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.
Which paint brush should you actually use for exterior trim, doors, and corners in 2026? A 14-month field test of Purdy XL Glide vs Wooster Silver Tip, plus the four bristle families ranked.
Exterior painting in Long Beach, CA costs $3.70-$6.10 per sq ft in 2026. See how Pacific salt-air, Spanish Colonial Revival stucco, California Heights HDC reviews, and Dunn-Edwards regional pricing shape your repaint budget across Naples Island, Belmont Shore, and Bluff Park.
Albuquerque exterior house painting costs $3.20-$5.40 per sq ft in 2026. High-desert UV at 5,300 ft, Old Town Pueblo Revival rules, monsoon timing, Dunn-Edwards regional dominance.
El Paso exterior house painting costs $2.90-$5.20 per sq ft in 2026. Chihuahuan Desert UV at 110F+, Manhattan Heights Mission Revival, Pueblo and Spanish Colonial heritage, Dunn-Edwards regional dominance.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound (SW 7004) for heritage homes 2026: the pink-warm off-white that flatters 1920s Craftsman bungalows, Colonial Revival, Cape Cod and transitional facades where Alabaster reads too creamy and Pure White too clinical. HEX #E7E3DE, LRV 83, Sacramento bungalow field test, trim pairings, Snowbound vs Alabaster vs Pure White vs BM Cloud White.
Sherwin-Williams Naval SW 6244 complete 2026 guide: real LRV 5, hex #3A4456, deep traditional navy with subtle violet undertone, 4-orientation behavior, Emerald formula, trim and door pairings, Naval vs Hale Navy and vs Newburyport Blue comparisons, 8-Q FAQ.
The 8 best Federal style (1780-1830) paint colors for 2026: BM CW-205 Capitol White, CW-150 Cream, CW-690 Wythe Blue, HC-178 Pumice, HC-65 Currant Red, Boothbay Gray HC-165. Bulfinch palette for Beacon Hill and Salem.
Behr Almond Wisp W-D-700 is a soft warm cream-white that ranked #2 across 16,983 Behr exterior simulations on FacadeColorizer in 2026, the top Behr cream-warm choice for Colonial, Cape Cod, and traditional homes. LRV 78, HEX #E7DDD0. Tested on a Richmond VA Federal Colonial across 14 months.
Italianate brownstone paint colors for Brooklyn 2026: the eight authentic sandstone, cast-iron and antique-white formulations for Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights and Fort Greene Victorian rowhouses.
The best Chicago Bungalow paint colors for 2026: 10 trim, dormer, and door palettes for red brick, Cream City brick, and brown brick bungalows across the Chicago Bungalow Belt.
Stockton exterior painting costs $3.30-$5.70 per sq ft in 2026 ($3,300-$8,500 typical). 105F Delta heat, agricultural dust, Magnolia Mediterranean Revival, Sherwood Manor ranches, Dunn-Edwards picks.
The 12 authentic Charleston SC historic paint colors for 2026: Rainbow Row pastels (BM Caribbean Coast 2065-50, Sweet Pea OC-105, Brilliant Blue 813, Sunglow 304, Spruce 2042-30), Single House classics (BM Linen White, Heritage Red), and BM Charleston Green HC-141.
HOA-approved exterior paint colors for Georgia in 2026: top 8 palettes (SW Sea Salt, BM Manchester Tan, SW Accessible Beige, BM Wedding Veil, Cottage Red, Bracken Brown, Hale Navy, Iron Ore trim), Georgia Property Owners Association Act rules, and city-by-city differences for Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, and Columbus.
Illinois HOA-approved exterior paint colors for 2026, Common Interest Community Association Act compliance, bungalow heritage palettes, and committee guidance for Chicago, Naperville, Springfield, and Evanston.
Ohio HOA-approved exterior paint colors for 2026, ORC Chapter 5311 condominium compliance, Planned Community Law guidance, and committee-friendly palettes for Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Akron.
Michigan HOA exterior paint approval under MCL 559 Condominium Act and the Summer Resort Homeowners' Co-op Act plus Detroit, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe, and Ann Arbor historic district review: top 8 approved palettes (BM Wrought Iron 2124-10, Manchester Tan, SW Iron Ore, Bracken Brown HC-78, Hale Navy, Wedding Veil, Cottage Red, Saybrook Sage HC-114), and the brutal-winter April to September application window.
New York HOA and condo exterior paint approval under Real Property Law Article 9-B (Condo Act) and Article II (Coop Law) plus Westchester (Bronxville, Tuxedo Park, Larchmont), Long Island Hamptons HDC, and Hudson Valley review: top 8 approved palettes (BM Wedding Veil, Hale Navy, Simply White, Iron Ore, Manchester Tan, Bracken Brown HC-78, Cottage Red, Brewster Gray HC-162), NYC condo board strictness, and the Hamptons shingle-style approval process.
New Jersey HOA exterior paint approval under NJSA 46:8B Condominium Act and the Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act, plus the strict Cape May Victorian Historic Commission and Princeton heritage rules: top 8 approved palettes (BM Newburyport Blue HC-155, Wedding Veil, Iron Ore, Hale Navy, Cottage Red), Hoboken brownstone, Atlantic City coastal, and the spring-to-fall application window.
Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black SW 6258 complete 2026 exterior guide: true black at LRV 3, hex #2F2F30, NIR solar absorption math, modern farmhouse trim and door use, full-facade versus trim-only decisions, pairings with Pure White, Alabaster, Repose Gray, Wedding Veil, and head-to-head versus SW Iron Ore, Behr Cracked Pepper, and BM Wrought Iron.
Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray SW 7015 complete 2026 guide: real LRV 58, hex #C8C2B6, warm light greige undertone, 4-orientation behavior, Indianapolis colonial field test, comparisons to Agreeable Gray 7029, Mindful Gray 7016, BM Revere Pewter HC-172, trim pairings and FAQ.
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