Just out of curiosity, what is the "custom" here. I've gone in a couple of times-  specific milestone like 'airtight 0.4 party' and handed out a bunch of beer, or proper coffee. Just in general I'm quite happy with the skill and attention to detail of my builder team so I'm wondering what's common to do here, if anything (it is their job after all). 

 

Well I became  very good friends with my two builders, we just really got on well, at the end I gave them £100 each as a thank you, they did a brilliant job.

I think anything will be appreciated. When I was contracting, other contractors would occasionally give me a few quid (or free labour if I needed them) for putting a job their way, and some didn't. It was never something I expected, but it's gratifying when it comes.

I will sometimes buy coffees.  Sometimes give unrelated trades cash to help unload / distribute materials, especially if it is the end of the day and I want it done.

We've just finished refurbishing a Victorian coach house which took about a year with all types of trades on site at one time or another. We bought a caravan to use as a site office and kept it stocked with tea, coffee, milk, biscuits and heated it during cold weather. They didn't have to sit in their vans to eat their lunch. If they left wet coats and gloves in there at the end of the day we brought them inside and dried them off overnight. We bought them Easter eggs and gave them alcoholic presents at Christmas.

 

We didn't have any trouble getting trades to work on our site when we needed them. The next phase of the project will be to demolish the existing house on the site and do a self build. We'll be living on site in the coach house. I'm hoping that word has got around that ours is a good place to work.

Edited September 19, 20233 yr by LnP

The only tip I give builders these days is that their lime mortar mix doesn't need any bloody cement in it!

You definitely don’t need to and it isn’t expected, but I’m sure it will be appreciated and you’ll find any future work you have might be prioritised in their diaries!

just occasionally feed them bacon sarnies just before 10.

during my build I asked them almost every morning if they wanted tea or coffee, but they politely declined every single day... I got them some beer for when the job was complete but they finished a few days earlier than expected and left when i was at work and i never saw them again. So i kept the beer for myself, but i tried right?