No booze: they might not drink, or they might have alcohol problems.

A small gift certificate to a local grocery, with a card expressing your gratitude? Even $5 helps.

elz...it's great that you have such a great crew...I've read so many horror stories - you are lucky!

Do you bake? Maybe a plate of home-baked goodies wrapped festively for each one?

Or, how about taking a picture of each one doing their thing...develop it into a portrait for them, cute frame along with some kind of 'goody'.

Good luck in coming up with something :)

I've yet to meet the contractor that doesn't enjoy baked goods. Unless you've got someone with allergies or Celiac Disease...and even they usually have someone they can pass stuff on to.

Bake for them AND give them a GC to a grocery store. That way, if they want beer, wine, or champagne it's THEIR decision.

I vote for making treats, too! I've been making them along the way for different subs and they all appreciate them so much! Plus, it's probably the cheapest thing you can do!

I also think something home baked (if you the ability during reno) is best. It is more meaningful, IMHO, to have something you made yourself. Who wouldn't want homemade treats??!!

I'm happy that you have great subs and GC.

No fresh-baked treats this year: I'm 100 percent kitchen-free. The estimated completion date is 12/29 -- the contractor has guaranteed I'll have m.is certain I'll have my final inspection before the end of the year, and he's been right about everything so far ;)

treats and coffee cards for a chain store!

I also vote for treats, but if you can't or to supplement, I'm working on a 2-for-1 gift this year that I'm planning to distribute liberally and might work for you. One of my kids' schools has a 'saver' card to buy with coupons for local businesses. I presume these are donated by the businesses to the school as a fundraiser. They offer an impressive array of local stores that you can potentially save quite a bit of money at if you shop there anyway. So my purchase of these and wide-spread "gifting" of them helps the school, and hopefully also the business that benefits from the additional business, presumably (else why would they participate) and my "giftee" if they were going to be shopping there anyway, as they'll save money. Guess that makes it a win-win-win gift, I hope?

I'm hoping it's not seen as, dunno what the term would be, "fool's gold" perhaps? in the sense that you have to spend money to save it. I wouldn't give it without a card also and hopefully an additional gift like, say, cookies.

I'm planning on enclosing them in the holiday cards (I've yet to write) for neighbors as well.

~maybe it would work for you?

my gift will be to allow them to keep their lives ...if they finish by 2011.

Create a personalized "you're wonderful, thank you" letter of reference for them to use with future customers and have it laminated to keep it clean when handled by grubby fingers.

I was planning on buying lunch at the local deli on the last work day before Xmas. Tell the boss and supply a menu, simple and customized at the same time. Everyone loves free food, esp when they get to choose for themselves.

My experience has been that lunch or dinner if a crew is working late works best. Suspect a grocery card will raise a few eyebrows. A card for coffee/donut store is better, and a hardware store card or Depot/Lowes is safer.

The only possible gift for construction folk is a tool catalog and gift certificate for the tools. Some people think we're in this business because we like to build things. Nah! We like tools, and building stuff is just our excuse for owning a lot of them.