• Straight Ladder – A ladder that you can lean against a surface, such as a house, which supports the ladder.
• Extension Ladder – An extension ladder is a straight ladder that has another ladder attached to it allowing you to go higher. They require additional maintenance.
• A-frame, Step or Self-supporting Ladders – These ladders support themselves and can be set up away from walls, etc.
• Fixed Ladders - A ladder permanently attached to a building or structure. These least likely to shift/fall during use and often do not require anyone to carry it or set it up.
• Orchard Ladders – These have only 3 legs and mostly used to gain access inform soft soil up to typically fruit-bearing trees.
• Multi-Use Ladders – These are the most versatile. They can function as a stepladder, an extension ladder, or turned into a scaffold. However, the ladders are often heavy and expensive.
• Job Built Ladders – Mostly on construction sites, these need to be approved by a professional engineer and are built for a specific job and then destroyed when done.

Materials

• Wood – Wood ladders provide good insulation from heat/cold and feel natural when climbing but, they require additional maintenance and are heavy.
• Aluminum – Aluminum ladders are lightweight and corrosion resistant but are dangerous when working around electricity.
• Fiberglass – Fiberglass ladders are durable, weather resistant, non-conductive and does not need the same maintenance that wood ladders need. But it is heavy, can chip and crack when not handled properly, and is damaged by exposure to UV light like sunlight or welding spark.

Inspections

• A competent person needs to inspect the ladder before it goes into use or if it has been potentially damaged.
• Every ladder user needs to inspect the ladder before they use it for the day