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Building a Home

Gift idea for construction manager

14 years ago

We closed on our new build today!!! We had a fantastic experience starting last December with contract negotiations clear through today. I figure the purchase of the home is gift enough for the builder/owner...but our construction manager went completely above and beyond and dealt very very well with my Type A personality and was super on top of things and was more than we could have ever expected. We didn't have a single problem with our build...no kidding. And they finished just as expected, 3.5 weeks before the baby's due date!

We wrote an email to the builder telling him what a wonderful experience we had, citing specific examples...and he asked to post the testimonial on his website, to which we agreed. But we'd like to do something for our construction manager, maybe up to $100 or so, along with a thank you card. I hate to just give cash...he's not really the "fancy restaurant" kind of guy...any ideas?

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Comments (2)

bigkahuna
14 years ago
You might consult his boss about a gift.He might know what tools he would like or need or know his hobbies that might give a clue as to what he might like. Some guys might love a new tool or piece of equipment..ie drill, tape measures, construction site radio,cooler or other tool(s). Also a gift certificate to Home Depot or Lowes will allow them to get what they would like as they need. Nice of you to take notice either way. I always suggest donuts and or Pizza on one or two days or a Friday for major crews such as framers, roofers, trim carpenters, stone crews etc. The good will can go a long way when you need a little extra work done here or there and its just plain nice to do.
goldengirl327
14 years ago
When we built our house ten years ago, my husband had purchased a very nice high end tape measure for me. Whenever I went on the job site, the workers and GC commented on what a great measure it was. When we finalized the paperwork with our GC (who we really enjoyed working with) we gave him a tape measure just like the one I had and he was really touched. In fact, his wife later told me he keeps it on a special shelf and has a "hands off" policy.
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ctycdm, thanks for sharing your experience. We've spoken to several people that have done large scale renovations or built homes in our area and many of them have had that same arrangement with their construction or project manager. I personally like the idea as it allows for the homeowner to have a greater level of involvement and control. I don't follow the assumption that those who choose to be project managers are failed general contractors because that's the exact opposite conclusion we've reached -- it's a beneficial arrangement for both homeowner and the licensed contractor. jellytoast, thanks, we did it too on our last remodel. I like the idea of being here when the inspector comes over to make sure my subs are doing things properly. It makes sense for it to be in the homeowner's names. gladys1924, thanks for sharing your experience. sounds like it worked out well for you -- we are looking at a similar arrangement, and as Gaucho points out, having someone you trust on site is key. Trebruchet, we're not in FL so that's not an issue - the permit will be in our name.
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