The 2026 Awards for DMV Contractors, Founders & Companies

The 2026 Make It Livable Awards

• Drywall Contractor of the Year, Walls and ceilings that look like nothing ever happened to them. The crew who patches properly, matches the texture, and takes the dust with them when they go.
• Painting Contractor of the Year, Clean lines, no drips on the trim, and colour that still looks right two years later. The painter who preps the surface instead of painting over the problem.
• Framing Contractor of the Year, Square, level and right the first time. Everything built after the framers depends on how carefully they worked.
• Flooring Contractor of the Year, Floors laid flat and tight, with no gaps opening up by the second winter. Measured twice, and finished at the edges where most people stop caring.
• HVAC Contractor of the Year, Heat in January and cool air in August, from someone who will tell you honestly whether you need a whole new system or just a repair.
• Plumbing Contractor of the Year, The plumber who finds the actual leak, fixes it once, and does not leave you living with a hole in the ceiling for a fortnight.
• Electrical Contractor of the Year, Safe work behind the wall, done to code, by someone who explains what they found rather than just handing you the bill.
• General Contractor of the Year, One person accountable for the whole project. They run the trades, keep the order right, and answer for it when something slips.
• Remodeling Contractor of the Year, The kitchen or bathroom you pictured, finished to that standard, by someone who tells you where things stand before you have to ask.
• Roofing Contractor of the Year, A roof that stops the leak and survives the next storm, from someone honest about whether it needs replacing or only repairing.
• Carpentry Contractor of the Year, Trim, built-ins and custom work with tight joints and a finish that holds up when you look at it closely.
• Landscaping Contractor of the Year, Outdoor work that still looks good at the end of the season, not just on the afternoon the crew drives away.
• Commercial Cleaning Company of the Year, The cleaning company that still does it properly on the tenth visit. Trusted inside occupied offices, schools and medical space, where people notice when standards slip.
• Commercial Floor Care Company of the Year, The floor care team that makes a tired building look cared for again. Judged on the finish they leave behind and on working around your schedule, not theirs.
• Auto Detailing Business of the Year, The detailer who treats your car the way you would. A careful finish at a fair price, without the swirl marks and the upsells.
• Entrepreneur of the Year, A founder who built something worth keeping, and who treats customers and staff the way they would want to be treated.
• Rising Star, A newer DMV business, under five years old, already working to a standard well beyond its age.
• Women-Owned Business of the Year, A women owned business the DMV is better for having.
• Veteran-Owned Business of the Year, A veteran owned business the DMV is better for having.
• Minority-Owned Business of the Year, A minority owned business the DMV is better for having.
• Family-Owned Business of the Year, A family run business that has held its standards through more than one generation.
• Community Impact Award, A business that made its own neighbourhood better. Training people, hiring locally, or doing work for families who could not otherwise afford it.