US exterior painting trends, color guides, costs per sq ft and HOA-friendly palettes. Articles written by US-based contractors covering Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore and Behr, with region-specific tips for Sun Belt, Pacific Northwest and New England climates.
Exterior painting & siding: cost per square foot across Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Denver and Seattle. Hardie board vs vinyl siding vs stucco repaint comparisons.
US paint brands in depth: Sherwin-Williams Emerald, Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior, Behr Marquee, PPG Timeless - paint sheen guides and climate durability from Sun Belt heat to Pacific Northwest rain.
HOA, permits & climate: HOA-approved palettes, city permit requirements, and picking exterior colors that hold up in Florida humidity, Arizona sun, or New England winters.
Exterior painting Milwaukee WI cost 2026: $3.30-$5.70/sqft = $3,100-$8,000. Cream city brick, Brewer's Hill Italianate, Cathedral Square Victorian, lake-effect paint window.
New Orleans exterior painting costs $3.40-$6.00 per sq ft in 2026 ($4,200-$10,800 typical). Vieux Carre Commission palette, Garden District antebellum, hurricane-rated paint, Creole Cottage colors.
Exterior painting Anchorage AK cost 2026: $4.20-$7.50/sqft = $4,800-$11,800. Subarctic cold-rated paint, Jun-Aug window, South Addition, Bootleggers Cove pricing.
Virginia HOA exterior paint rules 2026: Property Owners Act, 8 VA-approved palettes, NoVa and Williamsburg specifics, plus a review playbook.
The 8 best Midwest farmhouse exterior paint colors for 2026 with Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore codes, weather-tested combinations for Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
The best Craftsman paint colors for Seattle and Portland in 2026: 8 PNW-correct body, trim, and door colors, cedar shingle integration, and damp-climate finish picks.
Cape Cod paint colors by coastal sub-region for 2026: Nantucket gray-shingle, Martha's Vineyard navy + white, Coastal Maine red shingle, NJ Shore Victorian, and Outer Banks NC weathered driftwood palettes.
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint vs Emerald exterior 2026: real 14-month split-shed test, price, MPI rating, warranty, durability and color access compared. Find out when SuperPaint is enough and when Emerald earns its premium.
Cabot is the oldest wood-stain brand in the US (Samuel Cabot, 1877), now part of Valspar and Sherwin-Williams. Its four exterior lines (Australian Timber Oil, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, Solid) cover everything from new IPE to gray cedar. The most-requested 2026 shades are 1480 Cedar, Redwood, New Cedar, and Driftwood Gray. Test any Cabot color on your deck photo free in 30 seconds.
Is Dunn-Edwards Evershield worth $60-75/gal in 2026? Honest review of West Coast pros' favorite exterior paint: Arizona UV testing, MPI 311 spec, LA County wildfire compliance, vs Sherwin-Williams Emerald on stucco, and the 2026 Color of the Year Midnight Garden DE5657.
Sage green house with white trim and black door: 5 tested SW and BM trios for Craftsman, Cape Cod, English cottage, and modern farmhouse. Preview free on your home.
Valspar Duramax vs Reserve exterior paint, tested at Lowe's in 2026: which tier is worth it, real $45-75 per gallon prices, lifetime warranty fine print, MPI ratings, plus how Valspar stacks up against Behr Marquee, Sherwin-Williams Emerald and Benjamin Moore Aura on durability and color.
Olive green house with white trim is the 2026 Mediterranean revival look. Top 5 olive-white pairings tested (SW Olive Grove, BM Mediterranean Olive) with style fit, accents and roof advice.
A yellow house with black shutters is the most charming Federal and Colonial-Revival pairing in 2026. Top 5 yellow + black combinations with exact SW and BM codes, plus where it goes wrong.
Tan house with green shutters 2026: 5 Williamsburg-Colonial pairings with exact SW and BM codes for Federal, Cape Cod, and traditional homes. Preview free.
Condo exterior paint approval 2026: what unit owners can paint (front door, balcony interior, mailbox), what they cannot, top 5 approved door colors, and major-market condo board rules.
Your HOA denied your paint color? Step-by-step dispute resolution playbook for 2026: written denial, ARC appeal, mediation, state ombudsman, lawsuit. Win-rate 35-45% with documented precedent.
Behr Ultra Exterior 2026 is the mid-tier value sweet spot at ~$40/gal: real stain-blocking primer, MPI listing in all sheens, and 85% of Marquee's performance at roughly half the price gap over Premium Plus. The deliberate mid-tier compromise that wins on most suburban repaints.
Beige house with brown shutters 2026: 5 pollen-resistant SW + BM pairings tested on Midwest and Southeast suburban tract Ranches and split-levels built 1960 to 2010. Preview free.
Benjamin Moore Arborcoat is the dealer-only premium deck stain line, available in transparent, semi-transparent, semi-solid, and solid opacities at $55-75 per gallon. Top 2026 colors include Natural 328, Black Forest Green, and Carrington Beige. Test any Arborcoat shade on your own deck photo free in 30 seconds.
Upload a photo and see the result in 30 seconds. 1 free HD simulation with 3 variations (magic wand), no sign-up required.
Upload my photo nowFree - no credit card required