Contractor Grade Paint vs. Regular Paint: Which Is Better?
Dedicated paint stores sell what are called “contractor grade” or “builder grade” paints in addition to regular paints. What’s the difference between these two types of paints vs. regular paints? Is contractor/builder-grade paint inferior to regular paint?
Best Answer
Regular paint is better than contractor/builder grade paint. Exceptions abound and it depends on your definition of regular paint. The amount of solids differs in each paint. More solids delivers more physical product to your surface. Color will be the same with both products, though.
Details
Rarely do paint stores actually call these paints builder or contractor grade. Sherwin-Williams, for instance, says of their ProMar 200 HP Zero VOC Interior Acrylic Series that it is “made for the commercial or light industrial jobs,” which means the same thing. Some manufacturers, like Benjamin Moore, avoid these designations altogether.
Solids volume and weight are by no means the sole determiner of quality. However, it does make sense that you want more paint remaining on your surface after application. Or to put it the reverse way, when you end up with less product on your surface, you have less coverage.
The terms builder grade or contractor grade can be deceptive. Why would a builder or contractor need a different type of paint than the rest of us? Begin with this insight: if you are a contractor or builder and you are paying for the materials as part of an all-inclusive project, why would you needlessly spend more money on the materials? Paring back on the cost of materials means more money in your pocket. This is not to insinuate that contractors and builders are out to scam you. Rather, this is all about business. For the homeowner, the alternative is simple: take a credit for the cost of the builder-grade paint, then chip in more money for the higher-grade of paint that you really want.
Example: Sherwin-Williams Paint Solids
As an example, Sherwin-Williams paints greatly differ in terms of paint solids. A sampling of 10 paints show that solids volume and weight differ greatly, with Harmony Interior Acrylic having the greatest amount of solids and ProMar 700 Interior Latex the least, at about 43% less solids than the Harmony.
| Solids Volume % | Solids Weight % | |
|---|---|---|
| Superpaint® Interior Latex Flat |
43 | 61 |
| Extreme Cover ™ Interior Stain Blocking |
41 | 57 |
| ProMar® 400 Zero VOC Interior Latex |
29 | 48 |
| Duration Home® Interior Latex Matte A96-1200 Series |
41 | 54 |
| Emerald® Interior Latex |
41 | 56 |
| Harmony® Interior Acrylic |
44 | 62 |
| Cashmere® Interior Acrylic Flat Enamel D16-150 Series |
39 | 54 |
| ProMar® 700 Interior Latex |
25 | 33 |
| Builders Solution™ Interior Latex |
34 | 52 |
| ProMar® Ceiling Paint Interior Latex |
29 | 47 |
| ProMar® 200 Zero VOC Interior Latex |
34 | 52 |
All paints flat or matte, white or extra-white. All are +/- 2%.
Qualifiers
“Regular Paint”: This is the word that qualifies so much of this answer, because “regular” is so malleable. Regular paint can range from ultra high premium $78/gallon paint down to bargain $10/gallon paint. So, you could still have a “regular” paint that is low in solids. For example, Benjamin Moore’s ben brand interior flat latex has a solids volume percentage of 31.5%, lower than Sherwin-Williams’ ProMar 200, which is considered contractor-grade.
Sources
- Paint Is Paint, Right? by Jeff Stec, Southern Painting. Stec discusses volume of solids in paint, saying, “[S]olids are what is left after the “solvent” (water in the case of latex paints) evaporates out of the paint. It stands to reason that paints with a higher percentage of solids in the bucket will cover better than paints with lower percentages of solids.”
- Sherwin-Williams: The company’s site is a good source for Product Data Sheets (PDS).