While there are some professions where tipping is widely accepted such as in hotels and restaurants, there are others where dilemmas exist. For example, when you employ the services of a decorating contractor, do you tip painters?
Sometimes, contractors will factor money designated as gratuity for their painters into the overall bill. In these cases, it’s not necessary to tip the painters. However, if you feel the need to be extra generous, you may need some guidelines on tipping your painters.
Do You Tip Painters for Quality or Speed?
You may want to tip a painter for doing an excellent job or for painting a room faster to complete a project ahead of schedule. Painters help you by making your house more colorful and appealing. They can help you use wall colors to hide stains. If they did the job well, such as painting evenly with no splashes, then it’s understandable for you to want to tip them.
Do You Tip Painters a Little or a Lot?
The typical tipping guideline is to give 15% to 20% of the total job cost. This is standard across all professions and is true for painters as well. If you’re only going to tip $5, you might as well not tip at all, as you may end up insulting the painter.
Another alternative to tipping is to make sure the painters are comfortable while working. You can provide them with snacks and refreshments throughout the day.
Complications with Tipping
While tipping is a noble gesture, some contractors have policies against tipping their employees. So it is better for you to ask your contractor first if it’s okay to tip rather than have the awkward moment when the painter has to refuse your money.
Additionally, contractors may view tipping as a subterfuge, suspecting that you’re trying to make the painter accomplish work without getting the contractor involved.
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