Apply for consideration
We publish five builders per market. Applications are welcome, are read, and do not guarantee inclusion — and no amount of money changes an editorial position.
Editorial consideration for one of five published positions in your market. Applying puts your information in front of us. It confers no advantage over builders we identify independently, it does not create a queue, and it cannot be accelerated by payment. Most applications will not result in a profile, and we would rather say that plainly than imply otherwise.
What applying does and does not mean
- We feature a limited number of builders in each market. Five. That number is set by research capacity, not by scarcity marketing, and it is why most applications do not result in a profile.
- An application does not guarantee inclusion, and does not create a position in a queue. There is no queue.
- Factual information is independently reviewed. Licensing and warranty enrolment are verified against public registers. Project claims are checked against published records and, where relevant, with the architects and photographers credited.
- You may submit project photography and company details. Submit only images you hold the rights to publish, and tell us who the photographer is so they can be credited.
- Sponsored opportunities are separate from editorial selection. They are sold separately, labelled wherever they appear, and have no effect on ranking.
- We may request client references, project documentation or verification materials before publishing. Declining is not disqualifying, and it is recorded on the profile as “Not yet verified”.
What actually happens
We acknowledge receipt
Usually within a business day. That is a confirmation your submission arrived, not an indication of outcome.
Eligibility screening
Licensing or registration where your province requires it, and current new home warranty enrolment, verified against the applicable public register. This is a hard floor.
Desk research
Your documented work, service areas, specialties, collaborators and public record, assembled with a source recorded for each fact. We do not write down anything we cannot source.
Assessment
Against the thirteen published criteria. The output is a written rationale, not a score. Most applications stop here, and most of the time the reason is that the market selection is already published and nothing warrants displacing a current position.
Verification request
If shortlisted, you receive the factual portion of a draft profile to confirm, correct or decline. Editorial text is not sent for approval and is not negotiated.
Publication or hold
Either a profile goes live with a verification status and a last-verified date, or your file is held for the next market review. We do not publish a waiting list.
Submit your company for consideration
Everything marked required is genuinely required. Everything else improves the quality of the assessment, and nothing improves your odds except the work.
What actually strengthens an application
Not marketing copy. These are the things that make a profile publishable rather than merely plausible.
| Strengthens | Does nothing | Weakens |
|---|---|---|
| Documented projects with the architect, designer and photographer credited | A gallery of uncredited photographs | Project claims that cannot be corroborated anywhere |
| Current licensing and warranty enrolment we can verify in five minutes | A statement that you are “fully licensed and insured” | A licence or enrolment that cannot be confirmed on the public register |
| A candid description of your contract form, allowance practice and change-order process | A page about your commitment to quality | Declining to describe your process at all |
| References from architects and designers you have built for | Testimonials with no attributable source | A material inconsistency between your claims and the public record |
| Awards from a body with an assessment process, verifiable with that body | Awards with a paid entry and no assessment | Awards we cannot verify with the awarding body |
| A clear, narrow specialty you can evidence | Claiming every segment of the market equally | Claiming acreage, infill, mountain and renovation expertise with evidence for none |
Builder questions
Does applying guarantee inclusion?
No. We publish five builders per market and most applications will not result in a profile. Applying gets your information in front of us and confers no advantage over builders we identify independently through permit records, published projects and architect references.
Does it cost anything to apply?
No. There is no application fee, no listing fee and no fee attached to editorial inclusion in any form.
Can I pay to be included or ranked higher?
No. Editorial position is not for sale under any arrangement. Sponsored opportunities exist, are sold separately, are labelled wherever they appear, and never move an editorial ranking. A builder who declines sponsorship is not disadvantaged, and one who buys it is not protected from an accurate unfavourable statement.
What if the selection in my market is already full?
Selections are reviewed at least annually and positions can change. Your file is held and considered at the next review. We will not tell you that you are “next in line”, because there is no queue and saying otherwise would be misleading.
Will you tell me if I am not selected?
We will confirm receipt and let you know if we open research in your market. We do not send individual rejection notices for every application, and we do not publish reasons for non-selection — partly because the most common reason is simply that no position warranted displacement.
Can I review the profile before it publishes?
You review the factual portion — name, headquarters, service areas, founding year, leadership, specialties, warranty provider, memberships, contact details — and you can correct anything wrong. The editorial assessment is written independently, is not sent for approval, and is not negotiated. That separation is the reason the rankings mean anything.
What if a published fact about my company is wrong?
Tell us and we will fix it. Corrections are recorded with the date and the substance of the change rather than silently edited. The corrections process is open to anyone, whether or not you applied.
Already listed, and something is wrong?
Factual corrections are free, open to anyone, and recorded with the date and substance of the change rather than edited silently.