Most color advice tells you which colors are popular. This guide is about how to decide, so the colors you choose suit your house, survive Utah’s sun and get through your HOA without a second round. If you’d like specific colors that have held up well on Utah homes, see our list of exterior paint colors that hold up in Utah’s sun.
Step 1: Start With What You Can’t Change
Your roof, brick, stone, vinyl window frames and concrete are expensive to change, so the paint has to work with them. Look at each one and note its undertone: warm (red, orange, yellow, brown) or cool (blue, green, gray).
Brick that reads red-orange fights with a cool blue-gray body color. A warmer greige or off-white settles it. Many Utah homes pair stucco with stone or brick wainscoting, and when they do, the stone usually decides the palette.
Step 2: Check Your HOA Before You Fall in Love With a Color
Many Utah subdivisions have CC&Rs that govern exterior colors, and some keep an approved palette. Ask for it early, along with how approval works and how long it takes. Submitting your chosen chips with a photo of the house usually speeds things up.
Getting written approval before you book a painter keeps your spot in the schedule from slipping.
Step 3: Pick Three Roles, Not Three Favorites
A good exterior scheme gives each color a job:
- Body: the largest area, and usually the most restrained color.
- Trim: fascia, window casings and corner boards. Either contrasting or a tone lighter or darker than the body.
- Accent: the front door, shutters or a porch ceiling. This is where a stronger color belongs.
| Element | What it should relate to | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Roof and masonry undertones | Choosing from a 2-inch chip. Color looks different across a whole wall in full sun |
| Trim | Window frames (white or almond vinyl frames are hard to change) | Bright white trim next to almond windows, which makes the windows look dingy |
| Front door | Something fixed on the house, or the landscaping | A trend color that clashes with the brick |
| Garage door | Usually the body or trim color | Turning the garage door into the focal point |
| Gutters and downspouts | Body color on walls, trim color along the fascia | Leaving them in a mismatched factory color |
Step 4: Account for Sun, Heat and Fading
Most paint chips list an LRV, or Light Reflectance Value, on a scale from 0 (black) to 100 (white). The higher the number, the more light and heat the color reflects.
That matters here for two reasons:
- Heat. Dark colors absorb more heat. On vinyl siding, that can cause real damage. Sherwin-Williams warns that repainting vinyl siding darker than its original color can make panels warp or buckle, unless you use a product and color specifically rated as vinyl-safe. A common rule of thumb is to stay at an LRV of 55 or higher on vinyl.
- Fading. Bright reds, oranges and yellows fade fastest in strong sun. Earth tones, whites and blacks hold their color best. Our post on why exterior paint fades explains why, and why south- and west-facing walls show it first.
Step 5: Test Big, Outside, at Different Times
Small chips are close to useless outdoors. Instead:
- Paint each candidate on a large board, roughly two feet square.
- Move the boards around the house: a north wall and a south or west wall at minimum.
- Look at them in the morning, at midday, in the evening and on a cloudy day.
- Stand at the curb as well as up close.
Utah’s bright, clear light tends to wash colors out, so exterior colors usually look lighter on the house than on the chip. Many people end up going a shade darker than their first pick. Boards also make it easy to show your HOA exactly what you’re proposing.
Step 6: Visualize, Then Decide
If you’d like to see combinations before committing, start with our color visualization page, or book a free color consultation and we’ll bring large samples to your house.
When you’re ready, our exterior painting page explains how we run a project, and our exterior painting cost guide covers pricing. Utah’s painting season is short, so check the best time to paint your exterior before you settle on dates.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many colors should a house exterior have?
Usually three: a body color, a trim color and an accent for the front door or shutters. Some homes add a fourth, but more than that tends to look busy.
Should exterior paint be lighter or darker than the sample?
Plan for colors to look lighter outdoors than on the chip, especially in Utah’s bright sun. Many homeowners choose a shade darker than their first pick once they’ve seen a large sample on the house.
Can I paint vinyl siding a darker color?
Only with care. Dark colors absorb heat, and Sherwin-Williams warns that repainting vinyl siding darker than its original color can cause warping or buckling. Use a vinyl-safe product and color, or stay at or lighter than the original shade.
Do I need HOA approval to repaint my house?
If your neighborhood has an HOA, very likely. Many CC&Rs require approval for exterior color changes. Check yours and get written approval before work is scheduled.
What exterior colors fade the least?
Earth tones, whites, off-whites and blacks generally hold their color best because they’re made largely with mineral-based pigments. Bright reds, oranges and yellows tend to fade fastest in strong sun.
