What A Builder Should Wear

13 years ago

I'm the office manager for a small, custom-home-building general contractor. I am holding a meeting this week about several issues we have experienced in the office lately. The biggest one is our dress code. We have one, but it is not enforced. I am going to change that in this meeting. So I'm asking, what is your opinion?
We have a team of three salesmen who work in the office and meet with clients in their homes.
We have two supervisors who work directly with clients after the salesmen have taken care of paperwork. This includes visiting the job site often, but also a lot of office work and meetings with clients.

In your opinion, what should a our staff be wearing? If you were a homeowner, what would you expect of your builder and his company?
Clean jeans and collared shirts? Company polos?

Featured Answer

PRO

Linda

13 years ago

Denim or chambray shirts always look nice. I really don't care whether shirts have a collar or not; tshirts, with or without pockets, are fine with me as long as they are a solid color, either plain or with a company logo.

To be honest, the company polo shirt doesn't do anything for me, as a standard uniform. I interpret that look as "this is our way of doing business, we are run by a rule book, that rule book determines your house..." I like the option of a company shirt, but I don't want to see the same clothing on every person, every day. If the employees can't be a bit custom in their attire, how custom can the buildings be?

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Comments (9)

michigammemom
13 years ago
I would suggest clean jeans and a collared shirt at least for initial consultations with new clients. Land's End carries Oxford shirts and polos that can be customized with a business logo.
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PRO
Ironwood Builders
13 years ago
Would it make a difference to you if I was the smartest guy in the room and had the reputation as a design/functional issue problem solver? If my crews craftsmanship was beyond good and my price was reasonable? Is a tee shirt and jeans on a working man hard to get around? Did the whole polo shirt thing as a PM for a company, crew all uniformed up...when the downturn came in the early '90's, the uniforms went first. Sales were slower, yes, but what the crew and PM didn't effect that. Showing up in a suit driving a BMW probably had a more negative response than showing up with sawdust in your hair. Had a client once that jokingly accused me of grabbing sawdust and throwing it in the air over my head when I saw her coming. She liked the hands on approach and paid high dollars for it.
feeny
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
The two best custom contractors I've ever worked with (both owners of companies that employed 10-30 people in their crew) wore jeans and flannel shirts or overalls, just like the rest of the crew, and they worked as hard as the rest of the crew. I tend not to trust people who dress like bankers or other white collar jobs while talking about doing carpentry or digging foundations. All I ask is that clothes are clean and cracks are adequately covered.
charleee
13 years ago
A belt! Definitely a belt. Especially if they'll be doing a lot of bending and crouching. Any shirt that's clean, without holes and is tucked into the pants is preferred.
PRO
Brickwood Builders, Inc.
13 years ago
olldbobbi, that is great!
charleee
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
Thanks, Deborah, ain't it the truth??? I have no interest in their coin slot!
PRO
Ironwood Builders
13 years ago
Bobbi, the amount of " coin slot" is indirect proportion to the amount of beer belly. Belts don't help when the glute fat has disappeared and the beer is kegging the front!
charleee
13 years ago
Dave! Funny!