Who buys tools?

Question for ya’ll.

It has been my experience engaging with software development shops that the smart ones usually provide their own tools. I’m thinking, for example, MSDN licenses. And then they build in a recovery of this cost into however they charge. They don’t go and ask the client to buy these for them. And of course, they work across many clients, so this makes total sense.

I’ve seen a few that did ask the client to buy them. Usually this doesn’t go over well. Client usually doesn’t want to think about this stuff.

What would ya’ll say is your experience on this front?

I’m working with a non-software shop. An IT consulting company. And they’re just now getting into software development. But in their contracts they usually ask the client to purchase the tools. This has worked pretty well for them, as an IT shop. Because it’s usually like security scanning software, or software licenses for servers that the client owns anyways at the end of the engagement. So, I’m trying to formulate an argument that they should work otherwise.

I view it like Word or Visio (or laptops). That’s your problem to take care of. You’re the professionals, bring your tools.