(Photo by © Judwick | Dreamstime.com)

Once again it’s the time of the year to wander around the Internet and find some unique gifts for people who work in construction. I tend to focus on useful construction gifts ever since a gift I once gave to someone came back to me as a re-gift the following year. There is more than one reason construction gifts are re-gifted, but I think the main reason is that they are useless to the receiver.

Construction people turn building plans into three-dimensional objects. So, they need and like all kinds of tools. Not just screw guns and cut-off saws, but reference tools and calculating tools as well. Construction people also work in all kinds of conditions. Day, night, rain, fog, snow, ice, dazzling sunshine and in and around structures that are in all stages of completion. So, they need things that help them stay comfortable without sacrificing flexibility, safety and mobility.

Some construction people work for companies, while others are the company. If your giftee is a self-employed contractor, carpenter, plumber, electrician, or painter (just to name a few) then the number of appropriate gifts expands significantly since there isn’t a company supplying tools of the trade.

There are also many different kinds of construction people. Some drive the nails and finish the concrete, others estimate, plan and schedule, while others manage. Buying a screw gun for a project manager is like buying a typewriter for a CEO. They probably aren’t going to use it, and if they need one they can probably get one, or already have one. Which brings me to the final caution when buying gifts for construction people.

There’s no point in getting them things that would normally be supplied to them as part of their work. One exception would be personalized items. So, for what it’s worth, here is a directory of sites that will hopefully give you some ideas about what gifts might be useful to the construction people, or person in your life.

Code books, construction management books, how to books, construction cost guides, digital takeoff tools, construction calculators, electrical meters, distance measuring devices, and more technical references and tools are here and here.

Clothes, boots, gloves, safety equipment, tool belts, knee pads, heat packs, cooling gear and much more for keeping construction people comfortable and safe are here.

Watches of all kinds are here, with two of special note here, and here.

Power tools, air tools, hand tools, tool accessories and an interesting “Build-A-Kit” option can be found here.

Promotional Items: Although these are not what I would consider to be true gifts (since they advertise your company) many of them are nontheless quite useful, attractive and durable. These aren’t your grandfather’s novelty gifts and certainly have their place in the holiday scheme of gift giving. See the many options here, here and here.

Money Clips, Business Card Holders and Keychains with construction themes can be found here.

Just for Fun: These include custom imprinted items with some pretty funny cartoons like you find here.

If you know of a unique gift idea for construction people, leave a comment. Of course, some construction people may not want anything construction-related. For that, you’re on your own.

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