What is the usual etiquette for tea and coffee during renovations?

[DandyOliveSheep]

We will soon be having some renovation work done at our home and I just wondered what the etiquette is on making builders tea/coffee? Do I provide snacks etc? I’m currently on mat leave so will be home a lot..

Fully agree.
Look after your tradies as well as you can.

I set up a station

I have had so many builders round and my last 2 properties as we renovated and extended them.

I always offer first thing in the morning as I make myself one after I’m back from school drop off.

If they were onsite for a few days, would just offer periodically. A lot bring their own flasks of tea. However if they were my main builders and onsite for months I tell them to help themselves and get them a tin of coffee (as mines expensive and I’m not funding 4 x full time trades people at any one time for months on end!). That is is they are doing indoor work. Outdoor work they bought their own kettle and plugged it in outside! Sent their chief in to get milk etc as he was more careful.

I do biscuits once in a blue moon. Fired up the bbq and did sausages for them one summer on a Friday as we finished work early.

They’ve worked for us for years though so now know them very well.

I had some work done recently that involved
several different tradesmen. In the end I gave up asking them if they wanted tea/coffee etc- the answer was always no. They preferred to look after themselves and had brought flasks with them, or they did an occasional Costa run.

We recently had some work done and they didn't stop for drinks either. They worked really hard and have done such a cracking job they are coming back next month to do another job for us.

We always offer tradespeople drinks or the option of making their own drinks. After all, I get free tea/coffee at work so why shouldn't tradespeople get them when working for us?

We had about a year of trades in and out, got to know some of them really quite well and their tea habits. The younger ones weren’t bothered and filled up our recycling with take out coffee cups and energy drinks.

the others would get a round made for them in the morning and afternoon. When it was really hot we took out cold squash and some ice lollies that went down well.

During our build we made tea and coffee at certain points during the day. We also made bacon rolls in the morning and sometimes cake later. They were very grateful and felt really appreciated so it was worth it (and they did an excellent job!)

We’ve just had the bathroom redone. Before accepting a coffee, one of the work men did check we had another toilet in the house! But yes, I offer whenever I am making myself a drink, tea, coffee or squash. Some accept, some don’t. I was chatting to one of the guys, who was telling me he’d been at one house recently and the water had been switched off. The couple had asked for the water to be switched back on so they could make themselves a drink (so interrupting the work), and then not offered a drink to the men. He was laughing about it, but I thought that was so rude!

Don't Hover but offer Tea/Coffee AND a plate of plain biscuits at the same time you are making yourself one , say every 3 hours approx.

Refreshments are ALWAYS appreciated by contractors AND it builds professional goodwill.

Offer a cuppa about 10am the first day & tell them to help themselves- leave out a box of tea bags, some coffee, and sugar. Tell them they can use a shelf in the fridge for their lunches and make use of the microwave.

you could leave out fancy biscuits or pastries every so often for be nice.

Offer tea & coffee. That's all that's really needed. If you feel like it pop in and offer refills.

We always offer a cuppa when they arrive each day and then tell them to feel free to help themselves. I find that they often don't though, so if one of us is around and putting the kettle on then we'd usually offer again.