Lowes Vs Home Depot Paint in 2023: How To Choose the Best Paint for Your Project
As an experienced home painter and seller, one of the most common questions I‘m asked is: "Should I buy paint from Lowe‘s or Home Depot for my next project?"
Having purchased paint from both retailers over the years, I‘ve determined there are some key factors to consider when deciding where to get paint for your home. In this detailed guide, I‘ll compare Lowe‘s and Home Depot‘s paint selection, pricing, quality, and more to help you make the best choice in 2023.
Overview of Paint Options at Lowe‘s and Home Depot
Lowe‘s and Home Depot are both leading home improvement retailers offering a wide range of interior and exterior paint. Here‘s a quick look at what you can expect to find:
Lowe‘s
- 12 major interior and exterior paint lines
- Brands like Sherwin-Williams, Valspar, Rust-Oleum
- Prices from $15-$50+ per gallon
- Specialty paints for barns, fences, marine use
Home Depot
- 8+ interior and exterior paint lines
- Brands like Behr, Glidden, PPG
- Prices from $15-$45+ per gallon
- Large selection of Rust-Oleum spray paints
Both stores provide plenty of options from top national brands. Lowe‘s offers some more specialized exterior paints, while Home Depot has better selection of spray paints. Pricing is similar across both starting around $15 per gallon for budget paints, up to $50 per gallon for premium.
Now let‘s take a deeper look at the specific paint brands and costs available.
Paint Brands and Prices
When it comes to specific paint lines, each retailer has partnerships with different major brands. Here are the key paint brands sold along with average price ranges:
Lowe‘s
| Brand | Starting Price Per Gallon |
|---|---|
| Sherwin Williams | $29.98 |
| Valspar | $15.98 |
| Giani | $39.95 per kit |
| Beyond Paint | $41.21 |
| Rust-Oleum | $10.98 per quart |
Lowe‘s paint prices range from $15.98/gallon for Valspar 4000 up to $50.98/gallon for Sherwin Williams Infinity.
Home Depot
| Brand | Starting Price Per Gallon |
|---|---|
| Behr | $33.98 |
| PPG | $25.98 |
| Glidden | $19.98 |
| Rust-Oleum | $4.48 per 12oz can |
Home Depot‘s paint prices range from $19.98/gallon for Glidden Essentials up to $45.98/gallon for Behr Marquee.
As you can see, there is some overlap in major brands, but each retailer also has unique offerings. Lowe‘s provides more Sherwin Williams and Valspar, while Home Depot has larger Behr and Glidden selection.
Market Share for Paint Retailers
In terms of overall market share in the paint industry, Behr (exclusive to Home Depot) is actually the #1 brand, holding over 50% of market share according to consumer surveys.
Valspar (available at Lowe‘s) comes in second, with about 16% market share. This suggests Home Depot‘s paint selection may have an advantage over Lowe‘s in terms of broader consumer preference. However, Lowe‘s still maintains a strong market presence.
Comparing Interior vs. Exterior Paint Options
When it comes to interior and exterior paint, both Lowe‘s and Home Depot have extensive options. However, there are a few differences worth noting:
Lowe‘s Interior Paint
- Ceiling, wall, and trim paints
- Floor, concrete, furniture paints
- Specialty finishes like chalk, milk paint
Lowe‘s Exterior Paint
- House, porch, floor paints
- Barn, fence, marine paints
- Masonry, garage, concrete paints
Home Depot Interior Paint
- Ceiling, wall, trim paints
- Concrete, furniture, cabinet paints
- Specialty finishes
Home Depot Exterior Paint
- Siding, porch, garage paints
- Masonry, brick, roof paints
- Door paints
A key advantage of Lowe‘s is their extensive selection of specialized exterior paints for barns, fences, marine use, and more. Home Depot‘s exterior offering is more tailored to homes.
For interior paint, both provide similar offerings covering all needs.
Critical Differences: Paint Matching and Quality
Beyond just brands and prices, two of the most important factors when purchasing paint are color matching and overall quality. Let‘s compare how Lowe‘s and Home Depot stack up in these areas:
Paint Matching
- Both offer free paint matching services
- Use in-store computers and spectrophotometers
- Will match the other retailer‘s paint colors
- Accuracy can depend on size and quality of sample
When it comes to paint matching capability, Lowe‘s and Home Depot are on equal footing – you can achieve accurate custom colors at either store.
Paint Quality
- Both offer premium lines with good independent reviews
- Behr Marquee (Home Depot) rated #1 interior by Consumer Reports
- Valspar Reserve (Lowe‘s) is Consumer Reports top-rated exterior
- Marquee excels at one-coat coverage and durability
- Reserve provides maximum weather resistance
For the best interior paint, Behr Marquee at Home Depot stands out. But Valspar Reserve at Lowe‘s is ideal for exterior use.
Recommendation: Where to Get Paint for Different Needs
Based on the key factors like selection, price, and quality, here are my recommendations for where to purchase paint:
For interior house paint – Home Depot Behr Marquee is your best bet. Provides flawless one-coat coverage and durability.
For exterior house paint – Lowe‘s Valspar Reserve exterior paint offers maximum weather resistance.
For fences, barns, marine use – Lowe‘s has the best exterior specialty paint.
For spray paints – Home Depot has the widest selection of Rust-Oleum and Krylon spray paints.
For budget paint – Both Home Depot Glidden and Lowe‘s Valspar 4000 provide quality paint under $20/gallon.
No matter the specifics of your paint project, one of these major retailers is sure to have what you need – it just depends whether Lowe‘s or Home Depot better fits your particular needs based on paint brand selection, pricing, and performance.
Conclusion
Choosing paint from a home improvement giant like Lowe‘s or Home Depot ultimately comes down to your specific project requirements. Both offer quality paint at reasonable prices from leading national brands. Lowe‘s provides greater selection of specialty exterior paints, while Home Depot excels in top-rated interior paints like Behr Marquee. Take the factors outlined here into account, and you can confidently tackle any painting project with supplies from either retailer.
For most needs, you can‘t go wrong with Lowe‘s or Home Depot paint. But understanding the differences in paint lines, matching services, and reviews allows you to make the optimal choice – saving time, money, and effort on your next painting project.
