Builders, what's the etiquette?

[Lyndsb]

I have builders starting work on my house this Friday. It's a large extension and a self contained apartment in the garden. I will be here most days. So I offer lunch,drinks etc?

I don't know where you have read that I am running around like a maid. I ask what should I do? Not what I'm going to do.

I provided a kettle,tea, instant coffee, sugar and milk. Sometimes I left homemade biscuits and cakes but not every day

I didn't make the drinks btw, I just left mugs, plus glasses

What is it about builders that turns women into servants?

You know they are grown ups and can bring their own refreshments? And that male clients won't even think about making them multiple coffees and homeade biscuits? Home made biscuits. Honestly.

I have never offered anything. I didn't want it to become an expectation and with 3 very small children I don't get a chance to make myself a drink let alone someone else. But mean but it is what it is so it is

If you start offering them tea and coffee it will be constant. Give them a spare kettle and provide tea etc so they can make it themselves. Buy some donuts etc occasionally

I don't feel like a servant offering drinks & snacks to people who come to do work in my home. I think it's common courtesy and I like to think that if I look after them they will do a good job for me.

If you are employing tradespeople who will not do a good job unless you feed and water them you are hiring the wrong people. I'm guessing if some women showed up to do the work they'd be thought of as perfectly capable of making a flask and their own lunch.

Stop babying men! They will be fine.

I offer a drink when they get there, then tell them to help themselves to tea, coffee, squash and biccies that I leave out for them. I tell them they're free to use the toilet whenever they want with no need to ask. I then let them get on with it, although when it was really hot - I also gave them ice creams a couple of times.

I made mine a brew when they arrived, one mid morning, one at lunchtime, and one mid afternoon - basically whenever I made myself one. They did buy milk from time to time (they were here for months, on and off, and we got on very well).

I'd also made them a brew when we'd had a discussion about something I wanted doing but they didn't really want to do and I won the argument...

I offer tea if I'm making it and also tell
them to help themselves. I occasionally bake banana bread and I'll offer that too.
Some builders eat lunch off premises, some bring their own, some work through.

We had an extension built 2 years ago.
They put in an outside socket for all their equipment and had a portaloo in the front garden so I didn’t have them traipsing through the house every 5 minutes.
But I made them plenty of cups of tea or cold drinks when it was hot. DH was working from home and did most of the brewing up tbh, I treated them all to a McDonald’s breakfast on the 1st and last day, they were honestly the loveliest bunch of blokes, they tidied up after themselves and I really didn’t mind making a coffee or 3 every day.

We had a big build a couple of years ago and I offered bacon & egg rolls one morning and it kind of stuck every day for the weeks they were here. Also it was an opportunity for us to join them and catch up. But not lunch as well. We started making them drinks but then it was easier to just provide them with a kettle/tea&coffee/biscuits.
Recently we had to have a maintenance related job done and the builder said he was very happy to come - he remembered the 'legendary' bacon rolls! We invited them and their families to an opening/thank you party for the building later. I do think if you find a good tradesperson you should look after them!

our last trade was coeliac and brought his own scran.
What is a scran??

Scran = food/lunch.

I just make them a tea if I am making one.

We have had builders here for a few weeks for an insurance job. They are lovely, but I’m not a cafe, we just about feed ourselves let alone people being paid to do their jobs.

I know that it’s different as we are though insurance, not paying ourselves, but even if we were I wouldn’t be laying on food and drink, they are doing a job they are being paid for, not a favour.