Wichita Area Builders Association

05/30/2026

Support students entering the trades and join us for Bags & Builders!

WABA Next Gen Committee is hosting its inaugural co****le tournament on June 12, and we’re looking for more teams to join the fun!

A portion of the proceeds will support a Build My Future scholarship for students entering the trades. Come enjoy co****le, raffles, food, drinks, networking, and friendly competition while supporting the future of the building industry.

Not a WABA member yet? This is a great opportunity to connect with members, learn more about WABA, and see what our association is all about.

Grab a teammate and register your team today!

Link to register is in the comments.

05/29/2026

Check out what our Professional Women in Building spent time doing this morning!

Hear from Angie George (Kansas Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty), Alyssa York (Meritrust Credit Union), Kris Tina Denison (WABA), Meaghan Sauder (RE/MAX Premier) Stephanie Smith (Strategic Remodel Inc.), Sarah Suter (Honey Do Homes), and Maulara Epperson (iHeartRadio) about why they chose to come out and give back today.

Thanks to everyone who participated in PWB’s Wichita Habitat for Humanity Build Day.

05/29/2026

We enjoyed hosting WSU’s Local Government Network, an organized group of city managers, as well as development and planning directors across south-central and southwestern Kansas. Attendees were presented with economic and historic data provided by Tim and Owen Shigley, of Shigley Construction. The presentation was followed by a valuable Q&A discussion.

These conversations are important because they bring together the public and private sectors to share perspectives, identify challenges, and work toward solutions that benefit residents and future homeowners alike. Open communication and collaborative relationships between local government leaders and the building industry help ensure that communities can continue to grow responsibly, address housing demand, and create an environment where families and businesses can thrive.

Thank you to Kathy Sexton, Senior Management Consultant for the Local Government Network, and to the Shigleys for the in-depth presentation.

05/26/2026

WABA hosted our annual Candidate Training Academy on Friday, preparing candidates for success both this summer for the primaries as well as in the fall for the general election. We look forward to working together in advancing pro-housing policies.

Thanks to Karl Eckhart, National Association of Home Builders VP for State & Local Government Affairs, for traveling to Wichita to put on the course. And we appreciated the opening remarks from Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty and Wichita Mayor Lily Wu!

05/25/2026

Today we honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Their courage and service will never be forgotten.

From all of us at WABA, we wish you a very meaningful Memorial Day.

05/21/2026

We enjoyed having Joy Eakins join us for a roundtable discussion at WABA! Joy, a Wichita business owner, is running for governor for the state of Kansas. We discussed education, property taxes and appraisal methodology, workforce development for the construction trades, and trade licensing.

The Kansas primaries are on August 4th, and the general election will be held on November 3rd.

05/20/2026

At our home builders association, accountability and professionalism matter. Our members commit to following a Code of Ethics designed to promote honesty, integrity, quality workmanship, and responsible business practices.

WABA is also unique in that we maintain a Grievance & Ethics Committee that reviews complaints and claims involving our members. When issues arise, we take them seriously and work to uphold the standards our community expects.

Choosing a WABA member means choosing a company that is part of an organization committed to professionalism, consumer confidence, and raising the standard for the building industry in our region. When you hire a WABA member, you’re not just hiring a contractor — you’re gaining an added level of quality assurance and peace of mind.

Blake and Beth Horio bought a home in 2022 in a Henderson, Nev., community thinking it would be an ideal place to retire. But soon, cracks began spreading across the ceilings. Their sliding glass doors wouldn’t open. Their foundation sank several inches, leaving a gap underneath the house. 🏠 https://on.wsj.com/49bJzdp

When an engineer who examined the home dropped a marble on the kitchen floor, it sped off into the corner. “Your home is sinking,” he told them.

Now, the Horios are involved in a legal dispute with the home’s builder. The couple said the company responded to their complaints, but performed only cosmetic repairs of a ceiling crack and ultimately failed to address the underlying soil issue.

“We worked hard to get here and we can’t enjoy our home,” said Beth Horio. “I can’t even have coffee outside. I can’t get outside.”

The legal liabilities of some of America’s biggest home builders, including D.R. Horton and Lennar, have surged in recent years as buyers increasingly sue for damages from alleged construction defects.

Homeowners say the legal claims are the result of builders constructing shoddier, error-ridden homes. They allege that builders are using cheaper materials, cutting corners and hiring unqualified and undersupervised subcontractors.

Builders say the claims reflect a tiny fraction of the total homes they produce and that errors are typically the fault of subcontractors, not the companies.

Read more: https://on.wsj.com/49bJzdp

05/18/2026

Meet Keely Carney, the Kansas Building Industry Association’s new executive officer! Keely serves as our eyes and ears in our state Capitol, during the legislative session and throughout the year.

KBIA and the Kansas Builders Insurance Group work tirelessly to provide protection and benefits to HBA members throughout the state. If you are a WABA member, give KBIA and KBIG a follow on social media and see how you can get involved and make the best use of the benefits you are entitled to!

05/11/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Mandy Bredehoft, the winner of our Spring 2026 Parade of Homes $500 Cash Giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who participated, shared, and joined us during this year’s Parade of Homes. We loved seeing the excitement around the incredible homes, builders, and communities featured throughout Wichita.

And of course, a special thank you to all of our builders, partners, and visitors who helped make the Spring 2026 Parade of Homes such a success.

Stay tuned to see what exciting things we have coming for the Parade of Homes in Fall 2026 🏡

05/08/2026

What a day at the 2026 WABA Golf Tournament!

We want to thank Master Plumbing Inc for the coffee and donuts in the morning; and Security 1st Title and The Insurance Guys for sponsoring and serving lunch.

Congratulations to the team at Quality Granite and Interiors for winning the best dressed award, and Four Seasons Insulation on best booth!

And thanks to Mike Flores for arranging the prizes for 1st and 2nd place teams in both flights!