How to thank contractors at end of reno?

We’ve been in the fortunate position of having a good experience with our GC so far.  They have been great to work with and I feel like they, along with our architect, worked together well as a team.  We’ll be finishing soon on a 6 month renovation of a three story brownstone.  I would like to thank the team somehow and am wondering what’s standard/appropriate.  Do people give tips or gifts?  Or is paying bills on time good enough?

newhouse

in General Contractors 12 years and 9 months ago

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johnhuesmann | 12 years and 6 months ago

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We bought the whole crew lunch! They really appreciated the small gesture. We plan on inviting our contractor and his wife for a casual drink and dinner. We considered a cash tip, but after all , paying on time is more than enough!

bk_homeslice | 12 years and 8 months ago

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hey newhouse, would you be able to send me the contact details of your contractor and pictures if you have any of the work?  we are going through a similiar scenario. sneed.jason@gmail.com thanks, much appreciated!

mholden0 | 12 years and 9 months ago

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How about glowing recommendations and references?  Our contractor took us up on the offer of having a prospective customer come to our home to view the work in person and hear all the great things we had to say without him being there.  Needless to say, he got the job that same night.  I try to recommend him to others every chance I get.

greenmountain | 12 years and 9 months ago

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I appreciate a nice dinner or glass of wine on the occasion of a completed job.  It is always helpful if a customer provides me access for photos later, or even occasionally access to perspective new customers, who may wish to see how the work held up and meet a prior customer.  This can seem like an invasion of privacy to some, but it can help a contractor a lot.  References of all kinds on request.  I have been invited to customer’s holiday parties later in the year – very nice.  Some customers have provided complementary professional consultations in their fields, or been responsive with offers of services to my other customers.  Please remember your contractors when neighborhood or building issues are being discussed, like parking and access to service entrances.  In short, contractors are members of the community.  If the relationship has been good, continue it.  Try to help that good service provider do more good work.  Misunderstandings are many and your influence going forward will be greatly appreciated.

stevecym | 12 years and 9 months ago

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I think it is great that you are thinking of showing appreciation to your contractor this way.  But I am a contractor and I always find it embarrassing when a customer offers me a cash tip – unless of course we did something uncalled for – say we were working in their house when they went away and they asked us to feed the cats or dogs while we were there doing the job.  But I know that is not the case with your gut reno.  Here’s what you might do, find out what the owner drinks and buy him a nice bottle (I have a customer who gives me a nice Scotch at the holidays and it is really appreciated).  As for the workers, I am sure they would appreciate a cash tip (I have been at that level and I do recall being given bottles of scotch when I was 20 years old and thinking – “I’d rather have the money”).  In the case of giving the worker’s cash, I would run that idea by the owner first as a courtesy.  Also, if you tried to tip one of the GC’s subs with cash, he may feel obligated to decline it out of respect for the GC – a bottle there would be appropriate).   Steve

rfarch | 12 years and 9 months ago

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Invite them for casual drink and bite to eat in your new home!