Small gifts for the construction team for the topping out

I don’t really understand the point either. People do their work, for which they are paid, probably more than enough. So why give a tip? When I hand in a project, nobody gives me anything, and if the client were to slip me a tenner, I’d feel a bit mocked...

You don’t give tips otherwise either?

The carpenters were not at all present at our topping-out ceremony, it was just so awkward before Easter they just didn't feel like it anymore ;) Our masons, who still had to do the brickwork, were there and each received a slightly larger chocolate bunny from me with a miniature brick tied around it. Of course, they also ate and drank with us.

"Hebauf" doesn’t mean anything to me either.

I think the word origin is the same for both: the erecting / lifting of roof truss parts joined in the horizontal. Where in BW are you from that you don’t know the term? (I would be interested to know roughly where the dividing line is, where something different is said in the north than in the south – in this case it’s the same, unlike with Drempel and Kniestock, which are opposite construction methods).

Well, it doesn't matter what you call the celebration. You show respect for the work during the work with a crate of drinks, cake, and kind words.

Most craftsmen are no longer interested in [Hebauf/Richtfest]. None of the craftsmen showed up at our event, only friends and family. Especially the carpenters usually don’t want to come because they are glad when the workday is over. They usually have a [Hebauf] every day. Times are just different nowadays, but I think it’s nice that you put so much thought into it. Whether it is appreciated is another question.

It was completely different here. When we said we wanted a traditional topping-out ceremony and asked whether and how the boss felt about it, their eyes lit up. Finally someone was having a topping-out ceremony again. Then followed complaints about builders who treat them like lackeys, where there’s never a crate of sparkling water or even a cake etc. And certainly no topping-out ceremony, and I was told to discuss that with the boss. And then the boss enthusiastically gave me the date, and said they would finish work an hour earlier, and he would sponsor the topping-out wreath, the rest I should arrange with the carpenter. Then the time came. It was cool and very windy, and on the day of the topping-out ceremony the construction site was perfectly staffed with 10 people, and they set up the party furniture and installed the windows so that it wouldn’t draft and nailed the foil onto the roof so it wouldn’t rain in and even had a gas heater with them because it was cold. At noon the delivery service from Edeka arrived with plenty of beer and liquor. And around 4 o’clock the saying was said and everyone applauded, then the envelopes and a few warm words to everyone from me and from my wife, and then the food came, goulash soup. And the party got going, we danced to the Makita construction site radio to heavy rock and it turned into a roaring celebration. Karsten