Home Improvement Contractor - Licensed Contractors

Is it appropriate to tip a contractor (the guy who is painting my house)?

I think he slightly underestimated how big my house was. Its taken him an extra few days. The reason I ask is, I want him to be happy with working for me, because I wanna use him again in the future. If it is OK to do this, how much is appropriate? Thanks

Public Comments

1. Of course you should.. How much depend on the place etc..i dont know..
2. sure you can tip i would say 10 percent if he had workers with him i would tip them also
3. I wouldn't frame it as a "tip". I would simply tell him that you know that he took a couple of extra days and would like to pay him for the extra time. Ask him what he thinks is fair.
4. You are kinda dumb, huh?
5. You're paying him. If you like the work tell him and let him know you'll use him in the future. Also, tell him you'll recommend him to others. That's a good tip.
6. Do it if he did a good job.
7. He'd appreciate a 6 pack more.
8. If the man doing the work is also the contractor then he should do the job for what he said. This is the great lesson of being a contractor, thus the name. Now if you feel he bid low and is doing everything he can to give you a quality job, tipping him would be entirely up to you. If the man doing the work is not actually the contractor then he would definitely appreciate a tip to subsidize his income.
9. Oh yea. Bribes make the world go round. [paraphrase of Solomon's proverb]. You'll know how much is right. Probably not too much but put a smile on his face.
10. Honestly, I kinda have to go with Debbie. I've worked in a grocery store for far too long, and you wouldn't believe how many people feed and otherwise take care of ;) their workers.
11. I don't see why not. I wouldn't give him more than 10 percent. Painting is hard work so I'm sure he will take it and thank you.
12. Definitely tip a contractor that has worked hard and done good work! Usually, a 10-15% tip of the total cost is appropriate. And you are wise to do so if you want him to return again! If he has workers with him, you can tip them 5-10% of the total cost.
13. If it took him more time to complete the job than he planned and he did a good job, then you should pay him more than the agreed-upon price. They'll usually give you an estimate showing cost of supplies and labor. Take the amount charged for labor and break it down by day according to the original work plan. For each day gone over, pay that amount as fair compensation for work. A contractor usually has other jobs lined up and if they go over on your project, they are losing money on the next job they had lined up. They should leave sufficient time in between for any complications that come up on their current job but sometimes these things can't be helped. Be grateful you have a professional contractor that will stay and finish the job and doesn't leave your job half-finished so they could start the next project and come back at a later date to finish yours.
14. Its not expected unless he went beyond whatever he promised to do. What gets contractors to come back is paying them immediately upon completion. If he did something extra, its great if you are willing to pay him extra, I'm sure he'll appreciate it. But if he just did a good job on the work he said he would do and you feel his price was fair to begin with, no need to add to it.
15. No, your a very kind person but the price you pay is actually the price given after they make an estimate, meaning evaluating your home. Plus what you pay is not only for the pain but for the cost of labor. I'm sure he already added that. Besides don't feel you need to pay him extra to do another job for you, just requesting him to come again is more than enough and it let's him know you like his work. Giving gratitude for it, ask him for his business card in case you would like to recommend him to someone else. That's more than enough. A six pack would be an insult! Cold glass of lemonade... P.S You may think of paying him extra for the hard work and longer day's, he's thinking of what your thinking??? "why is the job taking long" ...people work to satisfy the client not the client satisfy the worker.
16. as a successful painting contractor for 20 years,I can say i have gotten several tips and all were appreciated ,but none were expected,if you liked his work and want to give him a little extra,that is up to you,If however you feel you should give him more because he underestimated the job, then don't . That was his mistake,you should not have to pay for,If the job took longer because you added things or changed your mind on the colors or something then you should ask him what the extra time added up to.
17. Well that means he is not good in estimating or he is too slow. The fact is that the job was not completed on time. It caused you a few more days of inconvenience. I would not tip if I were you.