FacadeColorizer is a free AI exterior paint visualizer. Sherwin-Williams exterior paint stands out for its 4-tier lineup (Emerald, Duration, SuperPaint, A-100), a 1,700+ color library, and self-priming acrylic technology rated for fade resistance, mildew resistance, and dirt pickup performance from desert sun to coastal humidity. The 2026 Color of the Year is Universal Khaki SW 6150, a warm midtone neutral. According to our 2026 White Barometer (13,611 simulations analyzed), 73% of US homeowners change their color pick after comparing 3 to 5 HD options on their own house.
In this guide you will find the differences between SW Emerald, Duration, SuperPaint, and A-100 exterior lines, the best 15 Sherwin-Williams exterior colors for 2026 (with exact SW codes), a SW vs Behr vs Benjamin Moore side-by-side comparison, the right way to test SW colors on your actual house before you buy 30 gallons, where to buy SW exterior paint (and when a Benjamin Moore alternative is cheaper), and the most common mistakes homeowners make. You can test 174 SW shades on your house photo, free with FacadeColorizer in under 30 seconds.
What Makes Sherwin-Williams Exterior Paint Different
Sherwin-Williams sells exterior paint across four main product tiers: Emerald Exterior (premium, self-priming, 30-year warranty), Duration Exterior (lifetime warranty, PermaLast technology), SuperPaint Exterior (mid-tier, advanced acrylic), and A-100 Exterior (entry-level, 15-year warranty). Every tier is 100% acrylic, low-VOC, and tintable in the full SW color library of more than 1,700 shades. The Color of the Year for 2026 is Universal Khaki SW 6150, a warm midtone neutral designed to pair with white trim and dark accents.
SW Exterior Paint Lines Compared (Emerald, Duration, SuperPaint, A-100)
Choosing the wrong tier is the most expensive Sherwin-Williams mistake homeowners make. A-100 on a south-facing wall in Phoenix will chalk in 4 years. Emerald on the same wall holds color for 12 plus. Here is the full lineup at a glance:
| Line | Tier | Price / Gallon | Warranty | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Exterior | Premium | $95 to $105 | 30 years / lifetime | Harsh climates, dark colors, full-sun walls, resale prep |
| Duration Exterior | High | $80 to $90 | Lifetime (PermaLast) | Coastal humidity, mildew zones, standard siding |
| SuperPaint Exterior | Mid | $65 to $75 | 25 years | Most homes, mild climates, repaint cycle 8 to 10 years |
| A-100 Exterior | Entry | $45 to $55 | 15 years | Rental properties, sheds, garages, light-color jobs |
For a typical 2,000 sq ft home using 18 gallons, stepping from SuperPaint to Emerald adds about $540 to your material cost, but extends the repaint cycle by 5 to 8 years. If you plan to sell within 3 years, SuperPaint is the smarter ROI play. If this is your forever home in a hot or humid climate, Emerald pays for itself.
Best 15 Sherwin-Williams Exterior Colors for 2026
Across our 13,611 simulation dataset, these 15 SW shades dominate exterior selections for 2026. Each is paired with its undertone, best architectural style, and recommended trim. Codes are official Sherwin-Williams numbers.
| Rank | Color | SW Code | Family | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Universal Khaki (2026 COTY) | SW 6150 | Warm Neutral | Body, modern farmhouse, Craftsman |
| 2 | Iron Ore | SW 7069 | Charcoal Black | Contemporary body, modern farmhouse trim |
| 3 | Naval | SW 6244 | Deep Navy | Coastal, Colonial, front door, shutters |
| 4 | Alabaster | SW 7008 | Warm White | Trim, modern farmhouse body, cottage |
| 5 | Accessible Beige | SW 7036 | Greige | Body, traditional and transitional homes |
| 6 | Repose Gray | SW 7015 | Warm Gray | Body, Ranch, suburban resale |
| 7 | Urbane Bronze | SW 7048 | Dark Brown-Gray | Modern body, accent walls, garage doors |
| 8 | Tricorn Black | SW 6258 | True Black | Window frames, front door, shutters |
| 9 | Pure White | SW 7005 | Cool White | Trim, modern body, fascia, soffit |
| 10 | Dover White | SW 6385 | Creamy White | Body, Colonial, Cape Cod trim |
| 11 | Evergreen Fog | SW 9130 | Sage Green | Body, cottage, modern farmhouse accent |
| 12 | Rookwood Sash Green | SW 2810 | Deep Olive | Craftsman body, historic homes |
| 13 | Sea Salt | SW 6204 | Soft Sage-Blue | Coastal body, porch ceiling |
| 14 | Agreeable Gray | SW 7029 | Light Greige | Body, builder-grade resale, neutral palettes |
| 15 | Rookwood Dark Red | SW 2801 | Burgundy | Front door, Tudor, Victorian accent |
The top three (Universal Khaki, Iron Ore, Naval) account for nearly 31% of all SW exterior selections in our dataset. If you are torn between Iron Ore and a competing black, our Behr Cracked Pepper vs SW Iron Ore comparison walks through undertones side by side. For Alabaster undertones in low-light orientations, see our SW Alabaster north-facing undertones guide.
SW vs Behr vs Benjamin Moore for Exterior
Sherwin-Williams is not the only premium choice. Behr (sold exclusively at Home Depot) and Benjamin Moore (independent dealers) cover the same use cases at different price points. Here is the head-to-head on the metrics that matter for exterior:
| Criteria | Sherwin-Williams | Behr | Benjamin Moore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top exterior line | Emerald Exterior | Marquee / Dynasty | Aura Exterior |
| Premium price / gal | $95 to $105 | $55 to $65 | $90 to $100 |
| Where to buy | SW stores (4,300+) | Home Depot | Independent dealers |
| Color library | 1,700+ | 3,500+ | 3,500+ |
| Fade resistance | Excellent | Very Good | Excellent |
| Mildew resistance | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Self-priming | Yes (Emerald) | Yes (Marquee) | Yes (Aura) |
| Warranty | 30 yr / lifetime | Lifetime limited | Lifetime limited |
The short answer: Sherwin-Williams Emerald and Benjamin Moore Aura are functionally equivalent in real-world performance and price; Behr Marquee delivers 85 to 90% of that performance at 60% of the cost, which is why budget-conscious homeowners often pick Behr from Home Depot. If you are open to a Benjamin Moore alternative for a specific SW shade, our Benjamin Moore color visualizer lets you cross-test BM equivalents on the same photo.
How to Test SW Colors on Your Actual House
A 1-inch SW fan deck swatch under store lighting tells you almost nothing about how Universal Khaki will read on your west-facing siding at 4 p.m. in July. Three steps stop $5,000 mistakes:
- Test digitally first. Upload a single photo of your home to FacadeColorizer or our Sherwin-Williams color visualizer page. Apply 5 to 10 SW shades to your siding, trim, and door in seconds. This eliminates 80 to 90% of bad choices before you buy a single sample.
- Order SW ColorSnap peel-and-stick samples for your final 2 to 3 shortlist. SW ships them in 2 by 2 ft sheets that stick to actual siding (no painting required). Place one sheet on each elevation (north, south, east, west).
- Observe at 3 times of day for 48 hours: morning, midday, and golden hour. SW shades like Repose Gray and Accessible Beige shift dramatically under warm afternoon light. Take a photo each time and compare.
If you want to skip native SW tools (which only support SW), our ColorSnap alternative comparison walks through the tradeoffs, and our how to choose exterior house color 2026 guide covers the full decision framework. For a deep dive on SW's 2026 Color of the Year, see our Universal Khaki SW 6150 visualizer guide, and for the full gray family, our 2026 gray exterior paint colors guide. Try 174 Sherwin-Williams shades on your house photo, free, no signup.
Where to Buy SW Exterior Paint (and When Benjamin Moore Is Cheaper)
Sherwin-Williams operates more than 4,300 company-owned stores across the US. You can also find select SW exterior SKUs at Home Depot, which stocks Emerald and Duration in popular bases and ships nationwide. SW stores frequently run 30 to 40% off promotional weekends (4 to 6 times per year), so timing your purchase around a sale can save $300 to $500 on a full-house job. Sign up for the SW pro contractor account to lock in 20% off year-round even as a homeowner managing your own project.
That said, SW Emerald at $95 to $105 per gallon is not the cheapest path to a premium finish. If you are budget conscious or just need a quality exterior for a rental, two alternatives consistently come out ahead on price-per-gallon while matching SW on durability:
- Benjamin Moore Regal Select Exterior ($60 to $70 per gal): Same acrylic chemistry as Aura at a lower tier, sold through independent BM dealers. Often $15 to $20 cheaper per gallon than SW SuperPaint with comparable warranty.
- Behr Marquee Exterior (Home Depot, $55 to $65 per gal): Best price-to-performance ratio in the market for 2026. Self-priming, lifetime warranty, one-coat coverage on most colors. Stocked at every Home Depot.
For SW SKUs and matched BM alternatives, the easiest one-stop is Home Depot (Behr Marquee and a curated SW Emerald selection in one trip). For the full SW library, you will need a Sherwin-Williams store.
Common SW Exterior Color Mistakes
After analyzing 13,611 facade simulations across 4 markets, the same five Sherwin-Williams mistakes show up over and over:
- Mistake 1: Picking from the small swatch only. SW Repose Gray looks warm-neutral on a 1-inch chip and unmistakably purple on a full north-facing wall. Always preview at scale.
- Mistake 2: Using A-100 on a south-facing wall in a hot climate. A-100 is rated for 15 years on average exposure, but in Phoenix or Las Vegas, expect noticeable chalking and fade within 4 to 5 years. Step up to Duration or Emerald.
- Mistake 3: Mixing SW and Benjamin Moore whites. SW Alabaster and BM White Dove look identical online but have different LRV values and undertones. If you commit to SW for body, stick with SW Pure White or Alabaster for trim.
- Mistake 4: Ignoring HOA pre-approval. Many HOAs maintain approved color palettes. Submit your SW codes before purchase or risk a forced repaint.
- Mistake 5: Treating Iron Ore and Tricorn Black as interchangeable. Iron Ore is a charcoal with warm gray-brown undertones; Tricorn Black is a true neutral black. On siding, they read very differently. Test both on photo before committing.
Preview Sherwin-Williams Exterior Colors on YOUR House, Free
A full SW Emerald exterior repaint runs $4,500 to $9,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home. The single highest-leverage move you can make is to test 5 to 10 SW shades on a real photo of your house before you spend a dollar on paint. FacadeColorizer applies any of 174 curated SW shades (plus full libraries from Benjamin Moore, Behr, PPG, and Valspar) to your siding, trim, fascia, soffit, and front door in under 30 seconds. Share the result with your painting contractor, your HOA, or your partner before committing. For the full list of 2026 trending colors across all brands, see our best exterior paint colors 2026 guide. Test 174 SW shades on your house photo, free, no signup.
Sherwin-Williams® and ColorSnap® are registered trademarks of The Sherwin-Williams Company. FacadeColorizer is an independent product, not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to The Sherwin-Williams Company. All color codes referenced in this guide are published by The Sherwin-Williams Company; we cite them for editorial reference only, in good faith nominative fair use under the Lanham Act (15 U.S.C. § 1125). Color reproduction on screen is approximate; always confirm with an official SW sample before purchase.
