If there is anyone else buying / building in a community with a larger builder, what I did a few months ago was gave our main sales lady a nice desktop business card holder. While it wasn't much, she did appreciate it as it looks a lot more professional sitting on her desk then the plastic $1 one she had. For the subs who had employees, we gave cash bonuses to the actual workers and a promise of referral to the contractors they worked for, (subs). For the subs who worked solo, we gave cash and a promise of referrals. We gave the engineer a gift certificate for him and his family to a nice in town resturant w/ promise of referall as well. I love this idea, and it's what I'm planning to do kind of when we're done with our house. Since it isn't custom, but in a community, I am going to go online and find every site that I can give feedback to, then print it out and give it to the sales lady to bring to their weekly meeting. owl_at_home I haven't exactly decided what to give the two builders. I WAS thinking we would finish around Christmas and I would give them each a combo "Christmas/thanks for finishing the house" gift basket. I was thinking about maybe a ham, some homemade baked goods, and some type of alcohol. I don't think they're wine guys, so I was thinking a nice bottle of whiskey or a case of one of the nicer beers. Make sure this is something they will use. My neighbor gets a lot of these and has so many that he ends up giving them away to neighbors. You also may want to make sure they drink. When my dad was in the gas station business he used to get a lot of booze but never drank a drop. He usually ended up regifting or chucking it. I love the home-made cookies, it's what I usually give as well. There aren't many people that don't appreciate those. lol My MIL always sends us a fruit basket or food related item. Yesterday my SIL called to ask exactly which one she should tell the MIL to order. We told her not to, since the fruit is always too ripe, and none of us being fruit people, it gets thrown out. If she needs to send us something, I would rather have a book of stamps, and don't doubt that some builders would also appreciate stamps as they are something that would get used. ilmbg This is just my $.02 worth. Don't be offended- you asked. One way to look at it, is that you paid these guys dearly, I'm sure. Do we really need to give a gift? Isn't what you paid them for- to do a good job? Is this how we have created a generation of spoiled, lazy people- to pay extra to do a job that should be done properly in the first place? I agree some what. If they come in on time / under budget, then I would give something. My son remembers every person that tips him, even if it's a few dollars. He gives them his card with his tech / cell number on it, and if there is a problem he will make sure that he takes care of it asap. I don't doubt that it's the same with builders.. if a problem happens in a new home, they're more likely to take care of it asap if you give them a little something. sierraeast I wish i could have done more and while true they all make a good wage, their employers dont buy their gas, provide benefits, or pay for their tools when they need replacing as well as items such as blades, bits, etc I don't doubt that a gift card to Home Depot, Sears or Lowes would be very appreciated, no matter what the amount. As you say, bits break, some aren't cheap. My son must have 20 receipts from buying bits from this year alone. kaydles - I just wanted to throw in what I'm planning to give my builder at the end of our build. We all have pictures of our build process, right? At the end, I'm putting together a hardbound scrapbook of it for him. It's definitely not your typical cut out and paste type book... There are a couple of companies online that have templates and you can just upload your pictures and type in whatever captions. It's really very simple. The company then prints the book and hardbounds it so it looks like a nice "coffee table" book. Thanks for the link! I might order one for ourselves. For a builder of a custom home I think it's a great idea; and if you could add some sort of letter of referral on how happy you were and the reasons why, I don't doubt he will use the book often. Nothing says thanks like a nice new Carhartt! Great idea. You're right! If you can't afford one, I know that our Sears stocks them, and JC Penney sells them online. I'm unsure if Carhartt sells gift certificates, but giving one from either there or one of the other 2 stores that sells them, I'm sure would be appreciated. Even if they got a $25 gift card in an envelope with a picture of something made by Carhartt, they'd get the idea of why you gave the gift certificate you did. BTW, JC Penney sells flannel lined work pants & jeans. Cheapest jeans are $25, with the work pants being $30 So far, every person I've bought them for loves them, my hubby especially. I even have some for myself. Those of you using relatives, it would be easy to buy pants for them. I just did a search and didn't see any discussions about this, but should we be thinking about giving gifts to the main players in our build? Especially since I am acting as the GC. Just a small thank you to the main builder, his crew, the electricians, plumbers/HVAC guys? I am thinking of ball caps with the logo from my husband's company on them or they have canvas strap watches with the logo that aren't that expensive. Or should I be thinking of something bigger than that? I have no idea if this is appropriate or not. Is it too cheap and should I be writing bonus checks to some of them for coming in under budget and on time? My son installs DirecTV. I can't tell you how many gifts he gets like this that he brings home & never uses them. It's possible that once the job is finished they won't ever use them again. I look at them thinking that the money that was spent on them could have been used on drill bits I also can understand the point that they are paid a good wage for work done. That is why I am leaning towards something small, like ball caps. I can get them for under $5 a piece, but it still adds up when I consider all I want to buy for. If it was me, I would set it up with the main builder that either everyone would go to the local pizza place for lunch one afternoon, or the pies could be delivered; I'd also have a party perk for coffee. Nothing says thank you like a free meal, and if the main builder works with you, the guys that normally would brown bag it, would be told not to bring lunch. Both my son & step son buy food / coffee out when they don't feel like bagging it, they both spend a "good" $10 a day. It adds up. Not having to pay for food / coffee one day is a nice treat. If there were people that left the job due to being finished, they could come back for pizza.

I'm with lisa226 if the checks don't bounce and I don't have to hound customers to get that final payment, it's all good. If given the choice between pictures/letter of recommendation or party/tip, my DH would MUCH prefer the letter. Having a list of a dozen or so previous clients who have already told him they don't mind if strangers call or come over to look at his work saves him (well, me really) a lot of time. He probably wouldn't attend the party - the last thing he wants to do on his off time is schmooze with his crew or clients. He likes, and is grateful, to them but a Christmas staff party and maybe a summer staff picnic is a stretch for him LOL. I love Donna's idea of before, in progress and after pix. Good to show potential customers the attention to detail, and that he doesn't leave a mess at the end of each day!

Maybe send a note in the basket along with phone numbers of the wives and or any of the other staff willing to go along with her to an appointment, out for just a coffee if she needs to talk, or a few hours of child care if she happens to have children, (no age was given ). She might have a job around the house that she has never had to do with winter coming and might be overwhelmed enough to overlook it right now. Any of the male members want to step up with a coupon booklet maybe?..One Snow shovelling, one emergency call if the car acts up...you get the idea.... even if she just needs someone to ask and figure out how to do it yourself deal ...who knows someone might make a very close friend of the deal!! Right now she need some. She may never take you up on them but I am sure the thought would be appreciated.

Decades ago, I attended the wedding of my sorority sister in Texas. In New York, where I am from, cash gifts are typical, and there is a decorated box or something on the gift table to receive (and secure) these cards. They didn't have one, and, naively perhaps, I just put my card on the gift table. She did send me a thank you for coming down for the wedding, but no mention of the gift. Since one of our sorority values is "gracious living," I knew that she knew proper etiquette. In a conversation months later, it came out that she never received my gift. We were both relieved to discover the truth, actually. So I think if a usually polite person doesn't send a thank you note, it is worth it to question whether the gift was received. (And if there is no card box on the table, hold on to your cash gift and send it later.) And graywings123 is correct: one year to send the gift, but thank you notes as soon as reasonably possible, per Miss Manners.