Painters are no strangers to ladders, and since safe ladder usage protects your crews and your bottom line, it’s imperative that everyone on the job site is well-trained in ladder safety.    March, recognized as National Ladder Safety Month by the American Ladder Institute* (ALI), is the perfect time to renew your commitment to a safe job site.   Treat Ladder Safety Month as a reminder to prioritize ladder safety every day and continuously improve a safe work environment,” says Joe Zgrabik**, account executive for ALI.       ALI is not alone in this initiative. In 2025, nearly 25 organizations have committed to sponsoring Ladder Safety Month including longtime sponsor and leader in the climbing industry, Werner Ladder.   Ladder Safety Month is an ideal time to revisit ladder safety practices, encourage communication and behaviors on job sites, and provide education to ensure the job is finished safely. While Werner Ladder focuses on safety year-round, we also offer unique national training events, webinars, and programs during March and May,” says Michael Cameron**, QSSP, technical service – fall protection at Werner Ladder. “During March, the Werner Jobsite Safety and Security (JSS) team conducts onsite safety training and hosts free webinars. Safety topics include ‘Ladder Safety and Setup’ and ‘Fall Protection Best Practices’.”   With more than 15 years of experience in the use, design, manufacture, testing, and qualification of fall protection products and systems, Cameron is well-versed in ladder safety. He shared some of the most common mistakes along with some important safety tips to keep yourself and your crew safe on the job.      Ladder Safety Tips    The first step in ladder selection is choosing the right style of ladder for the job,” says Cameron. “Secondly, it’s important to choose the appropriate ladder based on the maximum height of the project. For example, the ladder should extend three feet beyond the top of the property when painting soffits or eaves.”   After selecting the appropriate ladder, inspect the ladder to ensure that it’s safe to use. Some things to look for include:      Ladder rungs are secure and free from damage.  There are no bends or cracks in the side rails.   Ladder feet are intact and provide proper grab.  Ladder safety labels and load capacity are visible and intact.    Ladder load capacity supports the user’s weight, plus any tools or materials needed.      Note: If you do find yourself with an unsafe ladder, be a good friend to your community and properly dispose of it.   One idea is to cut it vertically down the middle so it can’t be used by someone else,” says Zgrabik.   Once you’ve selected and inspected your ladder, proper use is critical to safety. Cameron noted these important safety precautions:    Maintain 3 points of contact. That’s two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot.  Keep from overreaching: Stay centered on the ladder. Leaning too far in any direction can cause falls.   Take tools and paint safely up and down the ladder: Remember three points of contact. Werner offers a LOCK-IN Ladder Top with LOCK-IN Accessories that allows painters to safely and conveniently hold tools, painting supplies, and of course BEHR Paint on the top of the ladder.   Stay level: If you must put a ladder on an uneven surface, there are multiple tools available to ensure the ladder is level. Werner recently released the Werner LevelSafe Pro which automatically levels your ladder on uneven terrain up to 8 1/2”.      In addition to these important tips, certified training in ladder safety is the best way to be prepared. Here are some ideas to get the most out of Ladder Safety Month this year:    Ladder Safety Certification: ALI offers a free online ladder safety course and one-year certification. ALI’s Ladder Safety Training Program consists of four modules: Stepladder Safety, Single and Extension Ladder Safety, Articulated Ladder Safety, and Mobile Ladder Safety,” says Zgrabik.   Recertify annually: If your job involves frequent ladder use, it’s tempting to think you already know all there is to know about safety. However, don’t let complacency set in. Taking an annual refresher course is a great way to renew your safety IQ.   Consider in-person training: In addition to online courses, there are plenty of options for on-site training. Werner Ladder offers a variety of on-site opportunities that are tailored to specific job and application needs.   Foster a culture of safety: Participating in training events and enforcement of safe practices keeps everyone safer on the job site. It’s important to raise safety awareness and encourage others to report any safety concerns.    We can all have a hand in making sure that job sites are safe and efficient.       For more ladder safety tips, visit laddersafetymonth.com/safety-resources/flyers.  For more information on Werner Ladder, visit wernerco.com.      *The American Ladder Institute does not approve or endorse any product. **There is no affiliation/partnership between Behr Paint Company and the individuals quoted. 

Skilled, proficient painters are critical to your business's reputation and success; however, training new painters to master the art and science of painting can be a challenge.   Even though you likely have a lot on your plate as a business owner, creating and implementing a strategy to properly train your painters is a sound business decision.   So how do you efficiently train a new or seasoned painter to perform the jobs to your liking and on time? Since every business is unique, every training program should be a bit different. Let’s hear from three painting business owners who share their most successful training tips to retain talent and build your business.   Have a Plan One thing Stacey Spear*, owner of SS Painting in Virginia, learned in her early years of owning a painting business was that a training plan is a must. When I started my painting business, I didn’t do much training. I assumed new painters could pick it up by following along and watching me. I noticed when I would correct someone’s technique or process, they would often say ‘You never taught me that.’”   Spear quickly got to work on a plan. The goal was to thoroughly communicate and teach each painting process and create accountability for following and implementing the processes.   Spear created a three-month training program, complete with detailed instructions for each process, checklists and safety protocols.   Month one – Orientation on company values, principles, tools/materials, etc. Month two – Precision and quality Month three – Gaining speed and hitting production goals   Once the three-month training is over, each painter is tested on quality and production requirements. In our training plan, everything is laid out, so employees know what’s expected of them on day one,” says Spear.     Technique First; Speed Second We know that in month one, their production time will be the slowest, but by month two we begin to see improvement, and by month three, we expect them to meet our regular production times,” says Spear.   Kevin Wooten*, owner of Carolina Painting and Pressure Cleaning, Inc. in South Carolina, agrees that precision is first, and speed is second. He says that repetition of the same movements over and over is the first strategy to getting faster. We start by teaching technique. We teach a specific technique like painting a door, and we repeat that process many times making sure that it happens the same way each time. As they practice the process, the speed increases,” says Wooten.   He says the second strategy is keeping tools nearby and organized. The biggest time killer in my 40ish years of having employees is them walking back and forth looking for their duster, rag, caulk gun, etc. If you want to speed them up, require a painter’s tool pouch/belt."     Use Production Rates Chad Jeffries*, owner of Brick City Painting & Drywall in Missouri, says that training not only helps his company deliver quality and perform predictably on the job, but it also keeps their retention rate high. The company has a team of 40 people, and they are extremely proud of the little turnover they experience. One of the reasons our retention is so good is because we put time and effort into our painters' success,” says Jeffries.   Production rates are a documented measurement of the average time a task or job takes, and this company has been tracking and recording them for years. They’ve found that recorded production rates can help set expectations for new team members to ensure no one is falling behind. If you need tips for collecting your production rates, check out this article on Determining Your Production Rates.   At Brick City, production rates are monitored both on the job and in a specially built training room. We have a training room with cameras and a timer. A binder outlines specific tasks the employee will run through so we can get a production time on doors, walls, etc. We collect times so we can see if someone is struggling with a specific task. Then we can go back and review the video to see where the problem is.”   This strategy creates a coaching environment where objective data is given to employees to help them identify how to improve and perform their best. We are careful that this is never used to ‘shame’ someone about their job performance but instead ensures that they receive all the training and help that the company offers,” says Jeffries.     Though training can be daunting, it’s a critical building block for developing successful painters and scaling your business. Remember to include required safety training and meetings in your plan.   If you want to create or improve your current training program, check out these industry resources for ideas and advice. Don’t forget, Behr has some great resources too!   Painting Contractor’s Association – Founded in 1884, this industry association offers a plethora of training, events and content focused on training, business-building tactics and the painting craft. American Painting Contractor – Publishing since 1924, American Painting Contractor is a free media resource for painting contractors covering training, business topics, industry stories, and product and application tips. Commercial Painting Industry Association – CPIA is a trade association serving commercial painting contractors with peer groups, events and content focused on building successful painting businesses. InPaint magazine – InPaint is an industry print publication discussing business solutions and the painting craft. Path to Pro – In partnership with The Home Depot, Behr Pro created an 11-course training video series in English and Spanish that covers basic skills and business tips for newer professional painters. Register today and learn tips from professional painters as well as subject matter experts from Behr, Graco, and 3M to hone your skills on the job. Paint Problem Solver – Check out these common interior and exterior paint failures and how to avoid them. Southern California Painting and Decorating Contractors of America Unilateral Apprenticeship Program (SCPDCA UAP) – This program trains painters over a three-year period.   To learn more about Behr’s training resources, contact your BEHR Pro Rep.   *There is no affiliation/partnership between Behr Paint Company and the individuals quoted.  

Are you looking to create accurate estimates, add precision to labor forecasts, and even level up your training and retention? Production rates represent the hours needed to complete a task or job, multiplied by your hourly rate, and they can be an extremely effective tool for building more predictability into your business.   Seasoned painters and estimators are typically comfortable eyeballing a job and projecting the labor hours. However, this process can be risky, requires years of experience and is difficult to hand off when you add a new estimator to your team. Production rates take experience and guesswork out of the equation by leveraging data collected from the field.   Here are some strategies for collecting, documenting and using production rates.     Where to Start Estimating software company Estimate Rocket* suggests starting by thinking about how you estimate. Calculate the production rates in the same units you’ll use on your estimates. For example, you may quote walls and ceilings per square foot; baseboards and other trim per linear foot; and windows, frames and doors by count.”   Next, consider whether you will group regular tasks under a single time (i.e., prep and paint a 100 square-foot room) or time each task separately (cut and roll a single coat in a 100 square-foot room). We like to create a standard prep and paint process and create a single time for that. For example, an interior project may include job site prep, spackling nail holes, primer, and two coats of paint. We time how long it takes to do that entire process and add additional tasks on a case-by-case basis,” says Chris Moore, owner of Elite Business Advisors.   Others take a more granular approach, timing each individual task so they can pick and choose the appropriate tasks for each unique job. This decision comes down to what works best for you.     Getting an Accurate Number Regardless of how you decide to group your tasks, there are some strategies to improve accuracy:   Test many people many times. Different people produce at different rates, and your averages should reflect that. “Repeat this procedure of timing your crew multiple times. A single run-through won’t suffice for obtaining accurate data to rely on,” says estimating software company Paint Scout*. It’s about accuracy, not speed. Brandon Lewis**, founder of the Academy for Professional Painting Contractors, suggests reminding everyone being timed that this is not a race. “What we are looking for here is repeatable accuracy. Too fast means that your feet are held to the fire on all future jobs. Too slow and you’ll be overpriced, potentially losing jobs.” Give yourself wiggle room. Whether you add in a buffer for each task or add in additional time when you estimate, don’t forget to account for breaks, setup/cleanup, potential substrate problems and unknowns. Consider details. Factor in the type of surface, color selected, number of coats, and other relevant aspects. By capturing these details, you can reuse the data for more accurate production rate calculations in the future.     Tracking and Documentation Now it’s time to be diligent about timing activities. When you’ve collected enough times, calculate your average to get your “standard production time.” Do this for each task or group of tasks until you establish a standard and repeatable picture of the time requirement of each job.   Keep this information in the format that best fits your needs. Some companies prefer keeping it in an Excel spreadsheet; others enter the data in their estimating and scheduling software. Note: Some estimating software comes with pre-loaded production rates. It is recommended that you test these numbers with your own crew before using them in an estimate.     Use The Data for Better Bids and Superb Scheduling Now that you have average tested standard production times, it’s time to put those numbers to work. Use your production rates to:   Create more detailed bids with better accuracy. Check out this article on "Detailed Estimates and Bids to Boost Profitability" for more tips on estimating. Schedule jobs with confidence. Set attainable production goals for staff. Ensure new team members are trained properly and ready to perform tasks within standard production times.     Remember, determining your production rates can help standardize your estimating, though certain factors, like prep, will still need to be evaluated on a project-by-project basis. While it may feel like a time-consuming task, production rates are an ideal starting point for building predictability and efficiency so you can grow and scale your business.     *This is being cited for reference purposes only. Behr Paint Company has no affiliation with and is not endorsing these tools. **There is no affiliation/partnership between Behr Paint Company and the individuals quoted.