It is primarily colored black and white, with a barred pattern on its back and wings resembling the rungs of a ladder.

Southern populations have duskier buff breasts and distinctly smaller bills.

The ladder-backed woodpecker is very similar in appearance to Nuttall's woodpecker, but has much less black on its head and upper back, and the range of the two species only intersects a minimal amount in southern California and northern Baja California.

Ladder-backed woodpeckers nest in cavities excavated from tree trunks, or in more arid environments a large cactus will do.

The ladder-backed woodpecker is fairly common in dry brushy areas and thickets and has a rather large range.