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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Builders requesting drinks

733 replies

crazydiamond222 · 06/02/2020 14:54

We are having an extension built whilst I am on maternity leave. I have a 3 month old. We have 2 builders on site laying foundations who started on monday. I have been making them a drink first thing and on one occasion made them a bacon sandwich. I don't offer drinks all day because my son keeps me very busy and only naps on me and it is a 4 month job so I don't want to have to do drinks all day for this period.

This afternoon whilst I was playing with my son in the living room one of the builders walked past the window and requested a coffee and tea. I thought the request to be a bit cheeky as a) he shouldn't have been looking in the living room and b) he shouldn't been requesting. I made him the drinks anyway leaving my son on the playmat getting upset. I rushed outside as my son was upset and I wanted to get back to him. When I took the drinks outside I tripped over rubble breaking a cup and scratching my arm. The builders reply was you should have passed it through the window. I remade the drinks but suggested in future setting up a kettle in the garage for them but they said they can just bring their own drinks. I am now feeling pretty upset with them.

Just needed to vent really but what do people feel is reasonable regarding builders and drinks.

OP posts:
Mypathtriedtokillme · 07/02/2020 07:39

Im not in the UK but seriously Isn’t that what a Thermos is for?
The builders make a thermos of tea/coffee from home for their breaks.

MimiLaRue · 07/02/2020 07:45

If making builders copious cups of tea is the only way to get them to work, then how do any new houses or office buildings or new hospitals get built? There is noone who "lives" there on site to make tea for them. I guess they cannot work in that case and all around the country are abandoned building sites which would have housed hospitals, apartment blocks and offices - sadly they will never be built as noone is there to make tea. Much sad.

bellinisurge · 07/02/2020 07:48

Isn't it just nice to be nice. Show them where the tea and coffee making facilities are if it's a problem. They aren't robots.

username58788 · 07/02/2020 07:52

Why are so many posts saying set up a tea station she did say that in her opening post . Hmm
There was another post recently that someone said about brewing up for colleagues every single post said just make your own . What's the difference?

username58788 · 07/02/2020 07:55

Yes Kirkham but would you really expect your employer or anyone really to make drinks for you all day ? No if they offered great but the fact they say tea station over there is perfectly reasonable.
Some people have 1 tea a day some 10 if you make your own depending on thirst .

Hyrana · 07/02/2020 08:00

I'm astonished by this thread! The OP is getting a hard time for not wanting to be 'on call' for tea making duties. When I had long term builders in I said to the boss that I would do a tray and they can help themselves, he told me no, they take their own food, flask and cold drinks. I did offer at times and always had juice but never, ever would I make bacon sandwiches for them. They are there to work at my house, I have no problems with them having breaks of course but I'm not feeding them as well.

I am nice to tradesmen and they can use my toilet if they want, but I am not a coffee maker, they can help themselves if they want though.

EmeraldShamrock · 07/02/2020 08:01

You do know that when they go to another job they talk about the tight customers who don't provide drinks?
Not at all. If my Dbro found any of his lads slagged off a previous client or were badgering an existing client for tea he'd be livid with them. He is very well off with a good trade reputation for no nonsense.

YappityYapYap · 07/02/2020 08:14

I work in the office of a construction/home improvement type company and the guys are forever left on full day/week jobs with the customers not offering them drinks and in some cases, not letting them use the toilet!

My theory is that your home becomes their workplace so they do need access to a hot drink a couple of times a day. I would offer twice a day and if I was going out or busy would say help yourself to tea/coffee and show them where the stuff for it is

Laughterisbest · 07/02/2020 08:14

When my new kitchen was being put in I offered tea on the first day. They told me they always brought their own. They were extremely nice and very professional with high standards. I don't think any of them would demand tea from the client or expect it.

Hyrana · 07/02/2020 08:43

YappityYapYap
I work in the office of a construction/home improvement type company and the guys are forever left on full day/week jobs with the customers not offering them drinks and in some cases, not letting them use the toilet!

Can the poor guys not take a bottle of water or a flask of tea/coffee with them? What happens if the homeowner is out, do they rummage around the kitchen? I can guarantee this is always a male thing and a woman would not let it happen for a week! The toilet thing is strange but according to the en-suite toilet thread recently about how disgusting male poo's are I am in the 'only if you trust them camp'

But seriously why don't they take a bottle of water a cup of coffee a sandwich with them? My dad was a joiner all his life and he always had his piece with him, what has made men so reliant on women?

Thatoneoverthere · 07/02/2020 08:49

I've had builders in at my work (nanny) a few times over the years and I never made them tea. I don't drink it so don't think about and figure grown ups can sort themselves out, I was busy tying to do my job in a building site. Some expect it and have been dicks about it but when they leave at half four and I've got another 3.5 hours can't say I feel that bad when I was the one to let them in at 8 too. Plus shouldn't they/their bosses be providing a kettle etc to take to job sites? Small jobs I get but anything over a week it seems like it should just be part of the kit.

SquareOnTheHypoteneuse · 07/02/2020 08:55

I’m another who shows them where the kettle, coffee and tea is then let’s them get on with it.

Squidwitch · 07/02/2020 09:21

I have done many manual labour jobs. None of which required me to be furnished with free hot drinks, or even toilets sometimes. They could bring this new invention with them, it's called a cold drink. Do you honestly believe there is a mother with babes in arms running round every building site in Britain?

EngagedAgain · 07/02/2020 09:57

If they are going to be there much longer get a new system going, even if you have to tell them to bring their own and you will be just making a couple of hot drinks a day, which I think is quite enough. Although it's a nice gesture to make drinks for builders one shouldn't feel obliged to be doing it all day. You could provide them with a bottle of squash and cheap bottled water (17p for 2 litres in Tesco) If someone is happy waiting on them all day that's fine. If there's facilities like a utility they can use I would just let them use that, and provide the drinks. I certainly wouldn't want them traipsing through my house. Of course the loo topic and tradesman is an even bigger dilemma 😝

Mildura · 07/02/2020 10:11

Louise0701
Our own 40sqm extension took a fortnight

No it didn't!!

Lipperfromchipper · 07/02/2020 10:16

@Mildura

Louise0701
Our own 40sqm extension took a fortnight

No it didn't!!

This actually made me laugh!!!2 WEEKS!! I’m just like ConfusedHmm

MitchellMummy · 07/02/2020 10:18

When our three month job took place I said at the outset that I was working and not there to supply drinks constantly. But in reality there were usually only one or two on site at a time so I offered them drinks every time I made myself one. Prior to that job our window installers kept asking for drinks - but they were lovely guys doing a good job so I obliged!

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 07/02/2020 10:19

YANBU, building is a job like any other, they should come prepared for their days work. I think that's really cheeky of him to ask. No you shouldn't t have to provide access to your kitchen. Kettle in the garage is more than generous.
Not a chance I would be making cups of tea and coffee throughout the day for 4 months for people with perfectly able bodies.
Presumably you are paying them for the work they are doing. You are not obliged to feed or water them.
My dp is in the building trade and could never imagine him being cheeky enough to ask someone he is working for to make him a cup of tea.
Next time tell them you have run out of tea and coffee.

Unsureursula · 07/02/2020 10:23

@crazydiamond222
I think you’re being quite defensive to overwhelmingly clear responses. As many have said...provide the means for the builders to make the tea/coffee etc themselves and then you don’t need to be doing it. Won’t it get the job done quicker for them to be drinking on site and not leaving to make drinks? I’ve a 3 month old so I know they’re time consuming.

TrollTheRespawnJeremy · 07/02/2020 10:24

It pays to be nice to builders. When we were having work done when dd was little we all got on really well.

If I hadn’t managed to get out (bf) they’d nip to the shops for me and one built a wardrobe for me. They did a fab job of my garden and even put in a couple of wee extra things that we weren’t billed for. (A tree for dd with a little bench and they painted the walls around the patio too to finish it off.)
Ended up quite fond of them.

GeraltOfRiviaIsMyCat · 07/02/2020 10:26

I think it’s best to regularly offer drinks throughout the day. First thing, mid-morning, lunchtime, afternoon.

I do get how it can be disruptive to respond to unexpected requests though, especially with your hands full with a young child.

One thing about offering regularly is that you get to be in charge of timing then.

Otherwise, just set up somewhere they can help themselves.

IntermittentParps · 07/02/2020 10:40

provide the means for the builders to make the tea/coffee etc themselves and then you don’t need to be doing it.
The OP has said about a hundred times she offered to set up a drinks station and they said they could just bring their own. Basically they've had a strop.

lottiegarbanzo · 07/02/2020 10:47

So how do builders manage, when working at the houses of people who are out at work all day?

Do such people employ housemaids specially?

Lipperfromchipper · 07/02/2020 10:56

@lottiegarbanzo exactly and what do they do when there isn’t anyone LIVING on site at all!!!

Bananabixfloof · 07/02/2020 11:06

So how do builders manage, when working at the houses of people who are out at work all day
Well in my case I set a station up in the garage with power borrowed from next door, and water from the outside tap and a heater on cold days. I would pop by after work to see what had been done. Talk to anyone if they were here, lock up properly if no one was around.
Some trades used the station, some brought their own, one team only drank water. I said in a previous post the plasterer got fish and chips one night.
Another time I had a huge garden wall built, the builder worked saturdays and if I was home i made him a bacon butty. The rest of the time he fed himself and used the tea station.
If trades are told from day one " here is your area, here is your loo" then life is easier. If they use them or dont, no problem. But it's there from day one. I've never had a trade ask me to make them a drink. Because I do the above.