Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains

What Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains does

The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains (BABRM) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association serving residential construction professionals across Western North Carolina. Founded in 1966 as the Asheville Home Builders Association, the organization expanded its footprint in 2021 through a merger with the Henderson Transylvania Home Builders Association, creating the current four-county service area covering Henderson, Transylvania, Buncombe, and Madison counties. With more than 1,200 members and a small professional staff of 1-10 employees, BABRM ranks as the 13th largest home builders association in the United States and operates as a local affiliate of both the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA).

BABRM's revenue model rests on tiered annual membership dues: Builder/Associate members pay $665, Affiliate members $115, and Student members $25. Beyond dues, the association generates revenue from event sponsorships, member-directory advertising, continuing-education programs, and an Education Foundation that administers scholarships. Service delivery spans government affairs advocacy, workforce development programming, member networking events, code and regulatory education, and benefits negotiated through its NAHB and NCHBA affiliations. Pricing is uniform and published, with no enterprise-tier customization.

In 2024, BABRM emerged as a central coordinating body for regional disaster recovery following Hurricane Helene, which devastated Western North Carolina. The association's response earned national recognition from NAHB and reshaped its value proposition around emergency coordination and rebuilding advocacy. Concurrent moves included expansion of workforce development initiatives, Education Foundation scholarship activities, and the buildout of new office and classroom space — collectively signaling capacity investment beyond traditional dues-collection activities.

Name

Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Legal name

Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Website

https://bablueridge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a non-profit trade association serving over 1,200 residential construction professionals across four Western North Carolina counties, providing advocacy, workforce development, and member services since 1966.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Swannanoa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Builder, Associate, Affiliate, and Student members. Builder and Associate memberships are $665 annually; Affiliate memberships are $115 annually; Student memberships are $25 annually. Membership includes automatic affiliation with NCHBA and NAHB.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BABRM is a regional 501(c)(6) home builders trade association that sells annual memberships (Builder, Associate, Affiliate, Student tiers) bundled with automatic NAHB and NCHBA affiliation, and supplements them with advocacy representation, continuing education, workforce development, signature consumer events (Parade of Homes, Build & Remodel Expo), member discounts/rebates, and scholarship funding through its Education Foundation.

Product overview

The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a membership-based trade association offering multiple membership tiers (Builder, Associate, Affiliate, and Student) that automatically include membership in NCHBA and NAHB. The organization provides signature events including the WNC Parade of Homes and Build & Remodel Expo, advocacy services at local/state/national levels, continuing education programs, workforce development initiatives, and scholarship funding through its Education Foundation. Member benefits include access to the member directory, job board, discount programs from partners like Lowe's and Sherwin Williams, and rebate programs averaging over $1,200 annually. Community engagement includes events like PWB Backpacks & Building Futures and the WNC STARS Awards program. The association does not offer a technology product but provides services to over 1,200 members in Western North Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Builder Membership Annual membership ($665/year) for residential/commercial builders, remodelers, general contractors, custom builders, and green builders holding an active NC General Contractors License, granting advocacy representation, networking, education access, marketing exposure, and member discounts; automatic BABRM + NCHBA + NAHB affiliation.
• Associate Membership Annual membership ($665/year) for non-licensed building-industry businesses such as interior designers, architects, mortgage bankers, suppliers, subcontractors, landscapers, painters, and engineers, providing directory listings, marketing exposure, networking, and event access.
• Affiliate Membership Annual membership ($115/year) for additional employees of companies with an active Builder or Associate Membership, providing directory exposure, event attendance, and member communications.
• Student Membership Annual membership ($25/year) for students pursuing construction careers, providing networking, mentorship, internship connections, leadership development, education discounts, and scholarship access.
• WNC Parade of Homes Annual showcase of new homes, remodeling, and design presented by BABRM members, featuring builder showcase homes, the official Parade Magazine, and advertising opportunities for participants.
• Build & Remodel Expo Annual consumer-facing expo connecting homeowners with home building and remodeling products, services, and BABRM-member professionals.
• WNC STARS Awards Local recognition program celebrating excellence in the Western North Carolina building industry across categories such as custom homes, remodels, green building, marketing, and community impact, with winners advancing to the state-level NCHBA STARS Awards.
• Education Foundation Scholarships Scholarship program funded by the Asheville Home Builders Education Foundation (501(c)(3)) for students studying building science, solar, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, architecture, and other construction-related fields.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members achieved over 40% of NCHBA State Awards in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBABRM is an affiliate of NAHB, providing members automatic dual membership. NAHB advocates on behalf of home builders nationally on issues including tax code, federal housing programs, environmental laws, building codes, OSHA, building materials, and housing finance. NAHB provides education resources, safety toolkits, eLearning courses, and designations/certifications.
• North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBABRM is affiliated with NCHBA, providing members automatic triple membership. NCHBA works to protect affordability of housing and enhance economic and social benefit to communities. NCHBA manages NC BuildPAC political action committee and state-level awards programs. Local winners from WNC STARS Awards advance to compete at NCHBA STARS Awards.
• NC BuildPACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNC BuildPAC is the political action committee of NCHBA, organized to support pro-housing candidates at state and local government levels. 30% of funds raised by BABRM for NC BuildPAC return to local reserve to directly support local candidates in Western North Carolina communities.
• Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (AB Tech)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for workforce development and construction education. BABRM supports education programs and scholarships for students. AB Tech students have participated in programs like the nano dwelling unit project supported by the Education Foundation.
• Home Builders Institute (HBI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAHB's workforce development partner providing training and resources for careers in residential construction. Referenced as a resource for students exploring trade school options.
• A-B TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for WNC STARS Awards Gala and other association events.
• Builders FirstSourceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of BABRM events and programs.
• WarmsteadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the 2026 WNC Parade of Homes.
• WNC Floor & HomeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent host for After Hours networking events.
• Best Buy MetalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Maximize Your Membership: Free Beer Friday event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greater Houston Builders Association: Major Texas regional HBA; comparable as a peer residential construction trade association with similar membership tiers, education programs, and consumer-facing home shows.
• Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association: Large Southeast regional HBA; comparable as a similarly structured local/regional home builders association offering tiered membership, signature showcase homes events, and workforce development programs.
• Charlotte Regional Builders Association: A larger North Carolina local HBA serving the Charlotte region; directly comparable as a peer regional home builders association offering tiered membership, advocacy, Parade of Homes-style events, and discount programs.
• Triangle Builders Association: Raleigh-Durham area HBA; comparable as another North Carolina local HBA offering Builder/Associate membership, consumer-facing home shows, and advocacy aligned with NCHBA.
• Home Builders Association of Greater Austin: Central Texas regional HBA; comparable peer association offering similar advocacy, networking, education, and signature home show events to residential builders and associates.
• Dallas Builders Association: Large Texas regional HBA; comparable as a peer home builders trade association with tiered membership, government affairs, awards programs, and annual home show events.
• Home Builders Association of Virginia: Statewide HBA in Virginia; comparable as a peer state-level residential construction trade association offering tiered memberships, advocacy, education, and awards programs aligned with NAHB.
• Builders Association of the Twin Cities: Minneapolis-St. Paul regional HBA; comparable as a peer local home builders association delivering advocacy, education, membership directories, and consumer-facing Parade of Homes events.

Regional players

• North Carolina Home Builders Association: The state-level HBA to which BABRM is affiliated; directly comparable as a state trade association offering similar membership tiers, advocacy through NC BuildPAC, and the STARS Awards program where BABRM members compete.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Home Builders: The national federation to which BABRM is affiliated; comparable as the umbrella trade association for residential construction in the U.S., providing advocacy, education, and certifications that BABRM members access automatically.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ashevillehomebuild
• Facebookfacebook.com/BABlueRidgeMtns
• Instagraminstagram.com/bablueridgemtns
• Xx.com/ashevillehba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baoftheblueridgemtns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains