Demand for female painters is up: The number of people looking for female painters is up for 125% this year so far

The trades sector has traditionally been dominated by men, but it looks like things are beginning to change. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of female painters as well as the number of homeowners searching for female painters.

This year so far, the number of homeowners searching for ‘lady painter & decorator near me’ has increased by 125%.

Katie Kibble, who runs Katie Kibble Decorating in Derby, entered the industry in 1983 and was one of the first women to be seen painting & decorating. She talked to Paint Well about what it’s like to work in a male-dominated industry.

How her painting and decorating career began

Katie's love for painting and decorating started when she was a child growing up on the family farm where she used to paint tractors and buildings and loved seeing the transformation.

When asked how she entered the industry, she said, “I saw an advertisement in the Derby Evening Telegraph in 1983 for painters. No women were working on sites in those days. The foreman said you will never manage the cold and hard work. I asked to do a day trial, and they took me on, and I have never been out of work since that day.”

In 1989, after realising that several clients were asking for her, she decided to embark on her own and now has two other people working for her.

What are the challenges / rewards of working as a female painter & decorator?

Whilst there have been some challenges in a predominantly male industry (strength being the main one), Katie says the rewards outweigh them. She added, “I like transforming a property and people’s enjoyment of it when we have completed. It’s also much more financially rewarding than traditional women’s jobs, and I like being self-employed.”

What advice is there for women wanting to join the painting and decorating industry?

Katie’s advice to other women looking to go into the painting and decorating industry is to get an apprenticeship or to work for companies to learn about the job.

She added: “Work hard, be on time, have good manners, show enthusiasm and go the extra mile.

“Strive to be the best at your job and learn about quoting. Get experience working with others and learn about the different products. It takes a few years of practice to be able to do a room to a trade standard and cut in properly.”

My Local Toolbox recently conducted their own survey of homeowners who have used the site, and 11% of them said they would prefer to hire a tradeswoman. There were many comments in the survey such as ‘I’d feel more comfortable hiring a woman’ and ‘I’d feel safer hiring a female tradesperson’. Katie backed up this sentiment and agreed: “At least half of my customers contact me because they prefer to use a woman.”

So it seems there’s never been a better time for women to enter the industry.