providing lunch for builders?

[vguil]

we’ve got builders in for three weeks replacing a kitchen.
We’ve set them up with a kettle and coffee/sugar/tea bags/milk and biscuits. There are three or four of them.
They’ve just asked my husband for lunch/ sandwiches. Is this the done thing; the expected thing?

No way! They are trying their luck. They are responsible for their own lunches.

definitely not cf

If they're replacing your kitchen then it's probably an in-joke.

I've never had builders expect lunch! They're normally happy with tea, biscuits and an available loo! Every builder I know or I've had takes a lunch hour and either pops home, to the shop or eats a sandwich they brought from home. If there's several of them and they do that daily, it'll end up costing a lot in time, effort and money! What would they do if you were out at work etc, I'd maybe be out the next few lunches to set the tone or just tell them straight....

Well I made an electrician a sandwich if that counts? He came to do an easy 1 hour job late Saturday morning which turned into 5 hours - we're a 10 minute drive from the nearest shop, so I fed him.

Usually just provide tea/coffee and biscuits, although have done ice lollies on hot days too.

God no! We’ve got them in for the next 4 months! No way am I increasing my work load to make them lunch! The lead guy of our house, does a group deliveroo order for everyone 4/5
guys.

No, that is not a done thing, tea, coffee and biscuits yes not a meal, they should be bringing that with them

Our site manager would have sacked someone for asking, we did give them coffee when he wasn't around, but it was a definite don't ask the customers for anything rule from him. They did get proper breaks and had a big van to eat their lunches, etc.

Same here when we had our kitchen done. My husband bought cakes/snack bars a couple of times during the 3 weeks for them but that was it.

Are they trying it on? Apart from sometimes in the hospitality industry I don't think anyone is given lunch at work. What a cheek! They can't be serious! Unless its in the small print of your contract, but I've never seen that before!

I think they were probably having a laugh. Drinks and biscuits is enough.

They sound like CFs

They will probably take the piss when installing your kitchen too.

Good luck

I think some opportunities for vold drinks would be nice, particularly as it's summer. A definite jo to sandwiches. They need to bring a packed lunch, or go hungry.

I had builders in for a week when I refurbished the kitchen and bathroom. Like OP I left them a kettle with tea/coffee/sugar and told them they could help themselves to cold drinks from the fridge. I also left them biscuits which they received gratefully and got them some jaffa cakes one day. They seemed quite happy with the supplies and either brought their own sandwiched or decanted to somewhere up the road. We are in the suburbs of Manchester so lots of pubs/cafes/shops within a 5 minute drive in trendy Chorlton.

I'm in the building trade and we are over the moon if the customer gives us the facilities to make a brew... biscuits are a right bonus! Tell them not to be so cheeky!

Everyone here has said "no" (very emphatically). Just to add an alternative perspective - do indeed offer to supply them lunch, but at a cost.

Tell them that sandwiches and a mug of tea will cost them £5 per day (or some other suitable amount if eg you live in London).

To be frank, they may appreciate a really nice sandwich provided onsite for £5 rather than getting something else.

Always provided, of course, that you are making sufficient profit from making the sandwiches at £5 or whatever price you choose to charge.

No, no and no. I made the foolish mistake of offering our builder a coffee and he noticed we had a Sage coffee machine and before I knew it I had accidentally talked myself into being their free barista three times a day for 2 weeks. I begrudged every cappuccino I made them. The problem was he was quite handsome and very very hunky. Dare I say it, arrogant and an average builder too. I was relieved when they were gone. No lunch. Cup of tea at best.

We had builders in our house for nearly 5 months, I think I’d have had a breakdown if I had to cater for them every day!

I provided tea, coffee, biscuits and bottled water when it was hot (ours wasn’t working and we had lead pipes that needed replacing). They went to the shop and even brought a camping stove to cook hot food in the colder months!

Our builders set up their own mini kitchen in our shed, they even brought a microwave. I would make them tea and coffee when they first arrived in the morning and we would have a catch up about the build and the world in general

What the heck?!

Nearly 2 years into an on/off project, I offer lunch (sandwiches) nearly every day that I’m working from home. Mostly because it keeps them on site ;) and we have “fat Friday” lunches to stop them doing a half day 😁 but they never assume or ask!

No, absolutely not expected. My husband goes fully self sufficient...might ask to refill his water bottle, but that would be it. He did have one client, a nice old lady, who tried to feed him a three course meal every day but he declined because who could do hard physical work after that???
Your builders are absolutely CFs, especially as you don't have a kitchen!

Definitely not. I have had builders,plumbers,electricians etc in my house over the years and have never given them lunch. Tea and biscuits yes. They never eymxpected lunch. Brought sandwiches

Ha ha, no! I’d leave out stuff for them to make hot drinks, biscuits and a bottle of diluting juice, I think that’s pretty generous!

@vguil are they British? Could it be a cultural thing if they are not?

added: by the way even so I wouldn’t provide them

Absolutely not. Tell the lazy gets to make their own arrangements (but perhap using more diplomatic language). We always offer Tea & Coffee plus biscuits to anyone doing work but not lunch. Our kitchen project took nearly 5 weeks which is a long time to exist on whatever the microwave can conjure up. 🤞 For a smooth project