Lowe’s vs Home Depot Paints (Prices, Types, Interior/Exterior, Paint Matches, Quality & More)
There’s nothing like a bold new coat of paint to freshen up a room and transform it instantly. Even outdoors, a few coats of paint on your shed or garage can revitalize your once dull look.
When we need paint, many of us turn to home improvement retail giants Lowe’s and Home Depot.
On the surface, one looks a lot like the other; in fact, the two stores keep different stocks for different needs (and wallets).
This is your one stop comprehensive guide to Lowe’s vs Home Depot paint.
Lowe’s vs.home depot paint
Lowe’s vs. Home Depot Paint: Types and Prices
Let’s break down each store’s paint inventory individually and attach price tags.
At Lowe’s, you’ll find five major brands. These include:
- Sherwin Williams
- Infinity—$50.98 for 1 gallon; paint and primer in one, with a “one layer protection” guarantee
- Showcase – $36.98 for 1 gallon; advanced stain and scrub resistance; also available with “One-Coat Coverage” on the label
- Ovation Plus — $29.98 for 1 gallon; paint and primer in one, but no one-coat coverage
- Cap – $35.98 per 1 gallon; paint and primer in one, no one-coat coverage
- Valspar
- Signature—$39.98 for 1 gallon; paint plus primer
- Ultra—$32.98 for 1 gallon; paint plus primer
- Reserve – $39.98 per 1 gallon; single coat paint and primer from Valspar
- 2000 – $19.98 per gallon; for residential and commercial properties; for existing painted surfaces
- 4000 — $15.98 per gallon; cheapest Valspar paint available; 4 hour recoat time
- Jani
- Cabinet Paint – $39.95 per kit
- Brick Makeover – $39.95 per set
- Beyond Paint – Cabinets and Countertops
- All-in-One Apartments – $41.21/qt.; $102.95/gal.
- One-Piece Satin — $29.95/pt.
- rust oleum
- Stops Rust—$10.98 for a 1-quart can; Rust Protective Paint
- Metal Accents—$53.21 per 1-quart can; use on furniture, ceilings, walls, trim, doors, and more.
- Home — $42.02 per two-step kit; floor paint for remodeling vinyl, linoleum, concrete, and more.
As you’ll see, Home Depot primarily sells different brands that are exclusive to their store.
These include:
- behr
- Marquee – $45.98 for 1 gallon; paint and primer in one; one coat guarantee
- Ultra—$36.98 for 1 gallon; paint and primer in one; anti-scratch
- Premium Plus – $33.98 for 1 gallon; paint and primer in one
- PPG
- Timeless—$38.98 for 1 gallon; paint and primer in one; one-coat coverage
- Diamond – $25.98 for 1 gallon; paint and primer in one; low odor
- gliding
- Premium – $25.98 per 1 gallon; paint and primer in one
- Essentials – $19.98 for 1 gallon; paint only (requires separate primer)
- Upper limit – $25.98 per 1 gallon
Home Depot also owns the Rust-Oleum brand.
However, their Rust-Oleum inventory includes a wide variety of spray paints, ranging from $4.48 to $6.39 for 12 oz. can.
Lowe’s vs. Home Depot Paint: Exteriors
Lowe’s carries about a dozen main types of exterior paint:
- Exterior paint
- Exterior paint and primer in one
- porch floor paint
- Barn and Fence Paint
- garage floor paint
- garage door paint
- industrial painting
- Marine Coatings (Marine)
- concrete coating
- Metallic paint
- stone paint
- brick paint
These come from their major brands such as Valspar, Sherwin Williams, Giani and Rust-Oleum.
Home Depot’s exterior paint includes:
- deck paint
- patio paint
- garage floor paint
- masonry paint
- brick paint
- roof paint
- front door paint
These come from Rust-Oleum, Behr, and Romabio, and a brand called Olympic, among others.
For price comparisons, Lowe’s Valspar brand porch paint costs about $40 a gallon; Home Depot’s Behr brand gasoline costs about $32 a gallon.
Lowe’s vs. Home Depot Paint: Paint Matching Service
Of course, both Lowe’s and Home Depot offer paint matching services.
Paint matching is when you have an existing color, bring in a decent sample, and the retailer will either find an exact match, or come close.
Home Depot even claims you can bring in “a color you found this morning” and they’ll match it.
For best results, be sure to bring in at least an inch of paint chips, preferably in a bag for safekeeping.
Or bring an object or image that inspires you.
After the computer has done the matching, dab a little of the new paint on a piece of paper and let it dry — the paint changes color as it dries.
Both Home Depot and Lowe’s color match paint from each other’s store or from both stores!
By the way, this service is free. If they find the paint color you want, you’ll likely buy it right away.
Lowe’s vs. Home Depot Paint: Quality + Best Overall
Lowe’s Sherwin Williams and Home Depot’s Behr both made Consumer Reports’ top paint brands list.
Sherwin Williams also appears on Good Housekeeping’s list of best interior paints several times (albeit for the color, I can’t imagine GH using inferior paint).
The Home Depot’s Behr Marquee and PPG receive high marks from Country Living for coverage and durability.
However, I have personal experience with paint from both stores.
I use Sherwin Williams Showcase brand paint in my home office.
Normally I use Behr, but I decided to try the cheaper Sherwin-Williams paint.
When I went to remove the paint tape from the baseboards and window trim, the dried paint came off in big chunks as well.
Behr Marquee of The Home Depot never did that. I’ve found its one-coat guarantee to be absolutely true, and the finished product always looks great.
I would 100% recommend Home Depot’s Behr Marquee over any other interior paint.
It’s also more expensive if Sherwin Williams’ Infinity (which also has a layer of guarantee) is of similar quality.
(I’ll also add that every time I buy a Behr Marquee, it’s on sale for about $39.)
Use the less expensive Behr Marquee to combine paint and primer in one, plus a layer of coverage and great durability.
If you’d like to learn more, you can also check out our related posts on whether Home Depot offers free paint samples, Home Depot vs. Lowe’s, and whether Home Depot mixes paint.
in conclusion
There’s a reason Lowe’s and Home Depot are two of the largest retailers in the United States, and that includes the quality paint options and service they offer.
From indoors and outdoors, to sheds, garages, and concrete floors, you can’t go wrong with any store you walk into for your home painting needs.
When it comes to the best interior paints, however, I give Home Depot’s Behr Marquee the top score without a doubt, at $45.98 a gallon.
