2024 REX/T-REX Awards Entry Rules & Form

2024 REX/T-REX Awards Entry Form

Overview

The Remodeling Excellence (REX) and Trades Remodeling Excellence (T-REX) Awards are presented by the Remodelers Council of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, the oldest Remodelers Council in the nation. This annual event is a celebration of craftsmanship and superior remodeling expertise. Festivities traditionally include a cocktail hour, dinner, and awards ceremony. REX/T-REX is a combined awards celebration; trades partners and designers are recognized alongside REX winners.

Entrants are encouraged to attend and to invite staff, subcontractors, and homeowner clients, as well as friends and business partners. T-REX recipients are especially encouraged to attend. This is an opportunity to show appreciation and support to all involved in a project.

REX Entry Requirements

ELIGIBILITY

Applicant must be a member in good standing of the of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, an active member of the Remodelers Council in good standing and have attended at least two (2) RC events (includes Council Collectives) within the last 12 months of the application entry date.

Email councils@dektinary.com if you are unsure of your membership status or otherwise need assistance.

Projects completed after January 1, 2022, and not previously entered in REX are eligible for entry.

ENTRY FEES & PAYMENT

$XXX per entry (included with entry is one (1) ticket to the event)

Upon completion of a submission, the form confirmation page will include a link to pay on dektinary.com. Open that link, pay, then click confirm to submit your entries into the judging platform. Online payment is due at the time of entry. Unpaid entries will not be saved and will be disqualified.

2024 REX/T-REX Awards Entry Form

REX Application Requirements

REX JUDGING CRITERIA

When completing your application refer to the following Judging Criteria:

• Aesthetics—visual appeal
  
  • Does the remodel look attractive?
  • Does the craftsmanship look professional?
• Special or unique design solutions—space planning, livability
  • How does creativity work into the remodel?
  • Is the remodel functional beyond the previous design?
• Quality—special crafting, exceptional features
  • What are the outstanding features of the project?
  • Is there attention to detail?
• Use of appropriate building materials—complements existing structure and design
  • Did the remodeler use materials that enhance the design?
  • Were there excess materials?
• Budgetary consideration—solutions to budgetary constraints
  • How did the project keep within the budget and still deliver client expectations?
  • Were there any measures to cut costs?
• Challenges and obstacles—unique challenges the entrant faced in completing the project
  • Were there any unexpected obstacles that called for adjustments?
  • Were there unusual circumstances that created additional challenges?

JUDGING SPECIFICS

All entries are judged uniquely on their own merits by a panel of professionals from various fields of expertise. Each of the six judging criteria are assigned a maximum number of points. The project in each category with the most points will receive the award. The judges’ decisions are final.

Our judges reserve the right to withhold an award in a category if the projects submitted do not score adequate points or do not meet the definition of the category.

Categories with six (6) or more entries will have a first and second place award to honor the diverse projects submitted by our members.

MULTIPLE ENTRIES

A maximum of ten (10) REX entries are allowed per company.

Entries can be entirely separate projects with different addresses. Applicants are also allowed to enter the same project in more than one category, i.e., a full main floor remodel may be entered independently in both the Major Remodel and Kitchen categories.

Any project entered into more than one category must have a unique project description and photos isolating the individual room. Entries that do not conform may be disqualified and will have only one (1) entry eligible.

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

• Provide a unique project description for each project you submit. Registrants must submit a unique project description for each category entered.
• Limit each description to 400 words (2,500 characters).
• If you enter the same project into multiple categories, you must use a different description for each category entered.
• Do not include company or client names in your project description or project titles.
• Ensure that your descriptions are complete, correct, and proofread.
• Any applications without a description will not be considered for judging.
• MBA or Master Builders Association or Association Staff may shorten descriptions for use in awards ceremony voice overs, press releases, promotions, and other publicity.
• The exact descriptions you submit may be read aloud during or pre-recorded for the event.

• Description recommendations:

  • Project descriptions are used by the judges in evaluating your entry. Keep the judging criteria in mind (see above). Describe the challenges of the project and the benefits to the homeowner of the results.
  • Outline any features specific to the category you are entering. For example, when applying for the Green Remodel Excellence category, be sure to outline any environmentally friendly features included in the project.

PHOTOGRAPHY

• Use different photos for each submission, specific to the category entered.
  • If entering the same project in multiple categories your photos must be different for each separate entry.
• Exterior photos (at least 1) are required for project(s) that involve an addition.
• For each entry, submit no more than 12 photos, including a minimum of:
  • Two (2) before photos
  • Two (2) after photos, including one (1) horizontal after photo. If a horizontal photo is not provided, there will not be a visual display of your project at the REX awards banquet.
  • The initial four required photos must be uploaded before additional photo entry fields will appear
• After photos submitted must submitted as a high resolution (300 pixels per inch, 4600 x 2600 pixel minimum, typically at least 10 MB file size) PNG or JPG file.
• All photos are to be single-image (no collages) and in color.
• Do not include any form of logo, watermark, or photo credit on your photos.
• File names are visible to the judges, so do not include company names, client names, or addresses in your project photo file names.
• Any applications that do not meet these photo requirements, will not be considered for judging.
• Photo recommendations:
  • It is important to convey the scope of your project clearly. Create a presentation for the judges to visualize the spirit of the remodel.
  • To best illustrate your project:
    • Take before and after photos from the same location and angle
    • Use a professional photographer
    • Submit multiple after images showing the remodeled area, as well as close-ups of key features.
    • When a photo illustrates a special feature or particularly challenging aspect of a project noted in a description, it can be helpful for judges when entrants site the photo # in their project description and/or use photo file names to call out those features or challenges. For example:

Description: “The homeowner is an avid baker and wanted a large island for rolling out dough. To make space and improve flow, walls were removed between the kitchen and dining room and the back of the house was extended.” (photo 2)
Photo 2: large-bakers-island.png

PROJECT FLOOR PLANS

• Floor plan submission is required for all REX categories.
• If a before (as-built) floorplan is unavailable, a before picture may be accepted. Please note this in your application form.
  • For your entry to be judged with a full understanding of the project, submitting a before (as-built) floorplan is highly recommended.
• Limit each entry to one “before” plan and one “after” plan. Preferably only one page for each is to be submitted.
• Floorplans may be submitted as a PNG, JPG, or PDF with a maximum file size of 30 MB; PNGs and JPGs are preferred for virtual judging.
• Remove client and company names, logos, and addresses from floor plans before submitting, including in floorplan file names.

PROJECT BUDGET

• The Project budget for each REX category is compiled by referencing your total costs billed to the client (homeowner) for their remodel by your company – excluding sales tax, permits, design or architecture fees.
• Self-Performed Labor: If your project entry is a property that and/or your company owns and labor was self-performed, you must include the costs for your labor in the overall project costs on the application.
• Entering Multiple categories: when entering the same project into multiple REX categories, include only the project cost for the category being entered. Thus, a separate budget is to be calculated for each category you apply the project for. 

LOGO

• Provide your company logo as a vector file (EPS) or as a high-resolution PNG or JPG file (minimum 1200 pixels tall or wide, at least 150 KB).

2024 REX/T-REX Awards Entry Form

REX Entry Categories

Please review the categories carefully and enter the category that best represents your project. MBAKS and our judges reserve the right to recategorize any submission to a more appropriate category.

Category 1: Design

Open to architects and designers

1. Architecture
2. Interior Design

Category 2: Interior/Exterior Details

Open to remodelers and designers

1. Less Than $100,000
2. More Than $100,000

Category 3: Bath

Open to remodelers and designers

1. Less Than $60,000
2. $60,000 to $100,000
3. $100,000 to $200,000
4. More Than $200,000

Category 4: Kitchen

Open to remodelers and designers

1. Less Than $80,000 (pre-show)
2. $80,000 to $150,000
3. $150,000 to $250,000
4. More Than $250,000

Category 5: Addition

Open to remodelers and designers

1. Less Than $400,000
2. More Than $400,000

Category 6: Outdoor Living

Open to remodelers and designers

1. Less Than $300,000
2. More Than $300,000

Category 7: Major Remodel

Open to remodelers and designers

1. Less Than $300,000
2. $300,000 to $600,000
3. $600,000 to $900,000
4. More Than $900,000

Category 8: Historical

Open to remodelers and designers 

Category 9: ADU / DADU

Open to remodelers

1. Less Than $300,000
2. More Than $300,000

Category 10: Green Remodel

Open to remodelers and designers 

Category 11: Aging in Place

Open to all

1. Less Than $100,000
2. More Than $100,000

Category 12: Get Away Room/Basement

Open to all. Does not include basement ADU—submit basement ADU in Category 9.

Category 13: Best Small Space Solution

Open to all

Category 14: Most Artistically Aesthetic

Open to all

Category 15: Best Problem Solution

Open to all

Category 16: Best for Entertaining

Open to all

Category 17: People's Choice

Not for entry—will be chosen at the awards banquet.

Category 18: Best in Show

Not for entry—determined by scoring.

2024 REX/T-REX Awards Entry Form

Trades Remodeling Excellence (T-REX) Awards

REX entrants are asked to identify two trades partners, designers, architects, vendors, and/or suppliers to recognize their contributions to your project(s) entry. We highly encourage you to tell your trade partner to join MBAKS to be eligible to receive an award. All trade partners must be members to receive recognition for their work in your project, for purposes of this awards program.
NOTE: Only T-REX nominees that are current Master Builders Association members or who join by April 1, 2024, are eligible to receive a T-REX award. The T-REX award ceremony will be held separately this year – time and date to be determined.