# Tipping Etiquette - Contractors **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 19, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037 "2010-03-19T17:22:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/21 "2010-03-19T20:33:49Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:11, topic:533037”] Speaking with my moderator hat off, the thought of tipping contractors wouldn’t have occurred to me, either. When we have people working hard at the house, we’ll usually take them out cold drinks (or hot drinks in the winter) every now and then, or even some snacks. But I assume that the price they quoted is what I’m expected to pay. [/QUOTE] This. I also tell them they’re welcome to use our bathroom (you’d be surprised), and listen to what ever music they’d like. I think the best way to “tip” a contractor you like is to send more business their way. Recommend them to your friends and neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/22 "2010-03-19T20:49:42Z")
As a contractor I do not accept cash tips. The price for high quality work is in the bill. Typically when I do work the customer already has a written estimate in hand. If they want to negotiate the price down they are welcome to try. If I agree to lower a price there will also be a lower expectation of quality on my part. I have a standard of quality. If my minimal standards can’t be met based on the negotiation I tell them to find someone else. I have no issues if a customer wants to tip through other means, like for example some of my customers make of buy lunch. I have a few farmers who allow me to stop buy anytime I want and grab fresh produce and such. Baked goods are always appreciated. Generally on a job site it is only me and a helper. Sometimes I have subcontractors on site too but that is more rare. I’ve had customers tip my helper. My helper is expected to refuse once but if the customer presses he’s welcome to partake. Customers that offer me tips are always refused. If they somehow do make a monetary tip it is subtracted from the bill or is noted and will be subtracted from the next bill if I work for them again. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/23 "2010-03-19T20:52:00Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > As a contractor I do not accept cash tips. The price for high quality work is in the bill. Typically when I do work the customer already has a written estimate in hand. If they want to negotiate the price down they are welcome to try. If I agree to lower a price there will also be a lower expectation of quality on my part. I have a standard of quality. If my minimal standards can’t be met based on the negotiation I tell them to find someone else. > > I have no issues if a customer wants to tip through other means, like for example some of my customers make of buy lunch. I have a few farmers who allow me to stop buy anytime I want and grab fresh produce and such. Baked goods are always appreciated. > > Generally on a job site it is only me and a helper. Sometimes I have subcontractors on site too but that is more rare. I’ve had customers tip my helper. My helper is expected to refuse once but if the customer presses he’s welcome to partake. > > Customers that offer me tips are always refused. If they somehow do make a monetary tip it is subtracted from the bill or is noted and will be subtracted from the next bill if I work for them again. That’s the way it should be done IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/24 "2010-03-19T21:08:18Z")
Here’s how we “tip” contractors who do an especially good job: we write a personal letter of recommendation, printed on good quality paper, saying how much we appreciated their excellent work, etc, and that we highly recommend them. Sign and date with phone, email and address. References like that are very useful for reputable contractors. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/25 "2010-03-19T21:22:15Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Here’s how we “tip” contractors who do an especially good job: we write a personal letter of recommendation, printed on good quality paper, saying how much we appreciated their excellent work, etc, and that we highly recommend them. Sign and date with phone, email and address. References like that are very useful for reputable contractors. I like this. I will do this too. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/26 "2010-03-19T21:40:10Z")
> [@kevlaw](#): > > Should I give the contractor something too? The single greatest thing you can give ANY small business is referrals. He would probably happily trade a $100 tip and a metric ton of cookies for the chance to do work for a friend or relative. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/27 "2010-03-19T21:46:01Z")
Where I’m from, the only accepted way to tip hard labourers is with cold beer. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/28 "2010-03-19T21:47:10Z")
I just looked at this link on tipping and there is nothing about tipping contractors: [http://www.essortment.com/all/tipping\_rdef.htm](http://www.essortment.com/all/tipping_rdef.htm) I don’t think any contractors or those who for him should receive tips. They are paid much better wages than the people in the link. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/29 "2010-03-19T21:50:20Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > The single greatest thing you can give ANY small business is referrals. I haven’t been delinquent in that regard. He has three jobs already based on referalls from us. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/30 "2010-03-19T22:38:30Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It annoys me that installers and contractors hang around at the end of the job with this hopeful look on their faces. If you’re hiring legitimate contractors, then tipping contractors is just bullshit. The workers are getting paid Davis-Bacon or better wages, which is plenty. The contractor himself has marked up his estimate to include overhead and profit, which is usually set at 15% and 10%, regardless of what his actual costs are. Most people don’t know that these rates are negotiable. As for the OP: “care and diligence” is called “workmanship”. It’s expected and rates no extra pay. I’m all over my contractors if I think they’re not doing work that is up to par, and have called the boss in to kick their asses if they don’t do what they’re supposed to be doing. > > They’re performing the work that they’ve been hired to do and paid to do, so tipping is out of the question for me. Customers like you are one of the few reasons that make working for one’s self better than working for someone else. If your real life demeanor is a fraction of your online demeanor we’d take about 5 minutes of you before it would be _you_ that was fired. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/31 "2010-03-19T22:39:39Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > The single greatest thing you can give ANY small business is referrals. > > He would probably happily trade a $100 tip and a metric ton of cookies for the chance to do work for a friend or relative. Absolutely 100% spot on. raindog contractor ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/32 "2010-03-19T22:40:43Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Here’s how we “tip” contractors who do an especially good job: we write a personal letter of recommendation, printed on good quality paper, saying how much we appreciated their excellent work, etc, and that we highly recommend them. Sign and date with phone, email and address. References like that are very useful for reputable contractors. That is appreciated more than you know. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/33 "2010-03-19T22:46:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It annoys me that installers and contractors hang around at the end of the job with this hopeful look on their faces. If you’re hiring legitimate contractors, then tipping contractors is just bullshit. The workers are getting paid Davis-Bacon or better wages, which is plenty. The contractor himself has marked up his estimate to include overhead and profit, which is usually set at 15% and 10%, regardless of what his actual costs are. Most people don’t know that these rates are negotiable. As for the OP: “care and diligence” is called “workmanship”. It’s expected and rates no extra pay. I’m all over my contractors if I think they’re not doing work that is up to par, and have called the boss in to kick their asses if they don’t do what they’re supposed to be doing. > > They’re performing the work that they’ve been hired to do and paid to do, so tipping is out of the question for me. And I’d like to make a correction. The **tiniest fraction** of all tradesmen-----including most unions----make Davis-Bacon wages. If you factor out union labor the percentage is tiny. If you factor out large urban centers in the North, Northeast where unions have been historically strong the percentage is _infinitesimal._ It wouldn’t surprise me if the guys putting in that patio were making $10-15/hr. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/34 "2010-03-19T22:52:11Z")
> [@kevlaw](#): > > I like this. I will do this too. **kevlaw** I’m glad that some contractors weighed in. I think it is very kind of you to tip the labor, although it is not a common practice. And I agree that the help may be tipped, but not the contractor. I agree with **boytyperanma.** I recognize that often the customer feels better when they tip, so the help is instructed not so much to refuse, but to thank them and say 'it’s not necessary." If the customer persists, they accept graciously. Even without the tip, we _live_ for customers like you; people who recognize the effort and pride we take in doing our job. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/35 "2010-03-19T22:53:55Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > As a contractor I do not accept cash tips. The price for high quality work is in the bill. Typically when I do work the customer already has a written estimate in hand. If they want to negotiate the price down they are welcome to try. If I agree to lower a price there will also be a lower expectation of quality on my part. I have a standard of quality. If my minimal standards can’t be met based on the negotiation I tell them to find someone else. > > I have no issues if a customer wants to tip through other means, like for example some of my customers make of buy lunch. I have a few farmers who allow me to stop buy anytime I want and grab fresh produce and such. Baked goods are always appreciated. > > Generally on a job site it is only me and a helper. Sometimes I have subcontractors on site too but that is more rare. I’ve had customers tip my helper. My helper is expected to refuse once but if the customer presses he’s welcome to partake. > > Customers that offer me tips are always refused. If they somehow do make a monetary tip it is subtracted from the bill or is noted and will be subtracted from the next bill if I work for them again. +1 ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/36 "2010-03-19T23:05:22Z")
Slight hijack I can’t remember ever being tipped, although its probably happened. What gets me to want to give you 200% are things like this: 1. Refreshments. Its a small thing, but we had a customer bring us coffee and cookies last week. We routinely work in very hot conditions. Not one in 25 will offer us a Coke--------_which is fine because we don’t expect it_------- but the ones that do are appreciated. 2. Referrals A customer found us on craigslist. He needed a thermocouple and was tight on money. He was handy so we walked him through it on the phone. He saved $90. His wife posted her compliments on craigslist. Very Cool of her. 3. Letters of recommendation/praise. It’s good for business, but its equally good for morale. Even for the owner. 4. Posting on the internet Google local business, Yahoo local, Angie’s List etc etc. It all adds up, and we love to return the favor. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/37 "2010-03-19T23:11:21Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > This. I also tell them they’re welcome to use our bathroom (you’d be surprised), and listen to what ever music they’d like. > > I think the best way to “tip” a contractor you like is to send more business their way. Recommend them to your friends and neighbors. Another ideal customer. I forgot to add this to he “refreshments” section of my earlier post. It is a small thing, but to mention up front that there are refreshments, and the bathroom is available is showing [unfortunately] uncommon kindness and courtesy. We’ve had many customers say “Theres Coke etc in the fridge. Help yourselves, k?” We go out of our way for those people. Playing music we like? We’d end up washing your dog and detailing your car just for fun. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/38 "2010-03-20T00:11:52Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Not sure why you’d tip the workers or the contractor himself. The workers are clearly making at least minimum wage, probably more if they’re skilled or even semi-skilled. The contractor figured his profit into the contract price. Can I say something as a contractor? (Well, sub-contract labor) You may have noticed the economy is shit right now. Really really shit. I haven’t had a paying construction/maintenance job for over three months. My family passed the hat just so I could pay rent. Frankly, if I were making $50 an hour for a week’s work it would only start to pull me out of the hole. Yes, I make more than minimum wage but in order to get ANY business right now most of us that I know have had to work for less than we would have gotten a year or three ago. In other words, we took hourly pay cuts. And we _don’t_ have a “salary”, we get paid when there is actually work - if no one is hiring we don’t get paid. Earning $12 or 20 or 40 an hour (depending on skill and job) doesn’t do you much good if you’re only working 10 hours a week. Or none at all. If someone offered to tip me $100 because of a job I’d take it in a heartbeat. I would not be insulted or ashamed, I’d be grateful. Of course, other people might feel differently in the same situation. You _don’t_ have to tip money. Buy pizza for the guys. Buy enough that they can take one home to their families - yes, buy a pizza for every laborer, or gift certificates to a local restaurant so they can take their families or girlfriends/boyfriends out for a nice dinner. Buy then a gift card for a local gas station (notice a lot of those guys drive trucks full of tools and materials? Notice how much gas costs lately?) Offer it to everyone - maybe not everyone will take it. But another way to say thank you, since you’re so impressed with these guys, is to _tell everyone how wonderful they are_ so these guys will be able to get MORE work down the road. A lot of this business relies on word of mouth and reputation, and jobs/work is hard to come by these days. In sum: 1. You can offer money 2. You can offer stuff like pizza, dinners, a tank of gas, whatever 3. But PLEASE PLEASE tell everyone how great these guys are, so they will have work in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/39 "2010-03-20T00:35:33Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It annoys me that installers and contractors hang around at the end of the job with this hopeful look on their faces. I don’t. Most people I work with wouldn’t tolerate that from labor, either. You work for what you agree to work for. You _don’t_ ask for more. > [@](#): > > If you’re hiring legitimate contractors, then tipping contractors is just bullshit. The workers are getting paid Davis-Bacon or better wages, which is plenty. Davis-Bacon only applies to public works projects. For private projects, including work on residences installing something like a patio, it is entirely legal and entirely common for the labor to get less than Davis-Bacon. Why do they do it? Because if they don’t they next guy will work for less and the first guy will have NO work. If you have a choice at working for $20/hour and getting NO jobs and working for $10/hour and getting _something_ you’ll pick the latter if you have bills to pay and a family to feed. Basic economics, think about it. > [@](#): > > The contractor himself has marked up his estimate to include overhead and profit, which is usually set at 15% and 10%, regardless of what his actual costs are. And if there are problems or overruns it comes out of those profits. The general contractor I work with most often (in part because he is extremely reliable at paying his labor - not a universal trait, unfortunately, these days) has worked jobs that actually COST him money due to problems coming up. If there’s a screw up it comes out of the boss’s pocket first. Yes, when things go well he makes a profit. But he does run a real risk that if the crap hits the fan he’ll lose money. > [@](#): > > Most people don’t know that these rates are negotiable. But a lot more are catching on these days. > [@](#): > > As for the OP: “care and diligence” is called “workmanship”. It’s expected and rates no extra pay. _Normal_ care and diligence - which should be to a high standard - doesn’t call for extra BUT if they _truly_ did exceptional work then there is _nothing_ wrong with acknowledging that either verbally or materially. > [@](#): > > I’m all over my contractors if I think they’re not doing work that is up to par, and have called the boss in to kick their asses if they don’t do what they’re supposed to be doing. Which is entirely appropriate - they’re there to work and do a good job. As they are getting paid for it, and are presumably professional, they SHOULD be busting their butts and delivering what was promised. But, again if they did more than customary there is nothing wrong with giving them a “bonus”. Especially in these times. Or do you think contractors don’t talk to each other? We know which people are cheapskates and hell to work for, and which ones actually appreciate us. It doesn’t have to be anything like money - it’s a hell of a lot easier to work for people who make sure I have something cold to drink on a 90 degree day or let me use their toilet when I’m spending 10 hours a day at their house working on the exterior. Funny concept, we’re people, too. It makes it a lot easier to do work that can be hard labor and filthy when we know we’re appreciated. And we’re more inclined to go the extra yard for the kind clients as opposed to the ones who think their job is to ride our butts. > [@](#): > > They’re performing the work that they’ve been hired to do and paid to do, so tipping is out of the question for me. Fair enough. I agree, tipping should be optional. Should you ever hire me I’ll never even _hint_ at a tip - just pay me in full and on time and I’ll be happy. But don’t get your panties in a twist at the notion someone else might want to give me a “bonus”. In fact, I stand to collect on a “bonus” of a steak dinner one of my customers gave me at a local steakhouse in appreciation of several jobs I completed for him. Completely unsolicited - and the same series of jobs has lead to potentially two more customers, which frankly I find far more valuable than the dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037/40 "2010-03-20T15:09:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I don’t. Most people I work with wouldn’t tolerate that from labor, either. You work for what you agree to work for. You _don’t_ ask for more. Shortened the quote for brevity. No problem with anything you’ve written except for the part about overruns and costs. That’s what change orders are for, and while they are painful, they’re part of the construction world (speaking from 40 years in construction and facilities management). Charging exhorbitant profit and overhead percentages is just creating a slush fund for the contractor. In my experience, a contractor has NEVER said “Oh, don’t worry about that additional piping I had to install: I’ll just take it out of my profit.” 😉 A last word (from me) on gratuities, considerations, etc. I go back to contractors for repeat business if they’ve done a good job, and recommend them to others. Keeps things on a professional basis and encourages them to keep doing the best job they can for me. A steady income beats a one-time tip any day. Thanks for the correction on Davis-Bacon: I used to administer government construction contracts at one point and that stuck in my head. Surprisingly, the contractors we dealt with usually paid more than D-B wages, as they couldn’t attract quality craftsmen otherwise. That was before the current economic problems, of course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-etiquette-contractors/533037.md?page=3)