Events

ABC Chesapeake Shores invites you to enter your best projects in this year’s Excellence in Construction Awards competition! Join the ranks of hundreds of Merit Shop construction companies recognized as the best in the industry.

Our annual Excellence in Construction Awards recognizes and celebrates outstanding projects built by ABC Chesapeake Shores’ members. The awards competition serves to raise the construction standards throughout the industry by honoring quality craftsmanship produced by merit shop contractors and their employees. All award winners will be recognized at our awards celebration on Thursday, September 12, 2024 [The Hotel at Arundel Preserve]. The ceremony will feature a presentation and a printed program highlighting each award-winning project. Please note that there will be no Project of the Year award; however, all winners at the Chapter level are eligible to compete for the National Excellence in Construction Awards.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible projects must have been completed (e.g. Certificate of Occupancy issued) between January 1, 2023 and June 1, 2024.

Projects that won ABC awards in previous years are not eligible except in the case of substantial renovation or additions.

Other eligibility requirements:

Only current ABC Chesapeake Shores (ABCCS) Members may enter.
Any licensed general contractor, specialty contractor, or construction manager may enter.
Subcontractors acting as the general contractor on the project entered are eligible.
Joint ventures are eligible if one of the firms is an ABCCS Member.
Any company entering in the trade category must have self-performed the job.
No project that was subject to a requirement that contractors enter into an agreement with any labor union as a condition of performing work is eligible.
Projects that won ABC awards in previous years are not eligible except in the case of substantial renovation or additions.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Saturday, June 1, 2024 – Date by which construction of the submitted project must be completed
Friday, June 21, 2024 – Phase I: Deadline to register your project (intent to compete)
Friday, July 12, 2024 – Phase II: Deadline to submit the final application and supplemental materials. Applicants will have until 11:59 p.m. ET to finalize all applications
Thursday, September 12, 2024 – Awards Banquet

How to Apply

All applications are submitted electronically following the below steps. It is recommended you use Google Chrome to ensure program compatibility.

Click Apply Now!
For first-time applicants, create a username and password to access the registration and application pages. If you have submitted previously, your username and password remains the same from year to year.
Complete Phase I—your intent-to-compete registration—and submit payment. You may select to pay by check or credit card.
A confirmation email will be sent to you containing the link to continue on to Phase II—the application. You may save your information as you go and revisit the application as needed.
When ready, click Save and Finalize to submit the application. Once the application is finalized, you will no longer be able to make edits. A confirmation will be emailed to you.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The $350 application fee is non-refundable or transferable to a future submission. Be sure to review the application criteria and eligibility prior to entering your submission.

HELPFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES:

Watch this six-minute tutorial to learn more about the application process or watch this Guide to Developing an Award-winning Project Submission.
ABC Chesapeake Shores hosted a How to Craft a Winning EIC Submission webinar in April 2023. Please note that deadlines and dates mentioned in this recorded webinar were for the 2023 competition; however, the content and best practices reviewed apply to the 2024 application and competition.

Judging and Winner Notifications

Judging will take place during early to mid-August and applicants will be notified of their status via email.

Please note: Judging teams will only perform a site visit in the event they need additional information or projects are tied in points. Be sure to submit all detailed, relevant information in your submission for a proper score from our team of judges.

Creating a Successful Entry

The scope defines the project. Be sure to include all the items outlined in the application. Use bullets to allow judges to easily learn about your project.

The narrative tells the story. Worth almost a third of the total point value, the narrative should be the highlight of the application. This is where applicants can brag about why a project is special. Obstacles that were overcome and explanations of extenuating circumstances should be communicated clearly and succinctly.

Safety is always a priority. Be sure to include the information requested in this section of the application, but also take the opportunity to describe innovative safety programs that were utilized during the project.

Remember because the judges are not able to visit your project site in person, your photographs are very important to your entry’s success. It is important to include photographs that demonstrate progress (i.e. before and after).

Take advantage of all possible points! Participating in ABC’s Safety Management System (STEP) and achieving the Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) credential will also earn two additional points per program. Both programs include an application process so be sure to get an early start.

Please note that ABC Chesapeake Shores follows the same criteria and uses the same platform for submissions as ABC National.

Good luck!

General Category

Projects with members performing as general contractors or construction managers:

Mega-Projects

includes all projects more than $100 million, regardless of type, whether General Contractor or Construction Management.

Commercial

includes office buildings, banks, retail facilities, hotels or mixed use buildings.

Community / Public Service

includes philanthropic projects, regardless of type, that enhanced the community, using substantial resources donated by the contractor. Entries should include information detailing the donated resources.

Federal Government / Military

includes all projects owned by the Federal Government, with the exception of transportation infrastructure and utilities.

Healthcare

hospitals, assisted living, nursing homes and other licensed medical facilities.

Historical Restoration / Renovation

restoration of buildings that are registered as historical, or are eligible to be registered as historical, on a state or the national registry of historic places.

Industrial

category covers manufacturing plants and facilities, refineries and similar types of construction.

Infrastructure-Heavy

covers projects streets or highways, dams, bridges and parks.

Institutional

covers buildings built for colleges, elementary or secondary schools, churches, local government structures; with the exception of healthcare facilities.

Pre-Engineered Building

encompasses commercial, industrial and institutional building projects where the primary structure is a pre-engineered metal building. Previous winners include an indoor skating complex, a boat manufacturing plant and an office/warehouse facility. Entries should include information regarding the extent of the project this is pre-engineered (i.e. are there conventional components or portions of the building?) The contractors role on the project (i.e. supply and erect steel, general contractor or design/builder) and why a pre-engineered building was utilized.

Public Works / Environment

covers water treatment plants and sewage treatment plants.

Renovation

includes the renovation or restoration of non-historical, existing buildings with more than 50 percent of square footage that has been renovated or restored.

Residential

covers single-family homes and multi-family projects and condominiums, including independent living retirement communities.

Other Construction

includes construction not specifically referred to in the above, such as theme parks, skate parks, water parks, zoos, and other unique types of projects.

Specialty Category

Projects with members performing as specialty contractors:

Community / Public Service

Electrical

covers any electrical contract more than $10 million.

Electrical – Commercial

contracts less than $10 million for electrical systems in a facility built for the benefit of people comfort and occupancy such as: office buildings, hospitals, schools, shopping centers, call centers, multi-family residential, hotels, convention centers, fountain features in a commercial facility, sports arena and stadium, fire or security alarms, parking lots, medical laboratories or renovation in an existing facility.

Electrical – Industrial

contracts less than $10 million including electrical systems built for the purpose of facilitating processes or manufacturing. Examples are manufacturing plants, processing plants, clean rooms, data centers, printing and processing centers, airports, animal facilities or electrical renovation in an existing industrial facility.

Exterior

includes masonry, precast, stone and all other exterior finishes.

Interior

areas to include but not limited to are as follows: Metal stud and gypsum, Ceiling finishes, Painting and wall coverings, Other wall finishes and flooring. It is our intent to award based on degree of complexity and high end finishes showcasing the abilities

Mechanical

covers any mechanical contract more than $10 million.

Mechanical – Commercial

contracts less than $10 million for mechanical systems in a facility built for the benefit of people comfort and occupancy such as office buildings, hospitals, schools, shopping centers, call centers, multi-family residential, hotels, convention centers, fountain features in a commercial facility, sports arenas and stadiums, medical laboratories or mechanical renovation in an existing commercial facility.

Mechanical – Industrial

contracts less than $10 million for mechanical systems built for the purpose of facilitating processes or manufacturing. Examples are manufacturing plants, processing plants, clean rooms, data centers, printing and processing centers, animal facilities or mechanical renovation in an existing industrial facility.

Sitework / Landscape / Hardscape

commercial construction not specifically referred to in the prior specialty categories.

Other Specialty Construction: Commercial

covers construction not specifically referred to in the above specialty categories, such as roofing, fountain features or artistic scaffolding

Other Specialty Construction: Industrial

industrial construction not specifically referred to in the prior specialty categories.