Investment in tools is barrier to beginning careers

Towson, Md.—A new survey of Houston-based tradespeople from DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand and leader in total jobsite solutions, found that 78 percent of tradespeople agree that the initial buy-in cost of tools, which can range from several thousands to upwards of $10,000, was a barrier to getting started in their career. As the nation grapples with a skilled labor shortage consisting of more than 500,000 open construction jobs, the DEWALT Tool Talk Survey examined how having the right tools for the job impacts those beginning a career in the trades.

"Our findings tell us that two in three tradespeople in Houston (66%) did not own all the tools needed for their job upon starting their career, and of those, half (52%) say they saved up or took out a loan to purchase tools," Jeff Doehne, president, U.S. Retail, Stanley Black & Decker, said. 

Upon the start of their career, nearly 3 in 5 tradespeople (57%) cite the need to replace their toolset with more heavy-duty tools or not having the tools they need as the biggest roadblocks.

Not surprisingly then, 93 percent of tradespeople say that investing in durable, high-performance tools is worth paying a higher cost. For nearly 3 in 4 tradespeople (72%), it took two years or less to see a return on the money spent on their initial investment in tools.

As their careers progress, more than 3 in 4 tradespeople (78%) are refreshing or replacing their tools at least once a year with 65 percent estimating their annual investment in tools, batteries and accessories to be $10,000 or more. Further, 41 percent estimate this investment is $25,000 or more.

For more than 4 in 5 tradespeople (86%), it would have been extremely significant or very significant to receive a gift of core tools for their trade upon the start of their career, while 88 percent go as far to say that easier access to necessary tools would attract more workers to the construction industry.

As part of DEWALT's Grow the Trades initiative, a $30 million commitment over five years to close the skilled trades gap in the U.S., DEWALT will provide tool kits to 100 students of HBI's BuildStrong Academy in Houston throughout the year. 

Methodology
 DEWALT commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 903 tradespeople1 throughout the United States. The sample consists of tradespeople from three markets, Orlando, FL (n=300), Houston, TX (n=301) and Phoenix, AZ (n=302). Fieldwork took place between November 15 and November 21, 2023. The margin of error for the overall sample is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency.  

1In order to qualify for participation in the study, participants must indicate a trades profession in the electrical, carpentry, mechanical, plumbing/pipe trades, general contracting, masonry /concrete, flooring, framing or HVAC trade.

SOURCE DEWALT