A follow-up: people asked Chris to stop explaining and just name the paint to buy.
Chris Heerdegen owns OnDemand Painters and has been in the trade since 2001. The written breakdown below covers everything in the clip.
Best Value Paint Brands Right Now (A Contractor’s Snapshot)
As of July 2026, the best value for a homeowner is generally Behr or Glidden at Home Depot, running roughly $25 to $30 a gallon against comparable products at around $45 with a contractor discount or $65 retail. This is a pricing snapshot, not a permanent ranking. Paint pricing moves, so the method below matters more than the names.
After Chris Heerdegen explained how to compare paint using product data sheets, he got the obvious follow-up:
“Chris, can you just tell me which paint to buy?”
Fair enough. Here is the direct answer, with the caveat that makes it useful for longer than a few months.
Key Takeaways
- As of July 2026, Behr and Glidden at Home Depot offer the strongest value for homeowners.
- Roughly $25 to $30 a gallon, against comparable quality at about $45 contractor / $65 retail.
- The driver is competitive strategy, not a sudden change in formulation.
- This is not a knock on Sherwin-Williams, which Chris rates highly and uses.
- Pricing shifts. Re-check the data sheets and the current shelf price before a big buy.
- Value means quality per dollar, not the lowest number on the shelf.
The Direct Answer
“Right now, it’s mid-July 2026. The best bang for your buck right now is going to be typically Behr products at Home Depot or Glidden products.”
The comparison Chris is drawing:
| Product | Approximate price per gallon |
|---|---|
| Behr / Glidden at Home Depot | $25 – $30 |
| Comparable competitor paint (contractor pricing) | ~$45 |
| Comparable competitor paint (retail) | ~$65 |
“We’re finding that we’re getting comparable paints to a Sherwin-Williams that might cost $45 with a contractor discount, 65 retail. We’re getting them for as little as $25, $30 a gallon.”
The word doing the work there is comparable. This is not a claim that cheap paint has caught up with good paint. It is a claim that at a given quality level, one retailer is currently charging substantially less.
Why the Gap Exists
This is a market position rather than a formulation story:
“Right now, Home Depot is pricing things aggressive because they’re trying to eat into the giant market share that Sherwin-Williams have.”
Sherwin-Williams operates a large network of dedicated stores and holds a dominant share of the professional market. Home Depot is competing for that business, and aggressive pricing on its house brands is the lever it can pull.
That matters for how you read the recommendation. It is a pricing condition, not a permanent property of the paint. Competitive pricing strategies change. If Home Depot’s position shifts, or a competitor responds, the value calculation changes with it — which is exactly why the date stamp on this post is prominent.
Chris Is Not Knocking Sherwin-Williams
Worth quoting in full, because it is easy to misread a value recommendation as a quality judgment:
“It’s no knock on Sherwin-Williams. They’re great. Love them.”
Sherwin-Williams makes excellent paint and Chris uses it. The point is narrower than “brand A beats brand B”: at this moment, for a homeowner paying out of pocket, you can get comparable quality for meaningfully less money. That is a statement about price, not about product.
There are also good reasons to pay more that have nothing to do with the paint itself — color matching, store support, contractor account terms, or simply having a store closer to the job.
How to Check This Yourself
Since the pricing is a snapshot, here is the method that outlasts it. It is the same one from the best brand of paint post:
- Pick your quality tier. Every brand runs budget through premium lines. Compare like with like.
- Pull the product data sheets. Search the product name plus “product data sheet.”
- Compare dry film thickness in mils, alongside the recommended spread rate.
- Check today’s shelf price, including any promotions, which are frequent on house brands.
- Divide quality by cost. The winner is whichever gives you the most film per dollar at the coverage you need.
If you run that check and a different brand wins, that is the right answer for the day you are buying. The method is the durable part; the names are just the current output.
A Note on Sheens and Lines
Whatever brand you land on, buy the right line for the job rather than the cheapest line in that brand. Interior and exterior paints are formulated differently for good reason — see interior vs exterior paint — and the tier still matters within any manufacturer’s range.
And regardless of what you buy, plan on two coats. A better paint applied thin still underperforms. See one coat or two coats of paint.
The Short Version
Right now, Behr and Glidden at Home Depot are the value pick at roughly $25 to $30 a gallon for quality comparable to paint costing $45 to $65 elsewhere. Check the data sheets and current pricing before a large purchase, because the gap is a competitive strategy and strategies change.
Not sure which product suits your surfaces? Get a free quote — we specify the paint in the estimate and explain why.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best value paint brand?
As of July 2026, Behr and Glidden sold at Home Depot offer the strongest value for homeowners, at roughly $25 to $30 a gallon for quality comparable to paints priced around $45 with a contractor discount or $65 retail. Pricing changes, so it is worth re-checking before a large purchase.
Is Behr paint as good as Sherwin-Williams?
At comparable tiers, Behr products are performing well enough that Chris considers them comparable in quality while costing significantly less at current pricing. Sherwin-Williams makes excellent paint; the difference being described here is price rather than performance.
Why is Home Depot paint cheaper right now?
Home Depot is pricing its house brands aggressively to take market share from Sherwin-Williams, which holds a dominant position in the professional market. The saving reflects that competitive strategy rather than a change in the paint itself.
How much should paint cost per gallon?
At July 2026 pricing, quality interior or exterior paint ranges from about $25 to $30 a gallon for the best-value house brands up to roughly $65 retail for comparable products elsewhere. Compare the dry film thickness on the product data sheet before assuming a higher price means better paint.
Should I buy contractor-grade paint?
Not necessarily. Contractor-grade lines are usually built for cost per gallon on volume work, not for maximum durability. Compare the product data sheet against the mid or premium line before choosing on price alone.
Chris Heerdegen
Chris Heerdegen is the founder and owner of OnDemand Painters, a painting and finishing company serving six metro markets across the Midwest and Florida. With over 20 years in the industry since 2001, Chris built OnDemand around a simple idea: answer the phone, show up when you say you will, and do the kind of work that earns a review.
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