A ladder extended 20 feet should be placed approximately how far from the wall at its base?

A ladder extended 20 feet should be placed approximately how far from the wall at its base?

• A. 10 feet
• B. 15 feet
• C. 5 feet
• D. 20 feet

Answer: (C)

Safe ladder setup relies on getting the ladder at the right angle to the wall. The practical guideline is a 4:1 rule: for every 4 feet of ladder height, place the base about 1 foot from the wall. With a 20-foot ladder, that means the base should be about 5 feet away. This puts the ladder at roughly a 75-degree angle, giving solid stability while you reach close to the top. If you set the base much farther out, the angle becomes too shallow and the ladder is less stable; if you set it too close, the ladder gets too vertical and could tip. So five feet from the wall is the correct placement.

Safe ladder setup relies on getting the ladder at the right angle to the wall. The practical guideline is a 4:1 rule: for every 4 feet of ladder height, place the base about 1 foot from the wall. With a 20-foot ladder, that means the base should be about 5 feet away. This puts the ladder at roughly a 75-degree angle, giving solid stability while you reach close to the top. If you set the base much farther out, the angle becomes too shallow and the ladder is less stable; if you set it too close, the ladder gets too vertical and could tip. So five feet from the wall is the correct placement.