...to keep the builders fed and watered?

[Londonista123]

I'm at home today as we're having our front door replaced. It's quite a big job for reasons to do with the style of building etc, and involves one builder and one apprentice here for the day - they appeared at about 8am, have been here since.

I've never dealt with English builders before (been here ages, but originally from SA). I took the stereotype about builders and tea literally - offered them tea (with cookies) when they arrived, and stuck my head out every few hours to ask if they wanted a refill. (Also told them to help themselves, but got looks from them.) At lunch I ordered them a pizza - that is, I ordered one for myself since it's not the best environment to be cooking in, and paid another £3 for a two pizza "deal". They were grateful and ate happily.

DP has just come home and thinks I'm insane to treat them like this - one drink is enough out of courtesy and they can sort themselves out after.

My feeling is: they're working hard, they're in my home, it's no skin off my nose and a nice way to say thank you to two blokes who are working hard? What do others reckon?

[TheCatsMother99]

Everyone is different & I also think it depends on what you're having done (and the relationship you have with them, like if you knew them before or through someone).

I do offer tea/ coffee as often as I'm having one myself, which can be pretty often. I had someone in recently to do some work over two days, I didn't actually have to be here as it was external work but by chance I was in on the second day. Offered tea/coffees throughout but I still got joking comments from them asking for more tea, saying they were parched, and basically saying that my MIL had been over the day before and treated them much better than I was - well that was news to me as I didn't know she had popped over (she has a key and turned out she wanted to see the work in progress). Anyway, made me feel a bit awkward and cheaply for not offering enough.

Pizza on it's own would have been a bit much (even by my MILs standards) but the fact you paid £3 for it makes it reasonable in my opinion.

[BlueJug]

I always provide tea and biscuits - it is just manners. Also I work a lot in other people's houses, often for fairly long periods, (not a builder). You are really at someone's mercy to some extent. I am always hugely grateful to be given coffee, biscuits and plenty of water.

[beardsrock]

I think you are an angel for buying the builders pizza, such a nice gesture.

I'm looking forward to our guys coming to do the roof so I can bake a cake

hopefully they'll be hot too

[IlPorcupinoNilSodomyEst]

I supply builders with endless tea and biscuits, and have done bacon sardines for the guys who did our driveway. Keeps them happy and I was doing one anyway!

[IlPorcupinoNilSodomyEst]

Bacon sardines??! Bacon sarnies!!

[Londonista123]

They've just left and said they were very grateful for all the food and snacks. (Bonus: they have finished off the peanut butter flavoured Oreos which have been languishing in the cupboard for weeks )

They also vacuumed/swept above and beyond so all to the good!

[MrsKoala]

I always make a couple of hot drinks in the morning and afternoon and offer a variety of biscuits, this summer i took out mini magnums to the builders laying my astroturf. If i'm making a sandwich for myself i offer them one too (i just would feel really rude making and eating food in front of them). If i go out i leave all the tea and coffee stuff and few packets of biscuits out.

I had one guy do my bathroom years ago and the first day i asked if he wanted a bacon sandwich and he said yes thanks, the second day i had a horrendous headache and was laying down and he came in and said 'i'll have my bacon sandwich now please Koala', I was shocked and stumbled into the kitchen to make it.It was a 5 day job and by day 5 we had run out of bacon, so i said 'i don't have bacon but can do you a sausage sandwich' he looked most put out and asked if i had anything else. I said cheese and he begrudgingly said cheese 'would do'. I said well there's a cafe round the corner and they will have bacon if you prefer and he huffed and said 'no, cheese is FINE' and looked all annoyed.

My dad's an electrician and i got him thru him otherwise i'd have told him to eff off. My dad's got some horrendous tales of rudeness tho and i always think people who badly treat those they consider inferior should have a special circle of hell just for them.

[Naoko]

I don't think it's weird, but I'm not British either, and where I'm from you'd be keeping any builders or other tradespeople present well stocked with tea/coffee and biscuits, and probably also cheese and ham rolls for lunch. In some parts of the country it's also traditional for the new homeowner to serve beer to the builders after they reach the highest point of the new house and the roof is ready to be covered (and a flag will be stuck on the roof as well). Not sure how much that happens nowadays, what with the health and safety implications of beer while working at height.

YANBU though, and I have to really stop myself from constantly asking 'are you sure? Can I get you a biscuit? Some tea? I've got other things too, if you don't like tea or coffee....' when a tradesperson in my house in the UK politely refuses refreshments.

[ohtheholidays]

Not unreasonable at all.We do the same offer drinks and give a plate of biscuits and cakes.

If we had a job that was going to take along time then we'd offer lunch as well.
Lots of my family have worked in the building trade,electricians,plumbers,gas fitters ect and it was always really appreciated when working if someone offered them a drink,biscuits ect.

[NotMeNotYouNotAnyone]

If you're happy and they're hsppy and polite then yanbu

Ywbu to suggest everyone should do the same and twbu to expect it.

I don't do it myself as I don't drink hot drinks so it doesn't occur to me tbh, and id be worried about making it right! I understand your reasoning though, if everyone is happy then it's not costing you much so go for it.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

It's the first thing I do when they come in. If they're there for a morning, afternoon or all day, there will be regular top ups offered. They generally appreciate it and I'd rather them be in a good mood.

I email employers when they've done a good job. I complain if I'm not happy, so think I should thank them when I am.

[HaydeeofMonteCristo]

I make them a cup of tea or coffee at the beginning. If I have biscuits I offer them.

But I make sure they know where tea and coffee are so they can help themselves when they want, and leave the biscuits out for them too.

[fiverabbits]

When we had builders doing a weeks work when it was very hot we gave them salads or omelettes (made with eggs from our own free range chickens ) for dinner, along with hot and cold drinks. The boss said it was really nice to sit in the shade at our garden table and chairs. This paid off as he came on Christmas Eve to repair a leak in a water tank in the loft that was threatning to take a bedroom ceiling.

[Inertia]

Not only is it the hospitable thing to do, it generally pays dividends because most tradespeople are just like everyone else in that they're willing to go that extra distance if they know their efforts are appreciated. One of the tree fellers we had almost swooned at the bacon sandwiches and cake we gave them- I have genuinely never seen anyone more happy with a bacon sandwich.

[Dampfloor]

YADNBU - happy tradesmen generally means they'll go the extra mile. We've got builders starting soon and they will be kept in tea, sarnies, cakes etc. If I'm not in I'll leave food for them and they can help themselves to drinks.

I had my car valeted and some scratches removed on the drive a couple of months ago and made the men doing it bacon sarnies. They were so pleased (and a bit shocked at the offer) plus they wax treated the car for free and knocked £5 off the bill.