# Pro Mar 200 for homeowner



## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

Wait for a sale or ask for a discount. If you walk in off the street and pay retail price it's about $50 a gallon. 

SW used to offer a "preferred customer" account to home owners. I think they do it to encourage new customers. My sister did it one time a couple years ago, and was able to get a good deal on Emerald on her first purchase. 

Basically, with Sherwin you have to haggle to get a good price whether your a H.O. or a pro you should be able to get it in the $30 range.


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## robmc826 (May 15, 2015)

I just bought a bunch of paint from sw during their 40% off sale. unfortunately that doesn't apply to the pro paint line. I was afraid you would say it would probably be around 50 per gallon.


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## AlphaWolf (Nov 23, 2014)

If thats the case your best bet is just to buy what they are having a sale on. Super paint, Emerald, Cashmere are all much better than ProMar in my opinion


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## robmc826 (May 15, 2015)

I bought mainly superpaint. I was looking to get something cheaper that is still good quality for the ceilings. Didn't originally plan on painting the ceilings. But now I'm going to.


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## CyrusR (Mar 16, 2015)

The last time I was there, the clerk told me sale prices don't apply to professional products, Pro Mar specifically.

Even if you could buy it for $30, it's no bargain. You can get Superpaint for 36 this weekend through the 25th, and you can buy Behr Ultra any day for 33.

It's not bad, but you can buy better for what you or I would pay for it.


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## robmc826 (May 15, 2015)

Good ceiling paint recommendations?


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## AlphaWolf (Nov 23, 2014)

People in my area do use a lot of Promar 200 and 400 flat for ceilings. Seems to work well. If shopping at SW i normally buy HP ceramic washable flat for ceilings. But this is from a store called General Paint that was bought out buy SW in Canada.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

I would just go to Lowe's and buy some of the flat SW HGTV Ovation that's a pretty obviously a Superpaint relabel for $27.


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## robmc826 (May 15, 2015)

klaatu said:


> I would just go to Lowe's and buy some of the flat SW HGTV Ovation that's a pretty obviously a Superpaint relabel for $27.


I think that is what im gonna do. just got email $10 off on hgtv per gallon by mail.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

I use Promar 400 or this stuff for ceilings:


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

Gymschu said:


> I use Promar 400 or this stuff for ceilings:


The Pittsburgh ceiling paint you show is one of the best all round ceiling paints I ever sold. Nice white and dead flat. Covers well also.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

robmc826 said:


> I see SW Pro Mar 200 is a very popular pro paint. Does anyone know if a homeowner can purchase it. and what would be the cost.
> 
> Thanks



I've bought it for $22 and I've bought it for $40. Depends who's account you use. It's a great paint at $22, not so much at $40. Anyone can open an account and get it for $40 but that's still too much. See if they'll sell it to you for $25. Or less. Call first and tell them how many gallons you need.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Old post but at any price it is a pretty low end paint, IMO.


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## getrex (Sep 14, 2016)

We use Eminence or Pro Mar 200 usually on ceilings. Not the biggest fan of either but they discontinued the better products.

Pro Mar 200 for walls is okay paint, not great, but okay. A pro can make it look good. I would actually say Behr Marquee is comparable in workability and can also look good if you know what you are doing. Same with Valspar Duramax. If you need cheaper then these are viable options for a diyer.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

getrex said:


> We use Eminence or Pro Mar 200 usually on ceilings. Not the biggest fan of either but they discontinued the better products.
> 
> Pro Mar 200 for walls is okay paint, not great, but okay. A pro can make it look good. I would actually say Behr Marquee is comparable in workability and can also look good if you know what you are doing. Same with Valspar Duramax. If you need cheaper then these are viable options for a diyer.



On new drywall anyone should be able to make it look good. I've never met a customer yet who would pay $2000 for color on their new house walls. I can see up-selling to hundred dollar paint if you have to buy 1 or 2 gallons for a room but no way on a full house paint. After you buy trim paint, primer and ceiling paint you'd have $5K in paint for a starter home. I know people who built their whole house for not much more than that.


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## getrex (Sep 14, 2016)

Show me a starter home that cost only $5,000 to build. I might just get one if it's decent enough. Shoot... my A/C system cost over $7000. 

Anyway, I generally don't do new construction but I have used cheap and quality paint as the customer and the job required. Most of the time you are forced to use cheaper paint in NC because contractors pay a lot less. There is no money in it unless you blow and go.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

"On new drywall anyone should be able to make it look good." --BIG Johnson

If this ^^^^^^^^ were the case, you would never, ever need a professional painter.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

getrex said:


> Show me a starter home that cost only $5,000 to build. I might just get one if it's decent enough. Shoot... my A/C system cost over $7000.
> 
> Anyway, I generally don't do new construction but I have used cheap and quality paint as the customer and the job required. Most of the time you are forced to use cheaper paint in NC because contractors pay a lot less. There is no money in it unless you blow and go.


There's millions of them all over the country. Most homes built in the 50's and earlier were under $5000. I know a couple guys who built houses in the early 80's for under $20K.


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## getrex (Sep 14, 2016)

Are you accounting for inflation? $5,000 in the 50's was worth more than it is today. In fact, it would be about $50,000 today since inflation has gone up over 900% since 1950. And considering that there are a lot more codes and rules to building now... it costs even more to build a house today. So.. again... show me a house that you can build for $5,000 today. The current average cost to build a house is $150 per square foot, according to HomeAdvisor. And even the average cost to build a tiny house is $25,000.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

getrex said:


> Are you accounting for inflation? $5,000 in the 50's was worth more than it is today. In fact, it would be about $50,000 today since inflation has gone up over 900% since 1950. And considering that there are a lot more codes and rules to building now... it costs even more to build a house today. So.. again... show me a house that you can build for $5,000 today. The current average cost to build a house is $150 per square foot, according to HomeAdvisor. And even the average cost to build a tiny house is $25,000.



Where did I ever say anything about building a house today for $5000?


"I know people who built their whole house for not much more than that."


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## getrex (Sep 14, 2016)

BIG Johnson said:


> I can see up-selling to hundred dollar paint if you have to buy 1 or 2 gallons for a room but no way on a full house paint. After you buy trim paint, primer and ceiling paint you'd have $5K in paint for a starter home.




I'm not saying that you were talking about a house built today, but it does look like you are talking about the cost of a paint job today... and it doesn't make any sense why you would compare that to the cost of building a home 65 years ago. A 5k paint job on the average $150,000 home *today* doesn't seem as unreasonable as you are trying to make it sound. But either way I am done with this particular issue because we have disrupted this thread long enough. Cheers.


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## BehrProFL (May 4, 2017)

Preferred customer for SW is what they call DIY. You get your 10% discount (yippe!) daily and then there 30 and 40% off sales they run constantly all year.

Promar 200 is pro grade and doesnt apply for those discounts. Promar 200 flat goes for $17-22 per gallon in my market. Obviously it depends on the contractor and it depends on the store manager. I had some guys setup for $25 per gallon that were thrilled about that price. Others had it for $17-$18 and still wanted it lower because the product isn't very good anymore.

You could walk into 10 different SWs today... depends on what type of person is the manager of those stores. Homeowner walks in for promar 200 to repaint a room their painter did a year ago...I've seen some managers sell it to them and leave it at list price ($64.99, which is a fake price essentially because it isn't on the shelf so there is no real list price) and give them the 10% off only... other just ring it down to like $30-$40 and others will give them the gallon on the account of the painter who did it and the homeowner would just pay cash. It really just depends on the ethics of the store manager...

With all that said..... Promar 200 in my last three years with SW was reformulated 4 times. Each time the product got worse. The major market that uses that product is new res./new construction. That market just wants costs lower and lower and lower. It was reformulated and took out alot of the volume solids and lowered the product raw materials cost. Coverage decreased and it became runny as well. You don't want to know what that gallon actually cost SW to make either.

So if you're Jane Doe waiting her house freshened up with a new paint job on the interior.. and your contractor is quoting you for promar 200, then I would find a new painter and/or tell him/her you want at least Superpaint.............. or Behr


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## BehrProFL (May 4, 2017)

getrex said:


> I'm not saying that you were talking about a house built today, but it does look like you are talking about the cost of a paint job today... and it doesn't make any sense why you would compare that to the cost of building a home 65 years ago. A 5k paint job on the average $150,000 home *today* doesn't seem as unreasonable as you are trying to make it sound. But either way I am done with this particular issue because we have disrupted this thread long enough. Cheers.


Cost of the actual paint is only 15% of the job anyway. Homeowners get dragged through the dirt a lot by painters.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

BehrProFL said:


> Homeowners get dragged through the dirt a lot by painters.


And a hearty DIYChatroom welcome to you, too, BehrProFL. Wow, just wow. :vs_mad:


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## BehrProFL (May 4, 2017)

????

This isn't news. This happens in EVERY business transaction where a professional contractor exchanges his/her services to someone who feels more comfortable with a professional doing it.

If I am asked for painter recommendations for jobs I first narrow down my list based on the type of job :commercial, residential, hospitality whatever then I pick from my pool of contractors to recommend. I have maybe 20 total that I feel confident in recommending because my reputation also is affected by their work. 

If you were assuming that I refer people that rip people off then now you know thats not what I was saying. I keep my 20 or so go to guys because I know financial issues would be non existent between the two parties.



Gymschu said:


> And a hearty DIYChatroom welcome to you, too, BehrProFL. Wow, just wow. :vs_mad:


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

no comment:surprise:


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

getrex said:


> I'm not saying that you were talking about a house built today, but it does look like you are talking about the cost of a paint job today... and it doesn't make any sense why you would compare that to the cost of building a home 65 years ago. A 5k paint job on the average $150,000 home *today* doesn't seem as unreasonable as you are trying to make it sound. But either way I am done with this particular issue because we have disrupted this thread long enough. Cheers.


I was saying $5000 in materials, not the whole job. For that you'd add another $8-10K


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## getrex (Sep 14, 2016)

... It doesn't cost that much to paint a house.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

BehrProFL said:


> ????
> 
> This isn't news. This happens in EVERY business transaction where a professional contractor exchanges his/her services to someone who feels more comfortable with a professional doing it.
> 
> ...


It would have helped if you had established yourself with the ^^^^^^ above information from the get-go of this thread. You really singled out painters ON A PAINTING FORUM frequented by professional painters. Now that you've added "professional contractor exchange" it softens the blow........ a bit.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

getrex said:


> ... It doesn't cost that much to paint a house.


Mid range ($250K-$400K) houses up here range $12K-$15K for paint, depending on trim details. That's builder grade paint. Big time builders who build a hundred or more houses a year obviously don't pay that much but us guys who do single digits do.


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## getrex (Sep 14, 2016)

Sounds like a rip-off to me...


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