This is an interesting and different topic. Glad to learn that feeding contractors is not common.

Drinks only here too. But I always offer everyone who comes in a drink. (non-alcoholic) When the kitchen was being done the old refrigerator was still plugged in, just pushed over in another part of the room. I bought cases of water and soda and told them to help themselves.

Might be because I drink water all day long myself and assume everyone else needs drnks too. Plus there was no sink, of course. I also offer bottles of soda or water to appliance and furniture delivery people. Especially if they are installing or assembling something. Everyone walks out with their water bottle, even in winter. :)

We are DIY'ing a new home, as my husband works in the construction industry. We don't really have anyone coming in and out to work at our new house other than one of our employees on occasion, and every once in a while DH's business partner (who is also his uncle) will come to help. On the days the two of them assist my DH and I, we always buy pizza.

The only time we had a "stranger" on the property was when the well drillers were here, and we offered water and for lunch I ordered pizza. They seemed quite surprised, but accepted and ate.

If I had hired anyone else, I'm sure I would have offered water and something simple to eat, but that is just the way we are.
It's not what my DH expects on the jobsite though, and actually prefers if the homeowner does not buy food. He packs a lunch, takes coffee and ice water. I'm sure he would appreciate extra water on a hot day (he is a mason), but otherwise it is best to just leave him to work in peace. My DH would much rather focus on the task at hand, get it done, and get home to his family. I'm not saying he wouldn't appreciate the hospitality, but he would most likely decline. Our employees, on the other hand, would probably gobble up everything in sight to the dismay of my DH. :)

We aren't living in our house, so can't really feed them on a daily basis, nor would I.

We did order pizza for them one Friday for lunch (pizza for 7 guys, not a small order) and we'll probably do that once more before the job ends (it is a 3 month job). We also gave them all a $25 gift certificate for the LCBO at Christmas (place where you buy alcohol in Ontario). Them seemed appreciative.

Growing up there wasn't a time that I can remember my mother letting ANYONE out of our house without being "fed and watered". It didn't matter whether they were being paid for a job or just company. It's called manners and hospitality.

Alot of us have forgotten the way people use to treat others when they are in our homes. In a long project I offer them water, juice or pop as well as something for their coffee breaks. Once in a while I cook them lunch or bring something home for them. On a hot day one beer won't hurt them. I've never known a man to get drunk on one beer. It's just refreshing.

I offer and if they don't want anything that's just fine, but it's there if they want it. Just because we are paying them doesn't mean we have to be slave drivers. Manual labour is hard work. Show them a little hospitality. If you can afford a remodel you can afford a few cookies.

I don't. I'd offer a pot of coffee if I had a coffee pot, but I don't even have that these days!

Seriously, these guys have been all business. Most days, they want to get right to work when they get here and don't have any interest in much else. I'm not here midday but I know they go out for lunch usually.

geez, no wonder 60% of Americans are obese. I mean, I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm gobsmacked that people think it's necessary to feed every single person who comes into your house. The plumber? the cable guy? the cleaning lady?

There is a huge gulf, not a fine line, between being hospitable and being a slave driver. I gave our guys whatever they asked for, answered whatever question they asked, and stayed out of their way and let them work in peace. That's what I would want.

I've never been fortunate enough to be able to move out during remodels in past years. I always offered coffee, tea. water and soft drinks. On occasion I offered a treat if I was making cookies or something similar. Once I fed a couple of plumbers but that was part of the deal we struck because they were squeezing me in for several days over their lunch hour and I knew they had to eat. But...one time my GC helped himself to lunch. My GC was at the house one day and I came home unexpectedly from work. He was standing in the kitchen making himself a sandwich using my bread and ham, cheese, and condiments from my fridge. I couldn't believe he helped himself as if he lived there but he did. needless to say it didn't work out. we began to have problems with him soon after that and ended the relationship.

Very interesting discussion. I am enjoying reading all the different responses.

As a family of five, we eat out so rarely, that I don't think of "buying" food. I had to laugh at Segbrown's comments! Most restaurant food is expensive and unhealthy. I have always packed my own lunch and prefer to eat that even if there is a lunch provided at my work. I admit, it's a little funny, but it works for me!

The times I remember feeding contractors, when I have been around, is if I am baking something fresh like cookies or if it's a really hot day and they are working outside, I might offer them a cold soda or water.

Other than that, my DH and I leave for work at 6 am, so no one is home when the contractors arrive. Then I usually get home around the time they are wrapping up and I have my family's dinner to figure out. So, I don't think about providing food very often.

I keep a fridge full of water, juice and soda. The few times I brought doughnuts, most of the guys weren't interested. I did give most of them lunch or dinner "tips" on one or two occasions each, to spend on food or as they saw fit.

I'd never provide alcohol for folks working in my home, not to be prudish but just out of principle. It's expensive and not all contractors drink or are even comfortable around alcohol, like some of the 12-steppers.

I suspect that many (esp. male) contractors are discomfited when homeowners breach that line between professional and guest. They don't really want to have to sit down and chat with the homeowner, which is generally part of the whole 'feeding and watering' scenario. They just want to get their work done unhampered by having to switch into "social grace" mode, which I believe many men feel is necessary, especially when the homeowner in question is female. If they're up to their elbows in mortar or insulation foam, the last thing they want is to have to talk to somebody they barely know.

I'm DIY and I know I'm similar when I'm really into my work: I hate having to shoot the breeze with someone who stops by, or even worse discuss the project I'm in the midst of. Just let me get my work done! :-)

As a rule, I don't offer anything except a clean bathroom. My kitchen is out of the work zone (everything except the kitchen is being worked on right now) so it wouldn't be convenient for me to chill beverages for the workers, as they'd have to troop through the relatively mess-free area of the house to get to them.

The only time I've offered anything was in exceptional circumstances. Once, our second painting crew's boss wanted to meet with us on site at 8:30AM and DH is long gone for work by then. We told him we'd provide the coffee if he could make it 7:30 instead. Another time, a member of the same painting crew worked all day on Halloween Saturday due to his boss's scheduling screw-up earlier in the week. By 5PM, DH and I were sitting on the stoop, drinking beer and handing out candy to the kids. After the painter washed up, we offered him a beer and he joined us to watch the trick-or-treaters.

(BTW, we don't live in a trailer park - drinking beer outside while the kids are trick or treating sounds really crude, but it's the norm in my brownstone Brooklyn neighborhood).

Oh my goodness! We are on our 3rd day of our kitchen remodel and it never occurred to me to feed the contractors!!! Mine are getting paid very well so I never even considered it. I didn't get any extra freebees when I was a nurse on a regular basis. True there were patient's families who brought treats but feeding the contractors regularly? Come on. They bring their lunch. I sat with one and the other preferred to eat in the garage alone. Maybe we should consult Miss Manners LOL. I have found this to be very interesting since I have been so busy making decisions with the reno. Thanks. Carol

Contractors are adults and they are being paid to do the work they do. Feeding them is insane. If you're sitting down with them for a meeting, that's a fine time to offer refreshments as you would in any meeting you would have with people you work with. But that's it.

I brought coffee cooler and homemade chocolate chip cookies out twice to the framers on my new house. The framing took them about six weeks. It was a hot out and I figured, Hey I wouldn't mind if I were in their shoes!

The only one I feed is my GC (but he's my son) and he just helps himself. :)

When we did our 7 week kitchen reno, I didn't even think about feeding the crew until a couple of weeks in when my neighbor (also their friend) came over and offered to go get them lunch. I didn't have a kitchen, but on the rare occasion after that when I made something worth sharing, I would offer it to them. Then I noticed that when I did feed them, it meant that they weren't leaving the jobsite for an hour or two to go buy lunch, or it meant that they would quickly eat dinner at the site and keep working, vs signing off for the day. I realized that feeding them meant getting my renovation completed sooner. No, I wouldn't do it every day, but when you have the time and inclination, it can actually benefit you too.

During the build we did not feed the workers but near the end of our 17 months build we had a lunch onsite for the workers and subs. We catered BBQ and all the fixings. Everyone seemed to really appreciate it. They did us an outstanding job building our house and we wanted to thank them.

My contractor was here for about 5 weeks. I always made sure to have bottled water for him and his workers and occasionally offered chips for their lunch. But they came every day with their own packed lunches or they ordered from the local deli. They did use my microwave from time to time. My contractor was the one who kept bringing candy and chocolates from Italy to my house for everyone to share! When they are completely done with my renovation I plan on tipping the workers as they did an awesome job!

As a contractor for 30+ years - I can count on one hand - the number of
times that a customer provided yum-yums - BESIDES coffee and water - and
THOSE were the customers that EVERY TRADE on the job was willing to do
BACK FLIPS for ANY TIME - DAY OR NIGHT!!!

It may seem like a trivial thing to most home owners - to bring in doughnuts
in the morning, and snacks in the afternoon - But I'm here to tell ya -

IF YOU WANT TO INSURE 110% PERFORMANCE from the troops - take care of 'em!

These little things that most people find insignificant - actually go a long
way in "greasing the wheels" so to speak.

I had one client in Wisconsin that brought in soda, beer, chips and pretzels
EVERY DAY of the work week for ALL of the trades that were building their new
home. Guys were going out of their way to do extra nice little things for her
and her husband - that normally would NOT have been done - let alone -
for NO EXTRA CHARGE....

In summary - "a little nice-ness buys a LOT of extra mileage"

hth

kevin

Kevin, I won't argue that you're wrong, as I'm in no position to know, but that's a pathetic statement of the professionalism of the industry.

Is it just me, or does it seem like something is wrong if you have to give people extra food to ensure their best performance? Like someone said before, it seems kind of patronizing. As if you're trying to train a dog or reward a child. My guys were professionals and didn't need coddling. This is the first time I've done this, though, so maybe I'll run into the other kind someday. I hope not.

Oops, said the same thing fern4 did; we cross posted.

We had two men installing our cabinets. I had coffee there but they didn't drink any of it. The next day one of them said in a joking way, when were we going to order the pizza. I didn't know if they were serious or not but we went ahead and ordered it and they ate it. When they came back to take out the cupboards and put them back in again, when my husband talked to them on the phone the guy says, have the donuts ready and we'll be there in the morning. I told my husband no way am I feeding those guys donuts after they screwed everything up, so we didn't buy any. Scrooges we are.

Our contractor worked on our house for 4 months and we didn't feed him. We didn't have a kitchen for 3.5 months of the renovation. We did, however, drop by drinks on the hot days in the summer. We also kept water bottles in the house, which was handy when we didn't have running water. Some days there were 10+ people in the house... I couldn't imagine feeding them all.

We didn't feed anyone, though DH did make coffee and tea for the workers when he was at home. Seems crazy to me to be expected to feed people when you are missing they key part - your kitchen!

I grew up in Poland and there it's expected to feed your contractor/workers. My relatives were building a house a few years ago and my grandma was very limited in her summer plans because she had to be on site to cook breakfast, lunch, and make coffee for their breaks each day. That seems just crazy to me!

Fern4-

I think you took what I said the wrong way - Do REAL Pro's Like Me Need
or even Expect what people on this thread have called "Coddling" - Heck NO!

Is it a nice "treat" when somebody does something nice for us - just because they WANT TO??? - you bet! Stuff like doughnuts or beverages brought in by the
homeowner is usually the only "bonus" we ever see....

Remember that most of us trades men that come into your homes DO NOT
get Monthly, Quarterly or a Year End Bonus - or have ton's of other perks from our jobs, etc.
OUR BIGGEST PERK - (if you can call it that) is to MAYBE -
STILL HAVE WORK NEXT WEEK OR NEXT MONTH!!!

All I am saying is that when somebody like a home owner goes OUT OF THEIR WAY
to do something "nice" for the trades - It (at least as far as I am concerned)
VERY MUCH greatly appreciated and is a reward that we would otherwise - never see - no matter WHAT "it" is.

Please don;t take this the wrong way -
BUT......
Just Think about that the next time a guy that's working on your house - misses his kid's school function, or works
when he's sick, or doesn't have TIME to stop and eat lunch - beacause
his customer is so GD focused on themselves - and THIER PRECIOUS LITTLE
REMODEL!!!! Or has been AGONIZING over WHICH STINKING SHADE OF
PINK to use in their grout!!!!

With times the way they are in the middle of these crappy Obama-nomics -
where many really good guys are going out of business - not because they
do crappy work - or people didn't buy them any doghnuts - but because people can't afford quality work -The Guys that are STILL IN the trades
are more concerned with just survival right now.

A simple thank you is a blessing these days - anything over and beyond that
is a gift.

Scrooges??? I wish I had their problems........

We are doing a whole house build, not just the kitchen, so for a long time we dont' even have electric to the property, let alone walls, roof, kitchen etc...

I met with my builder (GC) yesterday and asked him what was customary to be brought in for food or drinks. He kind of laughed and said nothing is. They have a trailer on site with drinks, toilets etc... He said it would be ok to bring something like cookies now and again if I wanted, but don't be surprised if they looked at me funny asking why I brought them. He said you never know who will be there (well THEY know, but I won't be keeping track of who to expect onsite) I plan on being onsite several days a week (with my camera) and will probably aim to bring snacks one day a week. Like bars, cookies, or other things that can be eaten without getting messy.

He said NOT to bring them alcohol, if they see any signs of alcohol on site, people are fired. No gray area on that one.

My experience with several different projects over the years led me to play it by ear. I offered drinks on a very hot day or if the worker(s) were there for hours. I have offered and made lunch at times too.
The bathroom was always available.
I had a worker vomit in the bathroom. (I asked him to go home) And I have felt others didn't perform so professional even though I extended hospitality.
Most were middle ground, just like my offerings.
Then on the kitchen remodel, I paid what I thought was a lot for the electrician. He was the most efficient worker, declined any water or lunch, and said that he brought his own....took a lunch break, returned to finish for the day, cleaned up, and left. He was professional. I think he did not expect any thing and I was glad.

Olga, I had Polish workers here all summer,
and the muffins, coffee, and cookies I provided for
them went untouched. I would have been happy
to go to Tim Hortons once or twice
a week and bring them coffee and doughnuts, but
they always turned me down.

In any event, I encouraged them to help
themselves to water, soda and fruit in the fridge
which was in the garage. Only a very, very few
of the trades even took that. They also had use of
my upstairs bathroom.

I made sure to sincerely thank each one of them
by name every single day they were here, and
made sure they knew how much I appreciated all
their hard work and skill and toil, especially
on hot summer days. What else can you do?

ok. i don't know WHAT happened just now but our GC returned a call from my dh and i answered the phone. before i put him on, he says, "can WE still get those oranges i like? you know, the clementines? are they out of season or what?".
ROTFLMAO! some background: GC is a close, personal friend. if this was someone we only knew on professional basis i'd have to give him a lesson on manners!

What interesting answers to this question. IMO I'd be glad to give water or allow the use of the bathroom if asked, but workers are not guests and I'd never, ever feel obligated to offer food or coffee. I used to install telephones for a living and I considered myself a professional. I'd plan my lunches and take them to the job site. In fact, I'd rather people would not try to feed me. It was embarassing. Think of it like this - Would you offer to feed a contracted lawn service?

Most contractors I have worked with flatly refuse Anything to drink or eat (other than water from the tap), probably because that clouds the boundary between a professional relationship and a friendly relationship, and it is harder to navigate if there are problems on the job site.

When we have construction workers at the ranch, which is two hours from the nearest services, we always provide lunch. That far out in the country, it's only the neighborly thing to do. But when workers come to the city home, they're on their own. Either they bring their lunch or they take time off to go to the nearest eatery; not my problem which.

It's been fun reading everyones responses to this topic. We are in month 12 of a whole-house remodel so I've had workers in/on/around my home nearly everyday for over a year.

When we first started, I made cookies a few times and brought them out with no takers. I learned that if you leave the plate, the cookies will disappear. But most refused them if I carried the plate around, asking for takers.

We live in the country and I have free-range hens that keep us all amused. They are very friendly and love to climb in the contractors trucks! Whenever one of the guys has an encounter with a chicken, I will sneak a dozen eggs into his vehicle with a note from his new 'secret-admirer'. Makes for a good laugh.

IF I have some goodies to share, they are offered and at Christmas time I sent the workers all home with fresh eggs and bread.

The one time I provided a worker with a meal was when a single drywall guy was left to tape/mud/sand our project and he was expected to finish in 3 days. The first day, he left at 10 p.m. and I realized that I never saw him take a break all day. The next two days, I brought him meals and beverages, which he humbly accepted. He was one of the hardest workers that I have ever seen and I hated to think of him not eating.

Regarding the offers of beer: we offer cold beer (as well as other beverages) on weekend evenings, if someone has put in a long day. Most don't accept, but I enjoy when they do, as it gives me someone to have a beer with after a long week. : )

We have planned a bbq for May and will invite the contractors who have worked on our project and left on good terms. Some of them I could be friends with. Others I never want in my house again.

I used to tip workers, but I rarely do now. Why? I'll never forget one crew that worked here. I fed them and gave them soda. I tipped them generously when they were done. Then, a day later, I discovered almost all of the antique decorative hose bibs in my yard were swiped. I also found that they had taken significant shortcuts on the project. Boy! I was mad!

More often than not, when I have bought fast food for workers, I have found the wrappings tossed in my hedges. I've even found beer cans on site. Especially on Fridays.

Once, there was a very old, dusty bowl of chocolates in our guest room. The air conditioning men ate those up! I was amused. I refilled the bowl with fresh chocolates once I noticed that. Someone had a sweet tooth! They always finished the chocolates every day they were here. No one ever said thanks, though.

The best crews bring their own food. Some even bring a hibatchi and heat their food up outside with that. One crew helped themselves to my husband's propane powered outside grill. That wasn't a hit with my husband.

The worst crews help themselves to the appliances in the home and don't ask. We have a little second-hand toaster oven that we use to bake Sculpey clay in. I once found a worker at lunchtime in our back bedroom (what's he doing in here??) using the little arts and crafts toaster oven to heat up his food. Huh??

As far as bathrooms, we have a bathroom outside for the workers. We ask them to use it. We provide paper towels, trash can, toilet, sink, running water, toilet paper, weekly cleaning, a plunger, and hand soap. That doesn't stop some of them from exploring the house and using the bathrooms of their choice.

Not surprisingly, the same workers who lack good project skills, ASK for food and beverage, argue, and are otherwise punks have also been the ones who stop up the toilet, steal and make messes.

I have coffee and tea and a kettle and microwave and a brita 4litre container in the fridge & have told them they can use the microwave and I also have some fruit in the fridge which I told them to help themselves to.
I was thinking about getting some cookies or salted snack stuff as well.
i don't think it is being patronising - just offering something to people working hard to help me ( a bity of a small thank you)

i plan to will invite them back in the spring or so when it is easier to be outside to have a meal and see how I enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Since I do shift work I do feel a little awkward when i am in the house while they are working so try to stay out of their way

Big jug of ice water always available in hot weather. With our kitchen project we provide a snack about once a week...coffee cake, donuts, sliced honeybell oranges. ALWAYS eaten and appreciated. We also address workers by name and compliment them on their fabulous work, as well as let the GC know they have done good work. We are happy and satisfied with with our guys so we want them to be happy.

I saw this post a few weeks ago, and it reminded me that I should try and provide a few nice things periodically during our new home construction. On the day of foundation pour, I bought 30 pig-in-a-blankets, and this week during framing, I baked a box of brownies and brought. I think the guys appreciated it. (None thanked me directly or acknowledged though...but that's ok with me) But my job superintendent seemed to politely tell me that I don't need to do that, and that I will spoil them. He says they are not use to those things, and he fears they will not want to leave the job! When, in fact we want them working as quickly as possible. :)

I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

Now, I'm considering if I take things in the future to try and avoid when the job superintendent is there. Not because I'm hiding it, but because he was the one providing my goodies to the workers. It may be crossing some sort of professional line that he is trying to maintain.

If I continue it, I think I may periodically provide something -- maybe weekly.

I made coffee every morning, had muffins, cream cheese, bagles, cookies crackers. Made sandwiches for them at lunch. One crew did take advantage and was billing by the hour. For the most part, I was happy to feed one person who was on the job every day and one who stayed late, because it expedited the job. Would I do it again? probably.

Hope it's okay to revive this old thread. I understand the impulse to feed contractors, especially if you are eating a meal in front of them. But feeding a crew for 6 weeks? This sounds like a nightmare! I think when it comes down to it they're responsible for their meals. In fact it's common courtesy for them to eat lunch off-premises. If you're like me and you tend to feel bad for people working hard right in front of you it could help to read some industry standards for contractor and homeowner etiquette.

Here is a link that might be useful: Contractor Etiquette Standards

I think they're old enough to feed themselves, lol. You're not their mother (although we are often babysitters it seems). With all the paid breaks, paid travel, padding, etc., I think they can spring for their own breakfast, lunch and snacks. I agree they can get spoiled and it kind of crosses the professional "business" line which can make things more complicated should problems arise.

I am impressed yours did not even stop for lunch!

I feed my workers when they took two months to build an addition. I would have coffee and treats for breakfast and fresh fruit salad for snacks. They brought their lunches, but about once a week I would barbecue or order pizza. I think because they felt so well appreciated, they went above and beyond to do quality work and did little "extras" for me as well. No, I didn't HAVE to do it, but I have appreciated the "extras" that they did to make me happy.

Oh I've always wondered if this issue had been addressed here. I have never offered meals or snacks to workers, just coffee which usually they decline. When my friend recently had work done on her kitchen she went to Subway every day for her guys! She told me this after I had used on of her handymen to do my bathroom remodel and I never offered him lunch one time. I never saw him leave for lunch either. I did ask once if he did lunch on his own and his just said he "brought a candy bar".
Maybe he thought my friend told me about the Subway thing. Oops.

Just fed him (DH). Chicken salad sandwich with melted colby cheese on a kaiser roll. Cheese melted on top in a little, circa 80's GE toast-r-oven from his folks attic. I mention this because since the kitchen is torn out, that toaster oven and an electric skillet is all I have for inside cooking. What a handy little unit this toast-r-oven is turning out to be! I may make room for it on my counter in the new kitchen. So as to keep feeding the contractor so he'll keep doing things for me, hee hee....

DH is a contractor and he does not like his customers to feel obligated to provide lunch for him and his crew. If they provide a lunch unexpectedly, he will graciously accept it. If they do it a second time, he will again graciously accept what is provided, but explain to the customer that lunches are neither expected or necessary and that he and his crew bring their own lunches every day. If a client provides a surprise lunch, that means that everyone has to throw away the lunch they brought with them that day. Also, eating the lunch that is provided by the client often takes more time than the crew normally spends eating lunch. Doing that every day can really throw your schedule off. It is better to do as one poster said and tell your contractor, "I'd like to buy you all lunch tomorrow." That said, a plate of cookies or a pitcher of lemonade is always appreciated by the crew, but making it a habit is not really good for anyone ... the client feels obligated and the crew learns to expect it. DH does not appreciate so much when clients want to provide beer to the crew. They are there to work, not drink. If they want to drink, they can do so on their own time after hours.

I would not want to encourage additional use of the powder room by serving coffee. I don't think the hand towel was ever used.

Wow, beschenbach, our crew would LOVE to have you as a customer!! We certainly don't expect our customers to provide us with coffee, food, etc. but it's always a welcome kindness when they do. One of the things we do appreciate is being shown where the bathroom is; for smaller jobs we don't rent port-a-johns & it's good to know where the closest facility is, one we can use without having to worry about tracking too many footprints through the home. We've also had many customers offer us water on hot days, especially when landscaping or roofing - that is VERY much appreciated!! We require our crew to bring their own water bottles & lunches to the job site everyday, but we're always touched when customers go out of their way to offer us refreshments.

I'm Italian.... If you stay more then 5 minutes in my house expect to be fed. I feed my painter everyday. Either breakfast or lunch and I feel bad if they refuse. Also, I'm a cook so I need to be in the kitchen .

When I had my renovations the crew always took a break to go out for lunch. I always had lots of drinks for them and healthy snacks: nuts, pretzels, crackers with cheese.

My crew has had customers buy them lunch several times, a customer bought me lunch last Saturday, and last week my two guys were each given a $100.00 tip by a very happy customer.

I loved getting tipped when I was an employee. It wasn't the money as much as it was saying to my boss "Your customers love me." and knowing he couldn't argue.