ᐅ Catering for construction workers during the building phase
Created on: 11 Mar 2018 08:00
K
KingSong
Good morning,
we are slowly approaching the critical phase; our house framing is scheduled for the end of May. My wife is now wondering how and how often you should provide food for the tradespeople... We need support for about 4 months from the framing stage until handover, and obviously, it’s not feasible to bring food every day for 4 months straight.
How did you handle this? How often do you think it makes sense to provide food, and at which stages of the construction project? And what did you bring? (The good old meatloaf sandwich is probably not so popular anymore.)
Thanks, Jörg
we are slowly approaching the critical phase; our house framing is scheduled for the end of May. My wife is now wondering how and how often you should provide food for the tradespeople... We need support for about 4 months from the framing stage until handover, and obviously, it’s not feasible to bring food every day for 4 months straight.
How did you handle this? How often do you think it makes sense to provide food, and at which stages of the construction project? And what did you bring? (The good old meatloaf sandwich is probably not so popular anymore.)
Thanks, Jörg
We have a coffee machine with coffee and soft drinks always available on the construction site. For us, the garage was the first thing to be built... The hot plate is not used, but the sausage jars often end up empty anyway.
The non-alcoholic beer is still as full as the first day, but the real beer crates need to be replaced quite often. However, drinking only happens after work hours.
The cake always remained untouched; our craftsmen prefer something more substantial.
On the two site days, there were pea sausage and chili con carne. (I really didn’t expect the vegetarian...). Sandwiches were always served alongside.
Otherwise, there is a Rewe supermarket with a hot food counter nearby, which everyone appreciates.
We tend to be at the construction site when work finishes, so the timing doesn't always fit well with meal times.
The non-alcoholic beer is still as full as the first day, but the real beer crates need to be replaced quite often. However, drinking only happens after work hours.
The cake always remained untouched; our craftsmen prefer something more substantial.
On the two site days, there were pea sausage and chili con carne. (I really didn’t expect the vegetarian...). Sandwiches were always served alongside.
Otherwise, there is a Rewe supermarket with a hot food counter nearby, which everyone appreciates.
We tend to be at the construction site when work finishes, so the timing doesn't always fit well with meal times.
We occasionally had some bottles of Pepsi and water, along with a bowl of sweets. These were generally appreciated.
We then talked to several tradespeople about this. Most find it rather uncomfortable when the homeowner shows up at lunchtime with a packed meal. However, the majority don't mind having drinks set out and small plates of snacks or cake.
We then talked to several tradespeople about this. Most find it rather uncomfortable when the homeowner shows up at lunchtime with a packed meal. However, the majority don't mind having drinks set out and small plates of snacks or cake.
Most craftsmen said they appreciate having a coffee or a hot meal now and then, but it shouldn’t be too much. On some construction sites, everything from breakfast to afternoon coffee and cake is provided.
Cold drinks in summer or a hot coffee in winter are considered good manners, and occasionally offering something to eat is simply a gesture of appreciation. Drinks are usually available with business partners as well, and if a meeting runs through lunchtime, food is often provided. A full stomach creates a positive atmosphere.
Cold drinks in summer or a hot coffee in winter are considered good manners, and occasionally offering something to eat is simply a gesture of appreciation. Drinks are usually available with business partners as well, and if a meeting runs through lunchtime, food is often provided. A full stomach creates a positive atmosphere.
So, many of the tradesmen I know have complained quite a bit. They were always well taken care of by us. Their exact words were that this is no longer the norm but rather the exception. Homeowners don’t even pay attention to us. The wealthier they are, and the bigger the house, the worse it gets. Topping-out ceremonies are hardly held anymore. They also don’t communicate with us… maybe it is more extreme in northern Germany than in the south, but that’s what they say here. Apparently, they have a need for recognition beyond just the pay. Karsten
KingSong schrieb:
How did you handle this? How often is it reasonable and at which stages of the construction project?Never, at no time.
When we lived in the house, the landscaping team was once given an ice cream, but that was it.
Nordlys schrieb:
Framing ceremonies hardly exist anymore I asked how the craftsmen deal with the framing ceremony. Their exact words: we work on 40 houses at the same time and have one family waiting at home. If absolutely necessary, some come, but usually there’s no interest.
In my experience, many tradespeople are no longer enthusiastic about traditional topping-out ceremonies. The bricklayers appreciated the sausages and such, but the carpenters said they would rather finish work earlier, which is understandable when you’re setting up a roof almost every day. Up to that point, there hadn’t even been other trades working on the house.
With most of them, you don’t really know when they will show up. The construction schedule might say two weeks, but they only need about four days. Some come during the first four days, others during the last four, and some are scattered throughout. The site manager usually can’t provide a clear answer, so as the homeowner, you just have to be prepared for surprises.
With most of them, you don’t really know when they will show up. The construction schedule might say two weeks, but they only need about four days. Some come during the first four days, others during the last four, and some are scattered throughout. The site manager usually can’t provide a clear answer, so as the homeowner, you just have to be prepared for surprises.
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