Sales and Marketing Awards, and last Friday GVHBA members won 32 of 45 Canadian Home Builders' Association of BC's Georgie Awards.

Winning eight Georgie Awards, GVHBA-member MAC Marketing Solutions dominated the marketing and sales categories. Congratulations to all winners throughout the province. For the list of the all the winners, click here.

The GVHBA renOVATION Awards, presented by FortisBC, recognizes excellence in renovation construction and design in Metro Vancouver. The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala on April 15 in Vancouver. For a list of the finalists, visit http://www.gvhba.org/renovation-awards.

GVHBA renOVATION Awards 2011

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:43:53 GMT

Click here to view the full list of GVHBA renOVATION Awards finalists!

Tickets to the second annual Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association (GVHBA) renOVATION Awards are now on sale! The Awards Gala will take place on Friday, April 15 at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel in Vancouver. Purchase your tickets here. Last year's event sold out!

HPO launches Residential Construction Performance Guide online

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:32:15 GMT

The Residential Construction Performance Guide is an essential tool for owners of homes with policies of home warranty insurance and Licensed Residential Builders. It helps owners to determine when they should file a warranty insurance claim. The Guide also helps builders to meet or exceed the standard to which their homes will be measured in the event of a claim. The Guide is designed primarily for conventional low-rise, wood-frame homes.

This FREE searchable online Guide:

Explains the minimum required performance of new homes under home warranty insurance
Features more than 200 performance conditions
Addresses possible defects in 15 major construction categories
Covers the most common defect claims submitted under a home warranty insurance policy
Provides uniform criteria to help consumers self-evaluate possible defects

To review this guide, click here.

GVHBA Members Expo

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:20:28 GMT

GVHBA's sixth annual Members' Expo was a huge hit. Click here to see the sponsors and highlights. Next year's expo will be held in March.