TOWSON, MD – A new national survey from Stanley, a Stanley Black & Decker brand and the world’s leading tape measure manufacturer, found that nearly half of residential trade professionals prioritize having their tape measure over their phone, wallet or keys. In recognition of National Tape Measure Day on July 14, Stanley’s survey uncovered residential pros’ tape measure habits and critical design features they look for to get the job done.

“For nearly 100 years, Stanley has been manufacturing tape measures that trade professionals know they can trust,” said Peter Gabriele, Group Product Manager of Measuring & Layout at Stanley. “We’ve continued to pioneer the tape measure category and deliver new-to-world technologies that help our users get the job done with the backing of STANLEY performance and accuracy.”

Don’t leave home without it
The Stanley survey found that 75% of residential pros reach for their tape measure more than five times per day, and 50% admit that daily usage is at least 10 times per day. While the survey found that 42% of residential trade pros chose that they would rather go without their phone, wallet and even keys than be without their tape measure, 44% also noted that they would rather go without their morning coffee than be without their tape measure on the jobsite. 

For the survey research, Stanley Black & Decker commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,003 contractors throughout the United States. The sample consisted of full-time, part-time and self-employed workers within the construction industry who do residential contracting work. The survey was conducted between June 26 and July 1, 2024. The margin of error for the overall sample is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent.  

Lost and found
Nearly two in three residential pros surveyed reported that they misplace their tape measure at least once per day and 28% say their tape measure goes missing as many as three times per day. Although they may go misplaced, 38% say they own more than three tape measures, likely to help with the misplaced tape measures on the job.

Different tasks, different tapes 
When it comes to what they are measuring, residential contractors surveyed say they most often use their tape measure for measuring materials to cut to size (65%), followed by measuring room dimensions (44%) and estimating material needs (38%). 
To tackle the different needs of a residential jobsite, nearly two-thirds of residential pros say they use different types of tape measures for different jobs. When considering design, residential pros noted the length of the tape measure (71%) and the reach of the tape measure (65%) as the highest priority when selecting a new tape measure.

Measuring history
Stanley introduced the first steel tape, known as the Pull-push tape measure, in 1930. The Stanley facility in New Britain, Connecticut, was home of the original team working with NIST to develop the standards for tape measure quality that are used currently.

Today, different varieties of tape measures are available to meet the varying needs of the jobsite. Stanley and other manufactures offer a wide range of tapes with different locking mechanisms, colors, scales, lengths, widths, and standouts. While many tradespeople in Europe still favor folding rules, even there, the tape measure is making headway with a more than 70-year legacy that has withstood the test of time, aiding trade professionals around the world.

Tape measure contest
In honor of National Tape Measure Day, Stanley is hosting the July National Tape Measure Day Giveaway 2024. No purchase is necessary to enter ow win. Enter 7/14/24 8:00 AM ET to 7/21/24 11:59PM ET. For Official Rules and how to enter go online and follow the instructions. The contest is open only to legal residents who are legal residents of 50 states of the USA or DC, who are at least the age of majority or older at the time of entry.
Learn more about Stanley tape measures.